Kyudo

Histoire

Kyudo, "the way of the bow", is Japanese archery. It comes from the samurai, who were first of all mounted archers, and over the centuries became a discipline of body, mind and etiquette.

In the Edo period the "toshiya" contest at the Sanjusangen-do temple in Kyoto made archers famous: in 1686 Wasa Daihachiro shot 8,133 arrows the length of the temple veranda in 24 hours. The All Nippon Kyudo Federation was founded in 1949.

Le saviez-vous ?

• The Japanese bow (yumi) is over two metres long and is held below its centre, unlike Western bows.
• Kyudo aims at "truth, goodness and beauty" (shin-zen-bi): good form matters as much as hitting the target.
• Each shot follows eight fixed stages (hassetsu), from footwork to release.
• The book "Zen in the Art of Archery" (1948) made kyudo famous in the West.

Glossaire des techniques

Ashibumi

placing the feet

Dozukuri

settling the body

Yugamae

readying the bow

Uchiokoshi

raising the bow

Hikiwake

drawing apart

Kai

full draw

Hanare

release

Zanshin

remaining form after the shot

Armes et équipement

Yumi

bow over two metres long

Ya

arrows

Yugake

deerskin shooting glove

Makiwara

straw target for close practice

⚔ In the Arsenal

YumiHakama

☯ Philosophy and quotes

The virtues of bushidoBudoZanshinSee all →

Figures clés

• Wasa Daihachiro (17th century) — record holder of the Sanjusangen-do contest

Sources: All Nippon Kyudo Federation · International Kyudo Federation