Kendo is a traditional Japanese martial art. Therefore, we use Japanese terms…

for most of the techniques and to express the principles and concepts of Kendo, in the same way that French terms are used in ballet or European fencing. The following are terms you will hear during your first two months of Kendo. Try to learn them as soon as possible.

Pronunciation Key

a – like a in father
e – like e in Ed
i – like ee in see
o – like o in oats
u – like oo in boot
ai – like i in like
ei – like ay in say
tsu – like tsoo in oats-oo

1st Month Terms

Kendo Terms for Your First Month

Kendo is a traditional Japanese martial art. Therefore, we use Japanese terms for the names of most of the techniques and to express the principles and ideas of Kendo, in the same way that French terms are used in ballet or European fencing. The terms on these two pages are the ones that you should know during your first two months of Kendo. You should learn them as soon as possible. However, please keep in mind that there are no principles or concepts in Kendo that cannot be clearly understood by non-Japanese speakers, or expressed clearly in English if they are understood.

	kenshi: a kendoist, anyone who practices Kendo.
	bokuto (bokken): a hardwood replica of the katana (Japanese sword) for learning basic sword.
	shinai: a slatted bamboo sword.
	bogu: Kendo armor.
	men: helmet or mask.
	do: trunk protector.
	kote: gloves.
	tare: waist protector.
	dojo: a training hall; a place for learning the Way of Kendo, its techniques, patterns of behavior and traditions.
	shomen: the front wall of the dojo.
	sensei: Kendo teachers. In our dojos, it’s the dojo leaders, or someone 3rd Degree Black Belt or higher.
	kamae: Physically: a centered, on-guard position that allows quick and effective movement. Mentally: keeping our attentiveness fully on our opponent and being ready to move quickly and effectively.
	ich, ni, san, shi, go, rok, shich, hach, ku, ju: Counting 1 – 10
	kiai: a guttural shout; a way of building up, extending and focusing our spirit (ki) and overcoming hesitation. It develops confidence, and effective breathing for Kendo.
	okuri-ashi: gather step; for fast, short range movements in any direction, when you are hitting once and stopping; snap the trailing (gathering) foot into a proper stance.
	men-uchi: helmet strike.
	sayumen-uchi: left /right men strike; slightly to the left or right of center (hit the helmet cords).
	kote-uchi: wrist / lower forearm strike.
	do-uchi: rib cage strike.
	tsuki: a thrust to the throat.

2nd Month Terms

Kendo Terms for Your Second Month

	rei: to bow; manners; showing courtesy, politeness, and respect in any way.
	reigi: positive behavior toward other people; the techniques and understanding of courtesy. Kendo teaches that this is one of the foundations of positive relationships. We can learn formalized reigi in the dojo (training hall), and then apply it informally to our relationships at home, school, in the workplace, etc.
	dotoku: positive character traits. These are the character traits we would like other people to have, and Kendo helps us develop in ourselves.
	budo: the Martial Way of Life; martial culture; a warrior’s culture; practicing Kendo as a way of personal improvement and development. Kendo is one of several forms of traditional Japanese Budo (Iaido, Karatedo, Judo, Aikido, etc.). Japanese warriors were expected to be learned in culture and literature as well as physical martial skills. bu: martial, military, a warrior’s training. do: path or way of life.
	ki-ken-tai-ichi: timing the yell (kiai), the sword movement (ken) and footwork and body movement (tai) so they explode on the target at the same time.
	suburi: sword techniques.
	joge-suburi: swing the sword tip up and back to your tailbone, then forward and down to about knee height. This is not a sword cut, but it’s used for warming up, stretching, and strengthening jo = high area ge = low area
	dojo: a training hall; a place for learning the Way of Kendo, its techniques, patterns of behavior, and traditions.
	haya-suburi: fast-paced sword swing; used for warm-up, endurance, and strengthening.
	taiatari: body crash; when two kenshi crash together after an attempted attack.
	tsuba zeriai: when two kenshi stand close together, with tsuba (hand guards) touching.
	ashi-sabaki: footwork; how to use your feet and legs; part of tai-sabaki (total body carriage).
	suri-ashi: sliding the balls of the feet and the toes along the floor during most forms of Kendo footwork. Produces more balance and control of body carriage.
	ayumi-ashi: forward or rearward walking steps done with suri-ashi, for covering distances quickly.
	fumikomi-ashi: a longer form of okuri-ashi used when striking and following through. It is timed together with the shinai strike. Later it will be a faster, more explosive, but for now just make it longer.
	renzoku-ashi: smooth, continuous okuri-ashi (gather stepping) without pauses.
	kata: a prearranged, formal set of movements practiced alone or with a partner that instills the principles and basic skills of Kendo, such as connecting with your partner, reading their movement, body carriage, footwork, shinai control, breathing, timing, distancing, the intensity of spirit, etc.
	Kihon Kata Ichi: basic Kata #1. The first formal training pattern with a bokuto that we learn in Kendo.
	Kirikaeshi: A two-person kata with the shinai, in which we learn the basics of making contact with strikes.
	uchikomi geiko: striking practice. At first against your partner’s shinai and later against armor.
	hajime: begin!

