onnabugeisha

Onnabugeisha, literally “female martial artist” in Japanese, is a term that emerged in the early 20th century to describe women who trained in and practiced the traditional Japanese martial arts known as budo. The word combines the particles “onna” (female) with “bugeisha” (a word that itself derives from “buke,” meaning warrior class, and “geisha,” which in this context refers to an individual practicing a specific skill). Unlike the better‑known onna‑shi or onna‑no‑bushi, which refer more broadly to daughters of samurai families or women who served as samurai in their own right, onnabugeisha emphasizes the formal martial training of women in disciplines such as kendo, judo, aikido, and jūjutsu.

Historically, women of the samurai class received martial instruction to defend the household and estate in the absence of male warriors. However, few women were publicly recognized as warriors, and their contributions were largely documented only in family records. The modern revival of onnabugeisha began in the 1930s, when media portrayals such as the Japanese cinema’s portrayal of female fighters popularized the term. Since then, the concept has evolved into a broader cultural reference to female practitioners of budo, often highlighting their dedication to skill, discipline, and the preservation of traditional martial values.

Today, onnabugeisha is used both colloquially and academically to denote women’s participation in Japanese martial arts. Modern female martial artists, regardless of their background, may be described as onnabugeisha as a nod to the historical lineage of women who engaged in formal combat training. The term continues to appear in martial arts literature, teaching guides, and Japanese media to acknowledge the role of women in the country’s martial heritage.