Aikido Terminology

The terminology used in Aikido are in Japanese. The list of terms here are what is used at Shinryukan Aikido, invariably there will be club to club differences but they should basically be the same, if not similar.

Mat Etiquette:
Shōmen ni rei – Bow to the dojo front
Sensei ni rei – Bow to the teacher
Onegai shimasu – Please help me train
Dōmo arigato gozaimashita – Thank you very much

Participants:
Nage (a.k.a. tori) - Thrower (performer of a technique) 
Uke - Attacker (receiver of a technique)

Stance (Kamae):
Hanmi – Standing one foot in front of the other on one line (oblique stance)
Ai hanmi – Nage and uke facing each other with the same foot forward, i.e. both have right foot forward or both have the left foot forward.
Gyaku hanmi – Nage and uke facing each other with the opposite foot forward, i.e. one with right foot forward and the other left foot forward, and vice versa.
Seiza – Sitting on knees
Kiza – Sitting on knees and on toes

Directions:
Mae – Forward
Ushiro - Backward
Yoko - Sideward

Footwork (Tai sabaki):
Irimi – Entering in with front foot
Ayumi ashi irimi – Entering through by walking step
Tenkan –180º turn, pivot on front foot
Irimi tenkan – Entering with back foot, followed by 180º turn as above
Tenshin – 90º turn
Tenkai (tenshin)– 180º turn, pivot with both feet staying in the same place
Shikkō – Knee walking

Rolls (Ukemi)
Mae ukemi -  forward roll
Ushiro ukemi - backward roll

Aiki exercises (Aiki undō):
Kiriage kirisage undō (Ikkyo undō) – Cutting up cutting down exercise (Ikkyō exercise)
Funakogi undō – Rowing exercise