Perhaps this quote from the book "Zen in the Art of Archery" can help... "You should not grieve over bad shots; Learn not to rejoice over good ones. You must free yourself from pleasure and pain."
Yes, we could have cheated and shown a perfect hit - but this would go against our principles. This clip has been edited - the actual release of the arrow takes much longer. This location was at the shrine in Meiji park inTokyo on a beautiful early Sunday morning - really nice. Thanks for watching.
"Don't you think it is a little sad to spend your entire life practicing kyudo and have nothing more to show for it than the ability to shoot an arrow into a piece of paper?" "Western bows are designed for accuracy. If you miss the mark it is possible to adjust the sight or different parts of the bow to improve your shooting. But kyudo is different. if we miss the mark in kyudo we must make adjustments in ourselves-our mind and our body." - Onuma Sensei
@@giraffeorganic tht's what you missing over here, it was never about the target, whats more imp is the process, which is the foundation of every zen teachings
A very pleasant video about a great practice. There are three things that are very important within Kyudo: Truth, Goodness and Beauty. Three things that many of the comments on this thread do not contain. Kudos to you who do understand what Kyudo is all about!
This clip was edited down to a much shorter time than it really was. It is a difference in cultures. I watch a soccer match with a 0-0 score and yet still enjoy the game, whereas my American friends get upset by a scoreless game. Likewise, it is not only about hitting the target. There is so much more.
he drew the bow so eloquently, i am really impressed. holding for that long and that calmly was a feat in its own, and he did miss, but i bet he's gotten it before.
It's not about hitting the target, it's about performing the act perfectly. Hitting the target is entirely secondary to the quality of one's form. By practicing the movements thousands of times so that they are natural and perfect, and knowing that it is indeed perfect, one can achieve a simultaneous peace of mind and body. This is done for meditation purposes. If this were war archery, there would be a much greater emphasis on speed and accuracy, but this is simply about doing it right. Slow, steady, and perfect.
The most important part about that little ceremony is not what you see, its what he feels, because when you are in the zone, the speed comes automatically. For example Tai Ji is a slow effortless, go with the flow type art but practicing it helps your Kung Fu and Karate in a real fight because you are using yourself in simple, easy ways. Beginners in any art or science usually over-do, while experts have efficiency of movement and produce more power from less effort.
Thank you - we film, edit and produce all of our films and our only subject is Asian Culture, and Martial Arts in particular. The music for this clip was written and played by Yellowbell who scored the soundtrack for The Empty Mind. We are filming in China over the next 4 months for a new film. Thanks for watching. EmptyMind Films.
@12thHamster Inner peace is found when you can perform the action without regard for the results because it is obsession with results that disrupts both inner peace and the action. If you can focus yourself entirely on correctly using the bow leaving no room for concern about hitting or missing the target then you are at peace and that peace feeds back into your technique making it more likely you'll hit the target.
At the beginning of any kyudo competition, a master is invited to take one shot as a symbol. The shot is always missed to remind people the key spirit of kyudo.
For those of you who thinks he is bad for missing. Kyudo is not about hitting the target, Its about achieving a true inner peace which a Samurai needed to truly be beneficial in life and in battle(some circunmstances). Same applies for me an Iaido practice, the only way I can master the pre-determine moves is if I do over,over again correctly and slowly making I do it correctly. Through that I build patience and a very good mind set. Respect for Kyudo practitioners out there. :)
+mooppy mcd You can dance around use words that people don't understand ,,, all day long in order to DAZZLE THEM WITH BULLSHIT! At the end of the day ITS STILL --> JUST BULLSHIT!
You sound the foolish type who speaks without understanding things first. kyūjutsu is combat. Kyudo is a ritual. Since WWII they haven`t been taught ;as the same school for historical reasons, like the bigger commution with the Western world in their shores. kyūjutsu was the original form practised by Samurai for combat and Kyudo is the younger derivation to train posture and form. Anyone who thinks it`s useless are welcome to it, but without those, there`s no point in trying to aim anything anyway. You won`t do it.
