Beginner's guide

Judo Commands Explained

Every judo class and every competition runs on a set of Japanese commands. Missing one usually just means you freeze for a second while everyone else moves — not a big deal, but knowing them makes the first few months of training much less confusing. Here's the full list, grouped by where you'll actually hear them.

Opening and closing class

The commands that bookend every training session.

Shugo (集合): "Gather" — line up at the start or end of class.
Seiza (正座): "Kneel" — sit on your knees, the formal seated position used for the opening and closing bow.
Mokuso (黙想): "Meditate" — a short period of silence with eyes closed, usually right before or after bowing in.
Rei (礼): "Bow" — shows respect to the dojo, the instructor, and training partners.
Kiritsu (起立): "Stand up" — usually called right after the bow, to end the formal opening.

Starting and stopping a match or randori

What you'll hear during sparring and competition — this is the set most beginners want to know cold.

Hajime (始め): "Begin" — starts the match or the randori round.
Matte (待て): "Wait" — pauses the action; both judoka stop immediately and return to the starting position.
Sonomama (そのまま): "Don't move" — freezes both competitors exactly where they are, typically while the referee sorts out an equipment issue or checks something with the mat officials.
Yoshi (よし): "Continue" — resumes the match after a "sonomama" freeze.
Sore-made (それまで): "That is all" — ends the match, win or lose.

Scoring calls

What the referee shouts (and signals with an arm) when something scores.

Ippon (一本): Full point — the match ends immediately.
Waza-ari (技あり): Half point — for a strong technique that just misses the full ippon criteria.
Osaekomi (押込み): "Hold" — called the moment a pin is correctly established, which starts the clock.
Toketa (解けた): "Broken" — the pin has been escaped before the time needed to score.

Everyday class instructions

Less official, but you'll hear these constantly during drills.

Otagai ni rei (お互いに礼): "Bow to each other" — said before and after practicing with a partner.
Kumite (組手): "Grip fighting" — the instructor calling this usually means it's time to drill grip entries.
Uchikomi (打ち込み): Repetition drilling of the entry into a throw, without completing it — the bread and butter of technique practice.

Learning the vocabulary is a lot faster with a quiz that actually tests you instead of a page you skim once. Judo Academy turns every one of these terms into a quick daily quiz, with an AI sensei you can ask when you forget one mid-class.

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