Aikido Glossary of Basic Body Moves

KIHON DOSA : BASIC MOVEMENTS

Ma-ai: The prope distance between nage and uke before the attack begins.

Nage: The person who practices a technique based on the attack of uke.

Uke: The person who attacks nage and follows nage's lead into ukemi.

Ukemi: The art of following and blending in with nage and taking falls without injury. The primary purpose of ukemi is to allow nage to practice a technique without hesitation. 50% of your practice is ukemi.

Zenpo Kaiten: Forward rolls.

Koho Kaiten: Backward rolls.

Junbi Undo: Warming up exercises at the beginning of class.

Senobashi Undo: Stretching backs at the beginning of practice.

Haishin Undo: The backstretch at the end of class.

Hanmi: Your stance. The way you place your feet in relation to your partner's feet.

Ai Hanmi: Both partners have their right foot forward or both partners have their left foot forward.

Gyaku Hanmi: One partner has the right foot forward and the other has the left foot forward.

Shikko: A method of walking on your knees and toes as if your ankles were tied together.

Tori Fune Undo: The rowing exercise.

Tai Sabaki : Body Movements

Tai Sabaki: Precise body movements to control uke's attack, while maintaining a balanced posture.

Tenkan: A basic movement in which nage rotates 180 degrees by sliding your back foot around behind you.

Irimi: A basic movement in which nage slides forward or steps forward. An entering movement.

Tenshin: A basic movement in which nage steps back and off the line as uke steps in or attacks.

Enten: A basic movement in which nage turns more than 180 degrees. With enten, the front foot moves around in contrast to the back foot of the Tenkan.

Uchi Kaiten: Turning inside or under uke's arm during an irimi movement.

Soto Kaiten: Turning outside or toward uke during an irimi movement.

Kiri Kaishi: Crossing over with the arms. This is often done at the beginning of shomen uchi shiho nage.

Surinuke: Pasing through after an irimi movement.

Hiji Dome: Stopping uke's elbow during an attack.

Tai no Henko: Literaly means turning of the body.

Tai no Tenkan: Literally means tenkan of the body.

Parts of the Body

• Tai: Body
• Men: face, head
• Sho Men: front of the head Yoko Men: side of the head
• Kubi: neck
• Kata: shoulder
• Ryokata: both shoulders
• Ude: arm
• Hiji: elbow
• Te: hand
• Te Kubi: wrist
• Yubi: fingers
• Te Gatana: the blade of the hand
• Mune: chest
• Kokyu: breath
• Hara: abdomen
• Koshi: hips, lower back
• Hiza: knee
• Ashi: leg, foot
• Yubi Ashi: toes
• Kan Setsu: joint of the body
• Tanden: the 'center' of the body

Counting Numbers

• Ichi: One
• Ni: two
• San: three
• Shi: four
• Go: five
• Rokku: six
• Shichi: seven
• Hachi: eight
• Kyuu: nine
• Jyu: ten
• Jyu-ichi: eleven
• Jyu-ni: twelve
• Jyu-san: thirteen
• Jyu-yon: fourteen
• Jyu-go: fifteen
• Jyu-rokku: sixteen
• Jyu-nana: seventeen
• Jyu-hachi: eighteen
• Jyu-kyuu: nineteen
• Ni-Jyu: twenty
• Hyaku: one hundred

Back to main Glossary page

Glossary Sections

ETIQUETTE: Terms related to showing respect in Aikido.
ATTACKS: Terms related to an attack by uke in Aikido.
TECHNIQUES: Terms related to the names of techniques performed in Aikido.
IAIDO: Coming Soon.