KYUDO

JAPANESE ARCHERY

WRITTEN BY

Celeste Obara
kyudo
april 2017 |issue no. 0

BREATHE IN,

BREATHE OUT.

FOCUS YOUR SPIRITUAL

ENERGY IN YOUR

ABDOMEN.
K Y U D O | J A P A N E S E A R C H E R Y

One Shot,
OneLife.
Celeste Obara, 14, is a student at South East Junior High
School in Iowa City, Iowa. Although she has just started
doingkyudo practice, or Japanese archery,in fall last year,
it has become one of her greatest passions.

"I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO SOME KIND OF

ARCHERY."

When asked why she started doingkyudo, Celeste recalls

that she had always been interested in archery. The only
specific reason she can come up with for this interest is
that her Zodiac sign is a Sagittarius. From such a minor
connection, it is a wonder thatkyudo was actually perfect
for Celeste.

WHAT IS KYUDO?

Kyudo literally means The Way of the Bow, and is one of

the purest of all martial ways. Japanese archery was used
in war, but that is all in the past--modern kyudo is
practiced for physical, moral, and spiritual development.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

Most modern kyudo is similar to a sport--the main

objective is hitting the target, and mastering all the
specific techniques. In formal practice, there is a uniform-
-a whitegi, or top, and a black hakama, or trousers. There
are special gloves called theyugakewhich is for the right
hand. In long distance shooting, the target is usually 60
meters (67 yards) away.

- 0 3 -
 WHY IT'S SO FASCINATING!
WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO SHOOT ARROWS FROM A HORSE?
It all happens fast. The mounted archer
gallops forward. Three wooden targets
are on the left, waiting for an arrow to
rip right through.
This is yabusame, a form of traditional mounted archery. This is
three of Celeste's favorite things combined in one--horses, archery,
and Japanese culture.
"It's obviously too hard for me," Celeste admits, although she likes to
think that one day she can shoot from horseback--after all, she has
been taking horseback riding lessons since 2nd grade. It was at this
horse stable, coincidentally called Centaur Stables (the Sagittarius is
a centaur; it's a horse and a human and a bow), that Celeste met her
current kyudo teacher--who was taking riding lessons as well. At the
time she didn't know what kyudo even was, and if not for this
encounter, she wouldn't have started doing Japanese archery.
When asked why kyudo was particularly appealing to her than
Western archery, Celeste explains that she likes the quiet, and calm
element of kyudo.
"When you watch kyudo practices," Celeste says, "you can see how
focused and concentrated the people are. "
Not only is kyudo about shooting and hitting the target, it is also
about concentrating on your spiritual energy. Furthermore, if you can
do everything correctly--the positioning of your body, the releasing
of the arrow, et cetera--then you can hit the target without even
looking at it.
"Usually, the first thing people notice when they see someone doing
kyudo is thebow," Celeste's kyudo teacher says. The bowmeasures
about 2 meters in height. It is an asymmetrical bow, with the bottom
part shorter than the top. It is because in order to shoot from a
horse, the bottom has to be short.
 IMAGE CREDITS
THE TARGET IS A MIRROR OF YOUR HEART.

WHEN YOU HAVE A TRULY

SELFLESS, PURE MIND, THE
ARROW IS IN THE TARGET
BEFORE IT IS EVEN SHOT.

Cover Image:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kyudoka-
mitsukake.jpg

http://duesseldojo.de/wordpress/wp-
content/uploads/2014/08/P2_1-300x238.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/2/23/Target_of_Kyudo.jpg/800px-
Target_of_Kyudo.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/3/39/Yabusame_Zushi_2009_onna.jp
g/1200px-Yabusame_Zushi_2009_onna.jpg