Tomiki Aikido - Useful Terms

Traditional Aikido was brought to the West in 1951 by Minoru Mochizuki on a trip to France where he introduced Aikido techniques to judo students. He was followed by Tadashi Abe in 1952 who came as the official Aikikai Hombu representative remaining in France for seven years. Kenji Tomiki toured with a delegation of various martial arts through fifteen continental states of the United States in 1953.Later in that year Koichi Tohei was sent by Aikikai Hombu to Hawaii for a complete year where he set up several dojo. This was followed up by several further visits and is considered to be the formal introduction of Aikido to the United States. The United Kingdom followed in 1955. Italy in 1964. Germany and Australia in 1965. Designated Official Delegate for Europe and Africa by Morihei Ueshiba Masamichi Noro arrived in France in September 1961. Today there are Aikido dojo all over the world. Tomiki Aikido has a slightly different story since this is the competitive verion of the martial art. The introduction of Tomiki Aikido into the United Kingdom is officially attributed to Senta Yamada Sensei who was born in Fukuoka in Japan in 1924. In 1961 he published his book "The Ancient Secrets of Aikido" this was reprinted in 1962 and then revised and reprinted in 2004. His book which was published jointly with Alex Macintosh in 1966 and entitled "The Principles and Practice of Aikido" was the first extensive presentation of Tomiki Aikido in the English language and is currently out of print. Yamada sensei left England in 1965 leaving his original students behind to carry forward his inspiration. To name a few these are John Waite, John Wilkinson, John Gay, Jim Elkin, Bill Lawrence, Alex Macintosh, and later Dr Ah Loi Lee. Dr Ah Loi Lee has been to Sheffield to teach at the seminars that are run by the Kenshinkan club.

If you have spent most of your life in England you might find that if you want to study Judo or some other South-East Asian martial art then you might not need to understand any Japanese or any other language. However, if you are a practicing Aikidoka and interested in traditional Aikido or Tomiki Aikido then you will have to learn some basic terms that are used in the dojo. Also of some use is the ability to book and buy a train ticket or a hotel room or how to ask for a beer (beeru). You will find that your Japanese Sensei or Shihan will expect you to understand some basic ideas about the Japanese language and culture.

Counting to ten in Japanese. This is the first move so that you can do unsoku or foot movements

ichi – 1 ni – 2 san – 3 shi – 4 go – 5 roku – 6 shichi – 7 hachi - 8 kyu – 9 ju – 10

ju ichi – 11 ju ni – 12 ju san – 13 ju shi – 14 ju go – 15 ju roku – 16 ju shichi – 17 ju hachi - 18 ju kyu – 19 ni ju – 20

The number 56 would be "5 - 10's plus 6" or "gojuroku" the number 61 would then be "6 - 10's plus 1"or "rokujuichi" and so on and so forth. The number 100 is pronounced as "hyaku"counting above 100 is basically just a matter of adding the word "hyaku" in the appropriate place and then following the same general principle for example the number 150 is pronounced as "hyakugoju". Give it a try and learn to count with confidence. At least up to the number ten since you will find that in most dojos the count during class will normally only go up to ten. At which point the count usually starts over again at the number one with this pattern repeating it's self as often as maybe required by the sensei or senior sempai.

Ai – Harmony   合
Ai hanmi - Same or matched stance    相半身
Ai-gamae - Matching stances
Aiki - Harmony of Spirit    合気
Aikido - Way of Harmony of Spirit    合気道
Aikidoka - Person who practices Aikido   合気道家
Aiki-Ken - Aikido Sword techniques    合気剣
Ashi - Leg or Foot    足
Atemi - Strike    当て身
Atemi-waza - Striking techniques

Barai - Sweep
Bokken - Wooden Sword used in Aikido and Kendo Training    木剣
Budo - Martial ways or art of war    武道

Chudan - Middle
Chudan-no-kamae- Basic posture
Chudan kamae - Middle stance. This refers to the position where the sword is held extended out from the center parallel or slightly inclined with respect to the ground. Common to sword arts      中段構え
Chudan-uke - Middle block

Dan - Degree ranking for Black Belt
Do - The Way or Path    道
Dojo - Training Hall or Place of the Way    道場
Dori - Hold or Grasp

Eri dori - Collar held    襟取り
Furitsuki - Slashing thrust normally with a knife
Gasho Uke – Yokomen, gyakumen, keri, side and knee attacks, praying hands
Gassho no renshu - Blocking exercise with the hands joined together.
Gedan - Low
Gedan no kamae - Low posture
Gedan-uke - Low block
Gi - Aikidoge traditional clothing worn when training
Go-no-sen - Attacking after you have been attacked.
Gyaku - Opposite/Reverse
Gyaku-gamae - Opposite stances
Gyaku hanmi - Reverse or opposite stance. A situation in which the attacker and defender are in ready stances with the opposite foot forward

