Kyudo Archery

"Kyudo" is a Japanese word which translates as "The Way of the Bow". To many, the art of archery is the purest of all the martial arts. In ancient times in Japan, the bow was used for ceremonies, warfare, hunting, contests, and games. "Kyujutsu" is what kyudo was formally called in Japanese, a word which translates as "bow technique". This name encompassed all of the skills of the warrior archer. Some of the ancient schools of teaching archery still survive into modern times in Japan as do some of the ancient ceremonies and games, but the days when the bow was used as a weapon by Japanese soldiers are needless to say far gone. So, modern kyudo is practiced for the sake of discipline, mental development, spiritual development, and personal satisfaction.

It is unknown exactly when the term "kyudo" first came into usage, but by the time of the late 19th century, when the art of archery had come to be exclusively practiced for individual development, the word had come into acceptance. There are three objectives of the archery student in Japan in modern times. These are to acquire the intimate knowledge of truth, beauty, and The Good.

Truth in the art of archery in Japan is made manifest by shooting which is right-minded and pure. In such shooting, the three elements of movement, attitude, and technique are brought into oneness in a state of perfect harmoniousness. In kyudo, a shot that is pure or perfect is said to be one that does not strike the target's bull's eye; instead, it is a shot that existed in the bull's eye before the release of the arrow.

In the art of archery in Japan, beauty is found in the exquisite artistry and grace of the Japanese bow and in the exquisiteness of the traditional archer's garb, while at once being present in the refined etiquette that envelops the kyudo ceremony. Etiquette-the profound respect for others and for life itself-is a central practice of kyudo as well as the archery techniques. Beauty stimulates the mind and the spirit and makes life worth living. Archery practiced rightly brings about a great expression of beauty.

The Good, or goodness, comprises qualities like compassion, morality, courtesy, and peaceableness. In the Japanese art of archery, goodness is made manifest by the archer displaying correct behavior and attitude in every situation. A master kyudo archer is an individual who maintains her composure and is graceful even in times of great stress or terrible conflict.

Kyudo is not a religion by any means, but two Japanese religions have impacted it. One of these is Zen, which is a form of Buddhism that came from India through China and melded with Taoism. With Zen, it is understood that the key to understanding kyudo is to keep an open mind and realize that archery is just one small part of the great Whole that is life, the universe, and everything. Each individual archer's one of a kind style is a further reflectance of this fact. The other religion of influence is Shintoism. This is where the ritual of the use of the bow and archery comes from. A great deal of the kyudo ceremony, archer's garb, and the ritual of using the equipment and practice area stem from Shinto tradition.