Shinkendo Terminology & References


Sword related martial arts

  • Shinkendo - The way of the true, serious or real sword.
    • Shin - real, serious or true
    • Ken - sword
    • Do - way or path
  • Batto-do/jutsu - art of drawing and simultaneously cutting.
  • Iaido - the art of drawing and cutting, usually from a kneeling position (seiza or tatehiza).
  • Kendo - a contact sport derived from traditional swordsmanship.
  • Kenjutsu - art of using an already drawn sword; older term for sword fighting technique or Kendo. Typically associated with koryu bugei (classical martial traditions).
  • Koryu bugei - classical martial traditions; often includes swordsmanship.
  • Kenbu - traditional sword dance.
  • Kenpo - alternate term for kenjutsu
  • Bakken - alternate term for battojutsu
  • Gekken - alternate term for pre-war kendo

Titles/ Positions

  • Kaiso - the founder of a style
  • Soke - the inheritor and headmaster of a style
  • Sensei - teacher, instructor
  • Senpai - a senior in a style of martial arts or other profession
  • Dohai - a person in a same level in any occation
  • Kohai - a junior in a style of martial arts or other profession
  • Uchidachi - person who recieves technique in tachiuchi
  • Shidachi - person who performs technique in tachiuchi
  • Ukete - "blocking hand" - the defender in certain tachiuchi
  • Uchite - "striking hand" - the attacker in certain tachiuchi
  • Seito - a regular student
  • Deshi - a direct disciple
  • Kyakubun - an instructor of another style who trains in a new art (treated more like a guest)
  • Monjin - "person within the gates" - someone who has been initiated (through kishomon or having received densho) in an art. Sometimes recognized as being instructor status
  • Shibucho - branch director (dojo director)
  • Fuku-shibucho - vice-branch director (#2)
  • Hisho - secretary and/or historian
  • Kaikeishi - treasurer


Training Gear/ Weapons

  • Bokuto or Bokken - wooden practice sword
  • Shinai - split bamboo sparring sword used in kendo
  • Fukuro shinai - leather covered split bamboo sparring sword
  • Iaito - generally an unsharpened practice sword (mugito)
  • Shinken - real sword
  • Katana or Nihonto - Japanese sword
  • Suburito - large bokken used for swinging practice
  • Tanrenbo or Tetsuto - tools for swordsmanship conditioning

Uniform

  • Dogi/ Keikogi - training uniform
  • Hakama - traditional split-pant still used in Aikido, Shinkendo and other traditional budo.
  • Machigi - sleeveless "haori" vest used to cover dogi while walking outside the dojo
  • Haori - sleeved overcoat to cover dogi while walking outside the dojo
  • Jinbaori - sleeveless "haori" vest used over armor
  • Kaku-obi - stiff belt. A traditional belt that is thin and wide, and wraps aroudn the body three times. Different than the more popular judo style obi.


Directions

  • Hidari - left
  • Mae, Omote or Shomen - front
  • Migi - right
  • Ura or Ushiro - rear
  • Ichimonji - two direction; 180 degrees
  • Shiho - four direction
  • Happo - eight direction

Numbers

  1. Ichi
  2. Ni
  3. San
  4. Shi
  5. Go
  6. Roku
  7. Shichi
  8. Hachi
  9. Kyu (or Ku)
  10. Ju

Numerical Sets

  1. Ipponme
  2. Nihonme
  3. Sanbonme
  4. Yohonme
  5. Gohonme
  6. Ropponme
  7. Nanahonme
  8. Happonme
  9. Kyuhonme
  10. Jupponme


