Kyūdō

, literally meaning "way of the bow", is the Japanese art of archery. It is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and practitioners are known as .

It is estimated that there are approximately half a million practitioners of kyudo today. In 2005 the International Kyudo Federation had 132,760 graded members, but in addition to this kyudo is taught at Japanese schools and some traditions refrain from federation membership.

History

The beginning of archery in Japan is, as elsewhere, pre-historical. The first images picturing the distinct Japanese asymmetrical longbow are from the Yayoi period (ca. 500 BC–300 AD). The first written document describing Japanese archery is the Chinese chronicle Weishu (dated around 297 AD), which tells how in the Japanese isles people use "a wooden bow that is short from the bottom and long from the top." During these times the bow began to be used in warfare in addition to hunting. Later, the ceremonial use of a bow was adopted from China and continued in Japan after it had ended in China. The composite technique of bow manufacture, by gluing together horn, wood, and animal sinew, was also imported from China.

The changing of society and the military class (the samurai) taking power at the end of the first millennium created a requirement for education in archery. This led to the birth of the first kyudo ryūha (style), the Henmi-ryū, founded by Henmi Kiyomitsu in the 12th century. The Takeda-ryū and the mounted archery school Ogasawara-ryū were later founded by his descendants. The need for archers grew dramatically during the Genpei War (1180–1185) and as a result the founder of the Ogasawara-ryū, Ogasawara Nagakiyo, began teaching yabusame (mounted archery).

From the 15th to the 16th century Japan was ravaged by civil war. In the latter part of the 15th century Heki Danjō Masatsugu revolutionized archery with his new and accurate approach called hi, kan, chū (fly, pierce, center), and his footman's archery spread rapidly. Many new schools were formed, some of which, such as Heki-ryū Chikurin-ha, Heki-ryū Sekka-ha and Heki-ryū Insai-ha, remain today.

The bow as a weapon of war began its decline after the first Europeans arrived in Japan in 1542. The bow however remained alongside the arquebus for a long time because of its longer reach, accuracy and especially because it had a rate of fire 30–40 times faster. The arquebus however did not require the same amount of training as a bow, allowing Oda Nobunaga's army consisting mainly of farmers armed with arquebuses to annihilate a traditional samurai archer cavalry in a single battle in 1575.

During the Tokugawa period (1603–1868) Japan was turned inward as a hierarchical caste society in which the samurai were at the top. There was an extended era of peace during which the samurai moved to administrative duty, although the traditional fighting skills were still esteemed. During this period archery became a "voluntary" skill, practiced partly in the court in ceremonial form, partly as different kinds of competition. Archery spread also outside the warrior class. The samurai were affected by the straightforward philosophy and aim for self control in Zen Buddhism that was introduced by Chinese monks. Earlier archery had been called kyujutsu, the skill of bow, but monks acting even as martial arts teachers led to creation of a new concept: kyudo.

During the changes brought by Japan opening up to the outside world at the beginning of the Meiji era (1868–1912), the samurai lost their position. Therefore, all martial arts, including kyudo, saw a significant decrease in instruction and appreciation. In 1896, a group of kyudo-masters gathered to save traditional archery. Honda Toshizane, the kyudo-teacher for the Imperial University of Tokyo, merged the war and ceremonial shooting styles, creating a hybrid called Honda-ryu. However, it took until 1949 before the All Japanese kyudo Federation (ANKF, jap. Zen Nihon kyudo renmei) was formed. Guidelines published in the 1953 kyudo kyohon define how, in a competition or graduation, archers from different schools can shoot together in unified form.

Purpose

Kyudo is practiced in many different schools, some of which descend from military shooting and others that descend from ceremonial or contemplative practice. Therefore, the emphasis is different. Some emphasize aesthetics and others efficiency. Contemplative schools teach the form as a meditation in action. In certain schools, to shoot correctly will result inevitably in hitting the desired target. For this a phrase seisha hicchū, "true shooting, certain hitting", is used.

According to the Nippon Kyudo Federation the supreme goal of kyudo is the state of shin-zen-bi, roughly "truth-goodness-beauty", which can be approximated as: when archers shoot correctly (i.e. truthfully) with virtuous spirit and attitude toward all persons and all things which relate to kyudo (i.e. with goodness), beautiful shooting is realized naturally.

Kyudo practice as all budō includes the idea of moral and spiritual development. Today many archers practice kyudo as a sport, with marksmanship being paramount. However, the goal most devotees of kyudo seek is seisha seichū, "correct shooting is correct hitting". In kyudo the unique action of expansion (nobiai) that results in a natural release, is sought. When the technique of the shooting is correct the result is that the arrow hits the target. To give oneself completely to the shooting is the spiritual goal, achieved by perfection of both the spirit and shooting technique leading to munen musō, "no thoughts, no illusions". This however is not Zen, although Japanese bow can be used in Zen-practice or kyūdō practiced by a Zen-master. In this respect, many kyudo practitioners believe that competition, examination, and any opportunity that places the archer in this uncompromising situation is important, while other practitioners will avoid competitions or examinations of any kind.