Kyudo is a very old martial art in japan and what was seen in the video is the cerimonial bow, with the enphasis in aesthetics. There are many kyudo schools and styles. There are too the pratice with emphasis in efficiency, and thus far, there are many kyudo competitions in Japan. A lot of modalities too (diference in the distance from the target, etc). The biggest diference between occidental archery is that kyudo focus more on the form of the archer rather in the target.
@MoronicJoker I doubt if the shooting becomes more improvisation. The form becomes so rigid that there is not much room for spontaneity. Maybe only a very tiny one.
Great video! I was at Meiji Jingu Dojo a couple of months ago for a seminar, and the video captured some of the beauty of the Dojo as well as the beauty of the shooting. Kudos!
Much of this does raise the question, "so?". The silence he speaks of does sound uncannily like the inner silence you have to achieve to make, say, a good pool shot. I do wonder if there aren't better things to devote ones life to.
I love Japan! Japaneesse people, have beautifull, old, great history - interesting traditions and ceremonies.... for exapmle, Sumo, or Kyudo. It is something, impossible to explain - I love Japan!!!!
You actually are right. I have done archery from a junior high school to university. Its very important to get the target. However, forms you perform/create are extremely important as well. When you enter the room, you must start caring for your forms. you have to care for the form for everything such as the way you sit, picking up bows, after you finish shooting. Every movements are important.
There is an ancient yoga teaching that says.. 'at the moment of release, mind(the cycle of thoughts, false ego, what not.) ceases to exist'. Fits in perfectly!
It's never too late :) Kyudo is an artform one can pick up at practically any age and it's good for both the body and soul. If you want to try it I say go for it! :) I started training Kyudo about six months ago and it's changed my life! :)
As a bowyer and a traditional bow hunter (stick and a string) I can say that everything stated in this film is achieved even when shooting rapidly, at multiple targets, with accuracy in mind. To hit targets accurately, every minute detail of the shot has to be second nature. Look up Byron Fergusson. He's a very relaxed, natural, and ACCURATE archer.
"...but this would go against our principles" yours principles "talk" about you.Great !!! I always be interesed in Kyudo since I read the book of Eugen Herrigel when i was young.Great book
After elementary school, my mum enrolled me into a Japanese Kyudo class. I practiced a few which took quite a while to complete. When I got home, I realize I am 50 years old already.
the bow used here is made of bamboo essentially. Traditionally bamboo backings back and front are used - sandwiched between is a core of bamboo and wood (like maple or sumac). Bows are made from around 20 separate parts with considerable skill - so not just a bent "young tree"
It is a very beautiful shot, but unfortunately the film maker missed showing the most beautiful part of a Kyudo shot, the Zanshin, or remaining spirit- the posture and mind of the archer just after the arrow has been released.
From what I understand, the point isn't to hit the target. The goal is to calm your mind and when you feel that you have achieved this, you release the arrow. Hitting the target is a secondary objective. Considering the distance to the target (28 meters) and its size (36 cm), this was a very accurate shot.
Their point isn't just to hit the target. For them, its a journey that teaches them control and calm. It's more about the person than the center of the target.
It's not, it's just that whether you are left or right handed, you hold the bow in your left and pull the string with your right. It's not a problem- infact left handers often have a stronger bow grip.
The point wasnt to hit the target, but to clear one's mind and to develop the perfect shot. It's like how we meditate before kendo and we clear our mind before giving our all during practice.
Of course you can know what it is. I would never read or sponsor/quote someone who would ever advocate something we CAN'T do. We live in the world of the relative, and we cannot know who we are without relating ourselves to something else, but on top of that, we have this great intuition that guides us whether we know it or not. Yes, 'wisdom' is knowledge through experience.
