I train in Ki Aikido (心身統一合氣道会) in the US, but I have attended a few training sessions in Japan where I used Japanese. At first I was hesitant about training in Japanese, but overall I discovered that if you have strong fundamentals in everyday language, it isn’t too difficult (reading books about Aikido helps as well). Also, you can often use simple gestures to communicate basic things, such as who is going to attack first.
However, knowing a few phrases can go a long way so I thought I would make a list of things that might be useful when training in martial arts in Japanese. This includes things I’ve heard, things I’ve used personally, and other things that I feel could be helpful. Some of these are specifically for Ki Aikido, but many can be used in a variety of training situations. I’ve included both words you might use in the middle of training, or those related to preparing to go to train.
This list is not comprehensive by any means, so if you have any questions or requests please let me know. Here I am not making any assumptions about your prior knowledge of Japanese, so I’ll include some basic everyday phrases as well that might be helpful in training.
For phrases that you might say directly I’ll include them in desu/masu form, but for those you are likely to use to build your own sentences I’ll put them in non-polite form (i.e. “motsu”). Just keep in mind you should generally use desu/masu form when speaking to other people, unless they are close friends or family.
お先にどうぞ (osaki ni douzo): you go first
すみません (sumimasen): I’m sorry
ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu): Thank you very much
始まります (hajimarimasu): (It’s) going to start.
今 (ima): now
間違っています (machigatte imasu): (It is) incorrect. (I don’t recommend using this for other people, only for yourself)
ちょっと違います (chotto chigaimasu): It’s a little different. (A good way to hint something is wrong)
そうですね (sou desu ne): That’s true. (Can also be used as a conversation filler when you are thinking.)
頑張ってみます (ganbatte mimasu): I’ll try it.
硬い (katai): hard
ゆるい (yurui): loose. (Can refer to when there is ‘slack’ in a connection.)
早すぎる (hayasugiru): too fast
遅すぎる (ososugiru): too slow
どうですか？ (dou desu ka?): How was (is) it? (Can be used to refer to a technique you just performed)
問題点 (mondaiten): an area that needs improvement
狭いですね (semai desu ne): It’s tight (here), isn’t it? (Can be used when you are training in a large group of people)
(僕・私が）アタックします (boku/watashi ga atakku shimasu): I will attack.
どのアタックですか？ (dono attacku desu ka?): Which attack is it?
もう一回お願いします (mou ikkai onegaishimasu): Please do that one more time. (Can also be used when you want them to repeat something you didn’t hear)
もう一回やっていいですか？ (mou ikkai yatte ii desu ka?) Can I do it one more time?
もう一回やってもらっていいですか？ (mou ikkai yatte moratte ii desu ka?) Can you do that one more time for me?
反対やりましょう (hantai yarimashou): Let’s do the other side (i.e. right vs. left)
交代しましょう (koutai shimashou): let’s change roles (attacker/defender)
気が通っている (ki ga kayotte iru): Ki is flowing (similar to ‘ki is extending’)
気が滞っている (ki ga todokootte iru): Ki is blocked/stagnant
気が引いています (ki ga hiite imasu): You/I are drawing in Ki.
止まっている (tomatte iru): It is stopped [can be used to describe someone’s posture is bracing and they are not extending Ki)
動いている (ugoite iru): It is moving.
動き (ugoki): (a) movement
動かす (ugokasu): to move (something, like a hand)
手 (te): hand
左手 (hidarite): left hand
右手 (migite): right hand
左足前 (hidariashimae): standing so that your left foot is in front (what we sometimes call ‘left hanmi’)
腕 (ude): arm
頭 (atama): head
体 (karada): body
全身 (zenshin): one’s entire body
上手ですね (jouzu desu ne): You are good (at this).
うまい (umai): Literally ‘tasty’, but can be used as slang to mean ‘skilled’. Only use with those you are close.
バッチリです！ (bacchiri desu!) That was perfect!
いいです (ii desu). Can mean “That is good”, but can also mean “No thanks” depending on tone of voice.
いい感じ (ii kanji): Nice feeling. (Can be used to refer to how someone performed a technique.)
くっきり見えます (kukkiri miemasu): I can see it clearly.
意識 (ishiki): consciousness, awareness (sometimes seems to have a similar meaning as “ki”)
心 (kokoro): heart, mind
持つ (motsu): to grab (like a hand)
受け身 (ukemi): falling safely (details here)
投げる (nageru): to throw
投げ (nage): the person doing the throw
受け (uke): the person attacking and ‘receiving’ the throw
打つ (utsu): to hit
ぶつかる (butsukaru): to bump into
技 (waza): technique
掛かり稽古 (kakari geiko): practice style where mutiple people attack in succession (can be for regular attacks like yokomen uchi, etc.)
多人数掛け (taninzuu gake): practice style where a bunch of people attack in succession (I have heard this specifically refer to what we call ‘randori’ in the US)
手伝いましょう (tetsudaimashou): I’ll help.
手伝ってください (tetsudatte kudasai): Please help.
整列 (seiretsu): Line up (said by the sensei)
広がって (hirogatte): Spread out (said by the sensei)
集中する (shuuchuu suru) = to focus on (something)
フォーカス (fookasu) = focus
休憩 (kyuukei): break (ex: ５分休憩 = “five minute break”)
ちょっと休憩しましょう (chotto kyuukei shimashou): Let’s take a short break.
疲れました (tsukaremashita): I got tired. (Can mean you are tired now)
痛い (itai): It hurts.
わかりました (wakarimashita): I understand. (A good way to respond when someone explains something to you.)
よくわかりません (yoku wakarimasen): I don’t understand (well).
