Ninjutsu Glossary

Tori: 取り, literally the 'taker', the initiator or the attacker in a paired kata.

Uke: 受け, as a noun: the 'receiver', responds to an attacker in a paired kata, usually the one 'doing a technique'. As a verb, to receive an attack.

Ukemi: 受身, literally 'receiving body'. A cultivated skill of receiving attacks and danger will minimizing harm to the body. Someone who can take a high fall and land in a roll safely has developed one aspect of ukemi. Someone who can slip or softly absorb a punch has developed another aspect.

Tsuki: 突き, to penetrate or stab. Our basic attack both armed or unarmed.

Kamae: 構え, posture or attitude. A specific body shape used as a basis for movement. Sometimes used as a shorthand for ichimonji no kamae, due to its ubiquity.

Ichimonji: short for Ichimonji no Kamae (一文字の構え), literally posture like the character one. Resembles the side-profile minimizing stance of fencers. Bring the body onto a single line with the weight on the back leg.

Jumonji: short for Jumonji no Kamae (十文字の構え), posture like the character ten. A posture with weight evenly balanced on both feet, standing, with the arms crossed in front.

Utsu: 打つ, to strike.

Kuzushi: 崩し, unbalancing your opponent, controlling their balance.

Sen-no-utsu: 線の打つ, striking the line. A way of receiving an attack where U 'strike' the line of attack, stopping the attack by occupying the space. Done properly it also applies kuzushi.

Tomeru: 止める, stopping. Often referring to a type of uke that hits an attack, in contrast to a nagashi-uke.

Nagashi: 流し, a flowing / following quality of movement. For example, nagashi-uke means a smooth flowing way of receiving an attack.

Iaijutsu: 居合術, the skill of drawing a blade and cutting in a single technique.

Iaito: 居合刀, a sword for the practice of Iaijutsu.

Muto Dori: 無刀捕。Techniques that allow an unarmed person to overcome an armed assailant. One of the high aims of Ninjutsu. Much of ninjutsu training only makes sense in relation to this aim.

Senpai: Your senior in practice.

Kohai: Your junior in practice.