@Darkambush Newton's 3rd mate, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" To impart that kind of force on a target you would need to get at least the same energy into the arrow. On the loose you're bow arm would either shatter or you would be thrown back at least as far as the victim. Plus an arrow with that energy and small diameter will pass clean through, think of a gun shot. IMO archery, Kyudo or not, is about hitting what you are aiming at.
Globalism with commercial aim/ western style is destructive but the competition with one self is the basis of improvement. That is good. Sharing that formula for the improvement of humanity is everybody's reward.
@DolorousSam, thanks for clearing it up for me, I thought it was very strange. Especially when done in slow motion. But I don't understand the sentence before the last.
the only thing I dont understand is how you achieve total concentration while trying to hold both arrows in 1 hand. What's the purpose of this act? I do love the idea of Kyudo
@12thHamster He missed the target to demonstrate that the point of Kyudo is not simply hitting targets with a bow and arrow. By doing this he demonstrates that Kyudo is just a vessel for him to reach inner peace. The goal he set out to achieve was intellectual and spiritual understanding rather than emotional gratification.
Kyudo is unlike the western practices of archery. The idea of it is much like working out and going to the gym. Those shooters aren't there to be the best shot, just like gym goers aren't trying to be the strongest in the world. That's a whole different practice. (I mean really, they would take on different training with less aesthetic movements if they wanted to hit bullseye) Kyudo practitioners do this for their own bodies and minds to reach a level of self-satisfaction and peace, just as people who work out train to mold their bodies the way they see fit.
+Kuroi-Usagi Too late to reply lol, but hey I guess it's clear to see what you're going for when watching Zen archery, they take a lot of time to position an arrow and the manners they use when wielding a bow.
@Ilma1984 Oh, I know, and agree with that part. I'm just sort of wondering, you know...he takes all that time, meditating...and then misses? Couldn't they maybe have re-shot the scene, or had him fire off another one, and get some better results? All I'm saying is, that with all that time, focusing, meditating, etc., you'd think that he would at least hit the target, when someone who is NOT taking so long can get better results.
The kyudo is not the art to kill. It is the art of bows. This is a pure art with pure masters. The Yumi is not a destructive weapon its only a tool for a kyudo master.
So many seem to miss the point of doing this. It's doing something else by doing archery. I understand a bit, a tiny bit by shooting with an air rifle. When it goes right the world stops around me and I seem to be in a bubble. There is no aiming and the sound of the riffle disappears almost completely. After realizing that this one was special I walk to the target and the bullet is exactly at the center. The real aim is that moment, not the target. It feels just wonderful. It's still very rare.
Q. He talks about 'finally emptying the mind for one brief moment as the arrow is released'. I hate to make it all sound a bit banal, but isn't this exactly the same practice as used by golfers and pool / snooker players? Long before I ever heard of Zen I told a friend "The thing I love about pool is the moment of mental silence as you take the shot". Answers in a reply please. : )
Having absolute control over a weapon is what makes it destructive. Not by what it looks like or what it sounds like. Impeccable control makes destruction.
If I do not have wisdom, I can only know it contextually, or conceptually. Otherwise, I would know it in my heart after experiencing it. I would come into the knowing then. It is impossible to overestimate (or underestimate for that matter) the value of finding yourself. It is "priceless".
As i understand it, there's a belief behind it that there's always 1 most suitable way to do a certain thing.this way is also the most efficient and most beautiful one.therefore we look on the way of shooting rather than the result...you can pretty much predict what the result will be by the way its done.there is a saying: a well-shot arrow will always hit the target, but hitting the target doesnt mean it's been shot well. its about the way (do) of achieving the result, not the achieving itself.
although i think yabusame requires kyudo training because in yabusame it was a "zen" feel to it but it's a battlefield art hence riding a horse so it is much quicker than kyudo.
