If there is one thing the Japanese are known for, it would be their sense of duty and commitment to that duty, leading to a seriously sincere view towards the various aspects in life which we are all faced with.

In the realm of archery, the Japanese Kyudo isn’t exempt from this seriously sincere mentality, defining Kyudo as more than just a type of archery, but archery moulded into an artfrom.

Talking About Archery

In the realm of ancient warfare, archery was seen to be quite important, allowing armies the chance to strike from a distance. If not in battles, the bow and arrow were practical items to have during hunting excursions, allowing hunters to easily put down their prey without having to tire themselves into chasing them, or getting to dangerously close quarters with them.

They core dynamics of the bow and arrow isn’t exactly complicated to understand. Utilizing a bow, an arrow could be propelled into the air, making it a range weapon, giving its user the upper hand of disabling, or inflicting harm, from a distance. When guns came into the pages of history, archery became more of a specialized discipline, as guns were more practical weapons to have on the field.

Today, there are archery competitions testing the skills of various archery practitioners from all over the world. There are also bowhunters, which apply the use of archery-inspired weapons in hunting, using them over the more common hunting guns.

Kyudo stands to be a class of modern Japanese martial art, which showcases archery skills, combining the practice with a mindset philosophy, in effect making it one of the most popular of modern archery practices in the world today.

Kyudo: Archery Art

Literally, Kyudo means “way of the bow” in Japanese. To date, Kyudo practitioners are estimated to populate have a million avid practitioners, applying the various philosophies and disciplines involved in Kyudo. The main highlight of Kyudo, as a discipline, isn’t exactly in the archery aspect, but delves more into the spiritual realm.

Kyudo is often practiced for the spiritual and moral benefits a Kyudo practitioner could attain from the craft. Though being the perfect marksman is a goal, the ultimate aim of Kyudo would be to attain the state of “correct shooting is correct hitting” or the seisha seichu. In the Japanese Archery form, the nobiai, or action of expansion, leads to the naturally balanced release of the arrow, thereby allowing it to hit its mark, perfectly. In the spirit of peace of mind, to allow oneself to be “in” the shooting, is the ultimate aim of the spiritual aspect of Kyudo.

The two meter tall yumi, a Japanese bow, would be the most common of Kyudo equipment types being used by Kyudo Practitioners. Traditionally made using bamboo, the yumi is often partnered with the ya, arrow shafts also made using bamboo. Certain types of bows and arrows are allowed to be used in Kyudo, even those made out of carbon fiber or glass fiber. Bottom line, focus to the act of shooting is given more emphasis, as it is the main highlight in Kyudo.

The Thing with Kyudo

Though there stands to be a belief system being implemented in Kyudo, there are two interpretations to its overall nature and application. Certain Kyudo practitioners believe that archery competitions and other avenues to which a Kyudo practitioner gets to best others isn’t required. Other Kyudo practitioners believe that competition is required, in order to fully attain its valued state of mind.

Bottom line, regardless of where a Kyudo practitioner stands on this aspect with Kyudo, the reality that Kyudo is archery in art is one which still prevails, defining it as a unique class of archery in the world, today, uniquely and sincerely Japanese all in all.