Judo terminology is Japanese, following Kodokan tradition. This glossary sorts the words you will hear in the dojo by topic, from the bow to the referee's commands, with their meanings. Around a hundred terms is enough to follow a class, pass your belts and understand a match on TV.
A note on spelling first. We use the Kodokan form with hyphens (o-soto-gari, juji-gatame). You will also see "osoto gari" or "O Soto Gari," and it is the same word. A final "u" is barely pronounced. "Hajime" sounds like "ha-jee-meh," and "shi" sounds like "she."
Dojo and uniform
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dojo | Place to study the way, the training hall |
| Tatami | Mat you train on |
| Judogi | Judo uniform (jacket and trousers) |
| Obi | Belt |
| Zoori | Sandals worn off the mat |
| Judoka | Judo practitioner |
| Sensei | Teacher |
| Senpai / kohai | Senior student / junior student |
| Kyu / dan | Grades below black belt / black belt grades |
Some people call the judogi a "kimono" or simply a "gi." That is fine in everyday talk, but in Japan a kimono is a traditional garment with nothing to do with sport. Our judo gi buying guide explains how to choose one. For the grade system, see judo belt colors and order.
The bow and class routine
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Rei | Bow |
| Ritsurei / zarei | Standing bow / kneeling bow |
| Seiza | Kneeling position, sitting on the heels |
| Mokuso | Short meditation, eyes closed |
| Tori / uke | The one who applies the technique / the one who receives it |
| Ukemi | Breakfalls |
| Uchi-komi | Repetition of the entry without throwing |
| Nage-komi | Repetition with a full throw |
| Randori | Free practice against resistance |
| Kata | Prearranged form |
| Shiai | Competition |
The full bowing procedure is in our article on the judo bow.
Referee commands and scores
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hajime | Start |
| Matte | Stop |
| Osaekomi | Hold-down in progress, the clock starts |
| Toketa | Hold-down broken |
| Sono-mama | Freeze, do not move |
| Yoshi | Continue (after sono-mama) |
| Sore-made | That is the end |
| Ippon | Decisive score, ends the match |
| Waza-ari | Technical score, half point |
| Shido | Minor penalty |
| Hansoku-make | Disqualification |
The hand signals that go with these calls are explained in judo referee commands. Score values are covered in our guide to judo scoring rules.
Stances, directions and grips
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Shizen-tai | Natural standing posture |
| Jigo-tai | Defensive posture, feet wide and knees bent |
| Migi / hidari | Right / left |
| Mae / ushiro / yoko | Front / back / side |
| Kumikata | How you grip the judogi |
| Hikite | Pulling hand, usually on the sleeve |
| Tsurite | Lifting hand, usually on the lapel |
| Kuzushi | Breaking balance |
| Tsukuri | Fitting in, positioning |
| Kake | Execution |
If you remember only two, make it hikite and tsurite. Your coach will repeat them more than any other words in your first years, because most failed throws come from a hand that is not doing its job.
Technique families
Judo sorts its techniques into two big groups: throws and groundwork controls.
| Family | Sub-group | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Nage-waza | Te-waza | Hand and arm throws |
| Koshi-waza | Hip throws | |
| Ashi-waza | Foot and leg throws | |
| Ma-sutemi-waza | Rear sacrifice throws | |
| Yoko-sutemi-waza | Side sacrifice throws | |
| Katame-waza | Osaekomi-waza | Hold-downs |
| Shime-waza | Chokes and strangles | |
| Kansetsu-waza | Joint locks |
Each family has its own page: nage-waza and katame-waza. You will also hear tachi-waza for standing work and ne-waza for groundwork.
A few roots come up again and again in technique names:
- gari: reap (o-soto-gari, major outer reap);
- barai: sweep (de-ashi-barai, advanced foot sweep);
- nage: throw (seoi-nage, shoulder throw);
- goshi: hip (o-goshi, major hip throw);
- gatame: hold or lock (kesa-gatame, scarf hold);
- jime: choke (hadaka-jime, naked choke);
- o / ko: major / minor (o-uchi-gari, ko-uchi-gari).
Add otoshi (drop) and guruma (wheel) to cover techniques like tai-otoshi or hiza-guruma. With these roots you can guess the meaning of half the throws in the gokyo.
Counting in Japanese
| Number | Japanese | Number | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ichi | 6 | roku |
| 2 | ni | 7 | shichi (or nana) |
| 3 | san | 8 | hachi |
| 4 | shi (or yon) | 9 | ku (or kyu) |
| 5 | go | 10 | ju |
Counting in Japanese happens during warm-ups and uchi-komi sets. The leader calls the number and the group answers or performs the rep. This is often how kids learn their first words, long before technique names. Dan grades use the same numbers: shodan for first dan, nidan for second, sandan for third.
Learning judo terms without memorizing lists
Do not try to learn everything at once. Start with the words you use every class. Rei, hajime and matte for the flow of the session. Tori and uke for the roles. Hikite and tsurite for the hands. Then add the name of each technique you work on, on the day you work on it. If you keep a training log, on paper or in Jutrack, write the Japanese names instead of "that hip thing from Tuesday." Within a season you will have a green belt's vocabulary without opening a single glossary.