@12thHamster its not just japanese archery but all types of archery include the "zen" aspect. all archers use a form of meditation to achief there focus. each archer follows his own ritual of standing, drawing, anchoring and lining up there checkpoints. that should be every archers priority. and only once u keep those things right u can focus on aiming. so zen meditation will actually help your aiming but u will also need technique and expierience or else your arrows will still miss the mark
Think of this as the "Tai Chi" of archery. People practice Kyudo to achieve that relaxing, zen like feeling or state of mind which is more important than hitting the target itself.
i also asked some kyudo archers about how they aim, and they said they do not aim it they just concentrate on the way they shoot, and the arrow will automatically fly in the right direction after 1 or 2 years of practicing
I will try to give you a sensible answer wihout all the talks about zen and intuition. The way my teacher put it is that every movement in the five steps of kyudo shooting has its logic and reason. This movements have been perfected over many years and if you carry out all of them in the right manner, the arrow will hit the target. That is one of thereasons why so much emphasis is put on the preparation and process. You do not aim..but if you do everything right, the shot will be right as well.
@ruzickaw Actually quite a lot spontaneity is involved,because even if its looking formalized and rigid the archer has to control constantly restlessness without losing intensity. There is a kyudo saying: The beginner makes ten major errors. The advanced one hundred smaller ones. And the expert thousands of tiny ones. With every new level of training your attention grows and the shooting is more and more improvisation.
When a friend of mine visited a demonstration like this in Japan, the archer was an old man like that. He shot 3 arrows hitting one hand span left above of the target into the sand (10 - 11 O'clock). My friend later asked: why did he miss 3 times? Even I had hit from 10 yards! The answer: it prevents the arrows from damage, he "missed" on purpose and hit exactly the same spot with 3 arrows 3 times. (I have no idea if that is true, though ;D )
oh yeah the rate of fire is only determined by the design of the bow , statistics like agility and speed come in a balk window when you point on the item . Yep design is a factor on how fast you can fire a bow , but you shouldn't exclude the human factor from the equation . Take a long staff for example for some one smaller and unskill it would take much longer to swing it compared to some one who has some mastery over weapon. and yes i did some archery in high school .
Perhaps this quote from the book "Zen in the Art of Archery" can help...
"You should not grieve over bad shots; Learn not to rejoice over good ones. You must free yourself from pleasure and pain."
Yes, we could have cheated and shown a perfect hit - but this would go against our principles. This clip has been edited - the actual release of the arrow takes much longer. This location was at the shrine in Meiji park inTokyo on a beautiful early Sunday morning - really nice. Thanks for watching.
gerado already has what you are all trying to achieve. An empty mind
A True Warrior succeeds when there is no need for violence to settle a conflict. Most people don't understand that.
Guessing you wouldn't either.
@@kristianbrandt3012 Guessing you wouldn't either as well.
I'd be awesome at this. I've been told since childhood that I have a PERFECTLY empty mind.
Don't believe it or you might fill it
"Don't you think it is a little sad to spend your entire life practicing kyudo and have nothing more to show for it than the ability to shoot an arrow into a piece of paper?"
"Western bows are designed for accuracy. If you miss the mark it is possible to adjust the sight or different parts of the bow to improve your shooting. But kyudo is different. if we miss the mark in kyudo we must make adjustments in ourselves-our mind and our body."
- Onuma Sensei
Ikr, imagine taking 3 minute to load the bow just to miss your target 🤣🤣🤣
@@giraffeorganic tht's what you missing over here, it was never about the target, whats more imp is the process, which is the foundation of every zen teachings
Imagine how most of us live our lives: childhood, school, marriage, death, money, job WITH NOTHING TO SHOW OF WHAT WE LIVED
The arrow leaves the string
It may not hit
But it does not miss!
- Old Zen Expression
A very pleasant video about a great practice.
There are three things that are very important within Kyudo: Truth, Goodness and Beauty. Three things that many of the comments on this thread do not contain.
Kudos to you who do understand what Kyudo is all about!
