| A B C D E F G H I J K M N O R S T U W Y |
| A |
| aguraza 胡座 ( あぐらざ ) - sitting with legs crossed |
| aikijuujutsu 合気柔術 ( あいきじゅうじゅつ ) - aikijuujutsu |
| aite 相手 ( あいて ) - opponent |
| aiuchi 相打ち ( あいうち ) - simultaneous strike; mutual kill |
| ashi sabaki 足捌き ( あしさばき ) - footwork |
| ashigaru 足軽 ( あしがる ) - foot soldier |
| ashikou 足鉤 ( あしこう ) - also "sokkou"; metal claws worn on the feet to aid in climbing (Togakure ryuu) |
| atemi 当身 ( あてみ ) - body strikes; strike to the body |
| B |
| bakufu 幕府 ( ばくふ ) - military government of old Japan |
| bokken 木剣 ( ぼっけん ) - wooden training sword |
| bokutou 木刀 ( ぼくとう ) - wooden training sword |
| boshiken 拇指拳 ( ぼしけん ) - boshiken; thumb tip strike |
| bou shuriken 棒手裏剣 ( ぼうしゅりけん ) - throwing spikes |
| boujutsu 棒術 ( ぼうじゅつ ) - skill with a wooden staff |
| bounote 棒の手 ( ぼうのて ) - traditional performance of martial arts often using sword, staff, spear or other weapons |
| boushi 鋩子 ( ぼうし ) - the hamon on the kissaki of a sword |
| bu 分 ( ぶ ) - measure of length; about 0.12 inches; 10 bu = 1 sun |
| budouka 武道者 ( ぶどうか ) - martial artis |
| bugei 武芸 ( ぶげい ) - generic term for the martial arts |
| bugeisha 武芸者 ( ぶげいしゃ ) - person who practices the martial arts |
| bujinkan doujou 武神館道場 ( ぶじんかんどうじょう ) - the name of the organization begun by Hatsumi Masaaki |
| bushi 武士 ( ぶし ) - samurai;warrior |
| C |
| chisei 知声 ( ちせい ) - knowing voice; a kind of kiai |
| chonmage 丁髷 ( ちょんまげ ) - topknot worn by samurai |
| choushi 調子 ( ちょうし ) - rhythm; rhythm of a kata |
| chouyakujutsu 跳躍術 ( ちょうやくじゅつ ) - training in leaping and jumping |
| D |
| daikamari 大かまり ( だいかまり ) - very large group of ninja |
| daimyou 大名 ( だいみょう ) - feudal lord |
| dakentaijutsu 打拳体術 ( だけんたいじゅつ ) - term to describe striking using the body |
| dakkou 奪口 ( だっこう ) - another term for ninja |
| densho 伝書 ( でんしょ ) - scroll containing the teachings of a ryuuha |
| deshi 弟子 ( でし ) - student |
| donryuubou 呑龍棒 ( どんりゅうぼう ) - hollow fighting staff with 4 spikes arranged around the opening at one end and a four foot long weighted chain. From Kukishin ryuu. |
| doujou 道場 ( どうじょう ) - martial arts training hall; martial arts school |
| doujou arashi 道場嵐 ( どうじょうあらし ) - a challenge between schools in which all the students are involved |
| doujou yaburi 道場破り ( どうじょうやぶり ) - a contest between schools; to defeat another school in a contest |
| doushin 同心 ( どうしん ) - Tokugawa period law enforcement official |
| E |
| emaki 絵巻 ( えまき ) - scroll consisting of drawings |
| emakimono 絵巻物 ( えまきもの ) - narrative picture scroll |
| F |
| fuchi 縁 ( ふち ) - hilt collar between the tsuka and the tsuba |
| fudoushin 不動心 ( ふどうしん ) - immoveable mind; calm spirit |
| fukikaeshi 吹返 ( ふきかえし ) - curved panels on the sides a kabuto |
| fukiya 吹矢 ( ふきや ) - blowgun; blowgun dart |
| fukuro shinai 袋竹刀 ( ふくろしない ) - training sword made of a split bamboo stick inside a leather or doeskin bag; lit. bag shinai |
| G |
| gasshou rei 合掌礼 ( がっしょうれい ) - formal bow with hands helds or clasped together |
| genpuku 元服 ( げんぷく ) - coming of age ceremony for samurai |
| go no sen 後の先 ( ごのせん ) - responsive initiative; also machi no sen |
| gogyou 五行 ( ごぎょう ) - the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) |
| gokui 極意 ( ごくい ) - secret teachings |
| goshinjutsu 護身術 ( ごしんじゅつ ) - self defense |
| goshinpou 護身法 ( ごしんぽう ) - spiritual methods of protecting oneself against evil |
| goushi 郷士 ( ごうし ) - farmer warriors; warriors who held and worked land |
| gunbaisha 軍配者 ( ぐんばいしゃ ) - practitioner of battlefield divination |
