Kendo for Beginners

5. Kendo Vocabulary

Basic pronouciation (vowels)

In Japanese vowel sounds are quantised, that is, there is usually only 1 pronunciation per vowel.

A	As in “apple”.
I	As in “inner”.
U	As in “Uzbekistan”.
E	As in “entity”.
O	As in “old”.

Here, “-” is used where these vowels are stretched longer. For example “bo-gu” is pronounced “bo o gu”.

Kendo words

Below are some Kendo words:

Ashi	Foot. Footwork.
Ashisabaki	Footwork.
Bo-gu	Armour.
Bokken	Wooden sword.
Bokuto-	Wooden sword.
Cho-yaku suburi	Jumping suburi.
Chu-dan no kamae	Middle ready position.
Do-	Body armour. Body cut. Body target.
Do-jo-	Place for practising Kendo. Kendo club.
Fumikomi	Stamping.
Gedan no kamae	Low (shinai lowered) ready position.
Gyaku do-	Left do-.
Hajime	Begin.
Hakama	Pleated trousers.
Hansoku	Foul play. 2 fouls makes 1 point.
Hasso- no kamae	High side-on ready position.
Haya suburi	Jumping suburi.
Hidari	Left.
Himo	String.
Hiraki ashi	Sideways, rotating footwork.
Ippon	1 point.
Ippon sho-bu	1 point match.
Jigeiko	Free practice.
Jo-dan no kamae	High (shinai raised) ready position.
Jo-i	Top half of the keikogi.
Jo-geburi	Big cutting motion from top of the back swing to knee height.
Kakarigeiko	Set of cuts, usually predetermined, delivered in quick succession by one player, while the other receives.
Kamae	Stance. Ready position.
Kamiza	The high seat. The sensei sits at kamiza.
Kendoka	A person practising kendo.
Kata	A predetermined set of movements designed to incorporate all the essence of Kendo. Performed using bokken or katana.
Katana	(Metal) sword.
Keiko	Practice.
Keikogi	Clothes worn when practising Kendo. Consists of jo-i and hakama.
Kiai	Fighting, aggressive spirit. Shouting to show such spirit.
Kihon	Basics.
Ki ken tai no icchi	Concurrence of spirit, sword and body.
Kirikaeshi	Set of predetermined cuts usually used as warm up and warm down. A barometer for the level of Kendo of the person performing it.
Kote	Gloves. Wrist cut. Wrist target.
Men	Helmet. Head cut. Head target.
Mentsuke	Putting on the men and kote.
Migi	Right. (as in not left)
Mitorigeiko	Watching and learning during practice.
Mokuso-	Meditation.
Monouchi	Cutting edge of a sword.
Motodachi	Person receiving cuts. Usually high graders.
Nidan waza	Two consecutive cuts.
Rei	Bow.
Renzoku	Consecutive.
Seiretsu	Line up.
Seiza	Sitting in Japanese style.
Seme	Attack. The act of attacking the opponent to take centre.
Senpai	Senior.
Sensei	Teacher.
Shiai	Match. Competition.
Shiaijo-	Competition court.
Shibori	Squeezing (of the hands around the tsuka at the instant the shinai hits a target).
Shinai	Bamboo sword.
Shinpan	Referee.
Sho-bu	Fight. In competitions, the final point.
Sonkyo	Squatting before and after fighting.
Suburi	Practising cuts without targets.
Taikai	Competition. Championship.
Tare	Flaps worn around the waist under the do. Provides protection in the groin area and means of identifying the person.
Tenouchi	“Inside of hand”. How you hold your sword. The correct grip on your sword.
Tenugui	Headscarf worn under the men.
Tsuba	Hand guard on the sword.
Tsubadome	Ring which holds the tsuba in place.
Tsuka	Handle of the shinai.
Tsuki	Thrust. Thrust at throat.
Tsukidare	Throad guard.
Wakigamae	Low side-on ready position.
Waza	Technique.
Yame	Stop.
Zanshin	Fighting, alert spirit after executing a cut.
Zekken	Nametag worn on the middle flap of the tare.

Useful Phrases

And below are some phrases you will hear and use:

arigato-gozaimashita	Thank you very much.
gomen nasai	I'm sorry.
hai	Yes. Yes I understand.
ipponsho-bu onegaishimasu	1 point match, please.
onegaishimasu	Please
otagai ni rei	Bow to each other.
sensei ni rei	Bow to the teacher.
sumimasen	I'm sorry.
yoroshiku onegaishimasu	(please teach me)

Numbers in Japanese:

1	Ichi
2	Ni
3	San
4	Shi (yon)
5	Go
6	Roku
7	Shichi (nana)
8	Hachi
9	Kyu-
10	Ju-
11	Ju-ichi
20	Niju-
100	Hyaku