Budo
/bɯꜜdoː/noun
A Japanese term for martial arts understood as disciplined practices for cultivating the body, character, and mind.
Did you know?Although its characters are ancient, the modern umbrella term budō became prominent in Japan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as older combat arts were reorganized into systems of moral and physical education.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
武道
“A written expression combining martial force or military affairs with a way or path”
Early Japanese
Sino-Japanese
bu
“Martial, military, or relating to warriors; from Chinese wǔ”
Early Japanese
Sino-Japanese
dō
“Way, path, or disciplined course of practice; from Chinese dào”
19th Century
Japanese
budō
“A modern category for Japanese martial disciplines, increasingly framed as systems of ethical and personal cultivation”
Modern English
English
budo
“Japanese martial arts treated as a path of training and self-development”