japanese words for martial arts?

[poetic misjustice]

what does the term martial arts translate to in japanese? i know in chinese it's literally wushu which actually means martial art, but the most commonly used is kung fu or gung fu which means way of virtue

[Jay Bell]

Budo

Kung fu - Hard work...something that takes effort

[Eldritch Knight]

武道 = ぶどう = budou is the most common. You can also say　武芸 = ぶげい = bugei, which is a bit more archaic, but still in standard usage.

[poetic misjustice]

thanks for that, and they named kung fu aptly.

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

Budo - 武道

Bujutsu - 武術

Bugei - 武芸

Heiho - 兵法

Also, the rare usage of the term, Heijutsu - 兵術

[KIT]

Kung fu (properly gong fu) is written with completely different characters than wushu/bujutsu or wudao/budo.

功夫

In fact, gong fu does not actually necessarily refer to any kind of martial practice at all. Literally it means "hard work" and to "have gongfu" means to display the evidence of that hard work in your actions be it painting or martial arts or calligraphy or what have you.

[swdw]

In reality, there are no Japanese words that directly translate to martial arts. Martial arts is a western term that first started gaining use in the 1960's (or possibly late 1950's).

Budo is more correctly translated as the warrior's way or warriors path.

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

In reality, there are no Japanese words that directly translate to martial arts. Martial arts is a western term that first started gaining use in the 1960's (or possibly late 1950's).

Budo is more correctly translated as the warrior's way or warriors path.

Bu (武 ) means military or war. Bushi (武士 ) means warrior.

Budo (武道 ) means military/martial path/way and bushido (武士道 ) means warrior's way/path.

Martial is a latin term referring to Mars, which pertains to war & the military. Not a new term.

[fifthchamber]

Surely Bugei means "Martial arts" almost as a direct translation? 武 meaning "Martial" and 芸 meaning an "art or craft"....Ummm...It looks to me as though this translates fairly well into "Martial arts"....It was used a while before 1960 too..Gei translates roughly as an art or performance of such...So while the term may not be from the Heian Jidai it would cover the usage..

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

Hmmm, I always translated Bugei (武芸 ) as meaning martial or military crafts a bit like the way the term fieldcraft is used.

[Eldritch Knight]

Hmmm, I always translated Bugei (武芸 ) as meaning martial or military crafts a bit like the way the term fieldcraft is used.
Same here... since it is a fairly old term, I always assumed it derived from the no-nonsense kill-efficiently styles, like some of the older koryu. As I understand it, the term budou (武道) didn't come around until the Tokugawa came into power and samurai started training the soul in addition to the sword.

[fifthchamber]

Hi Steve,
Yes I would agree that Martial Crafts would work but the literal translation of the "芸" kanji is "arts/crafts/techniques/skills" and it could certainly be used in the term..I agree that practically the term Bugei is not descriptive of "art" in the sense that we mean..But the description could certainly fit. And it fits somewhat better than Budo for "martial arts" I think..I don't think the use of arts is necessarily derogatory here in Japan..It may show a slight turn toward the "flowery forms" but it's not a slight on the arts being done..]
Oh, Jason..While not a special section of training many Koryu trained the "soul" of the student simply by training in reflexes to situations that the student was trained in..The entire ethos of the school was training the spirit..The soul was formed or reformed by the training to become something else..An image of the school embodied..And many schools before the Tokugawa shogunate have this idea as a backbone..The later schools of Iaido and Kendo may have gone out of their way to SAY it but the older ones are just as well planned to form the "soul" of it's followers I think
Ahh...Steve, what am I saying this to you for?Heh...Sorry mate..I'm just nitpicking..
Regards.

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

Hi Steve,
Yes I would agree that Martial Crafts would work but the literal translation of the "芸" kanji is "arts/crafts/techniques/skills" and it could certainly be used in the term..I agree that practically the term Bugei is not descriptive of "art" in the sense that we mean..But the description could certainly fit. And it fits somewhat better than Budo for "martial arts" I think..I don't think the use of arts is necessarily derogatory here in Japan..It may show a slight turn toward the "flowery forms" but it's not a slight on the arts being done..]
Oh, Jason..While not a special section of training many Koryu trained the "soul" of the student simply by training in reflexes to situations that the student was trained in..The entire ethos of the school was training the spirit..The soul was formed or reformed by the training to become something else..An image of the school embodied..And many schools before the Tokugawa shogunate have this idea as a backbone..The later schools of Iaido and Kendo may have gone out of their way to SAY it but the older ones are just as well planned to form the "soul" of it's followers I think
Ahh...Steve, what am I saying this to you for?Heh...Sorry mate..I'm just nitpicking..
Regards.

Well the meanings for some Kanji aren't as concrete as they are in English. As you have stated, Gei can mean art craft or skill. It all depends on the intended meanings.

[rupertmja]

Also: 格鬪技 = kakutougi (Japanese) = 격투기 = geoktugi (Korean) = fighting art(s)

[Mark Barlow]

My sensei used the phrase Baka yaro quite a bit while he was giving me instruction but I doubt it's directly related to the study of martial arts. :laugh:

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

My sensei used the phrase Baka yaro quite a bit while he was giving me instruction but I doubt it's directly related to the study of martial arts. :laugh:

Ha! I've never had that said to me before in the dojo. I have had the word aho muttered to me a few times at drinking parties though. :D

[Toby Threadgill]

Hey Steve,

Thanks again for the good times in the UK.

The funny stuff we get from our Japanese teachers. Once during a party at Takamura's house he referred to me as a "Henna Gaijin" (sp?) to Takagi sensei. I never knew exactly what it meant but Dave Maynard's eyebrows shot up when it was said. He later told me it was an unusual compliment. I've always been suspicious....lol

So....What's your definition?

[WhiteBeltJones]

Hey Steve,

Thanks again for the good times in the UK.

The funny stuff we get from our Japanese teachers. Once during a party at Takamura's house he referred to me as a "Henna Gaijin" (sp?) to Takagi sensei. I never knew exactly what it meant but Dave Maynard's eyebrows shot up when it was said. He later told me it was an unusual compliment. I've always been suspicious....lol

So....What's your definition?

"Henna Gaijin" means, I think, the equivalent of "Crazy Foreigner". I'll ask my wife later if that's correct.

[Toby Threadgill]

Hi Kurt,

Actually I caught Dave Maynard on AIM a few minutes ago and brought up the incident. We got a laugh out of it.

"Strange foreigner"

Takamura evidently used the term in the context of someone like myself being intensely devoted to studying koryu jujutsu. Takamura was apparantly discussing the unfortunate fact that many of the youth in Japan showed no interest in koryu, believeing it to be old fashioned. He and Takagi sensei were discussing that koryu's best chance for survival most possibly existed in the dedication shown by these 'henna gaijin" in the room. So it wasn't just pertaining to me, but all of us "strange foreigners".