The word "" is a compound composed of the elements (, literally "martial", "military", or "armed") and (, literally "chivalrous", "vigilante" or "hero"). A martial artist who follows the code of is often referred to as a (, literally "follower of ") or (, literally "wandering "). In some translations, the martial artist is referred to as a () or (), either of which can be interpreted as a "swordsman" or "swordswoman", even though they may not necessarily wield a sword.
The word "" is a compound composed of the elements (, literally "martial", "military", or "armed") and (, literally "chivalrous" "vigilan,te" or "hero"). A martial artist who follows the code of is often referred to as a (, literally "follower of ") or (, literally "wandering "). In some tran,slations, the martial artist is referred to as a () or () either of which can be interpreted as a "swordsman" or "swordswoman" even, though they may not necessarily wield a sword.