Glossary of Aikido Terms

ikkyo - first form
nikyo - second form
sankyo - third form
yonkyo - fourth form
gokyo - fifth form

seiza - classic sitting posture (“correct sitting,” “calm sitting”)
shikko - knee walking
suwari - sitting
suwari waza - sitting techniques
kamae - stance, posture
tachiwaza - standing techniques
hanmi - oblique stance
ai-hanmi - mutual stance (same foot forward)
gyaku-hanmi - mirror image stance
uke - receiver, attacker nage - defender, one who is throwing
atemi - defensive feint or blow
soto - move outside partner’s arm
uchi - move inside or under partner’s arm

te - hand
kubi - neck
tekubi - wrist
kata - shoulder
katatori - shoulder grabbed
katatetori - one wrist grabbed
ryo - both
ryotetori - both wrists grabbed
morotetori - two hands on one
ushiro - from behind
ushiro tekubitori - both wrists grabbed from behind
ushiro ryokatatori - both shoulders grabbed from behind

kokyu - one breath
kokyuho - one breath exercise
kokyunage - one breath throw
shihonage - four corner (four directions) throw
jujinage - crossed arms throw
kaiten nage - rotary throw
koshinage - hip throw
iriminage - entering throw
tenchinage - heaven and earth throw
tsuki - straight (front) punch
shomenuchi - top (front) strike
yokomenuchi - side (oblique) strike

kotegaeshi - wrist turn out
kotemawari - wrist turn in (nikyo)
kotehineri - wrist twist (sankyo)

sumi otoshi - corner drop
ryotetori kokyunage - both wrists grabbed, one breath throw
ushiro katatori kotegaeshi - shoulder grabbed from behind, wrist turn out
agatsu - victory over self
masakatsu - victory of correctness
katsuhayahi - victory over the speed of light
zanshin - the correct posture for finishing a technique, follow-through

irimi - entering movement
tenkan - turning movement
tenshin - moving back on a 45 degree angle

sempai - senior student
kohai - junior student

omote - to move to the front of uke
ura - to move behind uke

shihan - teacher of teachers
sensei - teacher, reserved for high level instructors ie. shihan
yudansha - person with a black belt rank

ukemi - the art of falling