Kyudo

One of my Japanese collegues at work is dan ranked in Kyudo, the Way of the Bow. Kyudo is on of the most pure expressions of modern budo. Below is an exerpt from the Wikipedia article on Kyudo. Please click on the title of this post to be directed to the original article, and get more information of this beautiful art.

Kyudo (弓道) (The "Way of the Bow") is the Japanese art of archery. It is a modern Japanese martial art (a gendai budo). It is estimated that there are approximately half a million practitioners of kyudo today. In Japan, by most accounts, the number of female kyudo practitioners is at least equal to and probably greater than the number of male practitioners.

Purpose of Kyudo

In its most pure form, kyudo is practiced as an art and as a means of moral and spiritual development. Many archers practice kyudo as a sport, with marksmanship being paramount.

However, the highest ideal of kyudo is "seisha seichu", "correct shooting is correct hitting". In kyudo the unique action of expansion (nobiai) that results in a natural release, is strived for.

When the spirit and balance of the shooting is correct the result will be for the arrow to arrive in the target. To give oneself completely to the shooting is the spiritual goal. In this respect, many kyudo practitioners believe that competition, examination, and any opportunity that places the archer in this uncompromising situation is important, while other practitioners will avoid competitions or examinations of any kind.