Glossary

Age-oroshi (上げ下ろし): The practice of holding either a bo, or sometimes a bokuto, in front of you at arm’s length, raising it to the vertical (age) and then lowering it horizontally (oroshi) several hundred times, the “canonical” number being one thousand. This practice is a meditative version of Eiko. When beginning it is possible to also preform this practice using empty kaishoken hands

AH-UN (阿吽): Two fundamental expressions present in both Tenshingoso and Eiko. As a practice, it takes the name of Tenso. Also mentioned, as “Yin and Yang”, in Appendix II of S. Egami’s book [1976, p. 122].

Aozora-taiso: “blue sky exercise;” the “Ah” and “Oh” movements from tenshingoso

Chi-no-kata(地の型): Although its name contains the word kata, this practice is a kumite. The use of kata marks its essential and formal character and formal character; it consists of parrying a single tsuki attack with a low sweeping block (gedan-barai [下段払い]). The attacker has a formal advantage – ready in attacking position – while the receiver is open in a neutral position. The purpose of this kata is to put the receiver in a position to anticipate the attack based on subtle signals in order to “catch the wave” of the partner’s intention. Chi-no-kata (tsuki at belly level, received with gedan-barai or sometimes ude–uke [腕受け]) goes together with Ten-no-kata (tsuki to the face, received with ude-uke).

Jigo-kei: “self-empowerment” system

Jikyoken: “self-empowerment” hand, making use of a sword-hand

Junan-taiso: Warm-up floor stretches

Junbi-taiso (準備体操): Warm-ups or “preparation exercises;”

Kaiho-kei (開放系): Practices in opening and extension, particularly emblematic of early shintaido. See also “Yoki-kei.”

Kaikyaku-dai: large forward jumps designed to open the pelvic area

Kaikyaku-sho: small forward jumps or hops designed to strengthen and open the lower part of the body.

Kaikyaku-zenshin (開脚前進): Jumping practices that open the pelvis laterally. The kaikyaku-zenshin-dai (開脚前進大) form requires half bending of the knees and the kaikyaku-zenshin-sho (開脚前進小) form requires full knee bends (squatting).

Kaishoken: “opening & expressing” hand

Kenko-taiso: “health exercise;” the specific sequence of gentle warm-ups

Meiso jump: “meditation jump”- small, soft jump

Musoken: “no phenomenon” hand;  1. Sword movement (attack or defense) accomplished unconsciously, using the sixth sense. 2. Soft-hand attack and defense movement developed by the author

Renzoku: “continuous”, also known as shintaido jump

Shin-ei-taido (親英体道): See Shinwa-taido.

Shin-shin-kaihatsu-undo: “Heart-Mind-Body Opening Exercises”

Shinwa-taido (親和体道): Refers to the discipline developed by Master Inoue. He later renamed it shin-ei-taido. A type of partner backstretch.

Tachi jump: standing jump

Tai ki mai: “atmosphere dancing;” tenso in all directions

Taiso: Exercises

Ten-no-kata (天の型): See Chi-no-kata

Yoki-kei (養氣系): A flexible and relaxed mode of practice (belonging to the category of practices also called “internal arts”). See also Kaiho-kei.

Dai: Big, expansive / Large; greater / expressive (e.g. tenshingoso dai) also see Sei

Chudan: Middle level

Dai: Big, expansive / Large; greater / expressive (e.g. tenshingoso dai)

Daijodan: Uppermost level; overhead

Dan: Level of waza (in regard to elevation)

Dojo (道場): place of practice – Training hall or field. More generally it refers to the notion of “place” or “field” which represents both a physical and relational space. Something is “happening” there. Ritually, a keikonin (see below) acknowledges the dojo space by bowing before entering and before leaving.

Gasshuku (合宿): “coming together under one roof;” workshop

Gedan: Lower level

Gedan-barai (下段払い): Blocking movement by sweeping the arm downwards.

Gi: Training uniform.

Gorei (号令): Conducting or leading a group practice. The word gorei means, strictly speaking, “to set the tempo of the collective action” (by counting out loud) and more broadly “to order the start or stop of the action” or “to decide on the nature of the action”, and even more broadly, “to direct the action of a group of people (including oneself) in personal development.” This notion, common to all martial arts, has taken on a broader meaning in the artistic dynamic impelled by H. Aoki, inspired by orchestral conducting.