| gunryaku tenmon chimon 軍略天文地文 ( ぐんりゃくてんもんちんもん ) - battlefield strategy using weather and terrain |
| gyokko ryuu 玉虎流 ( ぎょっこりゅう ) - kosshijutsu tradition studied in the Bujinkan |
| gyouja 行者 ( ぎょうじゃ ) - ascetic; pilgrim |
| gyousho 行書 ( ぎょうしょ ) - semi-cursive style of writing |
| H |
| ha 刃 ( は ) - the edge of the blade of a sword |
| habaki 鎺 ( はばき ) - wedge shaped metal collar used to keep the sword from falling out of the scabbard |
| hachimaki 鉢巻 ( はちまき ) - head wrap |
| hachiwari 鉢割 ( はちわり ) - helmet breaker; handheld weapon used to break armor |
| hada 肌 ( はだ ) - the grain of the metal on a sword blade |
| hagaijime 羽交締め ( はがいじめ ) - restraining technique similar to a full-nelson |
| haidate 佩楯 ( はいだて ) - armored thigh guards |
| hakama 袴 ( はかま ) - pleated trousers |
| hakuda 白打 ( はくだ ) - unarmed close combat techniques |
| hamachi 刃区 ( はまち ) - notch where the blade meets the nakago on a Japanese sword |
| hamon 破門 ( はもん ) - formal expulsion from a ryuu |
| hamon 刃文 ( はもん ) - temper line found on the blade of a Japanese sword |
| hanbou 半棒 ( はんぼう ) - short (usually 3 foot) staff |
| hanshi 範士 ( はんし ) - master practitioner |
| happaken 八葉拳 ( はっぱけん ) - double open handed strike |
| haramaki 腹巻 ( はらまき ) - light armor worn by footsoldiers; stomach wrap |
| hatahoko 幡幢 ( はたほこ ) - spear with a small banner attached sometimes used to decorate an altar |
| hayamichi no mono 早道の者 ( はやみちのもの ) - another term for ninja |
| heifuku kumiuchi 平服組討 ( へいふくくみうち ) - fighting in everyday clothing |
| heihou 兵法 ( へいほう ) - methods of strategy |
| henka 変化 ( へんか ) - variation or change in a technique |
| hensoujutsu 変装術 ( へんそうじゅつ ) - methods of disguise |
| hibuki 秘武器 ( ひぶき ) - secret weapon |
| hichoujutsu 飛鳥術 ( ひちょうじゅつ ) - practice of leaping and jumping |
| hiden 秘伝 ( ひでん ) - secret technique or teaching |
| higurumaken 火車剣 ( ひぐるまけん ) - fire shuriken |
| hijiri 聖 ( ひじり ) - Buddhist missionary |
| hinawajuu 火縄銃 ( ひなわじゅう ) - matchlock musket |
| hira shuriken 平手裏剣 ( ひらしゅりけん ) - flat throwing blades, usually star-shaped |
| hisouken 秘槍拳 ( ひそうけん ) - thumb tip strike; boushiken |
| hobaku 捕縛 ( ほばく ) - arresting or binding techniques; tying techniques |
| hojou 捕縄 ( ほじょう ) - tying and securing; rope used to bind a criminal |
| hojoujutsu 捕縛術 ( ほじょうじゅつ ) - methods of binding with a rope |
| honbu 本部 ( ほんぶ ) - headquarters; main branch; also hombu |
| horagai 法螺貝 ( ほらがい ) - conch shell trumpet |
| houjutsu 方術 ( ほうじゅつ ) - system of divination based on direction |
| hyouhou 兵法 ( ひょうほう ) - methods of strategy; also heihou |
| hyoushi 拍子 ( ひょうし ) - rhythm, timing |
| I |
| iai 居合い ( いあい ) - drawing and cutting with the sword |
| iaidou 居合道 ( いあいどう ) - the art of drawing and cutting with the sword |
| iaijutsu 居合術 ( いあいじゅつ ) - methods of drawing and cutting with the sword |
| iemoto 家元 ( いてもと ) - head family of a school |
| iga 伊賀 ( いが ) - an old province of Japan in the area that is today western Mie Prefecture |
| igadama 伊賀玉 ( いがだま ) - small round caltrops |
| injiuchi 印地打ち ( いんじうち ) - practice of throwing stones, sometimes as a game |
| inkajou 印可状 ( いんかじょう ) - authority to pass on the tradition; |
| ishinage 石投げ ( いしなげ ) - throwing rocks |
| ishu 伊州 ( いしゅ ) - another name for Iga Province |
| isshi souden 一子相伝 ( いっしそうでん ) - complete transmission of the techniques and principles of a ryuuha to a blood-heir |
| ita shuriken 板手裏剣 ( いたしゅりけん ) - plank shuriken; flat shuriken |
| J |
| ji 地 ( じ ) - area between the hamon and the shinogi on a Japanese sword blade |
