Kyūdō

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A full draw, called "kai".
A full draw, called "kai".

Kyūdō (弓道:きゅうどう?), literally meaning "way of the bow", is the Japanese art of archery. It is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō).

It is estimated that there are approximately half a million practitioners of kyūdō today. Kyūdō is a rare sport in the sense that it is not dependent on age or sex. If the practitioner is dedicated, male or female, they can learn at almost any age. It's never too late to learn kyūdō. Although one could learn Kyūdō at any point in their life, it can take a lifetime to perfect.

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[edit] Purpose

In its most pure form, kyūdō is practiced as an art and as a means of moral and spiritual development. Many archers practice kyūdō as a sport, with marksmanship being paramount. However, the goal most devotees of kyūdō seek is seisha seichu, "correct shooting is correct hitting". In kyūdō the unique action of expansion (nobiai) that results in a natural release, is strived for. When the spirit and balance of the shooting is correct the result will be for the arrow to arrive in the target. To give oneself completely to the shooting is the spiritual goal. 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.

[edit] The Kyūdō Dojo

Kyūdō Dojos 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 called a "matoba" which houses a dirt hillock and the targets, placed 28 meters from the dojo floor.

[edit] Practice

Kyudo is practised 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 kyudo federations in the west. The Kyudo Manual Vol. 1 (kyūdō kyōhon) is one of the set of four volumes that explain the principles and technique of kyudo. Here however is an example of a practice session with a form with some difference to kyūdō kyūhōn.

A practitioner will begin with seiza (traditional sitting position) followed by mokuso (meditation).
In some schools, the archers will then begin to warm up by performing subiki, or "practice pulls", in which the archer will simulate the complete firing procedure of the bow without an arrow. He or she will gently release the tension of the bow at firing (to prevent dry firing the bow), and then return to the "release" position. This has the dual effect of both warming and stretching the archers' muscles and testing the bow for any major problems before it is put into action at the makiwara or the mato.
A Kyudoka practicing on a Makiwara
A Kyudoka practicing on a Makiwara


The practitioner may then shoot at a specially designed straw target called a makiwara (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 worrying about where the arrow will go.
After warming up, the archer may then move on to shooting at a target called a mato. Mato sizes and shooting distances vary, but most mato typically measure thirty-six centimeters (or 12 sun, a traditional Japanese measurement equivalent to approximately 3.03 cm) in diameter and are shot at from a distance of twenty-eight meters. However, depending on the practitioners skill level, they may be asked to shoot from half or three-quarters distance.
Typically the first round of shooters will fire two arrows in seated practice (zasha) before shooting from the standing position (risha)

[edit] Equipment

Kyudo is an equipment-intensive and expensive martial art, sometimes costing tens of thousands of Yen or many thousands of Dollars. After many years of practice, it is not uncommon for a Kyūdōka (Kyūdō Practitioner) to have invested a good sum of money into the art.

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 due to the vulnerability of bamboo equipment to extreme climates. The suitable height for yumi depends from the length of archers draw (yatsuka) which is usually about half the archers height.

Ya (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 archers yatsuka plus between 6 to 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
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); there are different advantages to both.

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 practitioner 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
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 as opposed to 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 they are using. 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
An oshidegake on the bow arm of a Kyudoka


Because of the unique firing technique of kyūdō, protection on the left (bow) arm is not generally required. The bow string, when properly fired, 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 out 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 firing.

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

Many archers also have a small container of fudeko attached to the end of the tsurumaki strap, this container is called a "giriko" and is traditionally made out of a deer's horn (though it is cheaper and more practical for modern kyūdōka to have giriko made of plastic).

[edit] Technique

Yumi draw type is the right of image (Fig.3).
Yumi draw type is the right of image (Fig.3).

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 Kyudo Federation (ANKF), the main governing body of kyūdō in Japan, has codified the hassetsu (or "eight stages of shooting") in the Kyudo Kyohon (Kyudo Manual). The hassetsu consists of the following steps:

  1. Ashibumi, placing the footing. The archer steps on to the line from where arrows are fired (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 his or her 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 archers' 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 his back and causing his buttocks to stick out slightly behind him. Practically this posture is to prevent the strings of the hakkama from being clipped by the bowstring during firing 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 firing.
  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 his head to gaze at the target.
  4. Uchiokoshi, raising the bow. The archer raises the bow above his head to prepare for the draw.
    1. Daisan, Big three. The Yunde (Bow hand) is swung toward the target while the Mete (Gloved hand) is brought to a point almost directly over the archer's head. This forms the midway point between Uchiokoshi and Hikiwake. The major importance to daisan is to prevent the archer from letting the arrow tip drop during the pull as it is important to keep the arrow level during Hikiwake.
  5. Hikiwake, drawing apart. The archer starts bringing down the bow while spreading his arms, simultaneously pushing the bow with his left hand and drawing the string with the right, until the arrow is level with his eyebrows.
  6. Kai, the full draw. The archer continues the movement started in the previous phase, until he reaches full draw with the arrow placed slightly below his cheekbone. The arrow points along the line set up during ashibumi.
  7. Hanare, the release. The bowstring is released 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.

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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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 judges, 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 pinky finger. 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 gets a "maru" (circle) mark. For each miss, the archer gets a "batsu" (X) mark. The goal is to fire all four arrows and strike the target.

[edit] Kyūdō school clubs and Kyūdō for children

Many Japanese high schools and colleges have kyūdō clubs (called "kyūdō bukatsu") in which students gather after regular clases 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 due to 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.

[edit] Major traditions

[edit] List of fictional kyūdō practitioners

Shimada Kambei in 7 Samurai film
Shimada Kambei in 7 Samurai film

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Herrigel, Eugen (1953). Zen in the Art of Archery. Pantheon. 
  • Hoff, Feliks (2002). Kyudo: The Way of the Bow, 1st 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. Retrieved on 2006-03-14.
  • DeProspero, Dan and Jackie (1993). Kyudo: The Essence and Practice of Japanese Archery. Kodansha International. ISBN 4-7700-1734-0. 

[edit] External links


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