Kyudo - The Way of the Bow
“Kyudo is meditation. You don’t have to belong to any particular religion or organization to practice meditation. Everyone is welcome to practice here.”
----Kanjuro Shibata XX, Sensei
Kyudo, the Way of the Bow, is the perhaps the oldest of Japan's traditional martial arts. The bow has been used in Japan since prehistoric times. From the fourth to the ninth century, the close contact and exchange of ideas between China and Japan had a strong influence on Japanese archery; particularly the Confucian belief that a person's true character could be seen in the refinement of their archery. Over hundreds of years, archery was further shaped by Shinto traditions and Zen Buddhist philosophies, as well as by the practical requirements of warriors. Court nobles concentrated on ceremonial archery while the samurai class emphasized kyujutsu, the martial technique of using the bow in actual warfare.
As the introduction of firearms to Japan in the sixteenth century caused the military importance of the bow to wane, Japanese archery began to slowly transform from the strictly technical and practical art of kyujutsu (the technique of the bow) to the more spiritual practice of kyudo (the way of the bow). This transformation into a reflective, peaceful discipline positioned kyudo to be the first "martial art" to be allowed in Japan after World War II when the American occupation began to lift its prohibition against all forms of martial art instruction.
An historic overview of kyudo can be read here, at the Zenko International website.
In its modern form, kyudo is practiced as a meditative art and as a means of moral and spiritual development. Many archers practice kyudo as a sport, with marksmanship being paramount. However, the goal most devotees of kyudo strive for is seisha seichu, "correct shooting is correct hitting". When the spirit and the technique of the archer is in balance, the shooting is correct and the natural result will be for the arrow to arrive in the target. To give oneself completely to the shooting is the spiritual goal.
The Tools and Practice of Kyudo
Using traditional bamboo and wood yumi (bows) and bamboo ya (arrows), students begin by learning the shichido, or seven co-ordinations; the seven basic movements involved in drawing the bow and releasing the arrow.
Initially, a kyudoka (kyudo practitioner) will practice shooting in front of a target called a makiwara at a very close range - about one bow's length away. Because the target is so close, there is little question of hitting it, and the archer can concentrate on refining his technique rather than on worrying about where the arrow will go.
Later, the archer moves to a shooting platform (shajo) to shoot at a different kind of target called a mato, from a distance of about twenty-eight meters. This practice is usually done in concert with several other kyudoka, all performing their coordinations together, or in alternating sets.
The yumi (Japanese bow) is exceptionally tall (standing over two meters), surpassing the height of the archer. Its asymmetry is unique among bows; the grip being placed 1/3 of the way up from the bottom, rather than in the center. Yumi are traditionally made of laminated strips of bamboo and wood, using techniques which have not changed for centuries, although some archers may use synthetic yumi made from carbon fiber or fiberglass. Non-synthetic yumi are very sensitive to environmental conditions like temperature and humidity, and must be cared for like fine musical instruments.
Traditional arrows (ya) are also made from bamboo.
The glove worn in Japanese archery is considerably different from its western counterpart. The kake (or yugake) is made of deerskin leather, usually with a rigid thumb section containing a pre-made groove which the bowstring (tsuru) fits into for drawing the yumi. A shitagake, or cotton glove underliner, is also worn to protect the glove from sweat and oil from the skin.