| jindai moji 神代文字 ( じんだいもじ ) - form of writing possibly used before the adoption of Chinese characters |
| jingasa 陣笠 ( じんがさ ) - flattened, wide brimmed helmet |
| jissen 実戦 ( じっせん ) - real combat; realistic fighting |
| jizamurai 地侍 ( じざむらい ) - provincial warrior who would return to farm his land while in peacetime |
| joshi goshinjutsu 女子護身術 ( じょしごしんじゅつ ) - women's self defense |
| jou 杖 ( じょう ) - staff usually about 4 feet in length |
| juudou 柔道 ( じゅうどう ) - judo |
| juujutsu 柔術 ( じゅうじゅつ ) - method of close combat, unarmed or using weapons |
| juunan undou 柔軟運動 ( じゅうなんうんどう ) - flexibility exercises |
| juutaijutsu 柔体術 ( じゅうたいじゅつ ) - term used to describe methods of throwing an opponent using the body |
| K |
| kabura maki 蕪巻 ( かぶらまき ) - hemp or rattan wrapping below the blade of a yari or naginata in order to stop blood dripping onto the handle |
| kabuto 兜 ( かぶと ) - armored helmet |
| kabutowari 兜割り ( かぶとわり ) - sword-like weapon designed to crush armor; helmet splitter |
| kaeshiwaza 返し技 ( かえしわざ ) - techniques to reverse or escape techniques being applied to oneself |
| kaginawa 鉤縄 ( かぎなわ ) - hook and rope; grappling hook |
| kaiken 懐剣 ( かいけん ) - single or double-edged dagger without ornamental fittings housed in a plain mount |
| kaisho 楷書 ( かいしょ ) - square style of handwriting; |
| kaiten 回転 ( かいてん ) - roll done for ukemi |
| kakejiku 掛け軸 ( かけじく ) - hanging scroll |
| kakemono 掛物 ( かけもの ) - hanging scroll; scroll that is hung on the wall |
| kakushibuki 隠し武器 ( かくしぶき ) - concealed weapon |
| kama 鎌 ( かま ) - sickle |
| kamari かまり ( かまり ) - large group or team of ninja |
| kamari 屈 ( かまり ) - another term for ninja |
| kamayari 鎌槍 ( かまやり ) - spear with one or two curved secondary blades |
| kami 神 ( かみ ) - Shintou deities; god(s) |
| kamidana 神棚 ( かみだな ) - shelf on which the kamiza sits |
| kamiyo moji 神代文字 ( かみよもじ ) - form of writing possibly used before the adoption of Chinese characters |
| kamiza 神座 ( かみざ ) - usually a small, shelf-top shrine located in a doujou |
| kamiza 上座 ( かみざ ) - place of honor in the doujou; lit. high seat |
| kan 間 ( かん ) - scouting warriors; early term for ninja |
| kanabou 金棒 ( かなぼう ) - spiked or studded two-handed war club used in feudal Japan |
| kansetsuwaza 関節技 ( かんせつわざ ) - joint-locking technique |
| kanshi 間士 ( かんし ) - another term for ninja |
| kaou 花押 ( かおう ) - stylized mark used in place of a signature |
| kappou 活法 ( かっぽう ) - resucitation methods |
| kassen kumiuchi 合戦組討 ( かっせんくみうち ) - battlefield grappling |
| kata 型 ( かた ) - kata; arranged movement patterns |
| kata 形 ( かた ) - arranged movement patterns |
| katana 刀 ( かたな ) - long sword, usually worn blade-up in the belt |
| katana 釖 ( かたな ) - sword |
| katana kake 刀掛け ( かたなかけ ) - sword rack |
| katchuu 甲冑 ( かっちゅう ) - armor and helmet; fighting with armor |
| katchuu bujutsu 甲冑武術 ( かっちゅうぶじゅつ ) - fighting techniques while wearing armor |
| katchuushi 甲冑師 ( かっちゅうし ) - armorer |
| katsu 活 ( かつ ) - resucitation methods |
| katsujinken 活人剣 ( かつじんけん ) - life giving sword |
| kayakujutsu 火薬術 ( かやくじゅつ ) - skill with gunpowder; firearms; explosives |
| kazunuki 数抜き ( かずぬき ) - drawing and cutting with a sword 3,000, 10,000 or 30,000 times |
| keiko shoukon 稽古照今 ( けいこしょうこん ) - reflect on the old to understand the new |
| keikogi 稽古着 ( けいこぎ ) - gi; training uniform |
| ken 拳 ( けん ) - fist |
| ken 剣 ( けん ) - sword, usually straight-bladed, but can refer to any sword |
| kendou 剣道 ( けんどう ) - way of the sword; modern martial art of Japanese fencing |
