Aikido Japanese Terms- Do We Really Need to Learn Them?

Before I started practicing Aikido, the number of Japanese terms I knew were less than the fingers I
have in both hands.  So during the first day and succeeding days of my training, every time the Sensei (Sensei Max Tian of Cebu Ki Society) names the attack and the technique to be executed,  I could imagine question marks would pop up above my head and say "Huh?". Whenever there were seniors beside me, they would repeat what Sensei said and I would say, "Ahh... What is that??"

After a short period of time, I have learned to execute the techniques properly, (or at least my execution improves each practice) but I would still get confused with the Japanese terms.

Do We Really Need to Learn the Japanese Terms to Learn Aikido?

Do we really need to learn the Japanese terms in order to learn Aikido? Can't we just get the instructions in English or any local language? Perhaps, these are the common thoughts of Aikido beginners that often get confused when given the instructions in Japanese.  In my years of experience in practicing Aikido, the answers are Yes and No.

Yes, we need to learn the Japanese terms used in Aikido; and No, we can't just use pure English or local languages---we can translate the Japanese terms to English or local languages so the practitioners or Aikidokas could understand them but we can't do away with the Japanese Terms.

Why? 

Why do we need to lean the Japanese terms and can't do away with them? Majority of Aikido dojos all over the world operate under the umbrella of a certain "style" of Aikido (Aikia, Iwama ryu, Ki Society, Yoshinkan, etc.. ).  However, no matter which style a particular dojo follows, the names of the techniques are all the same. Many times, 

Inter-Dojo visits.

Aikidokas would visit other dojos (even from different styles) in order to share teir knowledge or learn from that dojo. Since, the Japanese terms used are the same in all dojos, Aikidokas from different dojos will have no trouble understanding the instructions given.

Examination of Black Belts

Another reason is, when Aikidokas would like to receive their black belts, once they are qualified, the examination, specially in Aikika, is given by Japanese Shihans and the instructions are given in Japanese.

Google and Youtube Search Terms

Another big advantage of having a common language is when you search for a particular technique in Google (or any other search engines for that matter) and  Yoube is you need only to search for that technique in Japanese and you will get tons of results including those uploaded in different languages (Russians, Japanese, French, etc...)

You Will Get It Soon Enough
For a beginner in Aikido, the Japanese terms could be a bit confusing and sometimes adds to the difficulty in learning the art, However, given the reasons above, learning the Japanese terms in Aikido is necessary in learning the art itself. Just keep practicing and by hearing the terms again and again, you will understand the terms and associate them with the  techniques soon enough.