Counting is usually done in Japanese. The important numbers are 1-8.
| English | Japanese | pronunciation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ZERO | zero | (zeh - row) |
| 1 | ONE | ichi | (E - Chee) |
| 2 | TWO | ni | (knee) |
| 3 | THREE | san | (saan) |
| 4 | FOUR | shi | (She) |
| 5 | FIVE | go | (go) |
| 6 | SIX | roku | (row - ku) |
| 7 | SEVEN | shichi | (She - Che) |
| 8 | EIGHT | hachi | (HA - CHE) |
| 9 | NINE | kyuu | (cue) |
| 10 | TEN | ju | (ju) |
Some commands (start, stop, etc) which you will pick up very quickly.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| Rei | Bow |
| Yoi | Get ready |
| Hajime | 'Begin' or 'Start' |
| Yami or Matte | 'Wait' or 'Stop' |
The names of some of the exercises.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| Unsoku | Foot movements |
| Tegatana-awase | Hand-blade coming together |
| Tai-Sabaki | Avoidance exercise |
| Randori | 'Freestyle' attack avoidance |
Some of the other words you may hear from time to time
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| Sensei | Teacher |
| dojo | Usually the building where we train (Lit. 'The place of the way') |
| Uke | The person receiving the technique (usually the attacker, unless a counter-technique is being demonstrated) |
| Tori | The person doing the technique (usually the defender, unless a counter-technique is being demonstrated) |
For more vocabulary (including translations of technique and attack names) please refer to the BAA Japanese Terminology page or one of the many translation pages on the web.
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