| Term | Definition |
| Aiuchi | Two yuko-datotsu made mutally and simutaneously. |
| Ari | (Men/Kote/Do/Tsuki) point scored |
| Ashi-sabaki | Footwork |
| Atoh | Back |
| Ayumi-ashi | Moving your left and right foot alternately just as you would when walking normally. |
| Bogu | Kendo protectors (men, kote, do, tare) a.k.a. Dogu |
| Bokken | Solid wood sword that is used in kata. |
| Bokuto | Solid wood sword |
| Chigawa | Leather loops on either side of the do |
| Chikama | A distance closer than issoku itto no maai. At this distance is is very easy to execute or receive a strike. |
| Chudan | Middle guard position - the most common and basic guard position in Kendo. In this stance, the kensen (tip of the sword) is point toward the opponent's throat. |
| Chuken | Third team player |
| Dan | Rank |
| Debana waza | A technique to execute a strike as your opponent is about to strike - preemptive attack |
| do | Chest protector |
| Do uchi | To strike diagonally to the side of the chest protector. |
| Dogu | Kendo protectors (men, kote, do, tare) a.k.a. Bogu |
| Encho | Overtime, extension |
| Fukusho | Fourth team player |
| Fumikomi-Ashi | Footwork technique in which the forward most foot in the stance pounds against the floor at the moment the strike connects thus generating a powerful movement and strike while following through. |
| Gedan | Lower guard position - with this position, the kensen (sword tip) is point toward the ground or floor while holding it center to the body. |
| Go | 5 |
| Gogi | Conference among shimpan |
| Hachi | 8 |
| Hajime | Begin or start |
| Hakama | Split skirt |
| Hansoku | Penalty (1/2 point) |
| Hantei | Judges decision |
| Harai waza | Sweeping up your opponents shinai from below or knocking it down from above when your opponents kamae provides no suki. |
| Hasaki | Cutting edge |
| Hasso | Upper guard position - this is the guard position holding your shinai vertically on the right side. |
| Haya suburi | Fast striking exercise with large steps back and forth |
| Hidari | Left |
| Hidari jodan | Jodan in which the left foot is advanced. |
| Hiki waza | Stepping back out of tsubazeriai to strike and go back with zanshin. |
| Hikibana waza | Technieques used to take advantage of your opponents momentary imbalance. |
| Hikiwake | Draw |
| Himo | Cords to tie bogu on such as men-himo and do-himo. |
| Hiraki-ashi | Used when attacking your partner from one side. Your feet to the side of and angled in toward your opponent. |
| Ichi | 1 |
| Igi | A protest |
| Ippon | 1 point |
| Ippon gachi | One point victory |
| Issoku Itto no Maai | Allows you to strike your opponent by taking only on step forward. Shinai are crossed just beyond the sakigawa. |
| Jigeiko | Free practice |
| Jiho | Second team player |
| Jinbu | The part of the shinai that represents the edge. It is directly opposite the tsuru. |
| Jodan | Upper guard position - with this guard position, the shinai is held above the head. |
| Jogai | Outside of the match court. |
| Jogei Suburi | Swing all the way up and back and then down to your knees |
| Ju | 10 |
| Junbi taiso | To stretch |
| Kachinuki | A kind of match that a competitor continues to fight as long as he/she keeps winning. |
| Kaeshi waza | This technique responds to an opponent's attempted strike by warding off his attaching shinai, immediately flipping over your wrists and executing a strike to his opposite side. |
| Kakari geiko | A type of practice similar to Uchikomi geiko, but the receiver may attack and the attacker may use smaller techniques. |
| Katate Suburi | One handed striking exercise |
| Katate Tsuki | One handed thrust to the throat target. |
| Katsugi waza | To provide a surprise attack by lifting the shinai over your shoulder before striking. |
| Keiko | Practice |
| Keiko-gi | Exercise jacket |
| Kensen | Point of the sword or shinai. |
| Ki | Spirit |
| Ki ken tai icchi | Spirit, sword and body as one simultaneous entitiy. |
| Kiai | A shout that reflects your spirit. |
| Kihon waza | Basic techniques |
| Kiotsuke | Attention |
| Kirikaeshi | An exercise that start out with a large men uchi followed by taiatari, 4 sayu-men forward, and 5 sayu-men backwards finished with a large men and zanshin. |
| Kodachi | Short sword of solid wood (kata) |
| Kōhai | One who is of a lower rank or student to the sempai. |
| Kote | Gloves; forearm; strike target |
| Kote uchi | To strike down on the gauntlet. |
| Kyu | Beginner's rank |
| Kyu | 9 |
| Maai | Refers to the distance between you and your partner. Timing in relation to this distance is an important aspect. |
| Mae | Forward |
| Men | Headgear; strike target |
| Men o tore | Take men off |
| Men o tsuke | Put your men on |
| Men Suburi | Men striking exercise |
| Men uchi | To strike the top of the head. |
| Men-butin | Cloth part of the men |
