Can anyone tell me more about Kyudo?

Question

I'm interested in kyudo. I know the basics, that its very spiritual and its more about the journey rather than just hitting the target, but overall I don't know much about kyudo, and i'd love to understand what its all about. Also, can people of any age enter into kyudo or do you have to be in a certain age group? I'm 16, so i'm hoping i'm not too young for it. And about how much would it cost to be enrolled?

Answer 1

At my kyudo dojo there are a few 9 year olds doing it.  16 years old is a good age to start.

At the beginning it's not very spiritual at all because there's so much to concentrate on.  After a few years of practice you can recognise when you're over concentrating and rise above it.  

You'll learn two things:

1 = shooting technique

2 = the ceremonies

1 = When you shoot the bow correctly the string will spin 360 degrees around the bow.  It's too quick to see but this is unique to Japanese archery.  It takes 1 or 2 years to lean how to do this.

2 = Equally important are the ceremonies.  

You start by learning an 8 step ceremony to shoot from a standing position.  

Then a kneeling ceremony.  

After 4 or 5 years you'll learn to shoot in a kimono.  

You can see the ceremonies at: http://ecoecoman.com/kyudo/movie/index_e...

You'll have tests to go up a grade, which is done with 5 other people, and your moves have to be in perfect sequence with the others.

In Japan it's very cheap.  Only 140 dollars a year.  The dojo is open from 6am to 9pm and you can arrive whenever you want.  I think your situation will be different.

You'll have to buy the uniform and a glove.  Maybe 250 dollars for every thing and you should be able to borrow the rest.

So... your age is OK and once you find a dojo nearby you can find out about the costs.

Answer 2

Kyudo is the Japanese art of archery, archery, as practiced by Zen Buddhist monks.  Because Zen monks in Japan took a vow of poverty and ameterialism, they had to grow their own food, but, for the ones that did not subscribe to the veganism, they had to hunt.  Actually I'm wrong; Zen Buddhist in Japan are strict vegetarians, however, sometimes crops failed, and Buddhism teaches that in an "emergency" its okay to eat animals.  Naturally they needed to hunt them.

In time however, they observed that shooting an arrow, required much the same discipline and focus as any spiritual pursuit.  That, and there is also the fact that the monks had to protect themselves from robbers and bandits.  Criminals sometimes killed for fun in Japan; not to rob or steal, but simply for fun.  To protect themselves against such types, as well as to hunt in emergencies, Zen monks took up archery, which they developed and refined to a spiritual art.  Kyudo is different from standard archery in that holding the bow and arrow, with the string tugged, ready to fire, is a meditative pose.  You ready yourself, you pull on the string with the arrow in it, but some monks have been known to hold that position for a solid hour.  The purpose, is to use archery as a meditative aid.

Kyudo training is in fact, one in the same with some Zen Buddhist schools in Japan.  As with all Buddhism age isn't an issue; because they have this belief, that everyone has their own path and all that, you can enter at any time.  The purpose, is primarily as a meditative aid more than anything else, and since this is no longer the feudal era, naturally archery is no longer needed to hunt or protect oneself from bandits.

If you really like both archery, and anything that has to do with meditation, hey, go for it; I honestly doubt there is an age restriction of any sort.

good luck.

Answer 3

kyudo is a more modern, spiritual version of an old samurai art called kyujutsu. as you know it is bow and arrow shooting. i dont know if they still do, but samurai used to practice both standing, and shooting from horseback. i've been told that the goal isn't to "aim" but to sorta be "one" with the arrrow, and the situation and "allow" the arrow to fly to the target. which isn't really so important (hitting the target)

most "do" arts are more modern spiritual or sportive variations of older combative battlefield arts of the samurai of fuedal japan.

aikijujutsu became aikido. jujutsu became judo, kyujutsu became kyudo. jo jutsu became jodo. kenjutsu became kendo. iaijutsu became iaido. battojutsu became battodo...etc etc.