Greetings,
From what I understand, waza infers "technique", or "the practice of" and so on. Such as in Atemi Waza = Striking techniques, and Ne Waza = The practice of ground techniques. Something like that. I'm a little rusty on Japanese terms.
I'm much better with Korean terms, which brings me to the terms: "Sul" (aka: Sool) and "Bop" (aka: Bub, Pop). Sul can translate as: "techniques", "the art of", "the branch of", "skill", and other versions of this idea. Bop has similar connotations, but refers more to "the practice of". I'm not sure why one is used over another, for example I was taught "Soo Gi Sul" (hand striking techniques - the practice of punching), and Maki Bop (blocking techniques - training your blocking techniques). Funny though, maki sul or soo gi bop would be wrong (or so I was told).
Then again, we have the art(s) known as:
Kwon Bop (Korean-Fist Method/Practice of, aka: "Korean Kung Fu / Boxing")
Chuan Fa (Chinese-Hand Method, aka: "Chinese boxing / Kung Fu")
Kenpo (Japanese-Fist law, aka: Fighting Method)
Here the term Bop is clearly refering to "The Art of", or " Skills of". I was told that all of these terms were very old ways of saying "Martial Arts". And they all use the exact same Chinese characters..........
Interesting to say the least.
With brotherhood,
Kuk Sa Nim