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稽古 and 武道: practicing a dance and studying martial arts

Compare dance practice and a teacher's advice in 稽古 with study and courtesy in 武道.

稽古: dance practice and advice afterward

稽古 (けいこ) means practice or training. 「発表会に向けて毎晩踊りの稽古をする。」 means “I practice dancing every night before the recital.” The activity practiced every night is dancing for a recital.

「師匠は厳しいが、稽古の後には丁寧に助言してくれる。」 means “The teacher is strict but offers kind advice after practice.” The strict teacher's kind advice comes after practice; both parts of the contrast remain.

武道: a field of study that also values courtesy

武道 (ぶどう) means martial arts. 「道場で日本の武道について学んだ。」 means “We learned about Japanese martial arts at the training hall.” 武道 names what was learned at the training hall.

「武道の稽古では礼儀も大切にする。」 means “Courtesy is also important in martial arts training.” The も in 礼儀も says courtesy matters too; it does not make courtesy the sole content.

Read the activity and the field

The dance example shows that 稽古 cannot be limited to martial arts practice.

Learning about 武道 names a field, while practicing a dance describes a specific activity.

Does the nightly dance 稽古 example describe only martial arts practice?

Show the answer and why

No. The stated practice is dancing. 武道 names the field studied in a separate example, where courtesy is also valued.

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