Goreijutsu (号令術): The way of doing gorei. The early Rakutenkai members learned goreijutsu in their bodies, by experiencing Aoki-sensei’s way of leading the class. Martial arts are a group of fighting techniques, originally for samurai, but always contained a component of what it takes to be a good samurai lord, a good leader of people. The learning of martial arts also became a kind of leadership training. The Rakutenkai members aspired to bring this unique approach to other people through the way they practiced and taught and acted toward each other and in the world. This goreijutsu also applied to gasshuku management, and thus to management in all kinds of settings

Goreisha (号令者): Person giving the gorei.

Gyaku: opposite; reverse- for example, right step, left hand

Gyaku-te uchi: Opposite-hand strike (little finger for­ ward)

Hajime: “Begin”/“go!”

Hara: Abdomen

Harai (払い): Suffix indicating a sweeping movement. Most often used as kiri-harai, to cut by pulling (the sword’s edge sliding from the base to the tip) as opposed to komi. Also also used to denote a tsuki block with a sweep of the arm, gedan-barai (where the “h” sound becomes a “b” sound by the rules of Japanese pronunciation).

Hiki-giri: Cutting by pulling; see kiri harai.

Irimi (入り身): Entering, Going in . Various ways to enter the partner’s space.  (Lit., “entering body”) Entering a place close to your opponent that is both advantageous for striking him and safe from his attack. Inside irimi refers to entering the space immediately in front of your attacking opponent. Outside irimi refers to entering the space immediately behind him.

Jiyu-kumite (自由組手): Partner work with free-form attack and free-form receiving.

Jodan: Upper level

Kaishoken: “opening & expressing” hand – see Body Dialogue article “Notes on Training – Kaishoken”  https://www.shintaido.org/notes-on-training-kaishoken/

Kamae: Stance; position

Kamae-te: ready position (“get set”)

Kangeiko (寒稽古): “cold weather practice;” yearly winter gasshuku See “Keiko.”

Kata (型): Sequence of movements. Also means “form” or “style” as expressed in the word katachi (形). In Japanese martial arts, a kata constitutes a formal series of movements, a work of art like a composition, often attached to the name of its creator.

Keiko (稽古): Practice or training, a shintaido class. From kei (稽) “to think, reflect” and ko (古) “ancient things,” typically used in the practice of traditional arts. The term implies the idea of learning by reproducing classical works. The term kangeiko (in this position in the word, “k” becomes “g” in Japanese pronunciation) refers to a practice during the coldest time of the winter. It is often an outdoor workshop.

Keikonin (稽古人):  “trainee,” “practitioner,” or “student”. In Japanese, keiko (稽古) means “practice” or “training,” and -nin (人) means “person.”

Keri (蹴り): Various kicking movements. Also in compound words (with the pronunciation of “g” instead of “k”) such as mae-geri (forward kick [前蹴り]), yoko-geri (side kick [横蹴り), or moro-geri (jumping kick with both feet simultaneously [双蹴り]).

Ki: Vital energy.

Kiai: Sound made to accompany movement, commonly in the form of a shout

Kihon: fundamental techniques; foundation

Kihon-waza (基本技): Basic techniques.

Kiri (斬り): A prefix used to identify cutting movements

Kiri harai: Cutting by pulling.

Kiri komi: Cutting by pushing; cutting beyond

Kohai (後輩): Someone who is “junior” in age or experience or both. See “Sempai” (先輩).

Kokyu (呼吸): Breathing out or exhaling. Qualifying the kokyu of a person is a way of describing in general the expression of that individual’s energy, concentration, or focus, in relation to the “particular” way of breathing, and especially exhaling, in action. Kokyu could be expressed “calm,” “deep,” “dense,” or “long,” while “excited” kokyu would be more accurately expressed as “high,” “shallow,” or “short,” indicating a deficiency or a lack of concentration or expression. The underlying practical concept is that by controlling our breathing during action, we can naturally improve the general quality of our concentration or expression.

Komi (込み): A suffix indicating movement by pushing in (as opposed to harai [see above]). The term is most often encountered as kiri-komi, cutting while pushing (the edge of the sword sliding across the opponent’s body from the point to the base).

