Kyūdō

Kyūdō [ kjɯːdoː ] (Japanese:弓道"Way of the Bow") is the art of Japanese archery practiced since the 16th century.

What is particularly striking to outsiders is the slow movement.

Furthermore, the traditional impressive clothing used at ceremonies.

And of course the recognizable craftsmanship of the bamboo bow and bamboo arrows.

Story

From the 4th to 9th centuries, close contact between China and Japan had a major influence on Japanese archery, particularly the Confucian belief that through archery, a person reveals their true character. For hundreds of years, archery was influenced by Shinto and Zen Buddhism, along with the practical demands of martial archery. The court nobility focused on ceremonial archery, while the warrior caste emphasized kyujutsu: the martial art of using the bow in actual warfare.

In the 16th century and during the era of the Namban trade, the introduction of firearms gradually displaced the bow as a weapon of war in Japan. However, it retained its importance as an instrument for hunting and sport, and especially today as a means of personal development.

Honda Toshizane (1836–1917), a Kyudo instructor at the Imperial University of Tokyo, coordinated elements of the martial and court styles into a hybrid style that ultimately became known as Honda Ryu (Honda School). This style gained public recognition. After World War II, the many different schools were unified. Two predominant styles emerged:

1. Shomen style, which emphasizes elegance;
2. Shamen style, which focuses on shooting technique.

The technical differences can be explained by the earlier use, ie whether the shooting was done martially on foot ( Bushakei ), on horseback ( Yabusame ) or ceremonially ( Reisakei ).

Kyūdō is often equated with Zen archery, which is not entirely correct: Kyūdō is archery and therefore not a pure meditation exercise, although in some Kyūdō styles the meditative aspect is of great importance.

Special features

In addition to the unique training method, the bow differs significantly from Western sports bows. The Yumi is asymmetrically shaped, with the upper limb significantly longer than the lower one.

The assumption that the lower limb was shortened to make shooting from a horse easier is incorrect. The asymmetrical shape existed before horses were even introduced to Japan. It is more likely that the asymmetrical design is rooted in the original kneeling shooting technique – the lower end therefore had to be shorter. It is clearly visible that the lower limb – in the standing style common today – ends well above the knee – although the average height of archers at that time must be taken into account here. (It is therefore doubtful whether the asymmetrical design is a purely technical matter; for example, when making a bow from a thinner trunk, the irregularly thick wood had to be gripped below the middle to maintain the balance of the bow – heavier at the bottom, lighter at the top.) This shape was later retained, although the composite construction method adopted from China became more widespread. One reason for the striking length may also be the strength of the material used (bamboo). In the asymmetrical design, the long upper leg allows for a long draw distance, while the shorter lower leg results in a higher arrow speed.

The bow has neither a sight nor an arrow rest. The arrow rests on the outside of the thumb of the holding hand on the drawing side. The string is pulled using a shooting glove with a groove on the thumb. In addition to the actual shooting, a series of ceremonial movements are practiced in traditional clothing, such as the hakama and keiko-gi, and advanced archers also practice kimono. An important part of the training is practicing the technique and movement sequences in front of the makiwara. In this case, the shooter shoots at a bundle of rice straw from a distance of only 2–3 meters.

Shooting technique

With a bow weight between 7 and 26 kg (rarely more), the arrow is fired horizontally at the mato (36 cm diameter) target, located 28 m away. This distance and the positioning of the target center just under 30 cm above the ground date back to medieval battle formations. The archers knelt and attempted to hit the opponent's lower body, which was less protected by armor, from this height. The movements are divided into eight sections (hassetsu).

The asymmetrical shape of the bow and the arrow resting on the right side, for example, would deflect the arrow upwards to the right upon release. To compensate for this, the bow must be turned/screwed toward the target within a fraction of a second ( Tsunomi no hataraki ) before the arrow releases from the string. In coordination with the movement of the left hand, the right hand must be turned inward ( Hineri ) so that the glove releases the string.

The type of shooting varies depending on the school and style. The more recent major schools are Heki-ryū, Ogasawara-ryū and Honda-ryū. While in Japan Shomen (central lifting of the bow) is predominantly used, in Germany and Europe the Shamen style, in which the bow is raised and extended to the left, is the most popular. The main style here is Heki-ryū Insai-ha, which goes back to the great influence of Genshiro Inagaki, who first visited Germany in 1969 on behalf of the “Zen Nihon Kyūdō Renmei”. He was the national coach of the German Kyūdō Federation until his death in 1995. The clubs in Germany that are based on his coaching work are affiliated to the International Kyūdō Federation (IKyuF) via the German Kyūdō Federation and the European Kyūdō Federation. The same applies to the German Kyūdō clubs that cultivate the Shomen style.

Heki-ryu Bishu Chikurin-Ha has been represented in the West for over thirty years. In 1980, Kanjuro Shibata XX, Sendai (1921–2013), began teaching in America and Europe. He founded 25 kyudojo. In 2011, he stepped down as head of the school and appointed his adopted son, Sensei Shibata Kanjuro XXI, as his successor. Shibata Kanjuro XX received the highest teaching degree at the age of twenty. In 1959, after the death of Shibata Kanjuro XIX, he was officially appointed his successor and Imperial Master Bow Maker. In 1994, his adopted son, Kanjuro Shibata XXI, was officially awarded the title of Imperial Master Bow Maker and took over his father's bow-making workshop in Kyoto. He is now also the head of Chikurin-Ha. The clubs that practice Chikurin-Ha are not members of the German Kyūdō Federation and do not have Dan examinations.

Philosophical aspects

The publication by philosopher Eugen Herrigel entitled "Zen in the Art of Archery " (1948) contributed significantly to the recognition of Kyūdō as a Zen art and equated with a religious practice. However, this has led to misunderstandings.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Kyūdo practice took on a philosophical slant: sayings such as "one shot – one life" or "Shooting should be like flowing water" were associated with the teachings of Kyūdo. This is where the views of the various schools diverged. Some considered the hit secondary, and claimed that the correct mental attitude alone was sufficient in shooting.

In Kyūdō, the goal is to achieve munenmuso or mushin (translatable as "empty mind") at full draw and when firing. However, this does not correspond to a general, aimless indifference, but rather describes a state of such intense concentration that there is no room for other thoughts.

Hideharu Onuma, 9th Dan/Hanshi, († 1990), distinguished three qualities of the meeting:

1. Toteki : Arrow hits the target
2. Kanteki : Arrow pierces the target
3. Zaiteki : Arrow exists in the target.

For the first quality, good technique and movement form are sufficient. The second requires a focused dynamic. In the third, it is already certain before the arrow is released that it will hit. This quality can only be achieved when body, mind, and technique merge into a single unit.

The Japanese umbrella organization (ANKF) names the following values ​​as the highest good of Kyūdō:

• Shin – Truth : It is a technically correct shooting with the right attitude.
• Zen – Kindness : This value encompasses positive qualities such as courtesy, compassion, morality, and peacefulness. It could be equated with social and moral competence. Zen is expressed in appropriate attitude and behavior in all situations, even during periods of great stress or conflict.
• 美Bi – Beauty : It is found in the distinctive appearance and artistic design of the Japanese bow, as well as the traditional clothing of the archer. Bi is recognizable in the refined etiquette surrounding the Kyūdō ceremony.

Source: Wikipedia