Kyudo (Japanese Martial Art of Archery) - Japanese ArcheryNEW

Traditional Japanese Archery is performed as a moving meditation and ceremony.

We cover all the elements of this ancient tradition.

What is Kyudo
Kyudo (the "Way of the Bow") is the Japanese martial art of archery. Until the 14th or 15th century, when foot soldiers began to surpass the horseman in battle, the bow and arrow were the primary weapons of the samurai. The roots of kyudo lie in those long-past days, when a warrior's worth was determined by his skills with a bow.

Meditation
Kyudo is often described as a moving meditation. As in other forms of meditation, the student of kyudo learns to control his heart rate and breathing; but unlike many other forms of meditation, in kyudo the student does not become oblivious to his surroundings, but rather becomes acutely aware of them. This teaches the practitioner to react calmly and resolutely to his environment.

Equipment
The standard length of the modern kyudo bow is over seven feet, and the standard length of the arrow is approximately three feet. The kyudo bow is asymmetrical; its shape is determined both by tradition and aesthetics. The kyudo bow requires a longer draw to achieve the equivalent power of a shorter bow: the string is drawn until the nock of the arrow is behind the practitioner's head, and the archer's body fits within the large arc of the bow. This creates a beautiful unity of the archer and the bow. A shorter bow would be more efficient and convenient, but the use of such a bow would rob kyudo of much of its beauty and elegance.