Japanese Language Requirements

Traditionally, the various schools of Japanese martial arts strove very hard to keep their fighting systems secret from outsiders.  One of the ways that they did this was by giving their techniques names which in now way described the purpose or the actions involved in executing their techniques.  The names were either poeticly obscure (a very deadly technique in Bujinkan Taijitsu is still called "Heaven's Pillow") or they were numbered.  It is sadly he case that numbering persists to this day in many styles of aikido, with the most common techniques being called ikkyo, nikkyo, sankyo etc, which mean first technique, second technique, third technique and so on. 

One of Tomiki Sensei's notable contributions to the systematic teaching of aikido was to give aikido techniques descriptive names that corresponded to the movements involved.  Hence, ikkyo was rechristened oshi-taoshi, which means "pushing knock over".  And sankyo became kote-hineri, or "wrist twist".  Because of Tomiki Sensei's innovation, aikido is much easier to teach and learn--if, that is, you know Japanese and can understand what the descriptive names mean.

To that end, I am putting together little Japanese lessons, each one corresponding to the eight colored belts before black belt.  Students should go through each lesson and master its vocabulary before taking the corresponding belt test.  The lessons also go into some detail about Japanese grammar, and you should pay attention to these parts, as if you do, you will quickly pick up enough facility with the language to make yourself understood is common situations.  My goal with these lessons is to teach you enough Japanese so that if you decide to go train in Japan for a summer, you will already have some facility with the language.  That, coupled with the fact that almost all Japanese speak some English, will allow you to get by quite nicely.

Before doing the first lesson, please read the Brief Guide to Japanese Pronunciation.

Brief Guide to Japanese Pronunciation

8th Kyu

7th Kyu

6th Kyu

5th Kyu

4th Kyu

3rd Kyu

2nd Kyu

1st Kyu