Japanese Vocabulary     Pronouncing the japanese vowels" Here are the Japanese vowels written and don't necessarily correspond to their English equivalent, so what do they sound like?  Well, there are "a", "i", "u", "e", and "o".  Pronounced "ah", "EE", "oo", "eh", and "oh".  Use this when pronouncing japanese.  Words like (Honda become Hoo nda) and (Tokyo become Toe kyo) "a" as in "saw"  "i" as in "see"  "u" as in "sue"  "e" as in "bet"  "o" as in "oh" or "toe"    Note:   The list of Japanese (Nihongo) words and information listed below is simple information gathered together from a few Internet sources brought together for the students of the Jujutsu Academy.  Some of the information listed is related to Aikido, and Judo.  However do not mistake.  The Modesto Daito Kai is a school focused and dedicated to the system of Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu.  A aikido:  system founded by (Morihei Ueshiba)  with great credit to Takeda Dai Sensei ai harmony:  unity, blending  aikiotoshi:  aiki-drop, throwing technique  arigato:  thanks arigato gozaimasu:  thank you for what you are doing arigato gozaimashita:  thank you for what you have done ashi:  leg, foot ate:  hit, strike atemi:  strike to the body awase:  harmonizing/blending movement ayumiashi:  altering steps, left and right, like normal walking ago tsuki -age:  strike or pushing of chin aiki: unifying or harmonizing of ki aiki-in-yo-ho:  aiki system liken to the yin and yang aiki-jujutsu:  Daito Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu aiki-okami: the great spirit of Aiki aioi-ryu: ancient system of bayonet and  spear arts ate-wase: striking technique B batto: draw the sword, also called nuki bo: staff, longer than the jo bokken: wooden training sword bokuto: same as bokken bogu:  kendo equipment bodhimanda:  place of transformation of ego self into egoless self bokken:  wooden sword bokuto:  another name for the wooden sword bu:  war, battle, fight bugei:  battle art, old term bukiwaza:  weapons training bushi warrior bu:  martial spirit budo:  martial way budaka:  practitioner of the martial ways bugei:  fighting arts bugeisha:  a person who practices the fighting arts; a bushi bushi:  a warrior, samurai bushido:  way of the warrior C chado: tea ceremony chikara: force/strength choku: direct chokutsuki: direct strike with the jo chudan: middle, compare jodan and gedan chudan kamae: guard position with a weapon at belly height chudan tsuki: strike at belly/solar plexus, with weapon or empty hand chukyusha: continuing student, with a mid-level kyu grade (jämför jokyusha) D dai: great, big, also o dai sensei: great teacher daisho: sword pair, the long and the short sword Daito ryu: aiki jujutsu school founded by Takeda Sokaku  dame: wrong, bad dan: level, black belt grade in budo dao/tao: transcribation of the Chinese word for way, do deshi: student do: way, also michi dogi: training dress, also keikogi do-in: self massage tradition dojo: training or practice hall dojo cho: head of a training hall doka: poem about the way domo: much domo arigato gozaimas: thank you so much, for something that you are doing domo arigato gozaimashita: thank you so much, for something that you have done dori: take, catch, grab dosa: movement doshu: way leader, head of a budo dozo:  please/by all means E embukai:  public demonstration empi:  strike with elbow eri:  neck, collar eridori:  collar grip by the neck F furitama:  exercise to still ki futaridori/futarigake:  two attackers G gaeshi/kaeshi:  returning, reversed gamae/kamae:  guard, basic position gasshuku:  training camp, lodging together gedan:  low, compare jodan and chudan gedanbarai:  low block geiko/keiko:  training geri:  kick gi:  uniform giri/kiri:  cut go:  five gokajo:  fifth teaching, pinning technique gomen nasai:  excuse me, I humble apoligize Go rin no sho:  Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi gotai:  hard body, static training, compare jutai, ryutai and kinagare gyaku:  reverse, opposite gyakutsuki:  strike with opposing arm and leg forward, compare oitsuki H hachi:  eight Hagakure:  Hiding the Leaves, classic samurai book from the 18th century hai:  yes hajime:  begin hakama:  wide/pleated pants worn by the samuri and now by students of the old way.  