The words you hear in judo class

judo柔道

The gentle way. Ju means gentle or yielding, do means way. Kano's name for his art, from 1882.

jujutsu柔術

The name for a large family of older Japanese schools of unarmed fighting. Kano studied two of them before founding judo.

ju

Gentle or yielding, the first part of judo and jujutsu.

do

Way or path. Kano put do in place of jutsu to make the word judo.

jutsu術

Technique or art, as in jujutsu.

ryu

A school or style, such as the jujutsu schools Tenjin Shin'yo-ryu and Kito-ryu.

menkyo免許

A teaching certificate. Kano's Kito-ryu certificate is dated October 1883.

Kodokan講道館

Kano's school in Tokyo, founded in 1882. The Kodokan explains the name as a place to teach the path.

seiryoku zen'yo精力善用

Maximum efficient use of energy, of mind and body: one of Kano's two principles.

jita kyoei自他共栄

Mutual welfare and benefit, prospering together with others: Kano's second principle.

bushido武士道

The code of the samurai class.

judoka柔道家

A person who does judo.

dojo道場

Training hall.

tatami畳

The mats judo is trained on, originally made of straw.

judogi柔道着

The judo uniform: a heavy cotton jacket, trousers and belt. White or blue in contest.

jo-iじょうい

The judogi jacket.

shita-baki下穿き

The judogi trousers.

zori草履

Sandals worn off the mat, left neatly at its edge.

sensei先生

Teacher.

rei礼

Bow; also courtesy and respect. Called as a command: Rei!

ritsu-rei立礼

Standing bow. Also called tachi-rei.

za-rei坐礼

Kneeling bow.

shomen ni rei正面に礼

Bow to the front of the dojo.

otagai ni reiお互いに礼

Bow to each other.

seiza正坐

Formal kneeling.

anza安坐

Sitting cross legged.

shomen正面

The front of the dojo.

joseki上席

The seat of honour, or honoured side of the dojo. Also called kamiza.

kiotsuke気をつけ

Attention: stand up straight, heels together.

hajime始め

Begin. Starts a contest, a randori or a drill.

mate待て

Wait or stop. Often said Matte. The referee stops the action with it, and coaches use it to stop a class.

sono-mamaそのまま

Do not move: hold your positions.

yoshiよし

Carry on. Used only after sono-mama.

osaekomi抑え込み

Hold down is on. The referee starts timing a hold.

toketa解けた

Hold broken. The timing stops.

sore-madeそれまで

That is all, finished: the end of a contest.

maitta参った

I give up. Another way to submit, instead of tapping twice.

jogai場外

Outside the contest area. Called in para judo when a judoka nears the edge.

hiki-wake引き分け

Draw.

migi右

Right.

hidari左

Left.

ichi

One. The BJC names its tab grades with Japanese numbers.

ni

Two.

san

Three.

obi帯

Belt.

Kyu級

Student grade, below black belt. Kyu grades count down to 1st Kyu.

Dan段

Black belt grade. Dan grades count up from 1st Dan. Kano gave the first ones in 1883.

mudansha無段者

People without a Dan grade: the grades below black belt.

yudansha有段者

Dan grade holders: black belts.

shodan初段

1st Dan, the first black belt grade.

nidan

2nd Dan.

sandan

3rd Dan.

yondan

4th Dan.

godan

5th Dan.

rokudan

6th Dan. In British Judo, the first grade with a red and white belt.

shichidan

7th Dan.

hachidan

8th Dan.

kudan

9th Dan. In British Judo, a red belt.

judan十段

10th Dan, the highest grade in practice.

mon

British Judo's junior grades for ages 8 to 17: 18 grades on coloured belts with tags.

sho

British Judo's nine awards for 5 to 7 year olds, within Judo Kids sessions.

kai

JudoScotland's nine grades for under 8s.

kokyu

The Amateur Judo Association's junior grades, which count up from 1st (white) to 6th (brown).

