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| Budō | |||||
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| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 武道 | ||||
| Hiragana | ぶどう | ||||
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Budō (武道) is aJapanese term describing modernJapanese martial arts.[1][2][3] It is commonly translated as "Martial Way", or the "Way of Martial Arts".
Budō is a compound of the rootbu (武 orぶ;Chinese:wǔ), meaning "war" or "martial"; anddō (道 orどう;dào), incorporating the character above for head and below for foot, meaning the unification of mind and body "path" or "way"[4] (including the ancient IndicDharmic and Buddhist conception of "path", orSanskrit:mārga inSanskrit[5]).Budō is the idea of formulating propositions, subjecting them to philosophical critique and then following a "path" to realize them.[6]Dō signifies a "way of life".Dō in the Japanese context is an experiential term in the sense that practice (the way of life) is the norm to verify the validity of the discipline cultivated through a given art form. Modernbudō has no external enemy, only the internal one: theego that must be fought.[7]
Similarly tobudō,bujutsu is a compound of the rootsbu (武) andjutsu (術 orじゅつ), meaning technique.[8] Thus,budō is translated as "martial way",[9][10][11] or "the way of war" whilebujutsu is translated as "science of war" or "martial craft". However, bothbudō andbujutsu are used interchangeably in English with the term "martial arts".Budo andbujutsu have quite a delicate difference: whereasbujutsu only gives attention to the physical part of fighting (how to best defeat an enemy),budo also gives attention to the mind and how one should develop oneself.[citation needed]
The first significant occurrences of the wordbudō date back to theKōyō Gunkan (16th century) when it was used to describe thesamurai lifestyle rather than the practice of martial techniques. The word was later re-theorized and redefined to the definition we know today, first by Nishikubo Hiromichi and the Dai Nippon Butokukai when the name of their vocational school for martial arts was changed frombujutsu senmon gakkō tobudō senmon gakkō; and later byKanō Jigorō,judo's founder, when he chose to name his artjudo instead ofjujutsu.[12]
Inmodern history usage,bujutsu translates asmartial art,military science, ormilitary strategy depending on context, and is typified by its practical application of technique to real-world or battlefield situations.Budō, meaning martial way, has a more philosophical emphasis, but in actual usage,budo is considered the general term for all martial arts in Japan.
Many[weasel words] considerbudō a more civilian form of martial arts, as an interpretation or evolution of the olderbujutsu, which they categorize as a more militaristic style or strategy. According to this distinction, the modern civilian art de-emphasizes practicality and effectiveness in favor of personal development from a fitness or spiritual perspective. The difference is between the more "civilian" versus "military" aspects of combat and personal development. They seebudō andbujutsu as representing a particular strategy or philosophy regarding combat systems, but still, the terms are rather loosely applied and often interchangeable.
One view is that abujutsu is the martial art one practices, whereas abudo is the lifestyle one lives and the path one walks by practicing abujutsu. For example, one could say that judo and jujutsu practised as a martial art are one and the same, meaning that the practice of the art jujutsu leads to obtaining the lifestyle of judo. (Judo was originally known asKanō jujutsu, after judo's founderKanō Jigorō.) That would also be true for arts such askenjutsu/kendo andiaijutsu/iaido.
Budō was featured in theSummer Olympic Games demonstration programme in1964.[13]
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| Kobudō | |
| Gendai budō | |
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