Koshi (腰): Refers to the hips and lower back. Region of the body where movements should originate. Many practices are aimed at strengthening the koshi, and practitioners are reminded to open their koshi. By extension, the term is used in a metaphorical sense in various expressions of strength or endurance (the English equivalent for a person would be “Put your heart into it!”)

Kumite (組手): Partner exercises done with hands only.

Kumitachi (組太刀): Partner exercises done with sword

Kumibo (組み棒): Partner exercises done with bo.

Ma: Space / as in space between, around

Mae-geri (前蹴り): Front kick

Meiso: Meditation

Mokusō (黙想): “silent thinking” or “meditation,” commonly practiced at the start and end of martial arts training to clear the mind, focus intention, and calm the spirit. It typically involves sitting in seiza (kneeling) and focusing on deep breathing

Mudra (印/ 位): Special positions of the hands and fingers used for different types of meditation. The Japanese term for “mudra” is “印” (pronounced “In”), but Master Aoki initiated the idea of “full-body mudra” (位 [“I”] rather than “印”) for meditation poses.

Musoken: “no phenomenon” hand;  1. Sword movement (attack or defense) accomplished unconsciously, using the sixth sense. 2. Soft-hand attack and defense movement developed by the author

Nage: A throw; throwing

Nagewaza: Throwing techniques

Oizuki (追い突き): Chasing tsuki (See “Tsuki”).

Oshi-giri: Cutting by pushing, see kiri komi.

Rei: bowing to acknowledge partners, teachers, or dojo

Satori: Enlightenment, awareness, understanding.

Sei: formal, correct (e.g. tenshingoso sei); also, “holiness”

Seiza (正座): Low-kneeling posture with the feet and legs tucked under, commonly used in traditional Japanese rooms (on tatami). Also used in meditation, in which case the expression “do seiza” can mean “meditate”).

Sempai (先輩): In a learning process, this term refers to the senior or elder person in the relationship (e.g., “our sempai took care of us”). Also sometimes used as a suffix title (e.g. Onozato-sempai took care of me). See also kohai.

Sensei (先生): Suffix added to a proper name or used alone to designate, with respect, a teacher, master in his or her discipline, “the one who was there before me, who is the guarantor of the knowledge and experience of techniques or know-how.” By extension, the term is also used to designate any person on whose knowledge one relies, for example the mayor of a town.

Shihan (師範): Master instructor of a dojo.

Shihan-dai (師範代): Assistant instructor of a dojo.

Tsuki (突き): also Zuki – Direct attack with the fist

Uchi (打ち): Various strikes with the fist, a staff, or a sword.

Uke (受け): Means “to receive”. Designates different ways of receiving an attack. In partner practice, refers to the partner who plays the role of the receiver during a kumite. Finally, it refers to a person that an instructor takes as a partner during a demonstration or as a “guinea pig” for his research. With the master of a school, this privileged role allows learning of the highest order and is most often reserved for the first disciple.

Ukewaza: Technique for receiving attacks

Ushiro-e: “Turn around”; reverse direction

Waza (技): Formal technique. A kata is usually composed of different waza. In some cases, a waza can be considered a kata, a canonical work or form of a single movement (i.e., Eiko); it is then capitalized.

Yame: “Stop”, return to standing ready

Yasume : “Rest”; relax

Yoi: standing ready (“get ready”)

Yoko-geri (横蹴り): Side kick.

Zenshin: (1) Moving forward. (2) Whole body

Daijodan: Uppermost level; overhead

Jodan: Upper level

Chudan: Middle level

Gedan: Lower level

Hara: Abdomen

Koshi (腰): Refers to the hips and lower back. Region of the body where movements should originate. Many practices are aimed at strengthening the koshi, and practitioners are reminded to open their koshi. By extension, the term is used in a metaphorical sense in various expressions of strength or endurance (the English equivalent for a person would be “Put your heart into it!”)

Fudo-dachi : (Lit., “immovable stance”) Way of standing in which the knees are bent and the feet are set wider than shoulder width, one foot pointing for­ ward and the other pointing to the side; body weight is distributed evenly between the two feet. Open stance. An “un-movable” stance.