batsugun

Immediate promotion at the Kodokan for a winning streak at its Red and White contests.

keiko稽古

Training, practice.

randoriらんどり

Free practice, from light and cooperative to close to competition intensity.

kataかた

A set form, done by tori and uke in a fixed order, with bows at the start and end.

toriとり

The person who applies the technique.

ukeうけ

The person who receives the technique, and is thrown, held or locked.

ukemi受身

Breakfalls: the safe ways to land. Learned before anything else.

ushiro ukemi後ろ受身

Backward breakfall.

yoko ukemi横受身

Sideways breakfall.

mae ukemi前受身

Forward breakfall.

mae mawari ukemi前回り受身

Rolling breakfall. Also called zenpo kaiten ukemi.

uchi-komi打ち込み

Repeating the entry to a throw without completing it. The IJF glossary also calls it kakari-geiko.

nage-komi投げ込み

Repeating a throw with a willing partner, completing it each time.

tandoku-renshu単独練習

Practice alone.

sotai-renshu相対練習

Practice with a partner.

mondo問答

Questions and answers.

kangeiko

Traditional winter training at the Kodokan.

shochugeiko

Traditional midsummer training at the Kodokan.

tokui-waza得意技

A favourite technique.

kumi-kata組み方

Gripping: how the two judoka take hold of each other's jacket.

hikite引き手

The pulling hand, usually on the sleeve.

tsurite釣り手

The lifting hand, usually on the lapel.

kuzushi崩し

Breaking the partner's balance: the first stage of a throw.

tsukuri作り

Fitting into position: the second stage of a throw.

kake掛け

Completing the throw: the third stage.

kime極め

Control at the end of a technique. British Judo examiners check it.

tai-sabaki体捌き

Body movement and turning.

shizentai自然体

Natural upright posture.

jigotai自護体

Defensive, lower posture.

ma-ai間合い

The distance between the two judoka.

ayumi-ashi歩み足

Normal walking steps.

tsugi-ashi継ぎ足

Following steps.

suri-ashiすり足

Sliding steps.

waza技

Technique.

nage-waza投技

Throwing techniques. The Kodokan recognises 68.

tachi-waza立技

Standing techniques: hand, hip and leg throws.

te-waza手技

Hand techniques: throws where the arms and hands do most of the work. 16 in the Kodokan list.

koshi-waza腰技

Hip techniques: lifting or turning the partner over the hip. 10 in the Kodokan list.

ashi-waza足技

Foot and leg techniques: sweeps, reaps and hooks. 21 in the Kodokan list.

sutemi-waza捨身技

Sacrifice throws: the two groups that fall straight back or to the side.

ma-sutemi-waza真捨身技

Sacrifice throws falling straight back. 5 in the Kodokan list.

yoko-sutemi-waza横捨身技

Sacrifice throws falling to the side. 16 in the Kodokan list.

atemi-waza当身技

Strikes. In judo they appear only in some kata and are not allowed in randori or contest.

kaeshi-waza返し技

Counters to the partner's attack.

renraku-waza連絡技

Combinations. British Judo uses it for linking techniques in opposite directions.

renzoku-waza連続技

Combinations. British Judo uses it for linking techniques in the same or a similar direction.

henka-waza変化技

Changing technique in response to an attack.

gokyo五教

The Kodokan's teaching list of throws: 42 in 1895, then 40 in five groups of eight from 1920.

o

Major, large, as in o-goshi.

ko

Minor, small, as in ko-uchi-gari.

soto

Outer, as in o-soto-gari.

uchi

Inner, as in o-uchi-gari.

gari

Reap, as in ko-soto-gari.

harai

Sweep. British Judo often writes barai, as in de-ashi-barai.

gake

Hook, as in ko-soto-gake.

otoshi

Drop, as in tai-otoshi.

guruma

Wheel, as in hiza-guruma.

goshi

Hip (also koshi), as in harai-goshi.

seoi

Carrying on the back, as in seoi-nage.

nage

Throw, as in tomoe-nage.

