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Kyudo |
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This page is designed to provide a general introduction to the art of Kyudo. Kyudo, literally "Way of the Bow" is often reduced to being called Japanese archery in those off-hand conversations arising from the question "What is Kyudo?" This is often done with a feeling of regret on the part of the practitioner. Kyudo is much more than trying to hit the center of the target the maximum number of times possible. There is even a saying that if you practice Kyudo only to hit the target, you might as well just take up archery. On this page I hope to lay out some of the principles and methods of practice as well as give a general overview of the equipment involved. However, I am not a certified instructor. In the area of Kyudo theory I am forced to rely on my own quite limited experiences. These ideas change on a very regular basis, and many of them turn out to be only partly correct. In short, the technical stuff will be fairly accurate. All the rest are my opinions and should be treated as such.
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First, the equipment: Standard equipment consists of a bow, a set of six fletched arrows and two unfletched, bow strings, either a three, four, or five fingered glove, practice uniform, and various accessories suited to the archers taste and, more importantly, their budget.
Bows can be made of fiberglass, carbon, bamboo with carbon, or all bamboo (laminated construction). Bow length varies dependant on the height of the archer; the taller the archer, the longer the bow. Lengths begin at 2.21 meters or nearly seven feet. The English longbow went from five to six, depending on your sources. Kyudo bows do not employ any sights or balancing mechanisms. It is pure simplicity.
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Bows start at around 200 US dollars for the synthetics and can reach into the very high thousands for top bamboo makes. Synthetic bows are fairly indestructible and used mainly by beginners. Bamboo bows, are far superior in feel and response (so I have been told) but also require more attention. Humidity and temperature can both affect a bow and the archer must know how to respond in order to avoid disfiguring and or permanent damage. Both types, when cared for properly, can last a lifetime.
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The bow is also asymmetrical. The grip is about one third of the length up from the base of the bow. The bow is constructed in such a way that it remains balanced as it would if it were designed to be held in the middle. This asymmetry is a compromise between functionality and aesthetic impact. It also allows the bow to be fired from a kneeling position on a horizontal plane, or maneuvered over the neck of a horse without having to make the bow shorter.
Compared to the draw of other shorter bows, the Kyudo bow requires a deeper draw, or pushing the bow further apart, to produce the same effect. While there is no difference in the amount to physical strength required, the deeper draw does places the archer centered within the greater arch of the bow, producing a more aesthetic feel.
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Two synthetic bows. The right bow is unstrung to show its recurve properties. Bamboo bows will have and even more exagerated curve. Note: the camera angle distorts the asymetry. See the picture above for a better view. |
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Arrows are also dependant on the individual archer. Arrow length relates to the distance from the center of the throat along an extended arm, plus ten centimeters. This makes them generally longer than other arrows. The shafts are either of aluminum, carbon, or bamboo and fletched with turkey, goose, and large birds of prey excluding owls and vultures. Obviously turkey and goose on aluminum are cheap, while hawk on bamboo are not. Fletched arrows are used for shooting the standard twenty-eight meter practice distance. Unfletched, or reduced fletched, arrows are shot from a distance of six feet into a makiwara, or special straw target supported at head-height. They can also be used for warm-up or when the distraction of hitting a target proves too overpowering.
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From left to right: unfletched aluminum makiwara arrow, bamboo makiwara arrow with reduced fletch (possibly hawk), standard 28m distance aluminum turkey fletched. Below, makiwara(s) |
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Bowstrings are made of either synthetic or natural fibers. Natural fiber strings are strung and then rubbed down before practice with a pad of woven straw or other natural material. The idea is to produce heat to momentarily melt the resins used in its construction and thus strengthen the string against breaking. Nocking points for the arrows are made by winding and gluing natural fibers onto the string.
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Gloves consist of three, four or five fingered versions. The thumb of each is reinforced and has a notch at the base to hold the string. The string is held in place through the draw by this notch and pressure from the first knuckle of the index finger. (picture) The number of fingers is largely a matter of school and personal taste.
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Three fingered glove minus the white cotton underglove. Long blue cloth is wound around the glove and tied facing the inside of the arm |
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In Kyudo, there are no external markings of rank when the practice uniform is worn. Standard outfit consists of a white jacket (gi), a wide cloth belt (obi), socks with the big toe separated (tabi), and a divided skirt (hakama). There is a different type and method of tying the divided skirt depending on gender. High-ranking archers will wear a kimono for official functions or when shooting for examinations or in demonstrations.
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Click target to go to Kyudo Page 2 |
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to front page |
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