# Help with Japanese?



## little_miss_fracus (Aug 18, 2007)

Trying to start my first new discussion outside the meet and greet area ... hope it works.

I just started Judo and I'm learning from a friend's uncle in his garage.  I guess its set up kinda like a do jo, there are mats on the floor and everything. Weird, you open up the garage door and its like a little classroom in there.

Anyways, Ive never been good at other languages and the japanese terms are killing me.  I asked sensie (did I spell that right?) about it and he said if I want to learn judo I learn the japanese.  Is there a glossary or anything anyone knows of I could use?  

Or some hints?  anything to help, I would really be thankful!


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## BlackCatBonz (Aug 18, 2007)

check this site out:
http://www.judoinfo.com/


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## Sukerkin (Aug 18, 2007)

Hi *fracus*

Japanese is a highly complex language in some ways for the Western mind to get to grips with (Yeah! Judo pun attack ) but with a little study you should be able to committ to memory those terms that you need to 'get by' in the dojo.

The most common word you'll need you already know:

_sensei_ - teacher (in this context)

Other common ones you may need are:

_hajime_ - begin (you may hear it pronounced more like "azzoo-me")
_yasumi_ - rest or relax
_mo ichido_ - repeat or "one more time"
_yame_ - Stop (you may hear it more like "yamm eh!")
_zanshin_ - awareness of surroundings and intentions
_Seme_ - pressure or focus (of the will)

Altho' for kendo rather than Judo, it sounds like this site might be of help too as the fellow was in a similar situation to yourself:

http://www.yorku.ca/kendo/cgi-bin/b...=on&chk_sub=&chk_cmt=&keyword=adam&start_num=

Hope some of this is of help to you - mata na


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## shesulsa (Aug 18, 2007)

BlackCatBonz said:


> check this site out:
> http://www.judoinfo.com/


Hey! I was gonna post that! :lol2:

LMF, please do check judoinfo.com out - you may find it very helpful.

Also, I struggle with Korean and have found that these languages are much harder to learn for me too.  The whole structure of the languages are very different.  Don't give up.

Do you have to learn to read and write Japanese too?


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## theletch1 (Aug 18, 2007)

That's one of the things I love about the style that I study...very little japanese used at all.  Just learning the techniques of a system can be hard enough without learning a new language to go along with it.  Good luck!


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## little_miss_fracus (Sep 5, 2007)

shesulsa said:


> Hey! I was gonna post that! :lol2:
> 
> LMF, please do check judoinfo.com out - you may find it very helpful.
> 
> ...


k, i will check that owt

i dont no about read/writ japanese i only went three times when i hurt my sholder-will find owt tho

bye structure what do u mean?


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## shesulsa (Sep 5, 2007)

Most languages from Asia are written in symbols which represent a sound whereas Germanic languages (English is one) uses combinations of letters and a large set of rules to govern spelling and sentence structure.

From what I understand this seems to be a hurdle many can't clear if you know what I mean.

If you go to that link BlackCatBonz gave you (www.judoinfo.com) they have a page or two there of Judo terms and some vocabulary but it's spelled out in letters rather than the symbols. (symbols isn't the right word for it, just can't pull it out of my head right now LOL )


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## Tez3 (Sep 5, 2007)

shesulsa said:


> Hey! I was gonna post that! :lol2:
> 
> LMF, please do check judoinfo.com out - you may find it very helpful.
> 
> ...


 
I know what you mean! I struggled with Japanese for years then had to change to a Korean style when the Wado Ryu club closed.


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## Sukerkin (Sep 5, 2007)

shesulsa said:


> Most languages from Asia are written in symbols which represent a sound whereas Germanic languages (English is one) uses combinations of letters and a large set of rules to govern spelling and sentence structure.
> 
> From what I understand this seems to be a hurdle many can't clear if you know what I mean.
> 
> If you go to that link BlackCatBonz gave you (www.judoinfo.com) they have a page or two there of Judo terms and some vocabulary but it's spelled out in letters rather than the symbols. (symbols isn't the right word for it, just can't pull it out of my head right now LOL )


 
To elaborate a little on this, *Fracus*, Japanese is a language of four alphabets.  

The hardest for Western minds to wrap themselves around is kanji, the adopted Chinese character script that the Japanese moulded to their own useage.  Each kanji character represents a concept and depending on the context can take on different meanings.

The second layer of the language is depicted using hiragana and katakana characters.  Each character in these alphabets represents a phoenetic sound.  Their useage is again dependent on context and what is being described.

The third layer is romanji (or romaji).  This is the 'westernised' script that uses so called Roman letters to sound-out words.  At first this was just used for adopted words but also is gaining use for modern things and sometimes menus or signs.  I have an example of romaji in my signature where they depict a couple of old 'proverbs' (one about not bearing grudges and the other about there being no time for love in a warriors life).

If you're interested in taking this further, here are a few links to helpful sites:

http://japanese.about.com/blkatakana.htm
http://www.kids-japan.com/hira-chart.htm
http://www.japancast.net/


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## runnerninja (Sep 13, 2007)

Bit off point but im studying in a garage too. I think its great because when the weather is great we go outside and train in the garden. Where we train is in the middle of the countryside with a very scenic mountainside in the background. I couldnt ask for better.


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## little_miss_fracus (Mar 10, 2008)

Wow- you guys really are helpful. I haven't logged in in a while and I came back and found all these answers to my posts. Thanks a lot!!

Sukerkin, you posted a lot of links for help with japanese - thanks tons!

I really don't know what I'm going to do right now. I've been out of judo for a while with the shoulder. I think it's mostly healed but I'm a little apprehensive about going back. I don't like getting hurt.


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## charyuop (Mar 11, 2008)

Sukerkin said:


> To elaborate a little on this, *Fracus*, Japanese is a language of four alphabets.
> 
> The hardest for Western minds to wrap themselves around is kanji, the adopted Chinese character script that the Japanese moulded to their own useage. Each kanji character represents a concept and depending on the context can take on different meanings.
> 
> ...


 
There is another difficulty with kanji. Each Kanji has 2 basic readings (except very few exceptions):the Chinese (on) reading and the Japanese (kun) reading. Both are used, but the way the reading is chose follows some grammatical rules (with exceptions) and at times they assume different meanings too. Moreover in many cases Kanji have more reading for the Japanese and more reading for the Chinese.
A couple of example...
The kanji for "season" has only the on reading which is KI.
The kanji for "mat" has two readings, the Chinese JOO and the Japanese TATAMI.
Then there are Kanji with multiple readings/meanings, like this one (sorry can't print them on computer):
Chinese reading GAKU means music, but it has also a Chinese reading RAKU which means pleasure. Japanese reading TANO which is used like "having fun" (with other symbols, but I cut it short).


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## Bodhisattva (Mar 12, 2008)

Sukerkin said:


> Hi *fracus*
> 
> Japanese is a highly complex language in some ways for the Western mind to get to grips with (Yeah! Judo pun attack ) but with a little study you should be able to committ to memory those terms that you need to 'get by' in the dojo.
> 
> ...



that's the main thing I didn't like about Judo.  I didn't like that they described all the techniques in Japanese.

I don't expect a Japanese Boxer to describe the punches in English.

I think the throws make a lot more sense to students if they are described in English.

At St. Louis Training Circle we call the Judo in English.

*NOT* due to any nationalistic or patriotic concept.  

Simplicity is the only reason for it.


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## little_miss_fracus (Mar 15, 2008)

Thanks again!


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