o-soto-gari大外刈

Major outer reap. In the first group of the Gokyo.

o-uchi-gari大内刈

Major inner reap. In the first group of the Gokyo.

ko-soto-gari小外刈

Minor outer reap.

ko-uchi-gari小内刈

Minor inner reap.

de-ashi-harai出足払

Advancing foot sweep. British Judo writes de-ashi-barai.

hiza-guruma膝車

Knee wheel.

uki-goshi浮腰

Floating hip throw.

o-goshi大腰

Major hip throw.

seoi-nage背負投

Shoulder throw.

ippon-seoi-nage一本背負投

One arm shoulder throw.

tai-otoshi体落

Body drop.

harai-goshi払腰

Sweeping hip throw.

uchi-mata内股

Inner thigh throw.

tomoe-nage巴投

Circle throw, a sacrifice throw falling straight back.

kata-guruma肩車

Shoulder wheel.

sukui-nage掬投

Scooping throw. It grips the legs, which is penalised in IJF contest.

kawazu-gake河津掛

Wrapping one leg round the partner's leg and falling back into them. Banned in IJF contest.

kani-basami蟹挟

The scissors throw. Banned in IJF contest.

ne-waza寝技

Groundwork as a whole.

katame-waza固技

Grappling techniques: hold downs, strangles and joint locks. The Kodokan recognises 32.

osaekomi-waza抑込技

Hold downs: pinning the partner on their back. 10 in the Kodokan list.

shime-waza絞技

Strangles and chokes, with arms, lapels or legs. 12 in the Kodokan list.

kansetsu-waza関節技

Joint locks. 10 in the Kodokan list; in contest only the elbow may be attacked.

gatame

Hold or lock, as in kesa-gatame.

jime

Strangle, as in hadaka-jime.

kuzureくずれ

Broken or modified, as in kuzure-kesa-gatame.

kesa-gatame袈裟固

Scarf hold.

kami-shiho-gatame上四方固

Upper four quarters hold.

yoko-shiho-gatame横四方固

Side four quarters hold.

tate-shiho-gatame縦四方固

Lengthwise four quarters hold, astride the partner.

juji-gatame

Cross armlock; in full, ude-hishigi-juji-gatame.

hadaka-jime裸絞

Naked strangle, done without using the jacket.

ashi-garami足緘

Leg entanglement, a knee lock. A Kodokan technique, but banned in contest.

do-jime胴絞

Trunk squeeze with the legs. A Kodokan technique, but banned in IJF contest.

shiai試合

Contest. The contest area is the shiai-jo.

shushin主審

Referee.

fukushin副審

Assistant referees or judges.

ippon一本

Full point; wins the contest. A clean throw onto the back, a 20 second hold, or a submission.

waza-ari技あり

A near ippon: a throw missing one ippon element, or a hold of 10 to 19 seconds. Two make ippon.

waza-ari-awasete-ippon技あり合わせて一本

Two waza-ari make ippon.

yuko有効

The smaller score, brought back by the IJF for 2025 to 2028: a lesser landing, or a hold of 5 to 9 seconds. Yuko never add up to waza-ari.

koka効果

A former smallest score, now removed. It still appears in some older syllabi.

golden score

Extra time with no limit after a level contest. The first score or a disqualification ends it.

shido指導

Guidance: a minor penalty. Two are warnings; the third is hansoku-make.

hansoku-make反則負け

Defeat by disqualification, from a third shido or directly for a serious or dangerous act.

hansoku反則

A foul.

kinshi-waza禁止技

Prohibited techniques.

kiken-gachi棄権勝ち

A win because the opponent withdraws, for example through injury.

fusen-gachi不戦勝ち

A win by default, because the opponent did not appear.

hantei判定

Decision: the old call asking the judges to pick a winner. Not used at IJF events since golden score lost its time limit.

chui

An older penalty step, no longer used. Keikoku was another.

sokuteiki

The measuring tool used to check that a judogi fits the IJF rules.