Hachiji-dachi: Way of standing in which the feet are set naturally at about shoulder width. “figure 8” stance

Hanmi-handachi (半身半立ち): half-kneel / Knee-walking position, with the front knee elevated and the back knee on the floor or ground. Also refers to the technique using that position for movement, by “walking” from one knee to the other. Among other advantages, this posture and movement allows the practitioner to go directly into action from the seiza position. It is also practiced to strengthen the koshi.

Heisoku-dachi: Stance in which the feet are placed flatly together, touching at the heels and toes. Closed stance.

Kiba-dachi (騎馬立ち): Literally “horse-riding stance,” in which the feet are parallel, apart wider than shoulder width at about twice the width of the pelvis. In this technique, the center of gravity of the body is lowered to improve balance.

Kokutsu-dachi, Kokutsu (後屈立ち,後屈): Stance with weight shifted to the back foot, rear stance (Also referred to as Kokutsu fudo-dachi)

Musubi-dachi: Stance in which the feet are placed together, heels touching, toes apart, in a “V” shape; Closed stance.

Shiko-dachi: square stance

Zenkutsu-dachi, zenkutsu (前屈立ち): Weight-forward stance. Fudo-dachi type stance where the body weight is distributed mainly over the front foot

Bokken(木剣): Curved wooden sword used in shintaido kenjutsu

Bokuto (木刀): Thick, straight wooden sword, specially designed for shintaido core practice.

Bo (棒): A staff approximately six feet in length (about 1.80m).

Jo (杖): Short staff approximately 4.5 feet (about 130 centimeters or slightly less)

Ken (剣 ): Japanese sword

Bojutsu (棒術): Study of bo, wooden bo-staff techniques

Jojutsu (杖術): Study of short staff techniques

Kenjutsu (劍術): Study of sword techniques

Iaido (居合道): Practices that combine various ways of drawing the sword from the scabbard, attacking, and then returning the sword to the scabbard.

Ainuke: Spearing through each other.

Aiuchi: Mutual hitting or killing.

Budo (武道): From “bu” (武), war or warrior, and “do” (道), way, refers to the ethics, the code of honor, of samurai warriors. The term bujutsu (武術), from bu (武) and jutsu (術), technique, designates the different fighting arts practiced to perfection by every good samurai. In the middle of the 19th century, when the samurai lost their social utility and their caste privileges, bujutsu nevertheless continued to be practiced by amateurs in special schools. These schools also conveyed the ethical principles of budo, so they replaced the suffix “jutsu” in their name with that of “do,” thus marking the tradition of excellence of their predecessors. Jujutsu became judo, aikijutsu became aikibudo and then aikido, kenjutsu became kendo, etc. After that, the term budo came to designate all these arts, and also their common ethic. The practitioner of a budo is called a budoka (武道家).

Chan (ちゃん): See “San.”

Daiwa: Great harmony.

De-o-toru (出を取る): Ability to perceive weak or even very weak signals from an opponent, making it possible anticipate an attack in karate. The term literally means the ability to sense the earliest movement, or even the “pre-movement” of the attacker. Some practitioners refer to this as a kind of “telepathy.”

Heiho (兵法/平法): In Japanese, the expressions “method of war” and “method of peace” are both pronounced heiho. By playing on this homophony, Inoue-sensei and after him Egami-sensei taught that their respective martial arts were methods – or “ways” – of moving from one form of heiho to another; from “war” to “peace.”

Hitori-geiko: Solitary practice

Honbu 本部): The headquarters, in this case of the shintaido organization, founded in 1970. In biographies, the term is used either to describe the practice itself (at the rented honbu–dojo gymnasium in Sendagaya or during retreats of several days’ duration in the countryside), or the administrative offices located in Shinjuku.

Ichigo ichie (一期一会): Means “One life, one chance.” It is a principle of the tea ceremony, inviting the participants to “seize the moment.” Since the time of Rakutenkai, this concept has been incorporated, into the culture of shintaido to signify the need to “be present when things are happening.” In the biographies of Rakutenkai members, the aphorism also echoes the sense of competition between them (i.e., “I was there” or “I missed it”).

Keikogi (稽古着): The uniform used in keiko. Often shortened to just gi

Keikonin (稽古人): Person who practices keiko.

Kenda: The way of the sword.

