budō

is a Japanese term describing modern Japanese martial arts. It is commonly translated as "Martial Way", or the "Way of Martial Arts".

==Etymology== is a compound of the root ( or ; ), meaning "war" or "martial"; and ( or ; ), incorporating the character above for head and below for foot, meaning the unification of mind and body "path" or "way" (including the ancient Indic Dharmic and Buddhist conception of "path", or in Sanskrit). is the idea of formulating propositions, subjecting them to philosophical critique and then following a "path" to realize them. signifies a "way of life". in the Japanese context is an experiential term 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. Modern has no external enemy, only the internal one: the ego that must be fought.