Beginner's Guide
Names of Targets:
面 (めん)Men: Head/forehead area
脛(すね)Sune: Shin
胴(どう)Dou: Torso
小手(こて)Kote: Wrist
咽喉(いんこう)Inkou: Throat
Names of the Kamae (Guard
Stances):
中段の構(ちゅうだんのか
まえ)Chuudan no kamae:
Middle guard stance (most
basic)
下段の構(げだんのか
まえ)Gedan no kamae:
Lower guard stance
上段の構(じょうだんのか
まえ)Jyoudan no kamae:
Upper guard stance
脇構(わきがまえ)Wakigamae:
Reversed chuudan
無構(むがまえ)Mugamae:
Kissaki lowered and blade
facing the side, left hand
tucked under the right elbow
Names of Specific Waza (技 techniques):
正面 Shoumen: Straight men strike (lifting up over the head, center of the head)
側面 Soku-men: Angled men strike from hasso-no-kamae (15-30 degrees off center)
振り上げて脛 Furiagete-sune: Big sune (lifting up over the head)
脛打ち Sune-uchi: Usually used to describe a sune strike from a hasso-no-kamae
胴打ち Dou-uchi: Dou strike
振り返して面 Furikaeshite-men: Men strike using
furikaeshi
Footwork:
前 Mae: 1 step forward
後 Ato: 1 step back
歩み足前 Ayumi ashi mae: 4 crossing steps forward
歩み足後 Ayumi ashi ato: 4 crossing steps back
継ぎ足前 Tsugiashi mae: A "gallop" step where your heels touch while moving forward
継ぎ足後 Tsugiashi ato: "Gallop" step backwards
右に開け Migi ni hirake: 1 step to the right
左に開け Hidari ni hirake: 1 step to the left