| kenjutsu 剣術 ( けんじゅつ ) - techniques of the sword; swordsmanship |
| kenpou 剣法 ( けんぽう ) - sword methods |
| kenpou 拳法 ( けんぽう ) - unarmed fighting focusing on striking |
| keppan 血判 ( けっぱん ) - blood oath |
| keri 蹴 ( けり ) - kick |
| kesa giri 袈裟切り ( けさぎり ) - diagonal cut from shoulder to hip of target; refers to the kesa (stole) worn by Buddhist priests |
| kiai 気合 ( きあい ) - kiai; sprit shout |
| kigaku 気学 ( きがく ) - fortune telling based on Chinese twelve year cycle |
| kikimonoyaku 聞者役 ( ききものやく ) - another term for ninja |
| kikyo 跪居 ( ききょ ) - crouching posture with the heels lifted and weight on the toes |
| kime 極め ( きめ ) - focus |
| kirigami menjou 切り紙免状 ( きりがみめんじょう ) - classical license on a simple piece of folded Japanese paper |
| kishoumon 起請文 ( きしょうもん ) - vow on entering a classical tradition |
| kissaki 切っ先 ( きっさき ) - point of sword |
| kissaki 切先 ( きっさき ) - point of sword |
| kitenken 起転拳 ( きてんけん ) - strike with the side of the hand; shutou |
| kodachi 小太刀 ( こだち ) - short sword; wakizashi |
| kogatana 小刀 ( こがたな ) - short sword or small knife |
| kogusoku 古具足 ( こぐそく ) - grapplingl; usually in armor |
| koiguchi 鯉口 ( こいぐち ) - mouth of a sword scabbard |
| kojiri 鐺 ( こじり ) - tip or bottom of sword scabbard |
| kokorogamae 心構え ( こころがまえ ) - preparedness; readiness; lit "kamae of the heart" |
| koku 石 ( こく ) - traditional Japanese unit of measure; usually used to measure income; amount of rice that will feed one person for a year |
| kokyuu hou 呼吸法 ( こきゅうほう ) - breathing methods |
| kongojou 金剛杖 ( こんごうじょう ) - a staff carried by yamabushi similar to the shakujou |
| koppou 骨法 ( こっぽう ) - knack; essence; bone-breaking methods |
| koppouken 骨法拳 ( こっぽうけん ) - thumb knuckle strike |
| koshi no mawari 腰の周り ( こしのまわり ) - generic term for grappling |
| kosshijutsu 骨指術 ( こっしじゅつ ) - muscle striking art |
| kote 小手 ( こて ) - forearm; wrist; armored forearm protectors |
| kotou ryuu koppoujutsu 虎倒流骨法術 ( ことうりゅうこっぽうじゅつ ) - koppoujutsu tradition studied in the Bujinkan |
| koubou itchi 攻防一致 ( こほういっち ) - attack and defense are one |
| kouga 甲賀 ( こうが ) - region of Japan known for being the home of many ninja groups |
| kouhai 後輩 ( こうはい ) - junior; person of lower rank |
| kuden 口伝 ( くでん ) - oral transmission; teachings that are not written in densho or makimono |
| kuji 九字 ( くじ ) - nine signs; mudra used in esoteric Buddhism |
| kuji goshin hou 九字護身法 ( くじごしん法 ) - mudra originally from esoteric Buddhism used in bujutsu |
| kumanote 熊の手 ( くまのて ) - another term for shukou or tekagi lit. bear claws |
| kumiuchi 組討 ( くみうち ) - grappling |
| kumiuchi 組み打ち ( くみうち ) - grappling |
| kurigata 栗型 ( くりがた ) - sageo hole in saya |
| kusa 草 ( くさ ) - another term for ninja |
| kusarigama 鎖鎌 ( くさりがま ) - chain and sickle weapon |
| kusazuri 草摺 ( くさずり ) - tassets; armored thigh protectors |
| kuukan 空間 ( くうかん ) - space; room |
| kuwagata 鍬形 ( くわがた ) - decorative crest on kabuto; lit.: hoe-shapes |
| kyojitsu 虚実 ( きょじつ ) - truth and falsehood |
| kyojitsu tenkan hou 虚実転換法 ( きょじつてんかんほう ) - interchanging truth and falsehood |
| kyoketsu shoge 距跋渉毛 ( きょけつしょうげ ) - weapon consisting of a hooked dagger, a long rope and a weighted ring |
| kyoudan 郷談 ( きょうだん ) - another term for ninja |
| kyoudou 郷導 ( きょうどう ) - another term for ninja |
| kyuuba 弓馬 ( きゅうば ) - archery and horsemanship |
| kyuuba souken 弓馬槍剣 ( きゅうばそうけん ) - archery, horsemanship, spearsmanship, and swordsmanship; martial arts in general |
| kyuuba tousou 弓馬刀槍 ( きゅうばとうそう ) - archery, horsemanship, spearsmanship, and swordsmanship; martial arts in general |
