武 wǔ military

military; martial

How it came to be

会意 · Meaning + meaning

Two or more parts whose meanings together make the new meaning.

The oldest form puts a dagger-axe over a foot: an army marching off with its weapons.

Bound morpheme for "military, martial", classically paired against 文 wén ("civil, literary"): 文武双全 wénwǔ shuāngquán, "accomplished in both letters and arms", a common compliment.
武术 wǔshù is the general word for Chinese martial arts as a discipline/sport, while 武器 wǔqì is simply "weapon".
武侠 wǔxiá refers to the martial-heroes genre of novels/films (wuxia), a distinct cultural term worth knowing beyond the literal "martial" meaning.
武力 wǔlì "military/armed force" appears in political and historical contexts, e.g. 使用武力 shǐyòng wǔlì, "to use force".