3rd Month Terms

Kendo Terms for Your Third Month

Opening Ceremony:

	seiza: correct sitting posture; sitting on the heels in a natural, centered, strong posture.
	mokuso: quietude; eyes closed, quiet your mind, prepare for training, or consider the training just completed.
	mokuso yame: end quietude period; open your eyes.
	shomen ni… rei: bow to the front of the training hall; remember you are in a special place for self-development.
	sensei ni… rei: bow to the teachers.
	kiritsu: stand up from seiza.

Closing ceremony: same as opening except “shomen ni rei” and “sensei ni rei” are reversed.

	sonkyo: a crouching position, sitting on the heels, balanced on the balls of the feet, with the knees spread. This is a “sitting” form of rei (bowing) we use when our sword is drawn that allows us to move quickly. It also develops very strong legs.
	jodan no kamae: high area on guard posture. Used by beginners only in kata (formal patterns).
	shomen: the front wall of the dojo.
	gedan no kamae: low area on guard posture. Usually used only in kata.
	kamae otoku (yasume): disengaging from your opponent by relaxing your sword tip down to knee height and slightly to the right, cutting edge facing slightly to the left. Do this before taking your attention off your opponent.
	sageto: holding the sword relaxed in the left hand, at arms’ length next to your left leg.
	keito: holding the sword at the left hip, left thumb on the hand guard, end of handle on the midline.
	nuketo: drawing the sword from taito to chudan kamae.
	kote-men: a combination strike, first to your partner’s right forearm, then to the helmet.
	harai-men: sweeping your partner’s sword aside and then hitting men.

4th Month Terms

Kendo Terms for Your Fourth Month

	hiki waza: attacking techniques done while strongly withdrawing.
	kenshi: a kendoist, anyone who practices Kendo. hiki-men, hiki-kote, hiki-do.
	hiki-ashi: footwork used while doing hiki-waza from tsuba zeriai. Strong fumikomi with front (right) foot done simultaneously with the shinai strike.
	ma-ai: the distance between you and your opponent.
	to ma (to ma): a distance from which you and your opponent are both too far away to strike each other with one step forward.
	Issoku itto no ma: a distance from which you and your opponent can both strike each other with one step forward, or evade and attack by taking one step back.
	uchi ma-ai (uchi ma): a distance from which you personally can reach your opponent with one step forward. This differs from person to person, depending on skill level, leg length, etc. Your uchi-ma will be farther away from your opponent as your footwork improves.
	chika ma: a distance closer than issoku itto ma-ai, but farther than tsuba zeriai. A dangerous place to be! Avoid this distance.
	hai: yes! Answering emphatically when given instructions cultivates the habit of answering someone’s spirit with your own strong spirit, which is a basic skill of Kendo.
	motodachi: the receiver during basic kata, kirikeshi, uchikomi, and other types of training.
	kakarite: the person performing the techniques during basic kata, kirikeshi, uchikomi, and other types of training.
	ji-geiko: a free-form, non-prearranged form of practice. It’s a practice match.
	en: The connection between a kenshi and his/her opponent, which is strongly emphasized in kata, where it is a key principle that leads to the development of many important skills. It is also practiced during kirikaeshi, uchikomi, and different forms of ji-keiko. This connection is also maintained between an individual and his/her group during dojo practice, at tournaments, and when traveling together.

Shinai: bamboo sword.

	tsuka (handle)
	tsuba (hand guard)
	tsuru (string)
	nakayui (middle leather)
	sakigawa (leather cap)
	kensen (tip of the sword)

Bokuto: wooden sword.

	tsuka (handle)
	tsuba (hand guard)
	kensen (tip of the sword)

Armor Terms

	kendogu: kendo armor.
	dogu: kendo armor and equipment.
	bogu: kendo armor.

