Budo Glossary
Your guide to the Budo vocabulary
This page will provide you with translations and explanations to the different words used in our Mugai Ryu Iaido Online Course.
Background
| Budo 武道 | Japanese martial arts |
| Iaido 居合道 | Art of drawing the sword |
| Kaiso 開祖 | Founder of a Ryuha; In case of Mugai Ryu: Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi |
| Kenjutsu 剣術 | Art of handling the sword, mostly referred to as with an opponent or partner |
| Koryu 古流 | Old japanese martial arts styles, founded before 1868 |
| Ryhuha 流派 | Style of martial arts, mostly in the context of Koryu |
| Sensei 先生 | Teacher; Master |
| Soke 宗家 | Headmaster of a Ryuha |
Dojo 道場 – Hall used for training
| Bashochō 場所著 | Leader of the training, substitute to Shibuchō or Kaichō |
| Kai 会 | Association |
| Kaichō 会長 | Head of the association |
| Kamiza 神座 | Place where there is a god or spirit; Place containing the sacred object of a shrine |
| Shibu 支部 | Branch of a Kai |
| Shibuchō 支部長 | Head or leader of a Shibu |
| Shomen 正面 | Front Wall of the Dojo; Side of the Teacher |
Reishiki 例式 – Etiquette
| Gorei 御礼 | Ceremony before and after Training |
| Dojo ni Rei 道場に礼 | Paying respect to the Dojo (by bowing on entering or leaving the Dojo) |
| Seiza 正座 | (lit. „Correct sitting“) kneeling with the tops of the feet flat on the floor, sitting on the heels, back upright |
| Sensei ni Rei 先生に礼 | Paying respect to the teacher (by bowing) |
| Shomen ni Rei 正面に礼 | Paying respect to the front dojo wall (metaphorically „the ancestors, or predecessors“) |
| Tōrei 刀礼 | Paying respect to the sword (ceremony for bowing to the sword before and after practice) |
Commands and procedure of Go Rei
| „Seiretsu“ 整列 | „Line up!“ behind the teacher facing Shomen |
| „Chakuza“ 着座 | „Sit!“ In Seiza |
| „Mokuso“ 黙想 | „Sit quietly!“ brief meditation sequence with closed eyes |
| „Kai Moku“ 皆黙 | „Enough!“ end of meditation/enough |
| „Shomen ni Rei“ 正面に礼 | „Bow to Shomen!“ |
| Teacher turns, facing the group | |
| „Sensei ni Rei“ 先生に礼 | „Bow to the teacher!“ (calling out “O negai shimazu!” at start/ “Arigatou goseimashita!” at end) |
| „Otagai ni Rei“ お互い礼 | „Bow to each other!“ (calling out “O negai shimazu!” at start/ “Arigatou goseimashita!” at end) |
Keiko 稽古 – Practicing
Waza 技 – Techniques
Kiru 切る – Cutting
| Gyakku Kesa Giri 逆袈裟切り | Diagonal cut from below (45°) |
| Kessa Giri 袈裟斬り | Diagonal cut from above (30°) |
| Makko Giri 真向斬り | Vertical cut from above |
| Nukiuchi 抜き打ち | Drawing and cutting in one motion |
| Suihe, Yokoichi Monji 水平 | Horizontal cut on heart level |
| Tsuki 突き | Thrust |
Forms of Training
| Kata 形 | Established form |
| Kihon 基本 | Basic (form) |
| Kumitachi 組太刀 | Meeting of the swords (partnered training) |
| Suburi 素振り | Practice swings of the cuts |
| Tameshigiri 試し切り | Cutting test |
Elements of Kata
| (Seichusen de) Katana otoru 正中線 | Brining the Katana to the centerline |
| Saya wo hiku hajimeru さやを引く始め る | Start pulling back the Saya |
| Saya biki 鞘引く | Pulling back the Saya |
| Taisabaki 体捌き | (defensive) Body movement |
| Nukiuchi 抜打 | Drawing the sword and cutting in one motion |
| Nuki Tsuke 抜き付け | Drawing of the sword and performing the first cut |
| Kiri Tsuke 霧付け | Further cuts |
| Furikaburi 振り頭 | Brining the sword above the head in preparation for a cut from above |
| Todome wo sassu 敵を倒す | Killing the opponent |
| Tekizuke 敵続く | Following the opponent (Kissaki sinks down) |
| Zanshin 残心 | State of relaxed alertness |
| Chiburi 血振るい | Shaking the blood off the blade |
| Noto 納刀 | Resheathing the Katana |
| Toei Yama no miru 遠山の観る | Looking at the remote mountain (also Enzan no metsuke) |
| Metsuke 目付 | (Direction of) Gaze |