Useful phrases & Words

Phrases
  • Daijobu - OK, all right, safe
  • Domo-arigato-gozaimashita - thank you very much for what you've done
  • Hai - yes
  • Hajime - start, begin
  • Kiotsuke - come to attention
  • Konichiwa - hello or good afternoon
  • Konbanwa - good evening
  • Kyukei - rest, break
  • Matte - wait, hold up (Chotto-matte - wait just a moment)
  • Mo-ikkai or Mo-ichido - one more time
  • Mokuso - meditation
  • ... ni Rei - bow to ... ; sensei ni rei (teacher), katana ni rei (sword)
  • Noto - to re-sheath the sword
  • Onegai-shimasu - please do something, humble request (teach)
  • Seiza - kneeling position
  • Sumimasen - excuse me
  • Taito - To tie and position a sword
  • Wakarimashita - I have understood that
  • Yame - stop, quit
  • Yo-i - prepare
 Terms
  • Chiburi - a blood flicking swing
  • Dojo - school, training hall
  • Dome or Tome - stopping the sword at the end of a swing
  • Iai-goshi - 1) a form of crouching that allows rapid movement in any direction (hanza iaigoshi). 2) any ready position.
  • Kata - a series of movements/interaction, used to teach techniques & application.
  • Kiai - The manifestation of spirit and energy projected vocally.
  • Ki - The Japanese term for the energy of life. That life energy that flows along the meridians of the body but also flows in all things.
  • Ma-ai - the combative distance between two opponents
  • Nami - wave
  • Ogi - oriental fan
  • Tanren - training, discipline
  • Tonbo - dragonfly
  • Tsuba - sword guard
  • Waza - technique
  • Zarei - a formal kneeling bow
  • Zanshin - "lingering awareness". Maintaining alertness throughout an entire Kata or sequence


Kihon Shikon - four fundamentals for developing sword techniques.

  • Ashisabaki - footwork. The three basics are suriashi, sashiashi & kaitenashi.
  • Taisabaki - coordination of body and footwork (taisabaki ichi, ni and san).
  • Kensabaki - sword movement
  • Toho Jusshin-ho - including three things above, ten Toho (methods of sword techniques) to develop proper swordsmanship:
    1. Tenouchi - proper grip of the sword hilt
    2. Ma-ai - the combative distance/interval between two opponents
    3. Awase - various methods of timing the step/body movement in relation to the sword swing
    4. Hohaba - stance and balance
    5. Tachisuji (tosen) - quality of the swing and angle (path) described by the sword while cutting.
    6. Hasuji - angle of a blade's cutting edge during a given cut
    7. Kakudo - angle of swing
    8. Jushin-no-ido - shifting and moving the body's center
    9. Tome - ability to control and stop the sword
    10. Nagashi, Kaeshi & Makuri - methods of transitioning between cuts


Kamae (or  kurai)- ready positions.

  • Chudan - middle ready position with sword point at opponent’s neck.
  • Gedan - low ready position with sword point at knee level.
  • Waki - low side ready position with the blade of sword held at the side
  • Hasso - sword vertical parallel with body and angled 35 - 45 degrees to the rear.
  • Jodan - sword overhead angled 45 degrees to the rear.
  • Seigan - middle position sword tip pointed at opponents opposite shoulder from side your hands are on.
  • Sei-gedan - low position sword tip held at the opposite knee level from the side your hands are on.
  • Kasumi - "mist, or haze". A high position block.

Exercise

  • Goho no kamae - right and left side kamae, five kamaes each from chudan to jodan. see above.
  • Happo no kamae - right and left side kamae, eight kamaes each from chudan to kasumi. see above.
  • Juni no kamae - right and left side kamae, a comprehensive set of kamae.


Blocks

  • Seigan - Gyaku Seigan
  • Han Seigan - Gyaku Han Seigan
  • Han Hasso - Gyaku Han Hasso
  • Hasso - Gyaku Hasso
    • Gyaku - opposite
    • Han - half
  • Hasso no Mikiri - Hasso with taking a little more distance from tachi- & ha-suji to avoid a contact with opponent's sword by an inch or so, requiring a great sense and judgement of Ma-ai.
  • Kasumi - see "Kamae"
 Intensity & Speed (Block, Strike & Move)

Intensity

  • Go - solid or immovable
  • Ju - soft,  semi-fluid or absorbing energy
  • Ryu - fluid; no resistance

Speed

  • Kan - slow, with consistent movement.
  • Kyu - fast and smooth, with consistent movement.


