Budō
Budō is a Japanese term describing modern Japanese martial arts. It is commonly translated as "Martial Way", or the "Way of Martial Arts".
Etymology
Budō is a compound of the root bu, meaning "war" or "martial"; and Dō, incorporating the character above for head and below for foot, meaning the unification of mind and body "path" or "way". Budō is the idea of formulating propositions, subjecting them to philosophical critique and then following a "path" to realize them. Dō signifies a "way of life". Dō in the Japanese context is an experiential term in the sense that practice is the norm to verify the validity of the discipline cultivated through a given art form. Modern budō has no external enemy, only the internal one: the ego that must be fought.Similarly to budō, bujutsu is a compound of the roots and jutsu, meaning technique. Thus, budō is translated as "martial way", or "the way of war" 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". Budo and bujutsu have quite a delicate difference: whereas bujutsu only gives attention to the physical part of fighting, budo also gives attention to the mind and how one should develop oneself.
The first significant occurrences of the word budō date back to the Kōyō Gunkan when it was used to describe the samurai 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 from bujutsu senmon gakkō to budō senmon gakkō; and later by Kanō Jigorō, judo's founder, when he chose to name his art judo instead of jujutsu.