Since the Second World War kyudo has often been associated with Zen Buddhism. But not all kyudo schools include a religious or spiritual component. This popular view is likely the result of a single book Zen in the Art of Archery (1948) by the German author Eugen Herrigel. Herrigel did not speak Japanese and his view on kyudo was in part due to mis-communication and also to his exposure to a contemplative form of kyudo. Even so Herrigel's book, when translated into Japanese in 1956, had a huge impact on perception of kyudo also in Japan.

Dojo

Kyudo dojos (training halls) vary in style and design from school to school, and from country to country. In Japan, most dojos have roughly the same layout; an entrance, a large dojo area, typically with a wooden floor and a high ceiling, a position for practice targets (Called "makiwara"), and a large open wall with sliding doors, which, when opened, overlooks an open grassy area and a separate building, the matoba which houses a dirt hillock and the targets, placed 28 meters from the dojo floor.

Practice

Kyudo is practiced in different schools and styles and even between dojos of the same style, the form of practice can vary. To harmonize practice and ceremonial shooting (sharei) in 1953 the All Nippon Kyudo Federation (ANKF) formed an establishing committee from the main schools to take the best elements of each school and form the ANKF style that is used today throughout Japan and in most kyudo federations in the west.

In kyudo there are three kinds of practice (geiko): mitori geiko - receiving with the eyes the style and technique of an advanced archer, kufū geiko - learning and keeping in mind the details of the technique and spiritual effort to realize it and kazu geiko - repetition through which the technique is personified in one's own shooting.

Learning of kyudo starts with a rubber practice bow gomuyumi and by practising the movements of hassetsu. The second step for a beginner is to do karabiki training with a bow without an arrow to learn handling of the bow and performing hassetsu until full draw. Handling and maintenance of the equipment is also part of the training. After given permission by the teacher beginners start practicing with the glove and arrow. Next steps may vary from teacher to teacher, but include practicing first yugamae, then the draw and last release and shooting at makiwara. When a beginner is starting to shoot at the mato, she/he may be asked to shoot from half or three-quarters of the usual distance.

Advanced beginners and advanced shooters practise shooting at makiwara, mato and some with omato.

Makiwara is a specially designed straw target (not to be confused with makiwara used in karate). The makiwara is shot at from a very close range (about seven feet, or the length of the archer's strung yumi when held horizontally from the centerline of his body). Because the target is so close and the shot most certainly will hit, the archer can concentrate on refining his technique rather than on the arrow's arc.

Mato is the normal target for most kyudo practitioners. Mato sizes and shooting distances vary, but most common is hoshi mato thirty-six centimeters (or 12 sun, a traditional Japanese measurement equivalent to approximately 3.03 cm) in diameter shot at from a distance of twenty-eight meters. In competitions and graduations hoshi mato is used. For ceremonies it is most common to use kasumi mato which is the same as hoshi mato but with different markings.

Omato is the mato used for long distance enteki shooting at 60 m distance. The diameter of omato is 158 cm. There are separate competitions also for enteki shooting.:

# Ashibumi, placing the footing. The archer steps onto the line from where arrows are shot (known as the shai) and turns to face the kamiza, so that the left side of his body faces the target. He then sights from the target to his feet and sets his feet apart so that the distance between them is equal to his yazuka, approximately half his body height, and equal to the length of an arrow. A line drawn between the archer's toes should pass through the target after the completion of the ashibumi. During competition, an archer may have a second set of arrows sitting on the ground at his or her feet. To be correct in ashibumi, these arrows must not extend in front of or behind the archer's footing stance. The archer's feet are then placed outward at a 60 degree angle from each other, forming a "V", this ensures equal balance to both feet. # Dozukuri, forming the body. The archer verifies his balance and that his pelvis and the line between his shoulders are parallel to the line set up during ashibumi. During dozukuri, the kyudoka will arch his or her back, straightening the back and causing the buttocks to stick out slightly behind. Practically this posture is to prevent the strings of the hakama from being clipped by the bowstring during shooting as well as ensuring the back of the archer is very straight, which, in turn, prevents the bowstring from striking the archer's face when shooting. # Yugamae, readying the bow. Yugamae consists of three phases: ## Torikake, gripping of the bowstring with the right hand. ## Tenouchi, the left hand is positioned for shooting on the bow's grip. ## Monomi, the archer turns the head to gaze at the target. # Uchiokoshi, raising the bow. The archer raises the bow above the head to prepare for the draw. # Hikiwake, drawing apart. The archer starts bringing down the bow while spreading his arms, simultaneously pushing the bow with the left hand and drawing the string with the right, until the arrow is level with the eyebrows. ## Daisan, Big three. This forms the midway point in Hikiwake. # Kai, the full draw. The archer continues the movement started in the previous phase, until full draw is achieved with the arrow placed slightly below the cheekbone. The arrow points along the line set up during ashibumi. ## Tsumeai, constructing the vertical and horizontal lines of the body. ## Nobiai, uniting the expansions of the body. # Hanare, the release. The technique results in the bowstring being released from the right hand. #Zanshin, "the remaining body or mind" or "the continuation of the shot". The archer remains in the position reached after hanare while returning from the state of concentration associated with the shot. ## Yudaoshi, lowering of the bow.

