Kendo Glossary

arigato gozaimashita thank you very much
ashi-sabaki footwork
ayumi-ashi walking LRLR
okuri-ashi short distance RLRL
hiraki-ashi sideways
suri-ashi moving forward or backwards without feet crossing each other in a sliding motion
fumikomi-ashi stamping on the ground with the right foot
tsugi-ashi moving left foot to shorten distance between feet (without moving in front of right foot)
bogu armour
men face mask
menbuton hood
mengane grill
tsukidare neck flap
kote gauntlet
kotegashira shell
kera folds
tsutsu wrists
do chest protector
do-mune chest
chi-kawa loops
do-gawa top plate
tare hip protector
odare front flaps
kodare back flaps
tare-obi waist sash
waki-himo side straps
bushido the way of the warrior
datotsu strikes and thrusts
dojo training place
hajime begin
himo strap
joseki the seat (place) of honour
junbi-taiso warm-up exercises
kakegoe shout (coming together of spirit)
kamae attitude or posture, get ready for attack
chudan no kamae fundamental kamae
jodan no kamae the shinai is held above the head
kamae to take chudan no kamae
kamae wo toku rest, shinai pointing down L to R
osame to sheath your sword
seigan no kamae point to opponent’s left kote in jodan with shinai
sonkyo squatting position while drawing shinai
taito shinai raised to hop level at side
yasume rest, same as kamae wo toku
katana sword
bokuto wooden sword used for kata
shinai bamboo sword used for fighting
datotsubu top third of shinai
kensen cutting edge
nakayui leather thong holding cords
sakigawa leather tip protector
shinogi side edges (omote=left, ura=right)
tsuba sword guard
tsuba-dome rubber stop behind tsuba
tsuka hilt of shinai
tsuka-gashira bottom end of hilt
tuka-gawa leather grip of handle
tsuru cord of shinai
keiko training
kiri kaeshi practice of side men cut
kakari-geiko attacks of own volition
hikitate-geiko attacks prompted by senior
gokaku-geiko practice with equal
shiai-geiko competition practice
ji-geiko free practice
keikogi training wear
Kendogi jacket for kendo practice
Hakama skirt-like trousers
koshi-ita back stiffener of hakama
kendo the way of the sword
kendoka one who practices kendo
ki-ken-tai no ichi total unity of mind sword and body
kiai flood, spiritual force
kigurai pride
ki wo tuske attention
kohai junior member
maai interval, distance
chikai maai (chikama) near interval
issoku-itto no maai(uchima) one-step-one-sword interval
toi maai (toma) far interval
men (wo) tore remove your armour
men (wo) tsuke put on your armour
metsuke view
mokuso meditation
onegaishimasu please (literally)
rei bow
joseki ni rei bow to joseki
otagai ni rei bow to each other
ritsurei standing bow
sensei ni rei bow to the teacher
zarei bow from kneeling position
san-satsu-ho three basic attack methods
ken wo korusu sword control
ki wo korosu mental control
waza wo korosu technical control
seiretsu line up
sempai senior member
sensei teacher
shotachi first strike
shimoza the side of the dojo opposite the joseki
shoshinsha beginner
shisei wo tadashite make sure your posture is correct
sonkyo squatting position
suburi shinai swing practice
joge-suburi vertical swing to floor
naname-suburi diagonal swing to floor
waza techniques
oji-waza defensive techniques
kaeshi-waza reflex deflection techniques
nuki-waza evasion techniques
suriage-waza rising slide techniques
shikake-waza offensive techniques
harai-waza warding off
hiki-waza step back techniques
ni/san-dan-waza sequence of techniques
uchiotoshi-waza downward strike techniques
yame stop
yudansha kendoka who has a dan grade
zanshin determination to continue fighting and bring own strikes to a conclusion