This clip was edited down to a much shorter time than it really was. It is a difference in cultures. I watch a soccer match with a 0-0 score and yet still enjoy the game, whereas my American friends get upset by a scoreless game. Likewise, it is not only about hitting the target. There is so much more.
he drew the bow so eloquently, i am really impressed. holding for that long and that calmly was a feat in its own, and he did miss, but i bet he's gotten it before.
It's not about hitting the target, it's about performing the act perfectly. Hitting the target is entirely secondary to the quality of one's form. By practicing the movements thousands of times so that they are natural and perfect, and knowing that it is indeed perfect, one can achieve a simultaneous peace of mind and body. This is done for meditation purposes. If this were war archery, there would be a much greater emphasis on speed and accuracy, but this is simply about doing it right. Slow, steady, and perfect.
The most important part about that little ceremony is not what you see, its what he feels, because when you are in the zone, the speed comes automatically. For example Tai Ji is a slow effortless, go with the flow type art but practicing it helps your Kung Fu and Karate in a real fight because you are using yourself in simple, easy ways. Beginners in any art or science usually over-do, while experts have efficiency of movement and produce more power from less effort.
their movements are so fluid and smooth
Very glad to have purchased and watched the full movie! Thanks for this trailer! 🙏
Thank you - we film, edit and produce all of our films and our only subject is Asian Culture, and Martial Arts in particular. The music for this clip was written and played by Yellowbell who scored the soundtrack for The Empty Mind. We are filming in China over the next 4 months for a new film. Thanks for watching. EmptyMind Films.
@12thHamster Inner peace is found when you can perform the action without regard for the results because it is obsession with results that disrupts both inner peace and the action. If you can focus yourself entirely on correctly using the bow leaving no room for concern about hitting or missing the target then you are at peace and that peace feeds back into your technique making it more likely you'll hit the target.
This Video is absolutely beautiful..
Such elegance.
It's incredible, how Japanese can make such a simple thing as shooting an arrow look so awesome.
I was transfixed by the beauty of the shooting style.
At the beginning of any kyudo competition, a master is invited to take one shot as a symbol. The shot is always missed to remind people the key spirit of kyudo.
Its deeply moving- whole spectacle.
I really hope to see those archers with my own eyes one day.
For those of you who thinks he is bad for missing. Kyudo is not about hitting the target, Its about achieving a true inner peace which a Samurai needed to truly be beneficial in life and in battle(some circunmstances). Same applies for me an Iaido practice, the only way I can master the pre-determine moves is if I do over,over again correctly and slowly making I do it correctly. Through that I build patience and a very good mind set.
Respect for Kyudo practitioners out there. :)
bull
Half a year late
+mooppy mcd You can dance around use words that people don't understand ,,, all day long in order to DAZZLE THEM WITH BULLSHIT! At the end of the day ITS STILL --> JUST BULLSHIT!
You sound the foolish type who speaks without understanding things first. kyūjutsu is combat. Kyudo is a ritual. Since WWII they haven`t been taught ;as the same school for historical reasons, like the bigger commution with the Western world in their shores. kyūjutsu was the original form practised by Samurai for combat and Kyudo is the younger derivation to train posture and form. Anyone who thinks it`s useless are welcome to it, but without those, there`s no point in trying to aim anything anyway. You won`t do it.
But are you truly beneficial if you miss the target? Maybe some focus should be set aside for actually getting the bullseye?
Kyudo is a very old martial art in japan and what was seen in the video is the cerimonial bow, with the enphasis in aesthetics. There are many kyudo schools and styles. There are too the pratice with emphasis in efficiency, and thus far, there are many kyudo competitions in Japan. A lot of modalities too (diference in the distance from the target, etc). The biggest diference between occidental archery is that kyudo focus more on the form of the archer rather in the target.
@MoronicJoker I doubt if the shooting becomes more improvisation. The form becomes so rigid that there is not much room for spontaneity. Maybe only a very tiny one.
This is soooo Smooth like butter
@waincat Control is not 'measured' as in 'increase' or 'decrease'. Its more about 'being'. the brief moment of emptyness is its surest sign.
