Free guide · 6 min read
Japanese for judo
Referee calls, throw names, groundwork terms and the etiquette of the judo dojo - enough to follow a class or a contest without guessing.
Judo is refereed in Japanese at every level worldwide, so these words are the ones that decide whether you've scored.
Scoring and referee calls
いっぽん literally means “one point”, but in judo it means a decisive, contest-ending throw or submission. わざあり is “there is technique” - good, but not decisive. Hearing the difference tells you instantly whether the fight is over.
Throws you'll learn early
Throw names are compounds you can decode: なげ (nage) = throw, がり (gari) = reap, ぐるま (guruma) = wheel, おお (ō) = major, こ (ko) = minor, うち (uchi) = inner, そと (soto) = outer. Once you know those, おおうちがり tells you it's a major inner reap before anyone demonstrates it.
Groundwork and roles
とり and うけ appear across Japanese martial arts, not just judo. とり (from とる, to take) does the technique; うけ (from うける, to receive) takes it. In practice you'll swap roles constantly, and instructors will call out which you are.
Etiquette
じゅうどう (jūdō) means “the gentle way” - じゅう (gentle, yielding) plus どう (way). That どう ending recurs across あいきどう, けんどう and しょどう (calligraphy): it frames the activity as a path you follow rather than a sport you play.
These phrases get built into real conversation in the 90 day course. The first week needs no account.