Words of the dojo

Both partners stand in the same stance: right foot forward facing right foot forward, or left facing left.

Postures and movement See →

Cross grab: uke takes tori’s right wrist with their right hand (or left on left), both partners standing in the same stance. Following the Aikikai convention, ai-hanmi therefore means the cross grab; it is also called kōsa-dori (交差取り).

Attacks See →

‘The way (dō 道) of harmony (ai 合) with energy (ki 気)’. A Japanese martial art founded by Ueshiba Morihei, without competition, which seeks to neutralise an attack by blending with it rather than opposing it.

Principles See →

Someone who practises aikido, whatever their level.

People and grades

The organisation founded in Japan to pass on the founder’s aikido. Its headquarters is the Hombu Dōjō in Tōkyō, led by the dōshu. Our club, a member of the ACSA, belongs to this lineage.

People and grades

The foot or leg. The word appears in the names of many steps: tsugi-ashi, ayumi-ashi, okuri-ashi…

Body and targets

A strike to a point on the body. In aikido it mainly serves to unbalance the partner or draw their attention, rather than to injure.

Principles See →

‘Matching’: partner exercises, often with weapons, to synchronise your movement and timing with your partner’s.

Weapons See →

Walking step: the feet pass each other as in ordinary walking, changing stance with each step.

Postures and movement See →

A wooden sword about 1.05 m long, made of red oak (akagashi) or white oak (shirakashi), used to study swordwork. Also called bokutō (木刀).

Weapons See →

‘The martial way’: the Japanese martial arts understood as a path of personal development, not merely as fighting techniques.

Principles

‘The way of the warrior’: the moral code of the bushi, Japan’s warriors, founded on loyalty, courage, honour and self-control.

Principles

The middle level: the trunk. Chūdan-no-kamae is the middle guard, with the tip of the weapon pointing at the partner’s throat.

Body and targets See →

The black-belt grades, counted upwards from first dan (shodan, 初段). Shodan marks less an achievement than the real beginning of study.

People and grades

The place (jō) where the Way (dō) is studied. For Buddhists it was the hall for studying sacred texts and meditating; bushi (warriors) came there to learn detachment from life from Zen monks, as bushidō demanded. Today it is the hall where we train, and it is treated with respect.

In the dojo See →

The head of a dojo, who leads its teaching.

People and grades

‘Thank you very much’ (for what has just taken place): said with a bow to the teacher and to partners at the end of class or of an exercise.

In the dojo See →

‘Master of the Way’: the worldwide head of Aikikai aikido. The role is passed down in the Ueshiba family: after the founder it went to his son Kisshōmaru, then to his grandson Moriteru.

People and grades

The collar of the jacket; ushiro eri-dori is a collar grab from behind.

Body and targets

‘Assistant instructor’: the first teaching title awarded by the Aikikai, normally from 2nd dan. Like shidōin and shihan, it is a teaching title that comes on top of the grade rather than replacing it.

People and grades

The lower level: below the belt. Gedan-no-kamae is the low guard, with the tip of the weapon lowered towards the partner’s knees.

Body and targets See →

‘Fifth teaching’: similar to ikkyō but with a reversed grip on the wrist; used especially against a knife attack (tantō).

Techniques See →

‘Reversed triangle’: another name for han kaiten sabaki, the half turn on the spot that reverses the triangle of the stance (hanmi), from left to right or vice versa.

Postures and movement See →

The partners stand in opposite stances: one with the right foot forward, the other with the left, as in a mirror.

Postures and movement See →

Mirror grab: uke takes tori’s right wrist with their left hand (or right on left), the partners standing in opposite stances. Following the Aikikai convention, gyaku-hanmi therefore means the mirror grab.

Attacks See →

The wide, pleated trousers of traditional samurai dress. At our club it is worn from black belt (yūdansha) onwards.

In the dojo See →

‘Half body’: the basic stance, one foot in front of the other, the body slightly angled, forming a triangle. In hidari-hanmi the left foot is forward; in migi-hanmi, the right.

Postures and movement See →

Tori kneels while uke stands. It teaches you to work with a partner who is higher than you.

Postures and movement

The belly, centre of gravity and seat of energy. Its central point, a few centimetres below the navel, is called tanden (丹田) or seika tanden; moving ‘from the hara’ gives stability and power.

Principles

Left / right. Hidari-hanmi: left foot forward; migi-hanmi: right foot forward.

Postures and movement

The elbow, a joint controlled in several pins.