Defensive Prinzipals
| Ukedome 受け止 | Stopping the attack (Block) |
| Ukenagashi 受流 | Deflect the attack |
| Ukegaeshi 受け返 | Throwing the attack back |
Kamae 構え – Combat Posture
| Chūdan no kamae 中段の構 | Katana to the front (also Hira Seigon no Kamae) |
| Gedan no kamae下段の構 | Katana to the front, tilted downwards |
| Hassō-no-kamae 八相の構 | Katana next to the head, tilted 30° to the back |
| Jōdan-no-kamae 上段の構 | Katana above the head, tilted 45° backwards |
| Waki Gamae 脇構 | Sword on the side pointing backwards, slightly down |
Clothes
| Hadagi 肌着 | Under shirt |
| Hakama 袴 | Formal pleated divided skirt |
| Keikogi 稽古着 | Training jacket |
| Obi 帯 | Sash, holding the Gi and for carrying the sword |
| Tabi 足袋 | Split toe socks |
Gear
| Bokken/Bokutō 木刀 | Wooden (training) sword |
| Dai Shō 大小 | „Big“ and „Small“ (applies to the sword Pair of Katana and Wakizashi, carried by Samurai) |
| Iaitō 居合い刀 | Trainingsword, unsharpened (usually aluminium/zinc alloy) |
| Katana 刀 | Sword |
| Nihontō 日本刀 | Japanese Sword |
| Tachi 太刀 | Longsword (predecessor of Katana) |
| Wakizashi 脇差 | Short sword |
| Shin Ken 真剣 | Real (sharp) sword |
| Tantō 短刀 | Dagger |
| Tatami omote 畳表 | Upper layer of mats from Igusa-gras for cutting test (Tameshigiri) |
Sword Parts
| Bō-hi 棒樋 | Groove on the sides of a blade to reduce weight; creating a swooshing sound during cuts, when the blade alignment is correct |
| Fuchi 縁 | Metal collar around the the Tsuka beneath the Tsuba |
| Ha 刃 | Cutting edge of a blade |
| Habaki 鎺 | Metal collar around the base of the Blade fitting the blade tightly in the Saya |
| Hamachi 刃区 | End of the Ha, dividing the blade from the Nakago |
| Hamon 刃文 | Temper-line on a differentially hardened blade |
| Kashira 頭 | End cap of the Tsuka |
| Kissaki 切先 | Point of the blade |
| Koiguchi 鯉口 | Mouth of the Saya |
| Kojiri 鐺 | End of the Saya, sometimes a decorative cap |
| Kurigata 栗形 | Knob on the side of the Saya for attaching the Sageo |
| Mekugi 目釘 | Small peg for securing the Tsuka to the Nakago |
| Mekugi-ana 目釘穴 | The hole(s) in the Tsuka and Nakago for the Mekugi |
| Menuki 目貫 | Metal ornaments on the Tsuka |
| Mihaba 身幅 | Blade width from Ha to Mune |
| Monouchi 物打 | Part of the blade mostly used for cutting (roughly the first third from the Kissaki) |
| Mune 棟 | Back of the sword |
| Munemachi 棟区 | End of the Mune, dividing the blade from the Nakago |
| Nakago 茎 | Tang |
| Nagasa 長さ | Blade length from Kissaki to Munemachi |
| Sageo 下げ緒 | Cord used to tie Saya to the Obi when worn |
| Same-kawa (samegawa) 鮫皮 | Ray or shark skin wrapping of the Tsuka |
| Saya 鞘 | Scabbard; traditionally from lacquered wood |
| Seppa 切羽 | Washers above and below the Tsuba to tighten the fittings |
| Shinogi 鎬 | Ridge along the side of the blade |
| Sori 反り | Curvature of the sword |
| Tsuba 鍔 or 鐔 | Hand guard |
| Tsuka 柄 | Hilt |
| Tsuka-maki 柄巻 | Wrapping of the Tsuka |
| Tsuka-ito 柄糸 | Cord for wrapping the Tsuka; usually silk, cotton or sometimes leather |
Miscellaneous
General Directions
| Gyakku 逆 | reversed |
| Hidari 左 | left |
| Mae 前 | front/foreward |
| Migi 右 | right |
| Ushiro 後ろ | back(wards) |
| Yoko 横 | side |
Numbers
| Ichi 一 | 1 |
| Ni 二 | 2 |
| San 三 | 3 |
| Shi / Yon 四 | 4 |
| Go 五 | 5 |
| Roku 六 | 6 |
| Shichi / Nana 七 | 7 |
| Hachi 八 | 8 |
| Kyuu 九 | 9 |
| Juu 十 | 10 |
Useful Expressions
| “Arigatou gozaimashita.” ありがとございいます | “Thank you very much.” |
| “Konbanwa.” こんばんは | “Good evening.” |
| “Konnichiwa.” こんにちわ | “Hello.” |
| “Ohayō.” おはよう | “Good morning.” |
| “O negai Shimasu.” おねがいします | “Please (teach me).” |
| “Oyasumi.” おやすみ | “Good night.” |
| “Sayonara.” さよなら | “Good bye.” |
| “Sumimasen.” すみません | ”Excuse me.” |
