Origins /histories of well-known martial arts (Bujutsu in Japanese, Wu Shu in Chinese) schools/styles/systems today can be traced to the Shaolin Temple (AD 504) in China, where the famous Zen Buddhism and Martial Art called Shaolin Kung Fu or Temple boxing atarted. Zen Buddhism was transmitted from Shaolin Temple/China to Japan in Kamakura period /1185-1333), which was also a period of non-armed Bujutsu transmission to Japan. However non-armed Bujutsu were not so important in Samurai periode (1185 - 1868), because all Samurais wear Katana/swords. During this long period, the main Bujutsu in was Ken-jutsu (art of Sword). This tradition still continues in Japan and about 20% of Bujutsu/Budo people practice Ken-Jutsu and/or Kendo (modern sport).
Very few in West practice these swords fighting, but it is real Japanese arts & sport, and very repected Bujutsu/Budo in Japan.When Samurai domination finished (1868) and Meiji Emperor and his government prohibited the carring of swords, non-armed Bujutsu & Budo like Ju-jitsu, Aiki Jutsu, Judo and Karate flowered. But unfortunately many Jujutsu schools had to close because of Judo. Then after the World II, new Budo such as Aikido and Shorinji-Kempo (Japanese Shaolin Kung Fu) became very populor.
It took almost 1000 years for non-armed Bujutsu to be recognized widely through Japan, especially during last 40 years Bujutsu/Budo became very popular not only in Japan, but also all over the World.
People practice Bujutsu/Budo as sports, as art, as health excercise and as religion. For some people, Bujutsu is a life style and it is also an obligated knowledge or skill for police officers and security people all over the World.
Budo is not merely a fighting sport, but there are much more (deeper) things. The Bujutsu &Budo population is more than 30 million spreded all over the World through many national and international organizations. Bujutsu may started in China as a health exercise, as a family tradition or a part of religion, but Japanese made Bujutsu a part of the academic education system. What a difference that made! The Japanese education system is easy for people of all kinds of religions and cultures to adopt, to learn and to use. Example: Grade system (Kyu and Dan), color system for belts. This is why it became very popular in the World. Now a days even Chinese Martial Arts schools use Japanese system, and Korean and Fillipino follow, too. It is a good thing to accept or to adopt if it works. This is why we run International Bujutsu University in order to exchange experience, to teach, to learn and so on from all over the World. It does not mean we mix everything.