| kyuusho 急所 ( きゅうしょ ) - weak point; pressure point |
| M |
| maai 間合い ( まあい ) - distance; interval; |
| maedate 前立て ( まえだて ) - crest worn on the helmet |
| makibishi 撒き菱 ( まきびし ) - caltrop |
| makimono 巻物 ( まきもの ) - scroll containing techniques and teachings of a ryuuha |
| matagi 又鬼 ( またぎ ) - traditional winter hunters in northern Japan |
| mei 銘 ( めい ) - signature on the tang of a Japanese sword |
| mekugiana 目釘穴 ( めくぎあな ) - the hole into which the mekugi (peg) is inserted on the tang of a Japanese sword |
| menkyo kaiden 免許皆伝 ( めんきょかいでん ) - full initiation into a ryuuha |
| menpou 面頬 ( めんぽう ) - face guard; usually worn with an armored helmet |
| menuki 目貫 ( めぬき ) - sword handle ornaments |
| metezashi 馬手差 ( めてざし ) - armor-piercing dagger worn on the right side and drawn with the left hand |
| mizugumo 水蜘 ( みずぐも ) - device for crossing marshy areas; lit: water spider |
| mokuroku 目録 ( もくろく ) - catalog of the techniques of a ryuuha |
| monomi 物見 ( ものみ ) - reconnaissance and observation techniques |
| monomi 物見 ( ものみ ) - another term for ninja |
| monouchi 物打ち ( ものうち ) - the part of the blade that is best suited for cutting on a Japanese sword |
| mune 胸 ( むね ) - chest |
| mune 棟 ( むね ) - the back of the blade of a Japanese sword |
| munemachi 棟区 ( むねまち ) - notch where the nakago meets the mune on a Japanese sword |
| muromachi jidai 室町時代 ( むろまちじだい ) - Muromachi period; a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573 |
| musha shugyou 武者修行 ( むしゃしゅぎょう ) - the practice of traveling about to gain martial skill |
| mushin 無心 ( むしん ) - spontaneous action lit:no mind |
| N |
| nafuda 名札 ( なふだ ) - Nafuda are thin, rectangular wooden plaques on which individuals’ names are written vertically in kanji or kana |
| nafuda kake 名札掛け ( なふだかけ ) - a rack used to hang name plaques |
| naginata 薙刀 ( なぎなた ) - long handled halberd |
| naginata 長刀 ( なぎなた ) - halberg |
| nakago 茎 ( なかご ) - tang of the blade of a Japanese sword |
| ninja 忍者 ( にんじゃ ) - ninja |
| ninpou taijutsu 忍法体術 ( にんぽうたいじゅつ ) - the ninjas specialized methods of juujutsu |
| nodachi 野太刀 ( のだち ) - large sword with a blade length of around 3 shaku |
| nodowa 喉輪 ( のどわ ) - armored neck protection |
| nyoibou 如意棒 ( にょいぼう ) - large staff weapon used to crush opponents |
| O |
| omotewaza 表技 ( おもてわざ ) - the basic techniques of a ryuuha lit. outer technique |
| onkenjutsu 穏剣術 ( おんけんじゅつ ) - another term for shurikenjutsu; may refer to using shuriken in the hands |
| onmitsu 隠密 ( おんみつ ) - spy; detective; someone who secretly observes |
| onmyoudou 陰陽道 ( おんみょうどう ) - raditional Japanese esoteric cosmology |
| oodachi 大太刀 ( おおだち ) - sword with a blade length of around 3 shaku |
| oosode 大袖 ( おおそで ) - armored protection for the upper arms and shoulders |
| ooyoroi 大鎧 ( おおよろい ) - older style of armor |
| outen 横転 ( おうてん ) - cartwheel done for ukemi |
| R |
| rakuza 楽座 ( らくざ ) - seated posture with soles of the feet together |
| rappa 乱破 ( らっぱ ) - another term for ninja |
| reisho 隷書 ( れいしょ ) - clerical script; old, highly angular style of writing |
| rokushakubou 六尺棒 ( ろくしゃくぼう ) - six shaku staff; six foot staff |
| rounin 浪人 ( ろうにん ) - masterless samurai |
| ruikei no jutsu 縲繋之術 ( るいけいのじゅつ ) - methods of binding with a rope |
| ryuu 流 ( りゅう ) - style; school; method; tradition |
| ryuuha 流派 ( りゅうは ) - school; tradition |
| S |
| sageo 下緒 ( さげお ) - sword knot; cord used to secure a katana in the belt |
| saisaku 細作 ( さいさく ) - another term for ninja |