Kensei: Stance in which the opponent is held in check with the bo

Koan (公案): Literally “riddle.” The mode of teaching by enigma, forcing the apprentice to “reconstruct” the knowledge by oneself, typical of the Japanese tradition. The koan, nonsense at the ordinary level of understanding, requires a change of point of view, and therefore of point of reference, in order to make sense. This change of viewpoint is precisely the object of the enigma. In the tradition of Zen Buddhism, the koan is a verbal enigma, and the answer can be in words, gestures, or nothing at all. The term is sometimes used in martial arts to describe expressions that do not have an ordinary martial interpretation.

Kohan 虎翻: Ukewaza in which the bo is moved in a circular fashion in front of the body

Kun (くん、君): Suffix used after the person’s name, usually for young men. See “San.”

Makiwara (巻き藁): A pole with a straw cover on the top, formerly used for training and hardening the fists.

Matsukaze 松風: (Lit., “pine wind”) – bo term

Moro-geri (双蹴り): Keri (jump) with both feet, forward or to the sides.

Naginata: Long-handled sword used mainly by women during the Edo period.

Nihon-juku (日本塾): Literally “Japanese School”, a name adopted by some members of the second generation of Rakutenkai and initiated in 1970. The term “juku” means a traditional local private school or community, and many have been opened throughout Japanese history. Nihon, or Nippon, is the Japanese term for Japan. The second-generation Rakutenkai members may have selected this name because of their strong desire to create a shintaido learning community that would foreshadow the communities of shintaido to come, spread over different countries.

Renzoku (連続): Generally used to qualify a movement that is being repeated continuously (for example – renzoku–tsuki or renzoku-keri). For Rakutenkai, the term was more specifically used for the “arched jump” (sori-tobi [反り跳び]), a sort of forward-moving version of the lateral opening jump. Renzoku-soritobi was later renamed “shintaido-jump.”

San (さん): Suffix title meaning “sir” or “madam”. In Japan, the title depends on the relationship between the speaker and the person being addressed or discussed. San is the most common term for adults. The suffix “chan” [ちゃん] can be used for children and the suffix “kun” for youths. By extension, the shifted use of the title conveys a special relationship with the person being spoken to – “chan” affectionately for an adult friend or “san” for a young person treated as an adult.

Shiatsu: Japanese pressure point massage.

Shinai (竹刀): A substitute for a sword used in kendo, consisting of four bamboo blades connected by leather bands.

Shintaido honka: shintaido core curriculum

Shintaido Kyokai (新体道協会): The name by which Japanese shintaido has long been known.

Shintaido senka: Advanced shintaido

Sho: Small; lesser

Shu-ha-ri (守破離): 守 “SHU” meaning “fit into the mold,” 破 “HA” meaning “break the mold,” and 離 “RI” meaning “develop your own expression.” This model of progression is widely known in the martial arts and applies as much to the mastery of technique as it does to the personal development of the practitioner.

Sogo-budo Renmei (総合武道連盟): From sogo (synthetic or holistic), budo (martial), and renmei (federation), i.e., Federation for a holistic martial art. It is the name of the autonomous organization that marked the transition from karate to shintaido. The term “sogo-budo” is used to refer to the martial art that emerged from the research of Rakutenkai. After a short period of use, this term was gradually replaced by the term shintaido.

Tettsuiken: Closed fist

Toate (遠当て): Control at a distance. Sometimes called “striking without touching.”

Uchi-deshi (内弟子): literally “in-house disciple.” Most of the disciples of a weapons master were the soto-deshi (literally, “outside disciples”), who received weapons lessons from the master, for a fee, and also pursued their own activities. The uchi-deshi lived in and were a part of the master’s house, and were thus permanently exposed to his influence. The uchi-deshi often played the role of a servant, thus paying, as it were, his or her dues. There is much to be said about the different forms that the role of the uchi-deshi took in the martial arts, including many stories and legends of famous disciples of famous masters. The practice gradually fell out of use because of the resources it required – even if only in terms of space in a house – and also because of the dwindling number of candidates in a society where martial skills have lost their social utility.

Usagi-tobi (兎跳び): Rabbit jump, practiced by members of Shotokai karate, precursor of kaikyaku-zenshin-sho and renzoku-soritobi.

Wa: Peace or harmony.

