The kanji 武 primarily conveys the meaning of "military," "warrior," "chivalry," or "martial." It encapsulates the ideas of strength, combat, and the skills associated with warfare, but it also carries the connotations of honor, valor, and the ethical code followed by warriors.

・On-yomi (音読み): ブ (bu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): たけ (take)

⚫︎ 武道 Translation: Martial arts ⚫︎ 武士 Translation: Samurai ⚫︎ 武力 Translation: Military power, force

The kanji 武 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). It is composed of two parts: the character 止 (shi), meaning "stop" or "foot," at the bottom, and the character 戈 (ka), meaning "halberd" or "spear," at the top. The combination implies that stopping or preventing the use of a weapon (戈) is the true essence of military strength. It reflects the idea that the ultimate goal of the warrior is to achieve peace and resolve conflicts without resorting to violence, if possible.