| sakki 殺気 ( さっき ) - intent to kill |
| samegawa 鮫皮 ( さめがわ ) - shark or ray skin wrapped around the handle of a sword |
| samurai 侍 ( さむらい ) - samurai |
| sanshakubou 三尺棒 ( さんしゃくぼう ) - 3 shaku stick; hanbou |
| sasumata 刺股 ( さすまた ) - pole weapon used to control or capture people at a distance; "spear fork" |
| satsujinken 殺人剣 ( さつじんけん ) - life-taking sword |
| seiryoku zenyou 勢力善用 ( せいりょくぜにょう ) - efficient use of energy |
| seiza 正座 ( せいざ ) - kneeling seated posture; "seated correctly" |
| sen 先 ( せん ) - initiative; the decisive moment when a killing action is initiated; |
| sen no sen 先の先 ( せんのせん ) - Strike as opponent commits to an attack but before he moves |
| senban 銛盤 ( せんばん ) - type of flat shuriken used in Togakure ryuu ninjutsu |
| sendan maki 千段巻 ( せんだんまき ) - the rattan or hemp wrapping around the insertion point of the blade of a yari or naginata which is then coated with lacquer |
| sengoku jidai 戦国時代 ( せんごくじだい ) - Age of Warring States; a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war, social upheaval, and political intrigue from 1467 to 1615 |
| senjou kumiuchi 戦場組討 ( せんじょうくみうち ) - battlefield grappling |
| senjutsu 戦術 ( せんじゅつ ) - battlefield tactics |
| senryaku 戦略 ( せんりゃく ) - strategy |
| seppa 切羽 ( せっぱ ) - spacers placed between the tsuba and handle of a sword |
| shakoken 蝦蛄拳 ( しゃこけん ) - open handed palm strike |
| shaku 尺 ( しゃく ) - measure of length; about 11.93 inches |
| shakujou 錫杖 ( しゃくじょう ) - walking stick carried by travelling monks typically tipped with an encircled metal finial with a number of interlocking rings |
| shikanken 指環拳 ( しかんけん ) - strike with the second knuckles of the hand (Togakure ryuu) |
| shikin haramitsu daikomyou 詞韻波羅蜜大光明 ( しきんはらみつだいこみょう ) - words spoken at the beginning of Bujinkan classes |
| shikomizue 仕込杖 ( しこみずえ ) - cane sword; short staff with blade hidden inside |
| shime 締め ( しめ ) - choke |
| shimewaza 締め技 ( しめわざ ) - choking technique |
| shinken 真剣 ( しんけん ) - real sword; live blade |
| shinken shoubu 真剣勝負 ( しんけんしょうぶ ) - a fight or duel with real swords |
| shinobi 忍び ( しのび ) - term referring to person who practices ninjutsu |
| shinobi 志能備 ( しのび ) - early term for ninja |
| shinobi 竊盗 ( しのび ) - another term for ninja |
| shinobi no jutsu 忍の術 ( しのびのじゅつ ) - methods of stealth; ninjutsu |
| shinobi no mono 忍の者 ( しのびのもの ) - person who practices ninjutsu |
| shinobi no mono 忍ノ者 ( しのびのもの ) - person who practices ninjutsu |
| shinobi shouzoku 忍び装束 ( しのびしょうぞく ) - ninja clothes; black clothing associated with the ninja |
| shinobizue 忍び杖 ( しのびずえ ) - cane with hollowed out interior to conceal weapons |
| shinogi 鎬 ( しのぎ ) - ridge that runs down the midsection of the blade of a Japanese sword |
| shinogiji 鎬地 ( しのぎじ ) - the area between the shinogi and the mune on a Japanese sword |
| shinshinkanpajutsu 身心看破術 ( しんしんかんぱじゅつ ) - the ability to read the opponent by touching them |
| shishinken 指針拳 ( ししんけん ) - strike with the little finger of the hand |
| shitanken ( ) - finger tip strike |
| shitouken 指刀拳 ( しとうけん ) - thumb tip strike; boushiken |
| shousei ( ) - victorious voice; a kind of kiai |
| shubaku 手白 ( しゅばく ) - unarmed close combat techniques |
| shudendou 修験道 ( しゅげんどう ) - a highly syncretic Buddhic religion or sect and mystical-spiritual tradition which originated in pre-Feudal Japan |
| shugenja 修験者 ( しゅげんじゃ ) - a practitioner of shugendou |
| shugyou 修行 ( しゅぎょう ) - training; practice; discipline; study; ascetic practices |
| shugyousha 修行者 ( しゅぎょうしゃ ) - practitioner of martial arts; practitioner of austerities |
