止戈为武 stop the halberd to be martial
Explanation
“武”字由“止”和“戈”两个字组成，“止戈”就是停止战争的意思。所以“止戈为武”就是指真正的武功，不在于武力，而在于能止戈息战，化干戈为玉帛，从而使战争不再发生。
The character “武” (wǔ) is composed of two characters: “止” (zhǐ, stop) and “戈” (gē, halberd). Therefore, “止戈” means to stop war. So “止戈为武” means that true martial arts are not about force, but about stopping war, turning hostility into friendship, and thus preventing wars from happening.
Origin Story
春秋时期，两个强大的国家为了争夺土地和资源，爆发了一场旷日持久的战争。战争给人民带来了巨大的痛苦和灾难，田园被破坏，家园被摧毁，百姓流离失所，哀鸿遍野。一位德高望重的智者，看到战争的残酷，决心用自己的智慧来阻止战争。他找到了两个国家的统治者，向他们阐述了战争的危害，劝他们放下武器，选择和平解决争端。经过长期的劝说，两个国家最终达成了协议，停止了战争。智者用自己的智慧和勇气，实现了“止戈为武”的理想，为后世留下了一段佳话。
During the Spring and Autumn period, two powerful states erupted into a protracted war over land and resources. The war brought great suffering and disaster to the people; fields were ravaged, homes destroyed, and the people were displaced and scattered, with cries of grief everywhere. A wise and respected sage, witnessing the cruelty of war, determined to use his wisdom to stop it. He found the rulers of the two states and explained the harms of war, urging them to lay down their arms and choose peaceful resolution. After lengthy persuasion, the two states finally reached an agreement and ended the war. The sage, through his wisdom and courage, realized the ideal of "止戈为武," leaving behind a wonderful story for posterity.
Usage
通常用作定语，形容以和平的方式解决冲突或战争。
It is usually used as an attributive, describing the peaceful resolution of conflicts or wars.
Examples
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他为人处世总是以和为贵，主张止戈为武，避免冲突。
ta weiren chushi zongshi yi he wei gui, zhuyichang zhige wei wu, bimian chongtu.
He always values harmony and advocates for peace, avoiding conflict.
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与其兵戎相见，不如坐下来谈判，止戈为武，化干戈为玉帛。
yuqi bingrong xiangjian, buru zuoxia lai tanpan, zhige wei wu, huagan ge wei yubai.
Rather than resorting to war, it's better to sit down and negotiate for peace, transforming hostility into friendship..