Movement

  • Tsugiashi - advancing step (feet come together, and then apart)
  • Suriashi - sliding/gliding step
  • Sashiashi - crossing step. Natural stepping.
  • Kaitenashi - turning step; pivoting
  • Tsuki - thrusting
  • Hirazuki - thrusting with sword turned sideways if aimed at ribs
  • Nukitsuke - one handed side draw and cut.
  • Nukiuchi - one handed drawing and cutting.
  • Kirikaeshi - a defense that involves a kasumi block while changing step.
  • Makiuchi - a defense that involves a kasumi block while shuffling back, then forward with the same foot.
  • Kaeshiuchi - a defense that involves a gyaku-kasumi block while shuffling back, then forward with the same foot.
  • Hangetsu - "half moon". a variation of goho battoho involving with yokogiri.
  • Mangetsu - "full moon". a variation of goho battoho involving with kiriage.
  • Mikazuki - "crescent moon". a parry that describes a crescent from high to low.
  • Makiosae - "wrap-control". A defense usually starting from left seigan or sei-gedan kamae.
  • Makiotoshi - "wrap-fall". Also called Maki otosu "wrap-drop" – a defense starting from a right kamae, raising to kasumi and dropping to chudan.
  • Iwao - hard blocking technique and immediate counter, starting from left foot forwarding gyaku han-seigedan and blocking opponent's strike to either gyaku han-seigan or gyaku han-hasso. After avoiding sword, immediate counter to opponent's neck.


Gorin Goho Gogyo - five essential areas of training

Gorin Goho Gogyo

Suburi - continuous striking or swinging sword practice.

Basic
  • Shomenuchi - straight or center cut.
  • Kesagiri - 35 degree angle cut from top to down.
  • Makuri - a cut that continues around to its original kamae (45 degree).
  • Kiriage - 35-45 degree cut from below to upward.
  • Tsubamegaeshi - combination of a kesa and a kiriage (also referred to as kaeshi).
  • Shinchokugiri or Dotangiri - straight cut from extreme jodan kamae.
  • Yokogiri - side cut, usually at mid to high chest level (mae yokogiri - side cut to the front).
 Advanced
  • Furidome - suburi practice with stopping the sword at the end of a swing.
  • Makuri - see "makuri" in Basic Suburi
  • Kaeshi or Gaeshi - "reverse/ return". to cut and reverse back up the same line.
  • Nagashi - to flow. Transitioning fluidly from one cut to another.
  • Nagashi-dome - transitioning fluidly from one cut to shinchokugiri.
    • These five Suburi start from right Hasso & chudan for kesa, left & right side for yoko, left & right half waki for kiriage.

Levels of Exercise

  • Ichi-no-tachi (Shomen & Kesa)
  • Ichi-no-tachi Zengo (Shomen & Kesa)
  • Ichimonji - to two direction, front & back.
  • Ichimonji kesa/kiriage - to two direction, front & back.
  • Shiho - to four direction (jodan, chudan and gedan level swing) with no, one or two steps.
  • Shiho kesa/kiriage - to four directions.
  • Shiho 90/180 - to four directions.
  • Gosango - overhead suburi; 5 right, 3 kirikaeshi, 5 left.
  • Tonbogaeshi - from right hasso -> stepping forward with kesa -> yoko -> kesa with right foot back -> ichimonji kasumi kesa -> yoko -> kesa with left foot back -> ichimonji kasumi kesa.
  • Ogi - from right seigan, kirikaeshi to 45 -> 90 -> 180 -> 180 -> 90 -> 45 degree.
  • Ogi hyakusanjugo - from right seigan, kirikaeshi to 135 -> 90 -> 180 -> 180 -> 90 -> 135 degree.
  • Ogi-gaeshi - from right seigan, kirikaeshi to 45 -> 90 -> 180 degree -> mangetsu -> kirikaeshi to 180 -> 90 -> 45 degree kirikaeshi.
  • Ogi-gaeshi hyakusanjugo - from right seigan, kirikaeshi to 135 -> 90 -> 180 degree -> mangetsu -> kirikaeshi to 180 -> 90 -> 135 degree kirikaeshi.
  • Kasumi-gaeshi - from right hasso -> stepping forward with right kesa- -> stepping back with kasumi -> stepping forward with right kesa -> shuffle with kasumi -> stepping forward with left kesa -> stepping back with kasumi -> stepping forward with left kesa -> shuffle back with kasumi.
    • Kasumi-gaeshi sotai - paired form of kasumi-gaeshi, one starts in hasso while the other starts in right chudan.
      • All kesagiri are from jodan no kamae (head level).
    • Kensabaki - taisabaki ichi with a sword. ten counts
    • Nami - yoko -> kesa -> yoko -> kesa.
    • Nami-gaeshi - 1) yoko -> kaeshi -> yoko -> kaeshi. 2) yoko -> santengiri -> yoko -> santengiri. 3) yoko -> mangetsu -> yoko -> mangetsu.
      • Both nami & nami-gaeshi are continuous movement without any limitation.
    • Nidan uchi - 5 part multi-directional suburi involving kaeshiuchi, gedan barai, makiuchi, kaeshiuchi and harai-uke
    • Shi-shi no ken - suburi involving furidome, kaeshi, makuri, nagashi and nagashi-dome.


