Gendai budō includes such arts as aikido, judo, jūkendō, iaidō, karate-do, kendo, Kyūdō, and shorinji kempo. Certain ryūha (schools) of these arts, however, can be classified as koryū, having been established before the Meiji Restoration (for example, Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryūha of iaidō is more than 400 years old).

The Japanese art of sumo is often defined as a gendai budō. This definition is incorrect, however, as sumo is, in fact, an ancient art that has attained popularity and media coverage in the modern era.

Gendai budō often have origins in koryū, or the traditional Japanese martial arts. For example, Kano Jigoro (嘉納 治五郎 Kanō Jigorō, 1860–1938) founded judo in part as an attempt to systematize the myriad traditions of jujutsu which existed at the time. Kendo similarly derives from the many schools of kenjutsu that evolved over the centuries.

Gendai budō generally stress martial arts as a study of life principles, for example as a means to refine one's approach to conflict or danger. Most, therefore, agree that it is improper to classify koryū as nothing more than fighting techniques, or to classify budō as merely a show or game. Rather, this perspective suggests that both koryū and gendai budō contain elements of both dō (path, with spiritual overtones) and jutsu (technique). Many martial artists see the two as fundamentally interconnected, and the difference in emphasis may nonetheless manifest in various ways in content of the instruction, such as the focus on the state of mind during a technique or a focus on the technique itself