| Men-gane | Metal grill part of the men |
| Migi | Right |
| Migi jodan | Jodan in which the right foot is advanced. |
| Mokuso | Meditate |
| Monouchi | The 'striking part' of the shinai between the sakigawa and nakayui. Only strikes with this portion of the shinai are considered valid during shiai. |
| Morotte Tsuki | To strike the tsuki with both hands. |
| Motodachi | The receiver of strikes |
| Mudansha | One who has no rank. |
| Mune | Chest; the upper part of the do |
| Nakayui | The knotted leather thong tied around the shinai. |
| Ni | 2 |
| Nidan waza | Techniques used to move to the next waza after an initial strike. |
| Nihonme | Second point |
| Nuki waza | Moving yourself out of the way before your opponent moves to strike thus making him/her miss. |
| Oji waza | To execute a strike in response to an attempted strike by your opponent. These include nuki, suriage, uchiotoshi, and kaeshi waza. |
| Okuri-ashi | The most frequently used footwork in which the right foot is in front and moves first going forward or to the right. The back(left) foot moves first when moving backward or to the left. |
| Onegaishimsu | Teach me. Used when bowing with your partner and essentially asking to learn from them during this practice. |
| Osame to | To sheath the sword |
| Otagai ni rei | Bow to fellow students |
| Rei | To bow |
| Ritsu-Rei | A standing bow |
| Roku | 6 |
| Sage-to | Stand with the shinai. |
| San | 3 |
| Sayu-men Suburi | Striking exercise to the left and right side of the men |
| Seiretsu | Form a line |
| Seiza | To kneel and then sit in a formal way. |
| Seme | To break opponent’s centre by pushing in with one’s shinai |
| Sempai | One who is a mentor or elder of a higher rank. |
| Senpo | First team player |
| Sensei | Instructor |
| Sensei ni rei | Bow to the sensei |
| Shi (Yon) | 4 |
| Shiai | Match |
| Shiai-jo | Match court |
| Shiai-sha | Competitor |
| Shichi (Nana) | 7 |
| Shidachi | The person who defends against a strike. In kata this person is the student. |
| Shikake waza | Techniques used to create a suki in an opponent by initiating an attack, or to strike boldly when your opponent has created a suki. These include tobikomi, hikibana, katsugi, nidan, harai, and debana waza. |
| Shimpan | Referee |
| Shimpan cho | Match director |
| Shimpan fukushin | Subreferee |
| Shimpan shushin | Head referee |
| Shimpan-ki | Referee flag |
| Shinai | Bamboo sword |
| Shinai motte | Pick up the shinai |
| Shobu | Match |
| Shobu ari | Match point/Victory |
| Shomen ni rei | Bow to the front of the dojo |
| Shoto | Short sword of bamboo |
| Sonkyo | To bow formally by going into a squat position |
| Suburi | Shinai swinging practice |
| suki | Opening for an attack. Unguarded targets. |
| Suriage waza | When struck by your opponents shinai, this waza is used to sweep up his/her shinai in a rising-slide motion, using the left or right side of our shinai and then promptly returning a strike. |
| Suri-Ashi | Sliding step in which the feet do not cross. |
| Tachi | Long sword |
| Taisho | Fifth and last team player |
| Taito | Shinai to the waist. |
| Tare | Waist protector |
| Tenouchi | Balanced strength of hands at the moment of strike or thrust. |
| Tenugui | Tradition hand towel |
| Tobikomi waza | Techniques used when an opponent shows weak kisei(spirit, vigor) or yields a suki under pressure from your own kisei |
| Toma | A longer distance than issoku itto in which you can no longer execute or receive a strike. |
| Tsuba | Sword guard; positioned at the top of the handle before the blade |
| Tsuba dome | The stopper that holds the tsuba in place. |
| Tsugi-ashi | Used to shorten the distance between your feet by drawing your left foot forward toward your stationary right foot. Helpful when striking from a distance. |
| Tsuka | Hilt/Handle |
| Tsuka-gashira | Top of the hilt |
| Tsukagawa | The lether cover on the hilt of the shinai. |
| Tsuki | To strike by thrusting the throat protector. |
| Tsuki-dare | Throat protector |
| Tsuru | Center cord of the shinai connecting the sakigawa to the tsukagawa. |
| Uchidachi | The person who strikes. In kata this is the person who leads. |
| Uchikomi geiko | A type of practice in which one person receives for another by opening up different targets for about 15 seconds. |
| Uchiotoshi waza | When an opponent is about to strike, knock down the shinai to the right or left and return a strike. |
| Wakare | Break or separate. Called when one or both shiai-sha are stalling. |
| Waki-gamae | Lower guard position - with this position, the sword/shinai is held on the right side of the body while the tip of the sword is pointed downward. |
| Waza | Techniques |
| Yame | Stop |
| Yuko dotatsu | Valid strike or thrust |
| Zanshin | Positive follow-through of a strike while maintaining a mental and physical alertness againts the opponent. |