DOJO COMMANDS

A DOJO is a hall or space for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means “place of the WAY” in Japanese.

Japanese         Translation

 

                         UKE

 

Jodan Uke                    Upward Block

Soto Uke                       Outward Block

Uchi Uke                      Inside Block

Gedan Barai                Downward Block

 

                      PUNCH

 

Tobikomizuki             Front straight snap punch

Tobigakuzuki             Reverse straight  snap punch

Kagizuki                       Hook punch

Nagashizuki                Cross snap punch

Uraken                          Back fist

 

                    KICKS

 

Maegeri                       Front snap kick

Mawashigeri              Angle snap kick

Ushirogeri                  Back  kick

 

        VARIOUS TECHNIQUES

 

Empi                                      Elbow

Hizageri                                Knee

Ukemi                                    Breakfalls

Hidari Hanmi Gamae      Fighting Stance

 

 

                        STANCE

 

Naore                             Feet together- Attention

Yohi                                       Feet apart – Ready

Zenkutsudachi                  Forward- weight on front leg

Nekoashi                            Cat- weight on back leg

Shikodachi                        Horse- weight divided equally

   

 

                        COMMAND

 

Seiza                                   Kneeling

Sensei Ni Rei                   Bow to Instructor

Otagi Ni Rei                     Bow to Dojo and all assembled

Kiritsu                               Stand to attention

Hadjime                            Start

Yame                                  Stop

Mawatte                            Turn

              

                      OTHERS

 

Dojo                                  Training Hall

Karate                               Empty hand

Shi Zen Do                       To remain Natural- accordance  with Natures way.

Sensei                                Teacher

Kata                                   Prearranged  Moves

Waza                                 Technique

Kenset su                         Joint locking

Nage                                  Throw

The line up

At the beginning of each class you will hear the most senior student present call, “line up”. Upon hearing this command you must move quickly and quietly to stand in “heisoku dachi” or “informal stance” at your appropriate place of rank within that particular class. Depending on the size of the class, you will often find that your place within the rank of students will vary. This is to be expected since the more senior students there are in a class, the further down the line you will be.

The line up is done in rank order from right to left facing the “Shomen” or the “front” of the dojo. As a result unless you are actually teaching the class, you will always have a more senior student to your immediate right. This student may even be a student who wears the same colour of belt as you, but who has achieved that rank before you did. To your immediate left you will then find a student of similar or lesser rank and so on down the line, until finally at the end of the line you will find the newest or most junior student in the class. If you are ever required to start a new row due to the number of students ahead of you, be sure to start the row by standing behind the student on the extreme right end of the line in front of you, be sure that the line you start is of the same width as those in front of you, and that you are lined up directly behind the student in front of you.

One day, if you train long enough and hard enough, you too may find that it is your turn to give the command, “line up”.