What is Budo?
Budō is a compound of the word bu (武:ぶ), meaning war or martial; and dō (道:どう), meaning path or way. Specifically, dō is derived from the Buddhist Sanskrit mārga (meaning the 'path' to enlightenment).[1] The term refers to the idea of formulating propositions, subjecting them to philosophical critique and then following a 'path' to realize them.[2] Dō signifies a 'way of life'. Dō in the Japanese context, is 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[3](state of Muga-mushin). Similarly to budō, bujutsu is a compound of the words 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".
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 writtings 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.
During Japan's feudal era, the word bujutsu was more commonly used to describe martial practices than budō. Likewise, terms for specific martial arts such as jujutsu, kenjutsu, and iaijutsu were in use. During Japan's transition from a feudal to an industrial society, many schools of martial arts changed the suffix of the arts they were practicing from "jutsu" to "dō". The intent of this change was in part to reflect a philosophical approach to training, where the spiritual and moral virtues of the martial arts are incorporated into one's entire life. Whether the change in philosophy actually occurred, never occurred, or whether that philosophy was always incorporated is open to debate.
Today, so-called "traditional" martial arts (from before the Meiji Restoration) are often referred to as koryū bujutsu (literally, "old-style martial art/science"), while more modern martial arts are called gendai budō (literally, "modern martial way").
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.
There is no test or standard to determine the classification, and it is certainly possible to consider these distinctions illusory. 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 philisophical 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.
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