    Battoho - combative drawing techniques
    • Goho Battoho
      • Kihon Ichi
      • Kihon Ni
      • Santen
      • Santen ura
      • Shiho
      • Shiho ura
      • Gotengiri (ichi, ni; nagashi & kaeshi)
      • Maki-uchi zengo
      • Maki-uchi sayu
      • Hangetsu ura
      • Mangetsu
      • Hangetsu-gaeshi
      • Mangetsu-gaeshi
      • Goshiki
      • Goshiki santen
      • Goshiki santen ura
    • Toyama-ryu Gaiden
      • Toyama-ryu kata, gunto soho
      • Toyama-ryu kata, battojutsu
      • Toyama-ryu kata, iai-battodo
      • Toyama-ryu kata, jokyu
      • Toyama-ryu roppon kumitachi
    		 Tanren no Kata - solo training of pre arranged movement to learn techniques & their application.
    • Happogiri
    • Happogiri Ura
    • Shoden no Kata
    • Kagamiishi Usen
    • Kagamiishi Sasen
    • Chuden Sei no Kata
    • Chuden Do no Kata
    • Jugo
    • Jugo shiho
    • Goho Hoen

    Tachiuchi - paired pre-arranged sparring.
    • Rokudo 1 - 6
    • Shingyoso (Rokudo Kirikeashi)
    • Ippon
    • Uchi-tsuki
      • Uchikomi
      • Kirikomi
    • Ryu sui
    • Juppon
    • Isonami
    • Ichimonji-Santen
    • Shiho
    • Juppon Omote
    • Sanbon batto
    • Ippon tachiuchi henka
    • Tachiuchi henka (nidan waza, sandan waza)
    • Gasshiuchi
    • Ura waza, Gaiden waza & Jiyuwaza


    		 Tameshigirior Shizan - test cutting on bamboo or tatami with a live blade.
    • Tameshigiri Kihon Ichi
    • Tameshigiri Kihon Ni
    • Tameshigiri San
    • Tameshigiri Shi
    • Tameshigiri Go
    • Tameshigiri Roku
    • Tameshigiri Shichi
    • Tameshigiri Hachi
    • Tameshigiri Kyu
    • Tameshigiri Ju
    • Rokuten giri
    • Goho Batto-ho Soutai
    • Tameshigiri no Henka
    • Tameshigiri Chukyu
    • Tameshigiri Jokyu
    • Tameshigiri Shito


    Kuyo junikun - twelve precepts of the nine planet stratagem.

    Kuyo junikun

    • Ki - energy of life
    • Shin - mind
    • Sei - precision
    • Kan (Ma) - space
    • Chi - wisdom
    • Soku - breathing
    • Bin - speed
    • Kan - senses
    • Gi - technique
    • Riki - power
    • Setsu - experience
    • Dan - decision

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    ©2001 Tsuki Kage Dojo