Basic Vocabulary

• Dojo - Training hall

• Shomen - an altar/sacred place in the dojo, also the centre of the face or head

• Shizentai - Natural standing position

• Ritsurei - Standing bow

• Zarei - Seated bow

• Rei - Bow

• Seiza - Formal sitting (kneeling) position

• Sune - Shins, a valid striking target

• Men - Protective helmet/mask, A valid striking target

• Kote - Wrists or gloves, both left and right are valid striking targets

• Do - Protective plastron for the mid-section a valid striking target

• Ashi-sabaki - footwork (okuri-ashi, ayumi-ashi etc.)

• Okuri-ashi - basic footwork used for movement in all directions

• Ayumi-ashi - basic footwork for forward and backward movement

• Kamae - Fighting postures/stances (chudan-no-kamae, gedan-no-kamae etc.)

• Shikake-oji or Engi-kyogi - Eight movements and waza organized into prearranged sequences, attacker is called Shikake and the defender is Oji

• Shiai or Shiai-kyogi - competitive matches (sparring)

• Hajime - Begin

• Yame - Stop