Budo Shop Background - What is Budo?
Budo (武道) literally means "way of war" or "art of war". The name is closely related to the term bushido (武士道), which is much better known. They differ only in the middle character "Shi". Bushido means "way of the warrior" and is internationally known primarily because of the book Bushido, which was written in the 19th century by Inazo Nitobe and deals with the samurai's code of honour.
Budo, on the other hand, is an umbrella term for Japanese martial arts. Budo shops therefore sell accessories for Japanese martial arts.
What belongs to the Budo martial arts?
All martial arts originating in Japan can be categorised under the term Budo. Many of them are based on each other and have been modernised and adapted again and again over the centuries. Swordsmanship, for example, is a very old Japanese martial art. However, it was not really organised in the sense of training until the 14th century. In this sense, the oldest budo discipline is sumo (wrestling), whose roots can be traced back to the 8th century. The martial art of Kyudo (archery) also belongs to the ancient arts. The well-known styles Judo, Aikido and Karate The martial arts also have their origins in the ancient martial arts, but were only transformed into a martial arts system in the 19th and 20th centuries.
What does Japan-Budo.com offer?
Our Budo Shop stocks products for styles based on Kenjutsu, i.e. martial arts with a focus on the Japanese sword. This includes accessories for many traditional ryu, such as Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, but also overlaps with much more modern styles such as Kendo.
As some styles that are normally practised without a sword also include techniques with a sword and the accessories (such as obi) are the same in some Budo disciplines, our range is suitable for a wide range of practitioners.
Iaito
Iaito are an important focus in our Budo Shop. The Japan Budo project began over 30 years ago and today we still offer a unique range of blunt training swords from Japan with a wide selection and excellent prices. You can find the corresponding swords in our online shop in the category Iaito from Japan.
Bokken
Bokken or in Japan usually referred to as bokuto are training swords made of wood. Bokken are used in training in many martial arts. Even though the range in our Budo Shop has shrunk considerably in the meantime due to a lack of availability, we still have Bokken for sword training to buy.
Shinken from Japan
In contrast to Iaito, Shinken are real swords with a sharp blade. These are used in some disciplines for advanced training without a partner. In addition to our Iaito range, we also offer a small selection of Shinken from Japan. This is part of a Budo Shop with sword assortment. These genuine katana are only offered subject to availability. As a rule, however, we usually have 1 to 2 pieces in the shop.
Budo clothing and accessories
Even though our focus is on the sword itself, our range also includes a basic selection of Budo clothinglike Hakama Gi and Obi. Around the sword you will also find many accessories for protection and care such as Sword pouches, sword bags and Sword care sets.
Nihonto
To round off our range, we sell some samurai antiques such as Samurai armour (Yoroi) and also a wide selection of genuine, antique swords from Japan is part of our fixed offer.
Japan Budo is a budo shop with history and tradition. We try to preserve and spread the theme of Japanese martial arts and the Japanese sword. Therefore we offer a special selection and always a good quality. We are pleased that you have become aware of our Budo Shop and hope that we can work together with you to make your training even better.
