Word help

[Jon_Bahey]

Hey everyone, so I just joined my new Aikido school. I have been going for about 3 weeks every other day and its incredible, I LOVE IT. Anyways every time we break off into pairs we bow to each other and say Hagamash/hakamash/hajimash?(I think this is the correct spelling) I was just wondering what this means? I believe its used in order to thank your partner for letting you train with him or her. Anyways I was really currious to what this means so i can start useing it sincerley instead of just saying it.

[fifthchamber]

I would guess you are saying "hajimemashite" although strictly speaking this should only be said once when meeting the person for the first time, it means "My pleasure to meet you" or something along those lines...
I would never say it after the first time I had met someone though, and so I could be mistaken if you say this each time you train..That would make no sense.
You may be saying "onegai shimasu" but that doesn't seem to fit with what you wrote...So my bet is on a misuse of "hajimemashite"
Or it may be "hajimete" which means "to begin", but again that doesn't really fit at all...
Glad that you enjoy Aikido!
Regards

[Peter Rehse]

I would guess you are saying "hajimemashite" although strictly speaking this should only be said once when meeting the person for the first time, it means "My pleasure to meet you" or something along those lines...
I would never say it after the first time I had met someone though, and so I could be mistaken if you say this each time you train..That would make no sense.
You may be saying "onegai shimasu" but that doesn't seem to fit with what you wrote...So my bet is on a misuse of "hajimemashite"
Or it may be "hajimete" which means "to begin", but again that doesn't really fit at all...
Glad that you enjoy Aikido!
Regards
Sounds like confusion and reconstruction to me.

We always say (like Benjamin) "onegai shimasu".

"Hajimete" comes across like an order rather than a request.

[Jon_Bahey]

Thank you for helping me right now everyone.

IT is pronounced Ha-Ge-Mash
Kind of like Hajiemash or Hajiemas and we say it every time we break of to do techniques. does anyone else have an idea of what it means? If no one knows ill ask one of the dans today. Thanks everyone!

[fifthchamber]

Maybe "hajimemas"? Meaning "let's begin"....Although, again, the use is not entirely correct if you say it each time you start techniques..Or rather, it is correct, but rather mendokusai to say each and every time you do a technique..
I would suggest asking one of the higher grades WHY you say what you say and then ask what it means...I am rather baffled at the usage of any of the above words, but it may just be a bad pronounciation of something rather more common..
I cannot think of anything that works aside from what is above..But it might be that..
Regards.

[Jon_Bahey]

I think i found out: Its onigashmas? onohagimash? what does this one mean?

[P Goldsbury]

The term is onegai-shimasu お願いします. It is sometimes coupled with another phrase yoroshiku 宜しく よろしく and is very often heard and seen in Japan.

For example, we are now into the new year and the Japanese have been sending new year cards. Inevitably, there is the phrase kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu 今年もよろしくお願いします, or with the more honorific onegai itashimasu.

One of my Japanese students translated this phrase as, This year, please continue to take a favorable view of my situation. That is, he was hoping I would give him a credit for the course he was taking.

The general idea is that it is a request to help each other to achieve some kind of unspoken common aim, like having a good training session.

[RickMatz]

Onegai shimasu is an expression of profound thanks.

[Peter Rehse]

More like "please"

[RickMatz]

Doh! You're right. My Japanese is still just coming together, and I was suffereing the aftereffects of a trip to a microbrewery when I posted that.

[Jon_Bahey]

Onegai shimasu Got it. Thanks guys you helped so much on this one!:D does anyone else use this in their aikido training?

[Peter Rehse]

Onegai shimasu Got it. Thanks guys you helped so much on this one!:D does anyone else use this in their aikido training?

In my dojo - both sensei and students say it as they bow to each other at the beginning of the class

Throughout the class - a new pairing up will get the same response and many times you will hear it as the roles change.

Its used a lot.

[Jon_Bahey]

Instead of making a new thread i might as well just keep adding on to this one since its about language. Where can i find a website that will tell me the meaning/definition of specific japanese words, examples:

• katate dori shihonage omote & ura
• shomen uchi ikkyo omote & ura
• shomen uchi irimi nage

thanks guys!!

[ben]

Instead of making a new thread i might as well just keep adding on to this one since its about language. Where can i find a website that will tell me the meaning/definition of specific japanese words, examples:

• katate dori shihonage omote & ura
• shomen uchi ikkyo omote & ura
• shomen uchi irimi nage

thanks guys!!

Google. Truly. It works. There is probably more aikido guff on the interweb than any other martial art. Reasonably reliable guff that is.

b

PS - FWIW I do kendo and we also say "onegaishimasu!" ALL the time.