Use of the term Aikido"ka"

When I started Aikido, I would often hear the term Aikidoka to reference someone who studied Aikido. I just thought this was a normal thing to do. Then at some point I learned that adding "ka" to the end was something that should only be used when someone was very accomplished at something. That is to say you wouldn't add "ka" unless the person what quite adept at the art. I also learned that you should never reference yourself and an "Aikidoka" because that's being boastful, and only others who really respect your ability should refer to you that way.

Here in California, I know that no one minds you calling yourself an Aikidoka. And we call other people who do Aikido, even if they are not yudansha, Aikidoka. Would this seem very strange to your average Japanese person?

my vote for aikidorka

Hi Chris,

Good to learn the basis and origin of the words we use. Thank you for that explanation on the real meaning of "ka".

In Portugal we also use the term "Aikidoka", but in Brasil it´s "Aikidoista" (Aikidoist) even if the basis is portuguese language. Do you think it has something to do with that you just explained?

Cheers,
Messias

Chris Hein wrote: When I started Aikido, I would often hear the term Aikidoka to reference someone who studied Aikido. I just thought this was a normal thing to do. Then at some point I learned that adding "ka" to the end was something that should only be used when someone was very accomplished at something. That is to say you wouldn't add "ka" unless the person what quite adept at the art. I also learned that you should never reference yourself and an "Aikidoka" because that's being boastful, and only others who really respect your ability should refer to you that way. Here in California, I know that no one minds you calling yourself an Aikidoka. And we call other people who do Aikido, even if they are not yudansha, Aikidoka. Would this seem very strange to your average Japanese person?

Hello Chris,

I wonder to what extent ‘your average Japanese person' visits AikiWeb. There are two issues here: the use of the term in Japanese and the use of the term in an anglicized foreign word, which is what ‘aikido' and ‘aikidoka' are.

In Japanese ‘ka' is a very common suffix, with vastly different meanings, and the way of writing it for ‘aikidouka' is usually 家, or simply か (the kana form). The main meaning of this term is house or family. In the average dictionary there are many terms with the 家 suffix and the English equivalent is generally ‘--er', as in ‘writer', or ‘ist', as in ‘artist'. The general sense is the doer of an activity on a regular basis. Understood also is the possible possession of a certain level of skill, fame or notoriety (as in 厭世家, enseika, pessimist, or 漁色家, gyoshokuka, lecher). The activity could be a profession or hobby, but is not restricted to these.

So you have two issues: the range of acceptable meanings of 家 as a suffix in Japanese, and the range of acceptable meanings of ‘er' or ‘ist', or the common English equivalents. Of course there are considerations here beyond the level of meaning. Since 'aikido' is an anglicized word, it has to fit the conventions of English, so ‘aikidoist' might be acceptable, but ‘aikidoer' is probably not.

Best wishes

Hello Professor,

So basically, adding "Ka" ( 家 ) is really no different then adding "ist" (Aikidoist) in English, and while it can be used with a tone of reverence, it's not really an extra special honorific like Dr.

Maybe it is kind of akin to "Sir" in English? "Sir" has an older meaning of nobility, and is still used to show knighthood in England. However nowadays "Sir" is commonly used to be polite to when addressing any adult male, regardless of status. Would you say this is a fair comparison?

Chris Hein wrote: Hello Professor, So basically, adding "Ka" ( 家 ) is really no different then adding "ist" (Aikidoist) in English, and while it can be used with a tone of reverence, it's not really an extra special honorific like Dr. Maybe it is kind of akin to "Sir" in English? "Sir" has an older meaning of nobility, and is still used to show knighthood in England. However nowadays "Sir" is commonly used to be polite to when addressing any adult male, regardless of status. Would you say this is a fair comparison?

Hello Chris,

Well, there is a seeming arbitrariness about the matter.

Aikidouka is a hybrid term in Japanese, not in common use. Like 柔道家 juudouka, it has come to be accepted to denote someone who practices aikido as a regular pastime. KA seems to be preferred to other suffixes, like SHA (者, meaning person).

However, someone who trained hard at bujutsu, like Takada Sokaku, wandering round Japan doing 武者修行 musha-shugyou, was called a 修行者 shugyou-sha, not a shugyou-ka. Why? I do not really know.

On my computer, 合気道者 comes out readily when I type in ‘aikidousha', but 合気道家 never appears when I type in ‘aikidouka'. With judo, the situation is reversed: 柔道家 (juudouka) is clearly accepted by my computer kanji dictionary, but not ‘aikidouka'.