聞き取れませんでした (kikitoremasen deshita): I wasn’t able to make out (what was just said).
今の (ima no): can refer to something that was just performed or said now or a moment ago
ちょっと待ってください (chotto matte kudasai): Please wait a moment.
もうちょっと詳しく説明してください (mou chotto kuwashiku setsumei shite kudasai): Please explain a little more detail.
辞めましょう (yamemashou): Let’s stop this.
安定しています (antei shite imasu): You/I are (physically) stable.
ぐらぐら (gura gura): feeling of unstability
厳しい (kibishii): literally means “strict”, but can apply to a technique that is applied harshly
さすが！(sasuga!): Literally means “that is so like you!”. This can be used as a complement, especially if the other person is a high level sensei.
下げる (sageru): to lower
上げる (ageru): to raise
礼 (rei): a bow (Note that “orei” can mean gratitude)
座る (suwaru): to sit
立つ (tatsu): to stand
座技（zagi): knee-walking (can also be pronounced ‘suwariwaza’)
瞑想 (meisou): meditation
息を吐く(iki o haku): to exhale (air)
息を吸う (iki o suu): to inhale (air)
吸って入って (sutte haitte): inhale, exhale…
呼吸法 (kokyuuhou): breathing technique
ゆっくりお願いします (yukkuri onegaishimasu): please go slowly (can refer to attacking or speaking)
手加減しないでください (tekagen shinaide kudasai): please don’t go easy on me
一連の流れ (ichiren no nagare): a flow composed of a series of events (sometimes used to describe a technique)
倒す (taosu): to bring someone down (can also be used to refer to bending your own body over during exercises)
準備体操 (junbi taisou): preparatory exercises (warmup)
のびのび (nobi nobi): freely
軽く (karuku) lightly
〜回 (~kai): counter for number of times (ex: 3回＝3 times)
臍下の一点 (seika no itten): one point in the lower abdomen (literally: “point below the navel”)
重みは下 (omomi wa shita): weight underside
下腹 (shitahara): lower abdomen, belly
リラックス (rirakkusu): relax (can be used as a verb)
力を抜く(chikara o nuku): to relax (literally: to draw out power)
力む (rikimu): to strain oneself
力み (rikimi): tension
力が入る (chikara ga hairu): tightening up (a muscle, etc.) [literally: power goes in]
目が回る (me ga mawaru): to be dizzy (literally “eye(s) spin around”)
構える (kamaeru): to take a specific stance, to brace
星座 (seiza): traditional sitting posture where the knees are below
胡座 (agura): sitting cross legged
楽 (raku): comfortable (楽に = comfortably)
繋がり (tsunagari): connection
無理する (muri suru): to force it
無理やり (muri yari): forcibly
姿勢 (shisei): posture
目を瞑って (me o tsubutte): close your eyes (request)
武器 (buki): weapon (jou, bokken, tantou, etc.)
木剣 (bokken): wooden sword (the correct pronunciation is “boh-ken”, where there is a pause between the “boh” and the “ken”)
振る (furu): to wave, swing (a weapon, etc.)
握る (nigiru): to grip (a weapon, an arm, etc.)
稽古 (keiko): training
稽古着 (keikogi): training clothes (saying only “gi” is not correct)
道着 (dougi): same as above
特訓 (tokkun): special training (for example training focusing a specific topic)
胸つき (munatsuki): punch to the chest (“munetsuki” is not correct)
崩す (kuzusu): to make someone lose balance or destroy their form (literally “to destroy”)
気のテスト (ki no testuo): a ki test (used to determine your opponents mind through their body)
相手 (aite): opponent, the other person you are training with
分ける (wakeru): to divide up into groups
自然な (shizen na): natural (adjectival form）
気を静める (ki o shizumeru): to calm yourself (can also have a nuance of calmly focusing)
臍下の一点に気を静めて (seika no itten ni ki o shizumete): Keep one point
落ち着く (ochitsuku): to calm down
落ち着き (ochitsuki): calmness
導く (michibiku): to lead
講習会 (koushuukai): a lecture (referring to the event)
講師 (koushi): lecturer, presenter
会長 (kaichou): present or lead of an organization
指導者 (shidousha): instructor
師範 (shihan): instructor (generally refers to a high level instructor)
会員 (kaiin): member of an organization
審査 (shinsa): examination (for promotion of belt, etc.)
先生 (sensei): teacher (it’s generally safe to use this term with anyone who has a black belt)
昇級 (shoukyuu): promotion (for belt, etc.)
有段者 (yuudansha): black-belt wearer
白帯 (shitoobi): white belt (Note: in Japan, generally adults don’t use colored belts, only white and black)
段外 (dangai): same as above
初心者 (shoshinsha): beginner
基準 (kijun): criterion
大会 (taikai): a meeting involving many people (seminar, etc.)
演武 (enbu): martial arts demonstration
稽古を見学していいですか？ (keiko o kengaku shite ii desu ka?): It is OK if I observe practice?
参加する (sanka suru): to participate (in an event, etc.)
参加費 (sankahi): cost to participate
お名前は何ですか？ (onamae wa nan desu ka?): What is your name?
〜です (~desu): Can be used to say “my name is ~” (but literally means “is ~”)
見せてください (misete kudasai): please show me
Note: saying “kudasai” can sound a bit strong, so to soften the nuance you can use “~te moratte ii desu ka?” For example:
見せてもらっていいですか？ (misete moratte ii desu ka?)
This means something like “Is it OK if I have you show me…?”
Finally, when referring to people it’s generally better to use their last name plus “sensei” (ex: “kubota sensei”) or if they are not a black belt use “san” (ex: “Kubota san”).