| shukou 手鉤 ( しゅこう ) - hand claws used to aid in climbing; formerly a secret tool of Togakure ryuu ninjutsu; tekagi |
| shuriken 手裏剣 ( しゅりけん ) - throwing spikes or plates |
| shurikendome 手裏剣止 ( しゅりけんどめ ) - stopping or avoiding thrown weapons |
| shutouken 手刀拳 ( しゅとうけん ) - strike with the pinky-side of the hand |
| sode 褎 ( そで ) - sleeve |
| sode 袖 ( そで ) - sleeve; armored shoulder upper arm protection |
| sodegarami 袖搦 ( そでがらみ ) - pole weapon used to control or capture people at a distance; "sleeve entangler" |
| sokkou 足甲 ( そっこう ) - metal claws worn on the feet to aid in climbing (Togakure ryuu) |
| sokugyakuken 足逆拳 ( そくぎゃくけん ) - kick to strike with the toes |
| sokuyakuken 足躍拳 ( そくやくけん ) - strike using the heel of the foot |
| sonkyo 蹲踞 ( そんきょ ) - crouching posture |
| soudensho 相伝書 ( そうでんしょ ) - record of inheritance |
| souhei 僧兵 ( そうへい ) - warrior monks |
| soujutsu 槍術 ( そうじゅつ ) - techniques of the spear |
| souke 宗家 ( そうけ ) - grandmaster, head of ryuu |
| sousho 草書 ( そうしょ ) - cursive style of writing |
| suhada bujutsu 素肌武術 ( すはだぶじゅつ ) - martial techniques done in street clothes |
| suhada kumiuchi 素肌組討 ( すはだくみうち ) - fighting without armor |
| suijutsu 水術 ( すいじゅつ ) - swimming skills |
| suiren 水練 ( すいれん ) - swimming practice; swimming skills |
| sujikabuto 筋子兜 ( すじかぶと ) - armored helmet; |
| suki 隙 ( すき ) - opening; weak point |
| sukima 隙間 ( すきま ) - an opening or gap (in kamae) |
| sukima 透き間 ( すきま ) - an opening or gap (in kamae) |
| sun 寸 ( すん ) - measure of length; about 1.19 inches; 10 sun = 1 shaku |
| suneate 脛当て ( すねあて ) - armored shin guards |
| suneate 臑当 ( すねあて ) - armored shin guards |
| suppa 素破 ( すっぱ ) - another term for ninja; small team of ninja |
| suppa 水破 ( すっぱ ) - another term for ninja |
| suppa 出抜 ( すっぱ ) - another term for ninja |
| suppa 透破 ( すっぱ ) - another term for ninja |
| sutemi 捨身 ( すてみ ) - sacrifice technique |
| T |
| tachi 太刀 ( たち ) - long sword usually worn slung blade-down from the belt |
| taiden 体伝 ( たいでん ) - body transmission; teachings passed on by direct training methods |
| taihenjutsu 体変術 ( たいへんじゅつ ) - methods of rolling, leaping and hitting the ground; lit: body-changing skills |
| taijutsu 体術 ( たいじゅつ ) - general term for unarmed combat |
| taisabaki 体捌 ( たいさばき ) - general term for body movement |
| takagi yoshin ryuu 高木陽心流 ( たかぎようしんりゅう ) - juutaijutsu tradition studied in the Bujinkan |
| tameshigiri 試し斬り ( ためしぎり ) - test cutting with a sword using any type of target |
| tanren 鍛錬 ( たんれん ) - body forging exercises |
| tantou 短刀 ( たんとう ) - knife; dagger |
| taryuu shiai 他流試合 ( たりゅうしあい ) - a contest between people of two different martial traditions |
| tatehiza 立て膝 ( たてひざ ) - seated kneeling posture with one leg up |
| tehodoki 手解き ( てほどき ) - technique for escaping from a hand or writs grab |
| tekagi 手鉤 ( たかぎ ) - hand claws used to aid in climbing; shukou |
| teki 敵 ( てき ) - enemy |
| tekken 鉄拳 ( てっけん ) - knuckle duster weapon carried in the hand |
| tekkou 手甲 ( てっこう ) - armored covering for the back of the hand and wrist |
| tengu 天狗 ( てんぐ ) - long nosed crow-like, mythical goblin, said to teach secret martial arts |
| tenouchi 手の内 ( てのうち ) - class of weapons that are carried in the hand; lit. "inside the hand" |
| tensho 篆書 ( てんしょ ) - characters typically used for seals |
| tentou uchi ( ) - strike to top of head |
| teppan 鉄盤 ( てっぱん ) - small iron plates used in combat; either thrown or hand-held |
| tessen 鉄扇 ( てっせん ) - iron fan |
| tetsubishi 鉄菱 ( てつびし ) - caltrops |
