Fools. It starts in the mind. Set foot to the mark without proper preparation, and a thousand arrows will be a thousand nails in the coffin. Shoot one honest arrow. And another if you can. And another. Until that single arrow is the only thing you know. Who commands your arrow? Teachers who frown disappointingly… Continue reading It Begins in the Mind
Yasuji. Just look at it. Can you see it? Seeing is the first step, for all those like me who can’t do it right from the start. The “yasuji” is literally translated from Japanese as, “arrow line.” Take a look at the arrow, and imagine a straight line extending forever from both ends. In the… Continue reading Yasuji: The Invisible Line of the Arrow and the Creative Powers of Kyudo
Why do we rush to die? We yearn for it all to be over. We yearn for a success that doesn’t even exist. It’s taken so long to get here. Think of all the moments and lives and deaths that have built up to this single moment, putting you in this pivotal moment of myriad… Continue reading The Life of an Arrow
Bruce Lee was right when he said, “Be water.” I love this commentary by Bruce Lee, and while water can become a cup, bottle, or teapot, it can also be a great analogy for our kyudo practice. Recently I thought of two analogies using water that can help with nobiai (expansion) allowing our body to… Continue reading Be Water
This is a continuation from a previous post titled, “The Importance of Gojuu-Jumonji: The Five Crosses.” Gojuu-Jumonji are 5 important crosses in our form that are vital to tsumeai, and proper form that allow us to shoot a straight arrow. These crosses can be best seen in the phase of kai, the full draw. The… Continue reading The Importance of Gojuu-Jumonji: The Five Crosses Part II
For those that are looking for secret techniques, enjoy some time in the mist, and I bet you’ll find yourself right back to the beginning. But that’s great news, because you’ll find yourself at the greatest source of technique there is, the basics. The longer I practice kyudo, the more appreciation I have for those… Continue reading The Importance of Gojuu-Jumonji: The Five Crosses
This is Part V in a series about two very important texts in the kyudo world: the “Raiki-Shagi” and the “Shaho-Kun.” This series is based on information gleaned from the book “Michi no Yumi” (“道の弓”) written by Iwao Matsui Sensei. It’s been a while since the last post in this series, for a lot of… Continue reading Deeper Understanding of the Shaho-Kun and Raiki-Shagi Part V: Jin (仁) “Humanity is our Virtue”
So, apparently all of my momentum from the last posts about the Shaho-Kun and Raiki-Shagi, inspired by the book “Michi no Yumi” by Iwao Matsui Sensei, have come to a giant concrete wall that it just can’t bust through. Looks like it’s going to take some chiseling, at a later point in time. Thank you… Continue reading Get Out of the Dojo
This is Part IV in a series about two very important texts in the kyudo world: the “Raiki-Shagi” and the “Shaho-Kun.” This series is based on information gleaned from the book “Michi no Yumi” (“道の弓”) written by Iwao Matsui Sensei. In this post I will talk about invaluable background information on the Raiki-Shagi, a little… Continue reading Deeper Understanding of the Shaho-Kun and Raiki-Shagi Part IV: Source of the Raiki-Shagi, the “Book of Rites”
This is part III in a series about two very important texts in the kyudo world: the “Raiki-Shagi” and the “Shaho-Kun.” This series is based on information gleaned from the book “Michi no Yumi” (“道の弓”) written by Iwao Matsui Sensei. In this post I’d like to talk specifically about the history of the Raiki-Shagi and… Continue reading Deeper Understanding of the Shaho-Kun and Raiki-Shagi Part III: Raiki Shagi and Rei (礼)
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