The David Brent Wolfe Dictionary of

Japanese martial art terms

- Y -

• Ya means arrow.
• Yaburi dojo means storming another martial arts school. It has the same meaning as Dojo arashi.
• Yado aratame is the term for hotel and inn inspectors.
• Yagyu-Ryu was a martial art school founded by Yagyu Muneyoshi Tajima no Kami (1527- 1606) in 1603. It teaches kenjutsu and jujutsu. Yagyu is the name of a village near to the city of Nara where he was born.
• Yagyu Shinkage-Ryu was a martial art school founded by Yagyu Munenori in 1603. It teaches kenjutsu, iai-jutsu, and jujutsu. Munenori became the instructor to the Tokugawa Shoguns.
• Yako means the inner thigh.
• Yakuso means medicinal herbs and their useage. Every culture discovered some herbs that it could use for healing.
• Yakusoku means promise or prearrange.
• Yakusoku keiko is a training method where each partner takes turns attacking with little or no resistance.
• Yakusoku kumite is a type partner sparring where each partner takes turns attacking and defending.
• Yakuza are the organized criminal gangs of Japan. They are organized in family like structures. The members are famous for their tatoos.
• Yama , , means mountain.
• Yama arashi , , meaning mountain storm, is a Kodokan Judo throwing technique.
• Yamabushi, , means mountain warriors. Various Buddhist temples employed armed guards for their protection and sometimes used them against the local establishment or even other temples.
• Yamabushi hyoho means the strategies of the mountain warriors.
• Yamaga-Ryu was a martial art school emphasizing kenjutsu and jujutsu. It was founded by Yamage Soko (1622-1685).
• Yamaji uke means mountain form block. This is a block performed with the defender ending with his arms and head looking like the Japanese character for mountain. The upper arms are held out horizontially towards the sides with the forearms held vertically. The hands can be either closed into fists or held open.
• Yamane means at the base of the mountain.
• Yamane ryu is a school of Okinawan bojutsu. It was influenced by the Jigen ryu.
• Yamanouchi ryu was a martial art lineage that taught swimming in armor.
• Yamato-ryu was a martial art style of archery founded in the seventeenth century. It was modified into kyudo by Morikawa Kozan in 1664.
• Yama uke , , means mountain block. It is a requirement for Koyamakan Yonkyu.
• Yama zuki , , means mountain punch. The technique is a wide U-shaped double punch frequently done at upper and lower levels. It is a requirement for Koyamakan Yonkyu.
• Yame, , is the command meaning stop.
• Yanone means arrowhead.
• Yari, , means a generic spear. There are various types and shapes of spears with shafts ranging from 6 feet to 12 feet in length. The spear blades may range from one foot to three feet in additional length.
• Yari jutsu, , means the art of the spear.
• Yasumi is the intructor's command to rest or relax.
• Yawarakai means soft
• Yo, , is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character 'yang' in yin-yang. It can mean positive, male, hard, inflexible, rigid, or bright. This is the light part of the 'in-yo' diagram common in Chinese influenced societies.
• Yo means willow.
• Yoi, , means ready.
• Yoinbuke , , means external power breathing.
• Yoko, , means side
• Yoko aruki means walking sideways.
• Yoko empi uchi , , means side elbow strike. It is a requirement for Koyamakan Hachikyu.
• Yoko furumi, , means sidewards motion.
• Yoko geri, , means side kick. It is not a separate kick, rather is is a category of kicks done to the side.
• Yoko geri keage means side snap kick. It is a requirement for Koyamakan Hachikyu.
• Yoko geri kekomi means side thrust kick. It is a requirement for Koyamakan Hachikyu.
• Yokoha is the term for the side hook on the Japanese weapon called a jutte.
• Yoko mawashi empi uchi , , means sideward round house elbow strike.
• Yoko mawashi shuto uchi , means sideward knife hand strike. It is a requirement for Koyamakan Rokkyu.
• Yoko mawashi ura ken uchi , , means sideward back fist strike. It is a requirement for Koyamakan Rokkyu.
• Yoko men, , means the side of the head.
• Yoko men uchi, , means side of the head strike. It is usually done on a diagonal angle of attack.
• Yoko otoshi means side drop. This is a generic term for throws requiring the thrower to fall down on to his side. It is also the name of a specific Kodokan Judo throwing technique.
• Yoko shiho gatame , , means side four corners lock. It is a Kodokan Judo pinning technique.
• Yoko tobi geri means a flying side kick.
• Yoko tomoe nage means side circle throw.
• Yoko uchi, , means sidewards strike.
• Yoko uke, , means sidewards receiving. This is a sword fighting term for a group of techniques against various cutting attacks.
• Yomawari were the community night watchmen employed during the winter to watch for fires.
• Yon, , means four.
• Yondan, , means fourth step or fourth degree black belt.
• Yonkyo, , means fourth teaching or fourth principle.
• Yonkyu, , means fourth class.
• Yoriki is a term used to mean a police officer during the Edo period of Japanese history.
• Yoroi means armor.
• Yoroi nage means armor throws. Some jujutsu styles and Kodokan Judo still teach throwing while in armor and against an opponent wearing armor.
• Yo-Ryu was a martial art style founded in the seventeenth century with a speciality in firearms.
• Yoshi means go, continue, all right
• Yoshin-Ryu was a martial art school founded in 1732 using kenjutsu and jujutsu devised by a doctor from Nagasaki, Japan named Akiyama Shirobei Yoshitoki who went to China in the 1600's to study. While there he studied medicine, katsu and kappo, and various martial arts, especially striking (atemi). He may have known some martial arts before he went to China. The center piece of his martial art was a syllabus of 300 techniques. He passed on to us many things including the focus on softness. Eventually the Yoshin was merged with Shin No Shin Do Ryu to form Tenshin Shin'Yo Ryu, of which Jigoro Kano was a master. Information supplied by Steve Cunningham on 25 July 1995.
• Yoten means key point.
• Yousai, , means a fortress town.
• Yowai means weak or a weak focus.
• Yowaiki means weak energy. It can means an individual lacking a strong personality or a strong presence.
• Yubi, , means finger(s)
• Yubi bo means finger stick. It is a weapon in some traditional jujutsu systems.
• Yubi hasami translates as finger scissors. This means finger pinch.
• Yubisaki means fingertip.
• Yubi waza, , means finger technique(s).
• Yubu means a friendship society.
• Yudansha, , means a degree holder or black belt.
• Yudanshakai is an association of black belts.
• Yuga means elegant or graceful.
• Yugen means dynamic stillness. It is one of the aesthetic elements of Bu.
• Yuki means bravery or courage.
• Yuki means snow flake.
• Yuki otoshi means snow flake drop. It is an aikibudo knife technique.
• Yukuri, , means slow.
• Yume no Uchi is a throwing technique in the Kodokan Judo kata called Koshiki no Kata. It is usually translated as throwing in a dream. More accurately would be 'a blow in a dream' or 'to take someone in a dream.' The opponent runs backward early in the throw. This develops the dream-like floating quality of the technique while generating considerable horizontal velocity, making the throw feel effortless. Some individuals use this throw as a counter throw to the Kodokan Judo throw called tai otoshi, body drop.
• Yumi, , is a bow. The art of shooting a bow and arrow is called kyu jutsu. The way of shooting a bow and arrow is called kyudo.
• Yumiya means bows and arrows.
• Yukuri, , means slow.
• Yuru yaka ni, , is a phrase meaning smooth.
• Yusei gachi is a contest win by superiority.
• Yusho means first place.
• Yuyo semarazu is an composed attitude reflecting calmness and sincerity.