Great video! I was at Meiji Jingu Dojo a couple of months ago for a seminar, and the video captured some of the beauty of the Dojo as well as the beauty of the shooting. Kudos!
Where does your kyudo sensei teach? Would like to visit as we are filming kyudo in Japan this next 2 weeks. Send email. Bye.
Where are the sights, stabilisers, arrow releases and cams?
thats a great discription! i can feel it! i know that feeling and you have described it so wonderfully
Do just means "way".
It emphasises that this is a lifelong way one can walk, learning and improving.
very beautiful kai stance and release.
Much of this does raise the question, "so?". The silence he speaks of does sound uncannily like the inner silence you have to achieve to make, say, a good pool shot. I do wonder if there aren't better things to devote ones life to.
Really wonderful indeed!
I love Japan! Japaneesse people, have beautifull, old, great history - interesting traditions and ceremonies.... for exapmle, Sumo, or Kyudo. It is something, impossible to explain - I love Japan!!!!
Beautiful.
Wow.. wonderfull video. Very well done. I love Archery.. but Kyudo fascinates me.
You actually are right. I have done archery from a junior high school to university. Its very important to get the target. However, forms you perform/create are extremely important as well. When you enter the room, you must start caring for your forms. you have to care for the form for everything such as the way you sit, picking up bows, after you finish shooting. Every movements are important.
There is an ancient yoga teaching that says.. 'at the moment of release, mind(the cycle of thoughts, false ego, what not.) ceases to exist'. Fits in perfectly!
Those bows and techniques are really delicated.. I hope I can learn it too :)
It's never too late :)
Kyudo is an artform one can pick up at practically any age and it's good for both the body and soul.
If you want to try it I say go for it! :) I started training Kyudo about six months ago and it's changed my life! :)
@crypter27 It's actually yew wood. It sounds like "U" but is a tree called the yew tree.
@Jokerone72 It's not about hitting or missing. The bow and arrow are secondary, mere tools for the mind to work with.
This kind of formalizing everything makes Japanese little spontaneous.
As a bowyer and a traditional bow hunter (stick and a string) I can say that everything stated in this film is achieved even when shooting rapidly, at multiple targets, with accuracy in mind. To hit targets accurately, every minute detail of the shot has to be second nature.
Look up Byron Fergusson. He's a very relaxed, natural, and ACCURATE archer.
"...but this would go against our principles"
yours principles "talk" about you.Great !!!
I always be interesed in Kyudo since I read the book of Eugen Herrigel when i was young.Great book
After elementary school, my mum enrolled me into a Japanese Kyudo class. I practiced a few which took quite a while to complete. When I got home, I realize I am 50 years old already.
Lame dude.. Its lame
Good book, read it for one of my classes last semester.
You should do a video on right or left side shooting ????
the bow used here is made of bamboo essentially.
Traditionally bamboo backings back and front are used - sandwiched between is a core of bamboo and wood (like maple or sumac).
Bows are made from around 20 separate parts with considerable skill - so not just a bent "young tree"
It is a very beautiful shot, but unfortunately the film maker missed showing the most beautiful part of a Kyudo shot, the Zanshin, or remaining spirit- the posture and mind of the archer just after the arrow has been released.
From what I understand, the point isn't to hit the target. The goal is to calm your mind and when you feel that you have achieved this, you release the arrow. Hitting the target is a secondary objective. Considering the distance to the target (28 meters) and its size (36 cm), this was a very accurate shot.
this is awesome.
Their point isn't just to hit the target. For them, its a journey that teaches them control and calm. It's more about the person than the center of the target.
he has not yet found his true self.
beautiful
notice the man behind the archer walking backwards very formally. he doesn't lift his heels.
Nice clip!!!
He didn't want to hit the target, but wanted to teach himself to become calm and control himself. It was no competition.
It's not, it's just that whether you are left or right handed, you hold the bow in your left and pull the string with your right. It's not a problem- infact left handers often have a stronger bow grip.
