Appendix B — Glossary of Practices and Terms

Kihon — Fundamental practice; the repeatable base that keeps advanced work honest.

Kata — Formal pattern; a container for precision, imagination, and transmission.

Kumite — Partnered interaction; rule set varies by school; always includes ethics.

Mushin — Non-clinging mind in action; not blankness, but freedom from fixation.

Zanshin — Remaining awareness; the mind does not abandon the moment after the moment.

Kaizen — Continuous improvement through small, compounding corrections.

Ikigai — Axis of meaning; what quietly organizes return and continuity.

Gaman — Endurance with dignity; not glorified suffering, but composed persistence.

Fudoshin — Immovable mind; stability under pressure without brittleness.

Shoshin — Beginner’s mind; disciplined openness, especially after competence.

Oubaitori — Grow like different trees; individual timing; reduce corrosive comparison.

Ganbaru — Effort without theatrical bargaining with discomfort.

Wabi-sabi — Imperfection as lived reality; function and authenticity over polish.

Terms shift by lineage. Your teacher’s glossary is also valid if it improves practice.