Kyūdō

A full draw, called "kai".

Kyūdō (弓道^?), 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 kyūdōka (弓道家^?).

It is estimated that there are approximately half a million practitioners of kyūdō today. In 2005 the International Kyudo Federation had 132,760 graded members,^[1] but in addition to this kyūdō is taught at Japanese schools and some traditions refrain from federation membership.

History

A Japanese archer with targets. Ink on paper, 1878.

The beginning of archery in Japan is, as elsewhere, pre-historical. The first molded metal images with distinct Japanese asymmetrical longbow are from the Yayoi period (ca. 500 BC–300 AD). The first written document is the Chinese chronicle Weishu (dated before 297 AD), which tells how at the Japanese isles people use "a wooden bow that is short from the bottom and long from the top."^[2] 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 ended in China. From China was also adopted the composite technique of bow manufacturing by gluing together horn, wood, and animal sinew.

The changing of society and the military class (the samurai) taking power in the end of the first millennium created a requirement for education in archery. This led to the birth of the first kyūdō ryūha (style), the Henmi-ryū, founded by Henmi Kiyomitsu in the 12th century.^[3] 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 use of bow as a weapon of war came to an end when 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 was 30–40 times faster. Arquebus however did not require the same amount of training as a bow, so Oda Nobunaga's army consisting mainly of farmers armed with arquebuses annihilated 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 kyūjutsu, the skill of bow, but monks acting even as martial arts teachers led to creation of a new concept: kyūdō.

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

Purpose

Kyūdō 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 kyūdō is the state of shin-zen-bi, roughly "truth-goodness-beauty".^[4], 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 kyūdō (i.e. with goodness), beautiful shooting is realized naturally.

Kyūdō practice as all budō includes the idea of moral and spiritual development. Today many archers practice kyūdō as a sport, with marksmanship being paramount. However, the goal most devotees of kyūdō seek is seisha seichū, "correct shooting is correct hitting". In kyūdō 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.^[5] In this respect, many kyūdō 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 kyūdō has often been associated with Zen Buddhism. But not all kyūdō 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 kyūdō was in part due to mis-communication and also to his exposure to a contemplative form of kyūdō. Even so Herrigel's book, when translated into Japanese in 1956, had a huge impact on perception of kyūdō also in Japan.^[2]

Zenko (a Heki Ryu Bishu Chikurin-ha school of Kyūdō) is affiliated closely with Shambhala Buddhism and has groups in the United States, Canada and Europe.^[6]

Dojo

Kyūdō 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

Kyūdō 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 Kyūdō 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 kyūdō federations in the west.

In kyūdō 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.^[7]

Learning of kyūdō 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 beginner is starting to shoot at mato, they may be asked to shoot from half or three-quarters distance from the usual.^[8]

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

A Kyudoka practicing on a Makiwara

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.^[8]

There are three levels of skill:

1. Tōteki, the arrow hits the target.
2. Kanteki, the arrow pierces the target.
3. Zaiteki, the arrow exists in the target.

Equipment

The yumi (Japanese bow) is exceptionally tall (standing over two meters), surpassing the height of the archer. Yumi are traditionally made of bamboo, wood and leather using techniques which have not changed for centuries, although some archers (particularly, those new to the art) may use synthetic (i.e. laminated wood coated with glassfiber or carbon fiber) yumi. Even advanced kyūdōka may own non-bamboo yumi and ya because of the vulnerability of bamboo equipment to extreme climates. The suitable height for yumi depends on the archer's draw (yatsuka) which is about half the archer's height.

Ya (矢, arrow^?) shafts were traditionally made of bamboo, with either eagle or hawk feathers. Most ya shafts today are still made of bamboo (although some archers will use shafts made of aluminum or carbon fibers), and ya feathers are now obtained from non-endangered birds such as turkeys or swans. The length of an arrow is the archer's yatsuka plus 6-10 centimeters. Every ya has a gender (male ya are called haya; female ya, otoya); being made from feathers from alternate sides of the bird, the haya spins clockwise upon release while the otoya spins counter-clockwise. Kyūdō archers usually shoot two ya per round, with the haya being shot first. It is often claimed that the alternate spinning direction of the arrows would prevent two consecutive identically shot arrows from flying identically and thus colliding.