The point wasnt to hit the target, but to clear one's mind and to develop the perfect shot. It's like how we meditate before kendo and we clear our mind before giving our all during practice.
Of course you can know what it is. I would never read or sponsor/quote someone who would ever advocate something we CAN'T do. We live in the world of the relative, and we cannot know who we are without relating ourselves to something else, but on top of that, we have this great intuition that guides us whether we know it or not. Yes, 'wisdom' is knowledge through experience.
Although he didn't hit the target, his vertical line was certainly spot-on. That was still very accurate considering the type of bow.
All of this can be applied to the rifle. A like cause will bring about a like result and thus bring about accuracy if not precision.
Brilliant!
Thanks!
thanks for the information.
and how strong were historical bows?
Fascinating!
@Darkambush Newton's 3rd mate, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" To impart that kind of force on a target you would need to get at least the same energy into the arrow. On the loose you're bow arm would either shatter or you would be thrown back at least as far as the victim. Plus an arrow with that energy and small diameter will pass clean through, think of a gun shot. IMO archery, Kyudo or not, is about hitting what you are aiming at.
Globalism with commercial aim/ western style is destructive but the competition with one self is the basis of improvement.
That is good. Sharing that formula for the improvement of humanity is everybody's reward.
@DolorousSam, thanks for clearing it up for me, I thought it was very strange. Especially when done in slow motion. But I don't understand the sentence before the last.
incredibly fascinating! its an interesting philosophy, i cant imagine how difficult this is
the only thing I dont understand is how you achieve total concentration while trying to hold both arrows in 1 hand. What's the purpose of this act? I do love the idea of Kyudo
@12thHamster He missed the target to demonstrate that the point of Kyudo is not simply hitting targets with a bow and arrow. By doing this he demonstrates that Kyudo is just a vessel for him to reach inner peace. The goal he set out to achieve was intellectual and spiritual understanding rather than emotional gratification.
Kyudo is unlike the western practices of archery. The idea of it is much like working out and going to the gym. Those shooters aren't there to be the best shot, just like gym goers aren't trying to be the strongest in the world. That's a whole different practice. (I mean really, they would take on different training with less aesthetic movements if they wanted to hit bullseye)
Kyudo practitioners do this for their own bodies and minds to reach a level of self-satisfaction and peace, just as people who work out train to mold their bodies the way they see fit.
+Kuroi-Usagi Too late to reply lol, but hey I guess it's clear to see what you're going for when watching Zen archery, they take a lot of time to position an arrow and the manners they use when wielding a bow.
@Ilma1984 Oh, I know, and agree with that part. I'm just sort of wondering, you know...he takes all that time, meditating...and then misses? Couldn't they maybe have re-shot the scene, or had him fire off another one, and get some better results? All I'm saying is, that with all that time, focusing, meditating, etc., you'd think that he would at least hit the target, when someone who is NOT taking so long can get better results.
The kyudo is not the art to kill. It is the art of bows. This is a pure art with pure masters. The Yumi is not a destructive weapon its only a tool for a kyudo master.
So many seem to miss the point of doing this.
It's doing something else by doing archery.
I understand a bit, a tiny bit by shooting with an air rifle.
When it goes right the world stops around me and I seem to be in a bubble. There is no aiming and the sound of the riffle disappears almost completely.
After realizing that this one was special I walk to the target and the bullet is exactly at the center. The real aim is that moment, not the target.
It feels just wonderful.
It's still very rare.
Q. He talks about 'finally emptying the mind for one brief moment as the arrow is released'. I hate to make it all sound a bit banal, but isn't this exactly the same practice as used by golfers and pool / snooker players? Long before I ever heard of Zen I told a friend "The thing I love about pool is the moment of mental silence as you take the shot". Answers in a reply please. : )
I would love to learn this. The Japanese have such incredible martial arts spirtuality.
there are documentaries about it
thanks im very grateful =)
Having absolute control over a weapon is what makes it destructive. Not by what it looks like or what it sounds like. Impeccable control makes destruction.