Body and targets

The knee. In shikkō you move on your knees.

Body and targets

‘First teaching’: control of the arm through the elbow, bringing uke face down to the mat. Also called ude-osae (腕押さえ).

Techniques See →

‘Entering with the body’: moving into the attack, off its line, to end up beside or behind the partner. With tenkan, one of the two fundamental movements; at the club we work on mae ashi irimi tsugi ashi and ushiro ashi irimi.

Principles See →

‘Entering throw’: tori enters behind uke, draws their head in against the shoulder, then throws them with a sweeping arm movement.

Techniques See →

Free practice: tori responds with techniques of their choice to a given attack, repeated by one or more partners. It is often part of grading exams.

Techniques

A medium-length staff, usually about 1.26–1.28 m long, made of oak.

Weapons See →

The upper level: head and face. Also the high guard, with the weapon raised above the head.

Body and targets See →

A straight punch to the face.

Attacks See →

Rotation: pivoting on the spot to change the direction you face. At the club: zen kaiten sabaki (full turn) and han kaiten sabaki (half turn, also called gyaku sankaku).

Postures and movement See →

‘Rotary throw’: tori lowers uke’s head and rotates their arm forward, sending them into a roll. It comes in uchi (内, inside, passing under the arm) and soto (外, outside) forms.

Techniques See →

The guard: a posture ready for action, empty-handed or with a weapon. It reflects an inner attitude as much as a body position.

Postures and movement

A small Shintō shrine set high on the kamiza wall in some dojos, especially in Japan.

In the dojo See →

The seat of honour in the dojo, often with a photograph of Ō-sensei or a calligraphy; it is also called shōmen (正面, ‘the front’). We bow towards it at the start and end of class.

In the dojo See →

A set form: a fixed sequence of movements, solo or with a partner, repeated to absorb its principles. Common in weapons work. Not to be confused with kata (肩), the shoulder.

Weapons See →

The shoulder; kata-dori is a shoulder grab. Not to be confused with kata (型), a set form.

Body and targets

A one-handed grab of tori’s jacket at the shoulder. Often followed by a strike: kata-dori men-uchi.

Attacks See →

Pinning techniques, which control uke on the mat through a joint lock (ikkyō to gokyō). Also called osae-waza.

Techniques See →

A one-handed wrist grab. Depending on stance, there is ai-hanmi katate-dori (cross grab) and gyaku-hanmi katate-dori (mirror grab); used on its own, the term usually means the mirror grab.

Attacks See →

Training, practice. The word suggests ‘reflecting on the old’: repeating the forms handed down until you understand them from the inside.

In the dojo

The white training uniform, jacket and trousers, closed with a belt (obi). Also called dōgi (道着); calling it a ‘kimono’ is a misnomer.

In the dojo See →

The sword. In aikido it is studied with the bokken, as many empty-hand movements derive from it.

Weapons See →

Vital energy, breath. A central notion in the Japanese arts, the word also covers the intention and attention put into a movement.

Principles

A shout that focuses energy at the moment of action. Rarely used in aikido, which favours controlled breathing; more broadly, the word means the union of energy and intent.

Principles

A junior: someone who started after you. The senpai–kōhai relationship rests on mutual help and respect.

People and grades

Breathing, and by extension the power that comes from a body coordinated with the breath (kokyū-ryoku, 呼吸力). It gives its name to kokyū-hō and kokyū-nage.

Principles

An exercise often practised at the end of class, kneeling face to face from ryōte-dori: you unbalance your partner by coordinating breath and body, without muscular force. Also called kokyū-dōsa (呼吸動作).

Techniques

‘Breath throw’: a family of throws without joint locks, relying on timing, unbalancing and whole-body coordination.

Techniques See →

The hips and lower back, the source of power. It gives its name to koshi-nage, the hip throw.

Body and targets

‘Hip throw’: tori brings their hips under uke’s centre and tips them over.

Techniques See →

The forearm near the wrist, and the wrist itself. Found in kote-gaeshi, kote-mawashi (nikyō) and kote-hineri (sankyō).

Body and targets

‘Wrist turn-out’: a throw that twists uke’s wrist outwards, making them fall on their back; often followed by a pin.

Techniques See →

The neck, as in kubishime (首絞め), a choke.

Body and targets

Set exercises with the staff (jō) with a partner.

Weapons See →

Set exercises with the sword (bokken) with a partner.