A three-fingered glove, or mitsugake

The kyūdō archer wears a glove on the right hand called a yugake. There are many varieties of yugake, they are typically made of deerskin. Practitioners can choose between a hard glove (with a hardened thumb) or a soft glove (without a hardened thumb); each has its advantages.

With a hard glove, the thumb area is not very flexible and has a pre-made groove used to pull the string (tsuru). With a soft glove, the thumb area is very flexible and is without a pre-made groove, allowing the practitioners to create their own, based on their own shooting habits.

Typically a yugake will be of the three- or four-finger variety. The three fingered version is called a "mitsugake", and the four-fingered version is called a "yotsugake". Typically the primary reason an archer may choose a stronger glove like the yotsugake is to assist in pulling heavier bows. The Three-finger mitsugake is generally used with bows with a pull below 20 kilograms of draw weight, while the four fingered yotsugake are used with bows with a pull above 20 kilograms. This is only a generalization and many schools differ on which glove to use for their bows and glove use often varies from archer to archer and school to school.

A Kyudoka preparing his Yotsugake, or four-fingered glove

The practical reasoning for the extra finger on the glove stems from having more surface area available to the archer for the heavier draws. During the draw, the thumb of the archer is typically placed on the last gloved finger of the drawing hand, with the first (or, in the case of a yotsugake, the first and index fingers) being placed gently on either the thumb or the arrow shaft itself. Sometimes a type of resin powder, called giriko is applied to the thumb and holding finger to assist in the grip during the pull. The extra finger allows for a stronger hold on the thumb, as it is then placed on the third finger of the hand instead of the second. Some schools, such as Heki-ryū Insai-ha only use the three-fingered glove, even with bows above 40 kilograms.

The one-finger glove, called an "ippongake" is generally used for beginners and covers only the thumb. some versions have a full wrist covering and others simply cover the thumb with a small strap and snap around the wrist. Because it has no glove over the fingers, it is typically uncomfortable for the archer to use giriko powder. Ippongake are generally not used by advanced archers, and cannot be used in Kyudo Federation competitions.

The five-finger glove, called a morogake is used almost exclusively by Ogasawara Ryu practitioners, and is not typically used in competition or by any other school.

A practitioner's nock and grip of the arrow can be dictated by the glove and bow being used. It is not uncommon for practitioners who have upgraded or downgraded bow weight to continue to use the same glove and not change.

With the exception of the ippongake the yugake is worn with an underglove called a "shitagake" which made of cotton or synthetic cloth. The shitagake comes in two varieties, three fingered and four fingered, depending on whether it is used under the mitsugake or the yotsugake.

An oshidegake on the bow arm of a Kyudoka

Because of the unique shooting technique of kyūdō, protection on the left (bow) arm is not generally required. The bow string, when properly released, will travel around the bow hand, coming to rest on the outside of the arm. However, on rare occasions a bow hand glove, called a oshidegake is used to protect the hand or wrist from injury. It is similar in design to the yugake, being made of deerskin or leather but it is not built with the same kind of protection as the yugake. Powder made of burnt rice husks called fudeko is applied to the hand that holds the bow.

Female archers will also wear a chest protector called a "muneate", which is generally a piece of leather or plastic which is designed to protect the breasts from being struck by the tsuru (bowstring) during shooting.

Because the yumi is a very strong bow, and repeated usage tends to weaken the tsuru (bowstring), it is not uncommon for a tsuru to break during shooting. Because of this, many archers carry a spare bowstring in what is called a tsurumaki (literally "bow string roll"). Traditional tsurumaki are flat yoyo-shaped carriers made of woven bamboo, typically with a leather strap. Recently, however, plastic tsurumakis are also coming into use.

Many archers also have a small container of fudeko and giriko attached to the end of the tsurumaki strap; this container is called a "fudeko-ire" (or "giriko-ire") and is traditionally made of horn or antler (though many modern kyūdōka have fudeko-ire and giriko-ire made of plastic).

Technique

All kyūdō archers hold the bow in their left hand and draw the string with their right, so that all archers face the higher position (kamiza) while shooting.

Unlike occidental archers (who, with some exceptions, draw the bow never further than the cheek bone), kyūdō archers draw the bow so that the drawing hand is held behind the ear. If done improperly, upon release the string may strike the archer's ear or side of the face.