If I do not have wisdom, I can only know it contextually, or conceptually. Otherwise, I would know it in my heart after experiencing it. I would come into the knowing then. It is impossible to overestimate (or underestimate for that matter) the value of finding yourself. It is "priceless".
As i understand it, there's a belief behind it that there's always 1 most suitable way to do a certain thing.this way is also the most efficient and most beautiful one.therefore we look on the way of shooting rather than the result...you can pretty much predict what the result will be by the way its done.there is a saying: a well-shot arrow will always hit the target, but hitting the target doesnt mean it's been shot well. its about the way (do) of achieving the result, not the achieving itself.
although i think yabusame requires kyudo training because in yabusame it was a "zen" feel to it but it's a battlefield art hence riding a horse so it is much quicker than kyudo.
@apanterado
When the arrow is leaves the bow
It may not hit
But it can not miss.
@looxgood Have you even read up on Kyudo before commenting it?
@12thHamster its not just japanese archery but all types of archery include the "zen" aspect. all archers use a form of meditation to achief there focus. each archer follows his own ritual of standing, drawing, anchoring and lining up there checkpoints. that should be every archers priority. and only once u keep those things right u can focus on aiming.
so zen meditation will actually help your aiming but u will also need technique and expierience or else your arrows will still miss the mark
is it possible to get the whole sequence uploaded of him doing the hasettsu?
It is funny when the video slows a little bit on the part with the miss and then thoughtfully ends.
Think of this as the "Tai Chi" of archery. People practice Kyudo to achieve that relaxing, zen like feeling or state of mind which is more important than hitting the target itself.
i also asked some kyudo archers about how they aim, and they said they do not aim it they just concentrate on the way they shoot, and the arrow will automatically fly in the right direction after 1 or 2 years of practicing
Japanese archery really is huge in Japan. At least once a day, I see someone carrying a bow into the train.
My only question is that when will he have enough time to meditate and shoot in real combat? Also, was he kinda off?
I will try to give you a sensible answer wihout all the talks about zen and intuition. The way my teacher put it is that every movement in the five steps of kyudo shooting has its logic and reason. This movements have been perfected over many years and if you carry out all of them in the right manner, the arrow will hit the target. That is one of thereasons why so much emphasis is put on the preparation and process. You do not aim..but if you do everything right, the shot will be right as well.
i've never done archery before... can i still start kyudo?
@ruzickaw Actually quite a lot spontaneity is involved,because even if its looking formalized and rigid the archer has to control constantly restlessness without losing intensity. There is a kyudo saying:
The beginner makes ten major errors.
The advanced one hundred smaller ones.
And the expert thousands of tiny ones.
With every new level of training your attention grows and the shooting is more and more improvisation.
When a friend of mine visited a demonstration like this in Japan, the archer was an old man like that. He shot 3 arrows hitting one hand span left above of the target into the sand (10 - 11 O'clock). My friend later asked: why did he miss 3 times? Even I had hit from 10 yards! The answer: it prevents the arrows from damage, he "missed" on purpose and hit exactly the same spot with 3 arrows 3 times. (I have no idea if that is true, though ;D )
how strong is a kyudo bow in lbs?
oh yeah the rate of fire is only determined by the design of the bow , statistics like agility and speed come in a balk window when you point on the item .
Yep design is a factor on how fast you can fire a bow , but you shouldn't exclude the human factor from the equation . Take a long staff for example for some one smaller and unskill it would take much longer to swing it compared to some one who has some mastery over weapon. and yes i did some archery in high school .
@Japanbuster
"think whats the FOCUS."
The 'focus' is exactly the point of this art - not hitting the target, but hitting the self.
Can someone explain why the bows are off tillered and why they grip the bow way low of the center ? Makes no sense to me
They were originally meant to be used from horseback.