Budō

infobox martial art term
pic = Budo1.jpg
picsize = 150px
kanji = 武道
hiragana = ぶどう
revhep = budōNihongo|Budō|武道 is a Japanese term describing martial arts. In English, it is used almost exclusively in reference to Japanese martial arts.

Etymology

Budō is a compound of the root "bu" (:ぶ), meaning war or martial; and "dō" (:どう), meaning path or way. Specifically, "dō" is derived from the Buddhist Sanskrit "mārga" (meaning the 'path' to enlightenment). [cite book
last = Morgan
first = Diane
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion
publisher = Renaissance Books
date = 2001
location = New York
pages = p. 38
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = ] The term refers to the idea of formulating propositions, subjecting them to philosophical critique and then following a 'path' to realize them. [cite book
last = Kiyota
first = Minoru
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Kendo, Its Philosophy, History and Means to Personal Growth
publisher = Kegan Paul International
date = 1995
location =
pages = p. 15
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = ] "Dō" signifies a 'way of life'. "Dō" in the Japanese context, is an experiential term, experiential 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. The modern budō has no external enemy, only the internal enemy, one's ego that must be fought [cite book
last = Craig
first = Darrell Max
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Mugai Ryu - The Classical Samurai Art of Drawing the Sword
publisher = YMAA Publication Center
date = 2002
location = Boston, Mass.
pages = p. 2
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = ] (state of Muga-mushin). Similarly to budō, "bujutsu" is a compound of the roots "bu" (武), and "jutsu" (術:じゅつ), meaning science, craft, or art. Thus, budō is most often translated as "the way of war", or "martial way", while "bujutsu" is translated as "science of war" or "martial craft." However, both budō and "bujutsu" are used interchangeably in English with the term "martial arts". Some scholars note that an examination of the kanji for the term "bu" reveals a depiction of crossed halberds, a flick of blood, and the character for the word stop. One important interpretation among some schools of budo and bujutsu is that the term "bu" is more accurately rendered as "a means to stop the conflict". This would lead to an alternative translation of "budo" as "conflict resolution".

Bujutsu

It is very difficult to precisely delineate the differences between budō and "bujutsu". Sometimes, the differences are considered historical; others cite differences in training methods, training philosophy, or emphasis on spiritual development. Although the distinction was first popularized in the west through the writings of Donn F. Draeger, many consider the difference a false construct with no historical basis. Some of the distinctions between the two forms are discussed below.

Gendai budo vs. Koryu bujutsu

During Japan's feudal era, the word "bujutsū" was more commonly used to describe martial arts than the word "budō".Fact|date=April 2008 Today, "classical" martial arts created before the Meiji Restoration are often called "koryū bujutsu" (literally, "old-style martial art/science"). Correspondingly, "traditional" martial arts created during or after the Meiji Restoration are called "gendai budō" (literally, "modern martial way"). Gendai budō such as "judo", "kendo" and "iaido" came from koryū bujutsu such as "jujutsu", "kenjutsu" and "iaijutsu" respectively.

The transition from the classical arts (koryū bujutsu) to the traditional arts (gendai budō) was mainly due to developments in modern weaponry, which rendered many classical arts obsolete.Fact|date=April 2008 Many schools of martial arts closed,Fact|date=April 2008 others tried to keep the old koryū bujutsu values, and an increasing number started using the suffix "do" instead of "jutsu" to designate the modern focus of their practice. These changes marked a philosophical shift of attention from the battlefield to the promotion of spiritual, moral, physical, and martial virtues.Fact|date=April 2008

Civilian vs. Military

Many consider budō a more civilian form of martial arts, as an interpretation or evolution of the older "bujutsu", 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 see budō and "bujutsu" as representing a particular strategy or philosophy regarding combat systems, but still, the terms are rather loosely applied and often interchangeable.

Art vs. Lifestyle

One view is that a jutsu is the martial art you practice, whereas a do is the lifestyle you live and the path you walk by practicing a jutsu. For example, one could say that Judo and Jujutsu practiced as a practiced martial art are one and the same, being that the practice of the art Jujutsu leads to obtaining the lifestyle of Judo (it should be noted that Judo was originally known as Kano Jujutsu, after Judo's founder Kano Jigoro). That would be true with arts such as kenjutsu/kendo and iaijutsu/iaido as well.

Identifying an art

There is a Japanese organization which keeps official records of koryu bujutsu and gendai budo schools (ryuha). In order to know if a particular school or art belongs to any of those types, you can check the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai records.

Generally speaking, a school of martial arts chooses whatever term they feel most comfortable with. A martial arts school might choose to call their practice "bujutsu", because they desire a connection with the past, or to emphasize that their art is practiced as it was during a certain point in history. A school might choose to call their practice "budō" to reflect an emphasis on spiritual and philosophical development, or simply to reflect that the art was developed more recently, such as aikido, which was synthesized by its founder during the early twentieth century (the older name is "aikijutsu" or "aiki-jūjutsu", which are still in use by some martial arts). Some schools may even choose "bujutsu" as an express rejection of the modern emphasis on spirituality and philosophy.

References

ee also

* Japanese martial arts
* Bushido
* Muga-mushin
* Kyushindo
* Kenshiro Abbe
* Kinomichi
* Budo Senmon Gakko
* Japanese sports
* Hagakure (Hidden Leaves) by Yamamoto Tsunetomo
* Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings) by Miyamoto Musashi

External links

* [http://www.bujinkan.me.uk/budo.htm Budo: A Glass Half Full] Thoughts and reflections on the essence of budo. A useful link for the aspiring Budoka.
* [http://www.japancalligraphy.eu/kanji/budo.htm Kanji Budo]
* [http://shoshinkan-english.blogspirit.com Le IAIDO, an art of mind...]