The kanji 武 primarily conveys the meaning of "military," "warrior," or "martial." It encapsulates concepts related to military prowess, valor, and the skills associated with combat and self-defense. It can also refer to the spirit or essence of martial arts and physical strength.

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

⚫︎ 武道 Translation: Martial arts ⚫︎ 武士 Translation: Samurai, warrior ⚫︎ 武力 Translation: Military force, armed strength

The kanji 武 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is 止 (shi), which depicts a foot, or "to stop." The right side is 戈 (ka), which depicts a halberd. The original meaning implied "stopping" the halberd, which then evolved to be related to "military," or to keep the peace. The development of the character over time shows it evolving from earlier forms that more clearly show the halberd and foot.