Weapons See →

Unbalancing: taking the partner out of their stability before applying a technique. Without kuzushi, no technique really works.

Principles

The student grades below black belt. They count down: the smaller the number, the higher the grade, and 1st kyū comes just before 1st dan.

People and grades

The right distance from your partner. The correct distance is called ‘juban-no-ma-ai’; too far is ‘tō-ma’ (遠間), too close ‘chika-ma’ (近間). It is correct when both partners’ hands can touch.

Principles

Front, forwards. Mae ashi is the front foot; mae ukemi, the forward fall.

Postures and movement

‘True victory is victory over oneself’: one of Ō-sensei’s mottos, often completed by katsuhayabi (勝速日), ‘swift victory’.

Principles See →

The face or head; by extension, a strike to the head, as in shōmen-uchi or yokomen-uchi.

Body and targets See →

How to look: a broad gaze that takes in the whole partner rather than fixing on a hand or weapon, ‘as if looking at a distant mountain’ (enzan-no-metsuke).

Principles

A short silent meditation in seiza, eyes half-closed, at the beginning or end of class, to settle the mind and be fully present.

In the dojo See →

Uke grabs one of tori’s forearms with both hands. Also called katate ryōte-dori (片手両手取り).

Attacks See →

‘One without a dan’: a practitioner still at kyū level.

People and grades

The chest; mune-dori is a grab of the jacket at chest height.

Body and targets

A one-handed grab of the jacket at chest height (sometimes called muna-dori).

Attacks See →

The knot, the bond: the connection made with the partner at the moment of contact, until both move as one.

Principles

Throwing techniques, in which uke is sent to the mat and protects themselves with ukemi.

Techniques See →

‘Second teaching’: a wrist lock that bends and turns the hand in towards the forearm. Also called kote-mawashi (小手回し).

Techniques See →

‘Great teacher’: the respectful name for Ueshiba Morihei (植芝盛平, 1883–1969), the founder of aikido. He built his art from older martial arts, notably Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu, and from a deep spiritual search.

People and grades See →

The belt that closes the keikogi. A black belt marks a practitioner holding a dan grade (yūdansha).

In the dojo

‘Sending step’: the foot on the side you are moving towards goes first and the other follows at once. It lets you move in any direction without crossing your feet.

Postures and movement See →

‘Front’: the form of a technique performed in front of the partner (uke), entering into the attack.

Postures and movement

‘Please’: said with a bow at the start of class or when inviting a partner, asking them to train with you.

In the dojo See →

Free practice against several attackers (also called taninzu-gake, 多人数掛け), developing mobility, calm and spatial awareness.

Techniques

The bow. Bend forward without rounding the back: deeply to a teacher or a senior, a little less to a fellow student, while staying alert. We bow when entering and leaving the dojo and to invite a partner; kneeling it is za-rei (座礼), standing it is ritsu-rei (立礼).

In the dojo See →

Both of tori’s shoulders are grabbed from the front.

Attacks See →

Both of tori’s sleeves are grabbed, near the elbows.

Attacks See →

Both of tori’s wrists are grabbed, one by each of uke’s hands.

Attacks See →

‘Third teaching’: a twisting wrist lock that controls the whole arm up to the shoulder. Also called kote-hineri (小手捻り).

Techniques See →

The formal kneeling posture: sitting on the heels, back straight, hands flat on the thighs. Lower the left knee first, then the right; to stand up, bring the right leg up first.

In the dojo See →

A senior: someone who has been training longer than you. Seniors help newer students and set the example.

People and grades

‘One born before’: the teacher. It is how we address whoever is teaching, the word being placed after their name.

People and grades

‘Instructor’: a teaching title awarded by the Aikikai, normally from 4th dan. It ranks between fukushidōin and shihan.

People and grades

‘Model teacher’: the highest teaching title awarded by the Aikikai, normally from 6th dan. The club’s founder, the late Bernard Caloz, held this title.

People and grades See →

‘Four-direction throw’: tori turns under uke’s arm and throws by folding it back towards uke’s shoulder, like a sword cut. One of aikido’s signature techniques.

Techniques See →

Knee-walking, used in suwari-waza. Demanding at first, it strengthens the hips and centre.

Postures and movement See →

Posture: an upright, relaxed and centred body that can move freely. It is trained as carefully as the techniques.

Principles

Natural posture: standing with feet shoulder-width apart, body upright and relaxed.

Postures and movement

A straight punch forward to the midsection; also called chūdan-tsuki (中段突き), or simply tsuki.