Traditionally all garb worn by the japanese being kimonos, the hakama was added for the men giving needed protection from chapping of the legs or thighs while horse riding. Being that leather was harder to come by, the hakama was designed using cloth with a peice of hard matirial used to add back support on long rides hanshi:  title in kendo, from 8th dan hantai:  opposed happo:  eight directions, compare shiho hara:  stomach harai/barai:  sweep away, parry harakiri:  cut belly, ritual suicide, also called seppuku hassogaeshi:  jo-staff technique hasso gamae:  guard with weapon at shoulder level henkawaza: changing techniques, variations on basic techniques, also shifting from one technique to another hidari:  left (right: migi) hiji:  elbow hijidori:  grip on elbow hijikimeosae:  pinning technique, sometimes called rokkyo hiki:  pull hineri:  twist hiragana:  Japanese phonetic writing, compare katakana hito e mi:  making the body small, guard position with more of an angle than hanmi hiza:  knee ho:  method ho:  direction, side hombu:  head quarters Hombu dojo:  head dojo,  head dojo in Tokyo I iaido:  the art of drawing the Japanese sword iaito:  training sword, usually not sharpened ichi:  one ichiban:  first, best iie:  no iki:  will power ikkajo:  older term for ikkyo ikki:  one ki, bottoms up, toast ikkajo:  first teaching, pinning technique in:  Japanese for the Chinese concept yin, compare yo ippon:  one point ipponken:  strike with one knuckle irimi:  in to the body, inwards iriminage:  inward throw, throwing technique J jiyuwaza:  free training jo:  wooden staff, 127.5 centimeters jo awase:  jo-staff exercises jodan:  high, compare chudan and gedan jodan no kamae:  guard with weapon over head jodan tsuki:  strike at head jodanuke:  high block jodo:  the way of the staff jodori:   jo-staff taking jokyusha:  advanced student, with a higher kyu grade, compare chukyusha ju:  ten ju:  soft judo:  the gentle way, founded by (Jigoro Kano) with great credit to Takeda Dai Sensei jujigarami/jujinage:  cross throw jujutsu:  the soft art jumbitaiso:  warm-up exercises, also called aikitaiso juntsuki:  strike with the same arm and leg forward, also called oitsuki, compare gyakutsuki jutai:  soft body, smooth training, compare gotai, ryutai and kinagare jutsu:  technique/art K kaeshi/gaeshi:  returning, reverse kaeshitsuki:  reverse strike with jo-staff kaeshiwaza:  counter techniques kagami biraki:  Japanese New Year celebration, held January 11 kai:  club, association kaiso:  founder kaitennage:  rotation throw, throwing technique kaitenosae:  rotation pinning technique kakaedori:  embrace kakarigeiko:  attackers in line, one after the other kakudo:  angle kamae/gamae:  guard position kami:  divinity kamiza:  honorary place in a dojo, compare shomen and shinzen kampai:  cheers, toast kan:  intuition kangeiko:  mid-winter training kanji:  ideograms, the Chinese writing kanren:  linked, connected kanrenwaza:  linked techniques, one technique followed by another, compare renzokuwaza kansetsu:  joint (on body) karatedo:  the way of the empty hand, or the way through the hand to emptiness Kashima:  shintoryu traditional sword school kata:  form, pre-decided movements kata:  shoulder katadori:  shoulder grip katadori menuchi;  shoulder grip followed by shomenuchi katakana:  Japanese phonetic writing, compare hiragana katamewaza:  pinning techniques katana:  the Japanese sword, also ken, to and tachi katate:  one-hand technique katatedori:  wrist-grip katate ryotedori:  grip with both hands, also called morotedori Katori shintoryu:  traditional sword school keiko/geiko:  training keikogi:  training jacket, also dogi ken:  sword, also katana, to and tachi kendo:  Japanese fencing ki:   spirit, life energy kiai:  gathered ki, usually used for shout in budo kiatsu:  japanese massage   kihon:  basics kihon no kata: basic technique  kikai tanden:  the ocean of ki in the body's center kime:  focusing kimusubi:  tying one's ki to that of the partner kinagare/ki no nagare:  streaming ki, flowing training, compare gotai, jutai and ryutai kiri/giri:  cut kirikaeshi:  turning cut, sword exercise koan:  riddle in zen kobudo:  older budo kogeki:  attack kogekiho:  attack techniques kohai:  one's junior, compare sempai Kojiki:  religious Japanese book from the 8th century kokoro:  heart, will, mind, also pronounced shin kokyu:  breathing kokyuho:  breathing exercise, throwing technique kokyunage:  breath throw kokyu ryoku:  breath power kosa:  cross over, pass kosadori:  cross-over grip, same as aihanmi katatedori koshi:  hip koshinage:  hip throw