# What is kakutogi?



## arnisador (Nov 9, 2002)

I saw a reference to someone in Japan who 'teaches _kakutogi_'. Is this an art or a type of teaching?


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## KumaSan (Nov 10, 2002)

My wife says it just means "Martial Arts". No more, no less. Nothing special at all conveyed in the message.


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## arnisador (Nov 10, 2002)

From the context I suspected it wasn't an art per se but I wasn't sure.


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## RyuShiKan (Nov 13, 2002)

> _Originally posted by KumaSan _
> 
> *My wife says it just means "Martial Arts". No more, no less. Nothing special at all conveyed in the message. *



Well yes and no.
The nuance associated with  kakutogi (fighting arts) and budo (martial arts) is a bit different.

*Kakutogi* might be better translated as "fighting arts" and more specifically the the modern type. 
Boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, and so on.

Budo is often translated as "Martial Arts" and carries a bit more traditional emphasis with it. Things like Kenjutusu, and so on.


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## Kimpatsu (Aug 24, 2003)

Kakutogi has a specific sporting component.
This is why I dislike the English umbrella rubric, "martial arts". Of which Japanese word is it a translation? Budo, bujutsu, bugei, or kakutogi? All of these four are different in meaning, and yet they are all lumped together in English.


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## arnisador (Aug 27, 2003)

Yes, we don't draw the same distinctions with respect to Oriental arts it seems.


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## Kimpatsu (Aug 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *Yes, we don't draw the same distinctions with respect to Oriental arts it seems. *


The lack of specificity is galling.


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## Rich Parsons (Aug 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Kimpatsu _
> *The lack of specificity is galling. *



Yet, when Americans create someting new to represent a new term or word or phrase or even art, they are attacked for not following the structure of some other culture.

So could not some of those words translate to competitive combative sports? Or self defense, or even Martial Arts.

Just curious.


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## Kimpatsu (Aug 28, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Rich Parsons _
> *Yet, when Americans create someting new to represent a new term or word or phrase or even art, they are attacked for not following the structure of some other culture.
> 
> So could not some of those words translate to competitive combative sports? Or self defense, or even Martial Arts.
> ...


I'll ask again: Be specific. Which Japanese term are you translating as "martial art"? Budo, bugei, bujutsu, or kakutogi?
Lack of specificty isn't American; it's just meaningless.


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## arnisador (Aug 28, 2003)

I don't think of it as a translation--I think of it as using an English term as a description. I don't think it's incorrect but it isn't very precise.


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## Kimpatsu (Aug 28, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *I don't think of it as a translation--I think of it as using an English term as a description. I don't think it's incorrect but it isn't very precise. *


It's so general as to be meqaningless. Budo and kakutogi, for example, are mutually exclusive concepts.


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