In budō and koryū, kamae 構え is more than just a physical stance; it refers to a stance or guard position that dictates the placement of the sword, body posture, and mental readiness in combat. Each kamae has specific offensive…
Hanmi No Kamae 半身の構え means Half Body Stance. Hanmi is one of the core structural ideas of all Japanese martial arts essentially meaning “half-body posture.” You don’t face your opponent square-on. Instead, you stand sideways at an angle so that:…
In Japanese the general term for standing is tachi (立ち) but is changed to dachi when used as a suffix. It comes from the verb 立つ (tatsu), to stand. In martial arts, tachi refers to either a standing posture or…
Japanese swords developed in many different forms, each designed for particular periods, methods of use, and martial traditions. Terms such as katana, tachi, wakizashi, and tantō describe different types of swords, while others identify practice weapons, military swords, or historical…
A Tachi (太刀) is a classical Japanese curved long sword predating the katana that is worn suspended edge-down from cords on the belt. It was developed for mounted combat (samurai on horseback) and used primarily before the 15th–16th century. The…
There are a bewildering number of terms for Japanese body parts. This list will get you started. It’s focused on what martial artists actually target, strike, block, or use. Core Body Parts (Major Targets) Atama (頭・あたま) — head Fukubu (腹部・ふくぶ)…
Etiquette Rei (礼) — Bow Seiza (正座) — Sit in formal kneeling position Mokuso (黙想) — Meditation (close eyes and reflect) Mokuso yame (黙想やめ) — Stop meditation Shomen-ni rei (正面に礼) – Bow to the front / to the spirit of…
Uchikomi (打ち込み) is a common Japanese martial-arts term meaning “repeated entry practice” or “striking or thrusting repetitions.” The exact meaning depends on the art, but the core idea is always the same: you repeat the entry or impact portion of…
Shōgō (称号) is a term for the honorary instructor titles of Japanese martial arts, such as Renshi, Kyōshi, and Hanshi, awarded for character, teaching ability, and mastery. These are official instructor titles awarded by major budō federations (especially kendo, iaidō,…
The overall term for “ranking system” is 段級制 (dankyū-sei) which is the dan-kyū ranking system. The category of ranks and grading is expressed with: 段位 (dan’i) — dan ranks and 級位 (kyū’i) — kyū ranks. The dan 段 (dan) ranks…
These are grading levels used in Japanese budō and other traditional arts. They divide kyū-ranks into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Many arts use these terms for organizing curriculum, including karate, aikido, jūdō, iaidō, koryū jujutsu, as well as traditional arts…
Uke Nagashi 受け流し, which means “receiving and flowing,” is a classical sword movement where you receive an incoming cut on your blade while letting it glide/flow off, combined with evasive body movement (tai sabaki). As the archetypal deflection in many…
Tehodoki Waza 手解き技（てほどき・わざ）is a Japanese martial arts term meaning “Hand-release techniques” or “Escapes from grabs.” It appears in jūjutsu, aikidō, koryū bujutsu, and sometimes police taiho-jutsu. Tehodoki Waza refers specifically to techniques that remove an opponent’s grip from your wrist,…
Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) was one of Japan’s most accomplished martial artists and most renowned swordsman. He founded a school called Hyohō Niten Ichi-ryū (兵法 二天 一流), which can be loosely translated as “the school of the strategy of two heavens…
Kyōtsuke (気をつけ or 注目・気を付け) is a command used in Japanese martial arts meaning “Attention!” or “Stand at attention!” It is the posture of formal readiness, used at the start and end of class, bowing, and etiquette moments. There are two…
Suiō-ryū (水鷗流) is a classical Japanese martial tradition (koryū) founded during the early Edo period (c. 1615). It is one of the oldest, fully preserved iaidō / kenjutsu / jōjutsu systems still practiced today. Founded by Mui no Shinden Sadatake…
Riai (理合) is an important classical budō concept meaning the underlying principles that make a technique work — the logic, reason, or principled harmony behind movement. This is a term used in koryū bujutsu, kenjutsu, iaido, aikidō, and jūdō theory….