kote:  wrist kotegaeshi:  reversed wrist, throwing technique kotehineri:  twisted wrist, sankajo kotemawashi:  turned wrist, nikajo kotodama/kototama:  spirit of words, Japanese sound mystique and cosmology ku:  nine ku:  emptiness kubi:  neck kubishime:  neck choke kuden:  oral tradition/teaching kumi:  group, set kumijo:  jo-staff exercises, jo against jo kumitachi:  sword exercises, sword against sword kumite:  empty handed fight kumiuchi:  ancient Japanese wrestling in full armor kuzushi:  break one's balance kyo:  principle, learning kyoshi:  title in kendo, 6-7 dan kyu:  grade before blackbelt, compare dan kyudo:  the way of the bow and arrow L (L not used in Japanese) M ma:  distance between training partners ma-ai:  harmonious, balanced distance between training partners mae:  front, forward, compare ushiro maegeri:  straight kick mae:  no ukemi forward fall makiwara:  target for hitting practice in karatedo maru:  circle mawashi:  revolving, turning mawashigeri:  roundhouse kick mawate:  turning me:  eye men:  head michi:  way, also do migi:  right (left: hidari) misogi:  purification, cleansing mochi:  hold/grip, also called dori mochikata:  gripping attacks mo ikkai:  do again mokuso:  meditation, also called zazen moro:  both morotedori:  grip with both hands, also called katate ryotedori mu:  nothing, empty mushin:  empty mind mudansha:  trainee without dan grade, compare yudansha mune:  chest munedori:  collar grip by the chest musubi:  tie together N nagare:  flow, streaming nage:  throw, also used for the one doing the technique nagewaza:  throwing techniques naginata:  Japanese halberd nakaima:  here and now nana:  seven, also pronounced shichi nen:  the purity and unity of the mind ni:  two nihon/Nippon:  Japan nihongi:   religious Japanese book from the 8th century  nikajo:  second teaching, pinning technique nin:  persons ninindori: two attackers, also called futaridori ninja:  an expert in the art of espeanasha, a spy in old Japan nippon/Nihon:  Japan nito ichiryu/Niten ichiryu:  School of Two Swords/Two Heavens, Musashi's sword school noto:  return the sword to the scabbard nuki:  draw the sword, also called batto nukite:  strike with fingertips O o big obi belt ono ha ito ryu:  the Aizu clan kenjutsu or sword system, system of (Takeda Dai Sensei) ocha:  tea oitsuki:  strike with same arm and foot forward, also called jontsuki omote:  front, surface, compare ura Omotokyo:  shintoistic society onegai shimasu:  please teach me, show me, help me, nihongin asking for something osae:  press down, pinning  otagai ni:  rei bow to each others otoshi:  drop oyowaza:  applied techniques, modified for efficiency P (P rarely used in Japanese) Q (Q not used in Japanese) R randori:  disorderly grabbing, free training rei:  bow reigi:  etiquette, also called reishiki renshi:  title in kendo, 4-6 dan renshu:  training renzoku:  continuous renzoku:  uchikomi jo-staff exercise renzokuwaza:  consecutive techniques, a series of techniques ritsurei:  standing bow roku:  six ryo:  both ryotedori:  gripping both wrists ryu:  school or dragon ryutai:  flowing body, fluid training, compare gotai, jutai and kinagare S sabaki:  action/handling sake:  rice wine samurai:  one who serves, Nihon go warrior class san:  three sankaku:  triangle sankakutai:  triangle shape, position of the feet in hanmi sankajo:  third teaching, pinning technique sannindori/sanningake:  three attackers sanpo: three directions satori:  enlightenment in zen saya:  sword scabbard seika no itten: the one point below the navel, the body center, also called tanden seiki:  life energy seiza:  correct sitting, sit on knees sempai:  one's senior, compare kohai sen no sen:  before the attack, countering before the strike sensei:  teacher sensen no sen:  before before the attack, a leading initiative seppuku: ritual suicide with knife, also called harakiri or belly cut shi:  four, also pronounced yon shiai:  competition shiatsu:  chinese massage shichi:  seven, also pronounced nana shihan:  expert example, high title for master teacher, from 6 dan, compare fukushidoin and shidoin shiho:  four directions shihonage:  four directions throw, throwing technique shikaku:  square shikaku:  dead angle shiki:  courage shikko:  knee walking shime:  choke shin:  heart, will, mind, also pronounced kokoro shinai:   sword of bamboo used for training kenjitsu also in schools of kendo Shindo:  Musoryu jodo-school shinken:  