Tare (waist/thigh protector) parts:

	mae obi (hara obi): the wide front belt that covers the abdomen.
	tare himo (tare obi): the belt that goes around the waist and ties the tare on.
	odare: the three large flaps.
	kodare: the two small flaps.
	nafuda: the name panel that fits over the center odare; usually shows the Kenshi’s name, dojo or team name, or crest.

Do (trunk protector) parts:

	do mune: chest section.
	mune himo: the upper cords of the do that go over the shoulders.
	mune no chichi gawa: the loops through which the mune himo pass.
	do dai: the large abdomen section.
	koshi-himo: the lower cords of the do that go across the small of the back (koshi = waist or hips).
	do no chichi gawa: the loops through which the koshi-himo pass.

Men (helmet) parts:

	men gane: the metal grill.
	tate gane: the vertical midline grill.
	yoko gane: the horizontal grills.
	monomi: the widest space between the horizontal grills through which we look.
	men buton: the hood of the helmet.
	men himo: helmet cords.
	men no chichi gawa: the loops through which the men himo attach to the men gane.
	tsuki dare: the throat flap.
	yojin dare: the inner throat flap.
	tenugui: the traditional hand towel worn on the head under the men.

Kote (wrist/forearm protector) parts:

	kote gashira: the fist section.
	tsutsu: the hinge section.
	kote buton: the wrist section.
	te no uchi: the palm section.
	kote himo: the laces.

Keiko Terms

Keiko-ho – methods of practice (types of Kendo “sparring”):

	kirikaeshi: an important prearranged striking drill.
	yakusoku-geiko: a cooperative form of keiko in which offensive and defensive rols are predetermined.
	uchikomi-geiko: a keiko in which one learns basic techniques of striking by responding to striking chances given by the motodachi (receiver).
	kakari-geiko: a keiko in which the trainee practices striking to motodachi (receiver) with all his/her might and intensity for short periods, without thinking of defending. Motodachi offers various openings.
	ji-geiko: free-style keiko with nothing prearranged.
	shiai-geiko: a tournament match, or practicing for a tournament match.
	hikitate-geiko: a method of instructional keiko in which a higher ranked player lets a lower ranked player strike (without showing that this was done intentionally) so that the lower ranked player can experience the pleasure of success and can learn to recognize opportunities to strike.

Waza – techniques; specific ways of creating openings:

1. Shikakete ku waza (offensive techniques):

	harai-waza: sweeping techniques; sweeping your opponent’s shinai away to create an opening.
	nidan-waza: two step attacks (i.e. kote-men, kote-do, men-men, etc.).
	sandan-waza: three step attacks (i.e. kote-men-do, etc.).
	debana-waza: when one strikes just at the moment when the opponent is about to strike.
	renzoku-waza: continuous attack.
	hiki-waza: when a player strikes while retreating from tsuba-zeriai (hiki-men, hiki-kote, hiki-do).
	katsugi-waza: when one swings the shinai on to the left shoulder and then strikes when the opponent’s posture (cover) is broken. One of the methods used to lure the opponent out of good posture (kamae).
	maki-waza: when one breaks the opponent’s posture by winding one’s own shinai around the opponent’s shinai, then strikes (maki-otoshi-men, maki-age-kote, etc.).
	katate-waza: holding the shinai and striking with it with only one hand.

2. Ojite iku waza (defense and counter-attack techniques):

	suriage-waza: deflecting the striking opponent’s shinai by swiping it upward with the left or right side of one’s shinai, and then counter attacking in the same movement.
	uchiotoshi-waza: one first strikes down the opponent’s strike with one’s shinai, then immediately counter attacks.
	nuki-waza: one avoids the opponent’s attack, causing the opponent to strike the air, then counter attacks before the opponent can recover.

Tournament Terms

	shiai: a match between individuals or teams.
	shinpan: a referee.
	shushin: chief referee.
	fukushin: the two assisting referees.
	hajime! (begin!): The term used to start a match.
	wakare!: an announcement by the shushin to separate the contestants.
	yame!: a command to stop.
	hansoku: a violation. One warning is announced by the shushin. A second violation gives a point to your opponent.
	encho: an overtime match, announced by the shushin when time runs out without a score.
	hantei: a method of deciding the winner of a match when neither contestant has scored. The players’ skills are considered first, then their attitudes and conduct during the match.
	hiki-wake: when a match ends in a draw.
	shobu: the act of deciding victory or defeat in a match.
	shobu-ari!: there is a point.