Resulting from the technique to release the shot, the bow will (for a practised archer) spin in the hand so that the string stops in front of the archer's outer forearm. This action of "yugaeri" is a combination of technique and the natural working of the bow. It is unique to kyūdō.

Kyūdō technique is meticulously prescribed. The All Nippon Kyūdō Federation (ANKF), the main governing body of kyūdō in Japan, has codified the hassetsu (or "eight stages of shooting") in the Kyūdō Kyohon (Kyūdō Manual). Different styles have their own variations from the steps, most notable difference being between the vertical bow rising shomen and aslant bow rising shamen. The hassetsu of shomen-style consists of the following steps^[9]:

1. 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 yatsuka, 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.
2. 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 Kyūdōka 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.
3. Yugamae, readying the bow. Yugamae consists of three phases:
   1. Torikake, gripping of the bowstring with the right hand.
   2. Tenouchi, the left hand is positioned for shooting on the bow's grip.
   3. Monomi, the archer turns the head to gaze at the target.
4. Uchiokoshi, raising the bow. The archer raises the bow above the head to prepare for the draw.
5. 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.
   1. Daisan, Big three. This forms the midway point in Hikiwake.
6. 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.
   1. Tsumeai, constructing the vertical and horizontal lines of the body.
   2. Nobiai, uniting the expansions of the body.
7. Hanare, the release. The technique results in releasing the bowstring from the right hand.
8. 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.
   1. 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 budō (martial art) practices, most Western kyūdō schools periodically hold examinations, which, if the archer passes, results in the conveying of a grade, which can be kyū or dan level. Traditional schools, however, often rank students as a recognition of attaining instructor status using the older menkyo (license) system of koryū budō.

In Japan, generally the kyū ranks are only really tested for and achieved in high schools and colleges, with adults skipping the kyū 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 kyūdō 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. Kyū ranking tests are more frequent, tend to be held at schools and are not typically subject to difficult travel.

While kyūdō's kyū 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 kyūdō practitioners.

Competition

While kyūdō is primarily viewed as an avenue toward self-improvement, there are often kyūdō 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 seiza known as kiza. The archers then bow to the mato in unison, stand, and take three steps forward to the shai line (firing line), and kneel again. The archers then move in lock-step fashion through the hassetsu, each archer standing and firing one after another at the respective targets, kneeling between each shot, until they have exhausted their supply of arrows (Generally four).

In Japanese kyūdō competition, an archer fires 4 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 fires the haya clasping the otoya tightly with his firing hand's last two fingers. He then waits until the other archers fire, then he loads the otoya and fires. Once all the archers have fired, 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 firing 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 fire all four arrows and strike the target.

School clubs and children

Many Japanese high schools and colleges have kyūdō clubs (called "kyūdō bukatsu") in which students gather after regular classes to practice kyūdō. Recently kyūdō bukatsu have begun appearing in junior high schools as well, but it is generally thought of as dangerous to start practicing kyūdō 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, the Japanese culture tends to prevent teaching kyūdō until the age of 15 or 16.

Major traditions

Mounted archery (Yabusame)

• Takeda-ryu
• Ogasawara-ryu

Foot archery

• Heki-ryu

• Heki-ryū Chikurin-ha
• Heki-ryū Insai-ha (aka. Heki Tō-ryū)
• Heki-ryū Sekka-ha

• Honda-ryū

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

• Herrigel, Eugen (1953). Zen in the Art of Archery. Pantheon. 
• Hoff, Feliks (2002). Kyudo: The Way of the Bow (1st ed. ed.). Shambhala Publications. ISBN 1-57062-852-1. 
• Kyudo Manual. (1992?) Volume 1. Principles of Shooting (revised edition). All Nippon Kyudo Federation. 
• Triplett, Christoper and Triplett, Katja. "Kyudo - Standing Zen". http://www.kyudo.org/html/articles/standingzen.html. Retrieved 2006-03-14. 
• DeProspero, Dan and Jackie (1993). Kyudo: The Essence and Practice of Japanese Archery. Kodansha International. ISBN 4-7700-1734-0. 

External links

• All Nippon Kyudo Federation (Japanese)
• All Nippon Kyudo Federation (English)
• 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