sharp authentic Japanese sword  shinto:  the way of the gods, Japanese religion shinzen:  seat of the gods, in a dojo usually a position on the wall farthest from the entrance, compare kamiza and shomen shisei:  posture shite:  the one leading, defender in aikido, also called tori or nage shizentai:  natural body posture ski:  compared to Tsuki  sho:  first, beginning shodan:  first dan grade shodo:  calligraphy shomen:  front of the head shomen:  head place of the dojo, compare shinzen and kamiza shomen ni rei:  bow to head place of the dojo shomenuchi:  cut or blow to head shoshinsha:  beginner sode:  sleeve sodedori:  sleeve grip sodeguchidori:  grip on the cuff of the sleeve soto:  outside, outer, compare uchi sotodeshi:  student who lives outside the dojo, compare uchideshi sotokaiten:  outer rotation, compare uchikaiten sotouke:  block from outside, compare uchiuke Sokaku Takeda  Takeda Sokaku, October 10, 1859 - April 25, 1943) was known as the founder of a school of Jujutsu known as Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu.  suburi:  basic exercises with sword or staff suki:  opening sumi:  corner sumikiri:  sharpness of body and mind sumimasen:  excuse me sumo:  traditional Japanese wrestling suri:  rub, scrape sutemiwaza:  techniques with losing one's own balance suwariwaza:  seated training, also called suwate suwate:  seated training, also called suwariwaza T tachi:  sword, also to, ken and katana tachi:  stand tachidori:  sword taking tachiwaza:  training standing up tai:  body taijutsu:  body techniques, unarmed techniques tai no henko:  body turn, also called tai no tenkan tai no tenkan:  body turn, also called tai no henko taisabaki:  body move, evasive movement taiso:  exercises tambo: short staff tameshi:  test tameshigiri:  cutting test with sword tameshiware:  hitting test in karatedo tanden:  body center, compare seika no itten taninzugake:  several attackers tanren:  drill tanto/tanken:  knife tantodori:   knife taking tao/dao:  Chinese for do tatami:  mat tate:  stand up, compaired to kiritsu te:  hand tegatana:  hand sword, hand ridge in swordlike movements tekubi:  wrist tekubiosae:  pinned wrist, yonkajo tenchinage:  heaven-earth throw, throwing technique tenkan:  turn tettsui:  hammer strike to:  sword, also ken, tachi and katana tobigeri:  jump kick tobikoshi:  fall over hip, break fall tomauchi:  jo-staff technique tori:  the one who takes, defender in aikido, also called nage and shite torifune:  rowing exercise, also called funakogi undo tsuba:  sword guard tsugiashi:  following step, back foot following and not passing front foot tsuka:  sword hilt tsuki:  strike, with a weapon or empty hand U uchi:  strike uchi:  inside, within, inner, compare soto uchideshi:  student living in the dojo, compare sotodeshi uchikaiten:  inner rotation, compare sotokaiten uchikata:  striking and hitting attack forms uchikomi:  hitting repeatedly uchiuke:  block from inside, compare sotouke ude:  arm udekimenage:  arm lock throw udenobashi:  extended arm, gokajo udeosae:  pinned arm, ikkajo uke:  the one receiving, attacker in aikido uki:  block, parry ukemi:  falling undo:  exercise ura:  backside, inside, reverse side, compare omote uraken:  backhand strike ushiro:  behind, backwards, compare mae ushirogeri:  backward kick ushiro kiriotoshi:  rear cutting drop, throwing technique ushiro no ukemi:  backward fall ushirowaza:  attacks from behind ushiro kaiten: roll or rotation to the rear V (V not used in Japanese) W waki:  side wakizashi:  short sword ware:  break, split waza:  technique, skill, training method X (X not used in Japanese) Y yame:  stop yang:  sunny side, male pole, in Japanese yo, compare yin yari:  spear  yin:  shady side, female pole, in Japanese in, compare yang yo:  Japanese for yang yoko:  side, sideways, horizontal yokogeri:  side kick yokogiri:  horisontal cut yokomen:  side of the head yokomenuchi:  strike to the side of the head yoko:  ukemi side fall yon:  four, also pronounced shi yonkajo:  fourth teaching, pinning technique yudansha:  dan graded, compare mudansha Z za:  seated, sit  zanshin:  remaining spirit, continued concentration zarei:  sitting bow zazen:  sitting meditation, also called mokuso zen:  a form of buddhism zengo:  around, forward and back, front and rear zori:  sandals Numbers 1 ichi 2 ni 3 san 4 shi / yon 5 go 6 roku 7 shichi / nana 8 hachi 9 ku 10 ju 20 ni-ju 21 ni-ju-ichi 100 hyaku 1000 sen