Beginners Classes: Basic Japanese Terms
	As we are studying a traditional Japanese martial art, it is important that some basic Japanese terminology is observed. The following hints are to help you get to grips with basic dojo etiquette.
	When entering the dojo, first bow to the Kamidana (spiritual focal point), and then greet everyone present by saying the appropriate phrase:
	ohayo gozaimasu - good morning konnichiwa - good afternoon konbanwa - good evening
	When leaving the dojo, bow to the Kamidana and say sayonara (goodbye) or oyasumi nasai (good night) to anyone remaining in the dojo.
	When you are training with a partner it is good manners to bow to your partner at the beginning and end of training.
	When you start training, bow and say onegai shimasu (this is similar in Japanese to please, but in this context means “let’s train together”). When you have finished training, bow and say arigato gozaimashita (thank you).
	To ask a question, either to the teacher or to a senior student, please say “sumimasen” (excuse me) and after receiving the answer, say arigato gozaimashita.
	Counting
	One - ichi Two - ni Three - san Four - shi (yon) Five - go Six - roku Seven - shichi Eight - hachi Nine - ku Ten - ju
	Pronouncing Japanese
	The following vowels should be pronounced as follows:
	A should be spoken like the "a" sound in the word "ah" I should be spoken like the "I" sound in the word "we" U should be spoken like the "oo" sound in the word "soon" E should be spoken like the "e" sound in the word "get" O should be spoken like the "o" sound in the word "old"
	All consonants should be pronounced as in English (as a rough guide).