While other schools' shooting also conforms to the hassetsu outlined above, the naming of some steps and some details of the execution of the shot may differ.

Rankings

Using a system which is common to modern budo (martial art) practices, most Western kyudo schools periodically hold examinations, which, if the archer passes, results in the conveying of a grade, which can be kyu or dan level. Traditional schools, however, often rank students as a recognition of attaining instructor status using the older menkyo (license) system of koryu budo.

In Japan, generally the kyu ranks are only really tested for and achieved in high schools and colleges, with adults skipping the kyu ranks and moving straight on to the first dan. Dan testing is infrequent, sometimes occurring as rarely as once or twice a year. It is generally held by the prefecture kyudo federation and the archer may have to travel to the prefecture capital or a large city to test. Often testing includes many archers and may take as much as 6 to 8 hours to test all of the prospective students. Kyu ranking tests are more frequent, tend to be held at schools and are not typically subject to difficult travel.

While kyudo's kyu and dan levels are similar to those of other budō practices, colored belts or similar external symbols of one's level are not worn by kyudo practitioners.

Competition

While kyudo is primarily viewed as an avenue toward self-improvement, there are often kyudo competitions or tournaments whereby archers practice in a competitive style. These tournaments often involve kyūdōka from all ranks and grades, including high school, college and adult schools. Competition is usually held with a great deal more ceremony than the standard dojo practice. In addition to the hassetsu, the archer must also perform an elaborate entering procedure whereby the archer will join up to four other archers to enter the dojo, bow to the adjudicators, step up to the back line known as the honza and then kneel in a form of sitting known as kiza. The archers then bow to the mato in unison, stand, and take three steps forward to the shai line (shooting line), and kneel again. The archers then move in lock-step fashion through the hassetsu, each archer standing and shooting one after another at the respective targets, kneeling between each shot, until they have exhausted their supply of arrows (generally four).

In Japanese kyudo competition, an archer shoots four arrows in two sets, placing one pair of arrows at his or her feet and retaining the second pair at the ready. He or she first shoots the haya clasping the otoya tightly with his glove hand's one or two last fingers. He then waits until the other archers shoot, then he sets the otoya and shoots. Once all the archers have shot, the archer will then pick up the second pair of arrows at his feet and repeat the process, starting with the second flight's haya. During normal competition, this process is done with the archers standing, however, the complete shooting procedure includes having the archer kneel in kiza while waiting between each shot.

For each hit on the mato, the archer is awarded a "maru" (circle) mark. For each miss, the archer is awarded a "batsu" (X) mark. The goal is to strike the target with all four arrows.

School clubs

Many Japanese high schools and colleges have kyudo clubs (bukatsu) in which students gather after regular classes to practice kyudo. Recently these have begun appearing in junior high schools as well, but it is generally left until high school because of the extreme danger of the sport. Because of the maturity needed in both mind and body to handle a bow and arrow, Japanese culture tends to prevent teaching kyudo until the age of 15 or 16.

Major traditions

Mounted archery (Yabusame)

Takeda-ryu（武田流）

Ogasawara-ryu（小笠原流）

Foot archery

Heki-ryu（日置流）

:* Heki-ryū Chikurin-ha（竹林派） :* Heki-ryū Insai-ha (aka. Heki Tō-ryū)（印西派）（日置当流） :* Heki-ryū Sekka-ha（赤化派）

Honda-ryū（本田流）

In addition to the major traditions, there are many more recent and often more spiritual schools that are active outside Japan.

See also

Kyūjutsu

Yabusame Japanese archery involving riding a horse

References

Literature

External links

All Nippon Kyudo Federation All Nippon Kyudo Federation

American Kyudo Renmei - Associated with the ANKF (see above)

United Kingdom Kyudo Association - governing body for ANKF kyudo in the UK

French Kyudo Federation - governing body for ANKF kyudo in France

The White Rose Kyudojo

Zenko International - Shibata Kyudo

AIK (Associazione Italiana per il Kyudo)

Category:Dō Category:Archery Category:Gendai budo Category:Japanese martial arts Category:Buddhist art and culture