Since ‘aikido' has become anglicized, there is a similar arbitrariness about what to call someone who practices aikido. The name has to sound ‘right' in English.

This kind of issue is partly what makes the study of Japanese kanji so interesting.

Best wishes,

Hi Chris

In the 1950s/60s, I had never heard the term Aikidoka, in fact, I can't really remember when I first heard it used.
With the early teachers such as Kenshiro Abbe and Masahilo Nakazono students were refered to as Aikidoists..

Someone once wrote about one of my articles on a forum ( maybe AW ) , there was a reply " what does Henry Ellis know about Aikido, he referes to Aikidoka as ` Aikidoists `.

I did not bother to reply that I had a letter from the Doshu, stating " Aikidoists who were awarded Dan Grades by the founder are becoming fewer year by year. I believe that a person like you is very presious ".

I did find it interesting that the Doshu still used the term ` Aikidoist `.

Henry Ellis
Co-author of the book `Positive Aikido`.
http://britishaikido.blogspot.com/

Goldsbury and Ellis Sensei, thank you both for your reply! Language is a tricky.

FWIW, my original teacher (who was Japanese) corrected us when we used the term. Inaba Sensei thought it sounded inappropriate unless the person was doing aikido as their primary, dedicated activity and was accomplished. He said you wouldn't normally use it for someone that had another full-time job, for example.

I'm sure there are shades of grey on this (language usage being what it is), but I've always shied away from the term since he explained it to me that way. Having said that, I certainly wouldn't get offended by somebody else using it, as it seems pretty common these days.

Remember the 80's video game "karateka"? Whenever I hear "aikidoka" I think "somebody needs to make that game!".

For what it is worth, Judo players comprehensively refer to themselves as Judoka. In my opinion, unless you are specifically instructed to do so, a reservation of the term is either a sign of false humility or inappropriate deference.

Peter A Goldsbury wrote: Hello Chris, Well, there is a seeming arbitrariness about the matter. Aikidouka is a hybrid term in Japanese, not in common use. Like 柔道家 juudouka, it has come to be accepted to denote someone who practices aikido as a regular pastime. KA seems to be preferred to other suffixes, like SHA (者, meaning person). However, someone who trained hard at bujutsu, like Takada Sokaku, wandering round Japan doing 武者修行 musha-shugyou, was called a 修行者 shugyou-sha, not a shugyou-ka. Why? I do not really know. On my computer, 合気道者 comes out readily when I type in ‘aikidousha', but 合気道家 never appears when I type in ‘aikidouka'. With judo, the situation is reversed: 柔道家 (juudouka) is clearly accepted by my computer kanji dictionary, but not ‘aikidouka'. Since ‘aikido' has become anglicized, there is a similar arbitrariness about what to call someone who practices aikido. The name has to sound ‘right' in English. This kind of issue is partly what makes the study of Japanese kanji so interesting. Best wishes,

In German, the direct equivalent to aikidoist would be something like Aikidoer (in analogy to Fechter, Ringer etc.).
But, in the early sixties of the last century, when aikido came to Germany, many early aikidoists were equally judoists and members of the DJB (Deutscher Judo Bund); so they probably took advantage of the superficial analogy between "Aikidoka" and "Judoka", this in common use for a judo-player then and now.

Like in many other countries, the term "Aikidoka" is now widely used and apparently has evolved into a kind of appropriate one-word description, singular or plural, without (anybody ever caring about) its deeper meanings in Japanese.

Bernd Lehnen wrote: In German, the direct equivalent to aikidoist would be something like Aikidoer (in analogy to Fechter, Ringer etc.). But, in the early sixties of the last century, when aikido came to Germany, many early aikidoists were equally judoists and members of the DJB (Deutscher Judo Bund); so they probably took advantage of the superficial analogy between "Aikidoka" and "Judoka", this in common use for a judo-player then and now. Like in many other countries, the term "Aikidoka" is now widely used and apparently has evolved into a kind of appropriate one-word description, singular or plural, without (anybody ever caring about) its deeper meanings in Japanese.

As I said earlier, I had never heard the term `Aikidoka` from the 1950s untill maybe the 1980s - In 55 years of m/a I had never heard the term `Judoist` - as I read the above post I wondered why ? - In the early days it was always a Judoka and an Aikidoist. It was the same with the title Shihan, I am not sure when I first heard that used - maybe the 80s.

Henry Ellis
Co-author of `Positive Aikido`
http://rik-ellis.blogspot.co.uk/