SHIN (Truth) In Kyudo, the truth is that which knows no deceit. As said in the idiom, “straight as an arrow”, arrows naturally fly straight, and so one might ask, how could a shot of an arrow possibly be deceitful? Seeking the answer to this doubt is an essential aspect of Kyudo. Actually, most part of the act of shooting the bow is “seeking for the truth”. Every shot is devoted to getting closer to the truth. The truth of the bow is measured by “sae” (serenity), “tsurune” (the sound of the bowstring) and “tekichu” (the accuracy of the shot). The way of the bow is a process of seeking “SHIN” by improving these skills shot by shot.

ZEN (Goodness) “ZEN” is the manifest for the ethical aspect of Kyudo. The ethics of Kyudo such as “rei” (courtesy) or “fuso” (non-confrontation) emphasizes one to always stay calm and not to lose one’s mind. These days, it is natural for anyone to seek sophistication, introspection, peace or equality. Kyudo does not promote strife, hostility or vengeance. The crucial idea of Kyudo is to fraternize, to associate, to be at peace with others and to maintain serenity at all times. This discipline is the basis of Kyudo. Nowadays, decline in moral standards are often questioned. The ethics of Kyudo could be a key to overcome this general problem.

BI (Beauty) Beauty is usually appreciated as something visually pleasant. However, in Kyudo, beauty lies in “SHIN” and “ZEN”. “Jarai” is one way of showing this concept. Japanese bows are exquisitely beautiful in shape but what really stimulates the sense of beauty is the dignity, the “shintai shusen” and the rhythmical movement created by a calm state of mind. This feature is original to the Japanese way of the bow. German philosopher, Eugen Herrigel said “British bows are held at shoulder-height and drawn with large physical force. On the other hand, Japanese bows are held up and then pulled down, so you only need to open your arms and no physical force is required”. The beauty of Kyudo is this force-free shooting style. There are the three fundamental ethics of Kyudo, a guideline for the present and the future Kyudo practitioners.

    KYUDO  WORDS《  Shin  Zen  Bi  》   Shin

The  truth  which  knows  no  deception

Zen

The  good  which  holds  true  with  reason

Bi

The  appreciation  of  Beauty

Tsurune The  sound  made  when  the  Yumi  is  shot Sae

The  state  of  being  serene

Fuso

Non-­‐aggression,  pacifism

Heijosin Presence  of  mind Bugi  

The  skill  of  a  martial  art

Mental attitude of kyudo

The purpose of present day Kyudo is to enjoy and to enrich our daily life. For students, it is not only a way to train the body but an ideal way to train the mind as well. For others, it is a good way to stay fit and to acquire high spirituality at the same time. Although the way of Kyudo has changed throughout history, it has found a place in the modern world. Kyudo is not like any other sport. The proponent is the target, not another player, and you can enjoy it by yourself. It is simple. It is accessible. It can be practiced by men or women of all ages as each individual can use a bow that is just right in size and strength. Further more, it is possible to practice in any weather and there is no specified rule on how long one should practice. Basically you just aim and shoot at a stationary target. The result is judged not only by either a hit or a miss. How the “shagyo” (process of shooting) was carried out is also counted in, thus, never the same. A good “sha” (shooting of the arrow) comes from good posture. You must stand with your back straight, pull your shoulders back to keep perfect balance, focus your energy on the “tanden” (a power spot in the lower abdomen), concentrate to the limit and then, release the arrow. All this leads to an accurate hit. You wait, and when you see that the time is right for you, the bow and the target, you release the arrow calmly, accurately and boldly. If you do your best, you might miss the target, but that is solely your problem. You reflect on what you might have done wrong. This reflection process is a big part of discipline and also the reason why Kyudo is so deeply appreciated. Japanese bows have no sighting device attached.

As Kyudo practitioners depend only on their senses, they could be easily influenced by their surroundings or other archers’ results and quite often, miss their aim even by the slightest disturbance. To avoid this, one can only practice the fundamental movements over and over again. It is of course important to improve on hitting the target technically, but it is more important to cultivate “fudoshin” (unwavering state of mind) so that you can always conduct “gyosha” accurately anywhere, anytime, in any circumstance. Kyudo is now a sport in a way. You have opponents to compete with but not to fight against. There is victory and defeat but competing is not the point. Any opponent must be respected. If you lose your calm by being preoccupied with the competition, you have abused the spirit of Kyudo. There must always be a clear line here. A practitioner who does not get carried away in competition is usually a good contestant. As Kyudo increased its feature as a sport, it has gained wider popularity and most likely to keep going. However, Kyudo has many other features. Kyudo is an ascetic practice. It is a quest for the ultimate essence of the art. In Kyudo, the competitive aspect grows through aiming and hitting the target. Along the way, there comes a time when practitioners learn that if you get too preoccupied in just hitting the target, you will most likely lose your calm. There is no awkward “kyusha” as that thrust by such blinded archers. There is so much to be learned from the simple act of “kyusha”.

KYUDO  WORDS《Shaho  hassetsu》   A  path  to  self-­‐discipline  based  on  ‘Sha’,  utilizing  the   Kyudo  Yumi  and  comprising  both  physical  exercise   and  pastime  activity,  a  means  of  self-­‐realization   through  challenging  and  knowing  one’s  self A  path  to  training  one’s  self  discipline  through  the   martial  arts

Kyudo

Budou Mato

Target

Atari

The  Ya  hitting  the  target

Hazure

The  Ya  missing  the  target  

Shagyou

Aiming  the  Yumi  and  releasing  the  Ya

Tekityuu

The  arrow  hitting  the  target From  the  moment  of  Douzukuri  to  the  moment  of   Atari  or  Hazure A  point  in  the  lower  abdomen  below  the  navel,   where  one’s  strength  is  centered The  technique  of  aiming  the  Yumi  and  releasing  the   Ya  

Sha Tanden Shajutsu Shahou

The  way  of  aiming  the  Yumi  and  releasing  the  Ya

Fudoushin

Shooting  a  single  arrow  with  the  Yumi

Heijyushin

The  ‘natural’  posture  when  the  spirit  is  calm

Gyousha

Aiming  the  Yumi  and  releasing  the  Ya

Bugu

The  tools  of  the  martial  arts

Shintaishusen That  which  is  before,  after  and  all  around  one’s  self Dou&Miti

The  path  one  walks  on  while  training

Waza

Skill

Wa

A  condition  in  which  a  group  coexists  in  harmony,   without  confrontation  or  fear  of  neglect

Kyudoukyougi A  competition  carried  out  with  Kyudo  Yumi Kyusha

Sha  wa  shintaishuusen   kanarazu  rei  ni  ataru  

Shooting  the  Yumi  

‘Invariably  Rei  touches  everything,  that  which  is   before,  after,  and  around  Sha.’