Paired Terms:

Uchi-tachi : Server – (attacker)
Shi-tachi : Receiver – (counter-attacker)

Kirikomi: Cut by pushing
Kiriharai : cut by pulling

Kiri-age: Cut upwards
Kiri-oroshi : Cut downwards

Uchi-Irimi : Enter from the inside
Soto-Irimi : Enter from the outside

Uchi-mawari: Turning towards the inside of the server
Soto-mawari : Turning towards the outside of the server

Kenjutsu Cutting Angles

Dai-jodan : from above the head [initiating at the 12 o’clock position – moving towards 6 o’clock position]

Jodan : from high level [initiating at the 1 or 11 hour positions – moving diagonally towards the 7 or 5 hour position respectively]

Chudan : medium level [initiating at the 3 or 9 hour positions moving roughly horizontal]

Gedan : from low level [initiating at the 5 or 7 hour positions – moving diagonally towards the 11 or 1 hour position respectively]

Foot movement

Gyaku : Opposite   /    Jun : Normal

Gyaku-Ashi : not opposed

Sankaku-tobi : triangle step

Mae-Irimi : step forward

Sagari-Irimi : step backwards

Yoko-Irimi : step aside

Ushiro-Irimi : step forward and turn around

 

Irimi (the action) : To invade or enter the space of the other.
Irimi (as a concept): entering the space of the other allows one to unite with the other (1+1=1) or even to merge with the other.
Irimi example in kumitachi: Uchi-tachi, the server (attacker) cuts in Daijodan Kirikomi and Shi-tachi, the receiver (counter-attacker) enters (Irimi) and passes (timing) under the cut by cutting Jodan Kiriharai.

Hon-te uchi: Normal uchikomi strike (using a conventional grip, with the index finger of the front hand forward)

Ichimonji-uke 一文字受け: Blocking technique in which the bo is thrust or swung with both hands upward or to the side to receive a blow at its middle

Matsukaze-uchi : A swinging strike (seen in Kaze no kata and Mizuno kata)

Mochikae: Switching from holding the bo right­handed to left-handed and vice versa; exercise in which this is practiced

Morote-zuki: Tsukiwaza in which the bo is thrust without sliding it through the hands

Naka no e : Middle part of the bo

Namigaeshi 波返し:  (Lit., “turning back waves”) Exercise for practicing receiving repeated thrust attacks from the front

Nukiotoshi : Downward poke or thrusting movement

Ryuhi 龍飛 :  Ukewaza in which the bo is held outward to receive a blow

Sage bo: Position for standing at ease with the bo

Sanpo-uke 三方受け : Exercise for practicing receiving overhead attacks from three directions (left, right and center), using ichimonji-uke

Seiritsu 正立: Formal/correct standing style in which the feet are placed at shoulder width, as in hachiji­dachi

Soei kumibo 創営組棒 : Kumibo involving nagewaza

Suna kake: (Lit., “flicking sand”) Technique for distracting or impairing the vision of an opponent by flicking sand or dirt into his face

Taguri-zuki: Tsukiwaza in which the bo is slid through the forward hand

Ten-nage : (Lit., “throwing to heaven”) Catch-bo practiced alone

Tsukiwaza: Thrusting techniques

Uchiharai: Striking by swinging through

Uchikomi: Striking into, striking through

Uchioroshi : Striking down; striking by lowering

Uchiwaza: Striking techniques

Egami-sensei (江上先生): Master Egami, successor of Master Funakoshi as the leader of Shotokai, which he would make an independent branch of karate.

Funakoshi-sensei (船越義珍先生): Master Gichin Funakoshi, founder of modern karate-do.

Heiho Kenkyukai (平法研究会): Peace Research Association. In the late 1960s, projects to develop Shotokai karate by members of Rakutenkai working together with S. Egami, were symbolically grouped under the name of Heiho Kenkyukai, in reference to the martial quest pursued by N. Inoue, S. Egami, and H. Aoki.

Rakutenkai (楽天会): Rakutenkai is the original community whose research and action led to the creation of shintaido. Meeting of optimists. The name of an educational organization founded by Mr. Aoki in 1966.

Shotokai (松涛会): An association of karate instructors at the time of Master Funakoshi, which later became the karate practice developed by Master Egami.

Tokyu Karate Dojo (東急空手道場): Dojo of Shotokai, owned by Tokyu Railways. That was where many members of Rakutenkai began their practice of karate.

Ueshiba-sensei (植芝先生): Founder of Aikido.