Buki is a broad umbrella term in the martial arts that means “weapons.” It includes mêlée weapons such as the 剣 (ken) – sword; 刀 (katana) – single-edged sword; 槍 (yari) – spear; 薙刀 (naginata) – glaive; 棍 / 棒…
Empi-uchi (肘打ち) is a standard Japanese martial-arts term meaning elbow strike. You may find it in karate, jujutsu, judo (kata only), and kobudo. Empi strikes include: horizontal elbow; vertical elbow; upward elbow; backward elbow; spinning elbow; dropping elbow. You can…
In classical Japanese martial arts, Koryū Bujutsu (古流武術) is best described as pre-modern samurai combat systems preserved through direct lineage, emphasizing weapons, battlefield tactics, and kata-based transmission, preserved through lineages that existed before the Meiji Restoration (1868). Koryū Bujutsu systems…
In classical Japanese martial arts (古流武術 – koryū bujutsu), kirigami (切紙) refers not to decorative paper art, but to a specific type of certificate or license, traditionally handwritten on folded or cut paper that is awarded to a student who…
Ashisabaki (足捌き) is a standard Japanese budō term meaning “footwork.” It refers to the coordinated, efficient movement of the feet used to: maintain balance, control maai (間合い, distance), generate power, evade attacks, enter or turn smoothly (irimi/tenkan). It is one…
Anza (安座) is an old Japanese word meaning “peaceful sitting” or “sitting calmly.” It refers to sitting in a relaxed or comfortable posture and can refer to a cross-legged seated posture, particularly in martial, religious, or traditional contexts. 安 (an)…
Sensei (先生) is one of the most central and culturally rich words in Japanese, especially within the dōjō (道場) and traditional arts. In Japan, sensei is used as a respectful title for: Teachers (school, university, or private instructors) Masters of…
Iaido (居合道) is the art of drawing the Japanese sword (katana), cutting, and resheathing it — performed with control, awareness, and grace. It’s both a martial discipline and a meditative practice centered on drawing and cutting with the sword in…
Koshi mawashi (腰回し) is a widely used Japanese term, both in martial arts and general body movement training. In budō and traditional martial arts, koshi mawashi refers to the rotational movement of the hips — generating power, balance, and connection…
Komekami (こめかみ) is the common everyday term specifically referring to the temple area on the side of the head. It is the most commonly used term in martial arts terminology — particularly in karate, aikido, judo, and various koryū —…
The spirit of Bushido, or the way of the warrior, encompasses a set of ethical and moral principles that guided the samurai class in feudal Japan. These principles are often cited in modern Budo, Japanese ethics discourse, and various interpretations…
In a Japanese training hall, the shōmen (正面) is the front, most honored wall of the dōjō, where the shinzen (神前) or kamidana (神棚) is located. It represents the spiritual and directional center of the dojo. It is often decorated…
Shinzen (神前) means Place of God. The first kanji 神 “shin” means ‘God’ and the second 前 “zen” means ‘in front of’. “Shinzen” is the place where there is a spirit of god. In martial arts, Shinzen refers to the…
A breakfall, known in Japanese martial arts as ukemi (受け身), is a technique for safely absorbing the impact of a fall or being thrown. The goal is to protect the head and vital areas, disperse force across broader surface areas…
Originally, dōjō (道場) was a Buddhist term, referring to: “The place where enlightenment is sought.” In ancient temples, monks called their meditation hall a dōjō — the space where they cultivated understanding through practice. When martial arts were influenced by Zen and other…
Japanese numbering systems can seem somewhat opaque and irregular to westerners. There are basically two types of number systems used in martial arts. The first is Native Japanese (Kun’yomi) which uses the basic numbers like ichi, ni, san, shi, go,…
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