Attacks See →

A downward vertical strike to the top of the head with the edge of the hand (tegatana), like a sword cut.

Attacks See →

The sleeve; ryōsode-dori is a grab of both sleeves.

Body and targets

Basic cuts or movements repeated alone with the bokken or jō, to refine posture and form.

Weapons See →

Sliding step: the feet brush the mat without really leaving it, so you stay stable at every moment.

Postures and movement See →

Techniques practised with both partners kneeling. An excellent way to learn to use the hips and centre.

Postures and movement

Techniques practised with both partners standing.

Postures and movement

Body movement: all the ways of moving to leave the line of attack, position yourself and guide your partner. At the club we work in particular on mae ashi irimi tsugi ashi, ushiro ashi irimi, ushiro ashi tenkan, mae ashi tenkan, mae ashi tenshin, ushiro ashi tenshin yose ashi, zen kaiten sabaki and han kaiten sabaki (gyaku sankaku).

Postures and movement See →

Ō-sensei’s expression for the highest stage of aikido: the ability to give birth, spontaneously and at every moment, to the technique the situation calls for.

Principles See →

The knife or dagger; in practice a wooden or plastic replica, used to learn defences against an armed attack (tantō-dori).

Weapons See →

The mats we train on, and by extension the training area itself. We walk on them barefoot and keep them clean.

In the dojo See →

The hand. Its edge is called tegatana (手刀), the ‘hand sword’.

Body and targets

The ‘hand sword’: the edge of the hand, used like a blade to cut, guide or strike. A key idea inherited from swordwork.

Body and targets See →

The wrist, the target of grabs such as katate-dori.

Body and targets

‘Heaven-and-earth throw’: one hand rises towards heaven, the other goes down towards earth, and uke is thrown between them, typically from ryōte-dori. It is spelt tenchi, not ‘tenshi’ as sometimes seen.

Techniques See →

‘Changing direction’: pivoting half a turn to receive the partner’s force and end up beside them, facing the same way. At the club we distinguish mae ashi tenkan and ushiro ashi tenkan.

Principles See →

‘Turning the body’: an evasion that takes you off the line of attack with a pivot, often diagonally backwards, letting the partner’s force go by. At the club: mae ashi tenshin and ushiro ashi tenshin yose ashi.

Postures and movement See →

The one who is attacked and performs the technique. Also called nage (投げ, ‘the one who throws’).

People and grades

Shuffle step: one foot moves, the other follows without passing it, so the stance stays the same.

Postures and movement See →

The arm. Ude-osae (腕押さえ), ‘arm control’, is another name for ikkyō.

Body and targets

The one who attacks and ‘receives’ the technique: they are guided, controlled or thrown, and protect themselves through ukemi. The role is as instructive as tori’s.

People and grades

The art of falling and receiving a technique safely: mae ukemi (forward roll), ushiro ukemi (backward fall) and tobu ukemi (high breakfall). One of the first things you learn in the dojo.

Postures and movement See →

‘Back’: the form of a technique performed by moving behind the partner, usually with a pivot (tenkan).

Postures and movement

Behind, backwards. Ushiro ashi is the back foot; ushiro attacks come from behind.

Postures and movement

From behind, uke grabs the back of tori’s collar.

Attacks See →

From behind, uke holds one of tori’s wrists with one hand and chokes them (kubishime) with the other arm.

Attacks See →

From behind, uke grabs both of tori’s elbows.

Attacks See →

From behind, uke grabs both of tori’s shoulders.

Attacks See →

From behind, uke grabs both of tori’s wrists.

Attacks See →

Techniques against attacks from behind (ushiro), such as ushiro ryōte-dori or ushiro eri-dori.

Postures and movement See →

Technique. The word appears in many expressions: suwari-waza, tachi-waza, nage-waza…

Techniques

A circular, diagonal strike to the side of the head (temple or neck) with the edge of the hand.

Attacks See →

‘Fourth teaching’: pressure on a sensitive point of the forearm, near the wrist. Also called tekubi-osae (手首押さえ).

Techniques See →

‘Drawing step’: bringing one foot back towards the other after a movement to recover a stable stance. It appears in ushiro ashi tenshin yose ashi.

Postures and movement See →

‘One who holds a dan’: a black-belt practitioner. At our club, yūdansha wear the hakama.

People and grades

‘The remaining mind’: the awareness kept after a technique. You stay present and attentive to your partner even once the movement is over.

Principles