Norwalk CommonKendo Dojo Japanese terms used during practice Southeast Japanese Community Center 14615 Gridley Road. Norwalk, ShortCA 90650 Vowels Vowel Combinations [email protected] as in father,m alms ei=e+i sounded as in day e as in pen, red ai=a+i sounded as in alive i as in ink, machine ou=o+u sounded as in float o as in open, ocean au=a+u sounded as in out u as in true, cruel Japanese Words and Phrases English Translations Ohayo gozaimasu Good morning Konnichiwa Hello Konbanwa Good evening Sayonara Goodbye Oyasumi nasai Good night Arigato gozaimashita Thank you very much Onegai shimasu I'm requesting (to practice) Hai Yes Sensei Instructor/Teacher Yudansha Black-belt students Kenshi Kendo students Sempai Elders/Seniors Kouhai Younger/Lower juniors Ichi One Ni Two San Three Shi Four Go Five Roku Six Shichi Seven Hachi Eight Ku/Kyu Nine Ju Ten Kiai Showing your spirit and feeling through your voice Kamae Ready stance in Kendo Chakuza Sit on the floor Seiza Sit properly Mokusou Meditation Yame Stop Naore Return to original position Rei Bow Kiritsu Stand up Keiko Practice Kakari geiko Continuous attack practice Zanshin Mental and physical alertness, especially after completing an attack Norwalk Kendo Dojo Southeast Japanese Community Center 14615 Gridley Road. Norwalk, CA 90650 [email protected] Kendo Terms Japanese English Translations Ashi sabaki Footwork Dan Ranking system for advanced levels (1=lowest, 10=highest); equivalent to black belt in other martial arts Datotsu no kikai Chance of strike Ippon shoubu One point match (first person to score wins) Jiyuu keiko Free practice Hansoku Foul Hantei Referees' decision as to the winner of a match Kakari geiko Attack practice Kamae Basic stance or posture Kata Standardized series of predetermined attacks and responses Keiko Practice Kensen Presence and power in the tip of the shinai Kenshi Kendoist Kiai A shout or yell Kigurai Poise Kihon Basics Kime Striking with decisiveness and conviction Kirikaeshi Basic exercise in which the sides of the men are struck repeatedly Koudansha Kendoists with rank 5th dan (godan) or higher Kyuu Ranking system for beginning levels (6=lowest, 1=highest); equivalent to white and colored belts in other martial arts Maai Distance between one and one's opponent Rei Bow Sanbon shoubu Three point match (first person to score two points wins) Seiza Seated attention position (on the knees) Seme Pressure applied to one's opponent Sensei Instructor Shiai Match Shinpan Referee Shisei Posture Sonkyo The crouching position in which begins and ends each bout Suburi Basic exercise which simulates striking the men repeatedly, performed without bogu or an opponent Tai atari Hitting with the body Tai sabaki Body movement Tsuba zeriai Situation in which the players are close together, "tsuba to tsuba Tsuki The thrust target; the only point in kendo which is scored with a thrust rather than a strike Yuudansha Kendoist with a rank of 1st dan (shodan) or higher Yuukou datotsu Valid point Zanshin Mental and physical alertness, especially after completing an attack.