| tetsubou 鉄棒 ( てつぼう ) - spiked or studded two-handed war club used in feudal Japan |
| tetsutsubute 鉄礫 ( てつつぶて ) - octagonal, round or square piece of iron, sometimes with sharpened edges, used as a thrown weapon |
| togakure ryuu 戸隠流 ( とがくれりゅう ) - ninjutsu tradition studied in the Bujinkan; lit. |
| tokonoma 床の間 ( とこのま ) - decorative alcove in a traditional Japanese style room |
| toppa 突破 ( とっぱ ) - another term for ninja |
| tori 取り ( とり ) - one who executes a technique |
| torimono sandougu 取りもの三道具 ( とりものさんどうぐ ) - three types of pole weapons used by the samurai class and their retainers to restrain criminals from a distance |
| torinawajutsu (捕縄術 ( とりなわじゅつ ) - methods of binding with a rope |
| torite 捕手 ( とりて ) - a generic term for unarmed combat |
| toujutsu 刀術 ( とうじゅつ ) - techniques of the sword |
| tousuijutsu 踏水術 ( とうすいじゅつ ) - swimming skills |
| tsuba 鍔 ( つば ) - sword guard |
| tsubute 礫 ( つぶて ) - small throwing stones |
| tsuka 柄 ( つか ) - sword handle |
| tsuki 突き ( つき ) - punch; thrust with weapon |
| tsukubou 突棒 ( つくぼう ) - pole weapon used to control or capture people at a distance; "push pole" |
| tsunagi no ito 繋糸 ( つなぎのいと ) - cords connecting the kusazuri to the dou on a yoroi |
| tsurugi 剣 ( つるぎ ) - sword; often straight |
| U |
| uchidachi 打太刀 ( うちだち ) - role of the attacker in formalized weapons training |
| uchideshi 内弟子 ( うちでし ) - live-in student; main student |
| uchigatana 打刀 ( うちがたな ) - lit: striking sword; a sword meant to be worn so that it can be drawn in cut with in a single movement |
| ukagami 伺見 ( うかがみ ) - another term for ninja |
| ukami 伺見 ( うかみ ) - old term for ninja |
| uke 受け ( うけ ) - one who receives the technique |
| ukemi 受身 ( うけみ ) - receiving; falling safely |
| uketachi 受太刀 ( うけたち ) - role of the defender in formalized weapons training |
| urawaza 裏技 ( うらわざ ) - secret techniques of a ryuuha; often reversals or escapes lit. inner technique |
| uwagi 上着 ( うわぎ ) - jacket worn for bujutsu training |
| W |
| wakizashi 脇差 ( わきざし ) - short sword |
| ware 我 ( われ ) - we, us, I; often the role of the defender in a kata |
| wariza 割座 ( わりざ ) - seated posture like seiza but with the legs moved to one side |
| waza 技 ( わざ ) - technique |
| Y |
| ya 矢 ( や ) - arrow |
| yamabushi 山伏 ( やまぶし ) - another term for shugenja; lit.: 'one who lies in the mountains' |
| yamabushi heihou 山伏兵法 ( やまぶしへいほう ) - methods of fighting or tactics developed by the yamabushi |
| yaniwa 矢庭 ( やにわ ) - archery range |
| yanone 矢の根 ( やのね ) - arrowhead |
| yari 槍 ( やり ) - spear |
| yasurime 鑢目 ( やすりめ ) - file marks found on the tang of a Japanese sword |
| yawara 柔ら ( やわら ) - term for juujutsu or general unarmed combat |
| yawaragi 柔技 ( やわらぎ ) - term for juujutsu |
| yawarajutsu 柔術 ( やわらじゅつ ) - another term for general unarmed combat |
| yawarariki 柔力 ( やわらりき ) - general term for unarmed combat |
| yoko aruki 横歩き ( よこあるき ) - sideways walking; cross step |
| yokote 横手 ( よこて ) - the ridge that separates the tip from the rest of the blade of a Japanese sword |
| yoroi 鎧 ( よろい ) - armor; suit of armor |
| yoroi kumiuchi 鎧組討 ( よろいくみうち ) - battlefield grappling in armor |
| yoroidoushi 鎧通し ( よろいどうし ) - dagger like thrusting blade for use against an armored opponent |
| yotsugumi ( ) - method of grappling in armor |
| youmei 幼名 ( ようめい ) - childhood name of a samurai |
| yueijutsu 游泳術 ( ゆえいじゅつ ) - swimming skills |
| yumi 弓 ( ゆみ ) - Japanese-style bow (for shooting arrows) |
| yuudansha 有段者 ( ゆうだんしゃ ) - those holding black belt rank |