Bujutsu - Martial Arts of the Samurai

Bujutsu is an umbrella term that covers all of the traditional Japanese martial arts such as Kenjutsu, SoJutsu, JoJutsu and so on and was originally the sole preserve of the Samurai though nowadays Bujutsu techniques are practiced by many people around the world. The term derives from the Japanese words for war (Bu) and technique (Jutsu). There are many Japanese Ryu (specific Martial arts schools or styles) that teach elements of Bujutsu some Ryu concentrate on specific weapons such as the Katana whereas some (Such as the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu) teach all of the traditional weapons. The term Bujutsu is often mistaken for the more recent term Budo (especially in western countries) and though both are collective terms for Japanese martial arts there are differences.