Training in Chinese / Japanese...

If training or drill is important to you (especially for military drill and training), this might be just the thing for a drill master to hang behind his/her desk.

This term is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. It can also mean practice or exercise, depending on context.

錬磨 is a Japanese word which means training, practice, practise, or cultivation.

This is a form of discipline which suggests training of the mind and character, aimed at producing self-control, obedience, etc.

One of my Chinese-English dictionaries even translates this as "tempering oneself" or turning yourself into hardened steel.

In old Korean Hanja, they use these characters in reverse order but with the same meaning. If you want the Korean version, please click this link instead of the button above: Korean version.

練功 is a martial arts term can mean to practice and attain working skills, feats of practice/practise, or skills acquired through hard training.

練功 is often used as a martial arts term but can apply to other skills (or professions).

There is more than one way to translate this ancient Chinese military proverb. Here are a few interpretations:

A drop of sweat spent in a drill is a drop of blood saved in war.

More practice will give one a better chance of success in real situation.

The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.

I heard this many times when I was a U.S. Marine but I had no idea at the time that it was actually an old Chinese proverb.

This Chinese, Japanese, and Korean word is the simplest way to say practice, train, drill, exercise, or to describe the effort taken to perfect one's skill.