Hachi hon no kuzushi – eight balance breaks
Hajime - Begin
Hanmi - Stance
Hantai - Change
Hara - A point in the lower abdomen
Hasso - High sword posture
Hidari-gamae - Left stance with the left foot forward.
Hiji - Elbow
Hiji waza - Elbow techniques
Hikitate-geiko - Middle level of competition
Hiriki no yosei – Neutralising practice

Iaido - Art of sword Drawing
Idoryoku - Locomotive power; the power of movement
Irimi - Entering principle
Irimi-nage - Entering throw

Jo - Short staff about 4’ long
Jodan - High
Jodan-no-kamae - High posture
Jodan-uke - High block
Jujitsu - Ancient Japanese martial art
Ju-nana-hon waza - The seventeen basic techniques of Tomiki Aikido randori
Jushin - Balance or centre of gravity

Kakari-geiko - Lowest level of competition
Kamae - Stance or posture
Kanetsu - Joints
Kanetsu-waza - Joint techniques
Kata - Pre-arranged techniques, Form or Shoulder. Done slowly and without strength
Kata-dori-men-uchi - Strike to the head while holding the shoulder
Kata-Dori - Shoulder held
Katate - Single hand
Katate-dori - One hand held
Keiko-gi - Kit or Uniform
Ken - Sword
Kendo - The Way of the Sword
Ki - Spirit or Energy 気
Kime-waza - Final locking technique
Kiritsu - Stand to attention
Kissaki - Point or tip of the sword
Kohai - Junior student
Kokyu - Blending or fitting in as a movement
Kokyu-dosa - Breath Exercise
Kokyu-Nage - Breath Throw
Koryu-no-kata - Pre-arranged traditional techniques in kata form
Koshi - Hips or lower back
Koshi-nage - Hip Throw
Kotai - Switch or change
Kote - Wrist also called Tekubi
Kote-gaeshi - Outer wrist throw – Wrist twist
Kyu - Ranking for belts below black belt
Kuzushi - Break balance
Kyudo - Japanese Archery

Mae - Forward, front
Ma-ai - Correct distance
Marui - Circular or round
Men - Sword cut to the centre of the head
Me-tsuke - Eye contact focus on the opponent’s eyes
Migi - Right
Migi-gamae - Right posture with the right foot forward
Mochi - Grasp or hold with hands
Morote Dori - One hand held by two hands
Mu-gamae - Without stance
Mushin - Without emotion
Mune - Chest

Nage - Throw or technique
Nana-hon nage kuzushi - Kuzushi training exercise comprised of seven throws

Obi - Belt worn over the Gi
Omote - Front
O-Sensei - Great Teacher. A reference to the founder.
Otoshi - Drop

Randori - Freeplay
Randori-no-kata - Basic seventeen techniques in the Tomiki system of Aikido
Rei - Bow
Ritsu-rei - Standing Bow
Ryo-kata-dori - Both shoulders held
Ryote-dori - Both hands held

Seichu-sen - Centre line of one’s body
Sei chu sen no bogyo – simulated attack, pushing onto chest
Seiza - Sitting Properly
Sempai - Senior Student
Sen - Initiating an attack slightly before your opponent
Sensei - Teacher
Sensei-ni-rei - Bow to the teacher
Sen-sen-no-sen - Sensing and preparing for your opponent’s attack
Shiai - Tournament, Competition
Shichihon-no-kuzushi - Balance breaking
Shihan - A master teacher or teacher of teachers
Shiho-nage - Four directional Throw
Shikko - Knee walking
Shime - Lock
Shinkokyu - Deep breathing exercise at the end of practice
Shite - Defender also called Tori
Shizentai - Natural standing position
Shomen - Front also called Omote
Shomen ni rei - Bow to the front
Shomen-uchi - Strike to the top of the head
Shotei-awase - Tension exercise or pushing practice
Sode - Sleeve
Suwari-waza - Sitting techniques from Seiza position

Tachi-waza - Standing techniques
Tai-sabaki - Evasion of an attack by avoidance
Taiso - Warm-up callisthenics
Tandokuo-undo - Foot and hand movements exsercises
Tanto - Knife
Te - Hand
Tegatana - Hand blade 手がたな
Tegatana-awase - Hand blade exercise
Tegatana dosa – 5 hand blade movements
Tegatana No BoGyo – Using one hand
Tekubi - Wrist also known as Kote
Tekubi waza - Wrist techniques
Tenkan - Absorption principle
Tentai - Hip-turn
Tori - The defender/Person doing the technique
Tsugi - Thrust
Tsugi-ashi - Sliding feet

Uchi - Hand strike
Uke - Attacker or person being thrown
Ukemi - Break falls
Uki-waza - Floating or timing techniques
Ura - Back
Uraken - Back fist
Unsoku - Foot movements or avoidance exercises
Ushiro - Backward, behind

Waza - Technique
Waki-gammae - Low Sword posture

Yame - Stop
Yoi - Prepare
Yoko - Side
Yokomen - Temple area of the face
Yokomen-uchi - Side strike to the opponent’s temple

Zanshin - Awareness
Za-rei - Sitting bow