Kyúdõ-Japanese Archery

Monday was a national holiday, Sports Day.  We went to see an ancient archery demonstration at Yasukuni Shrine.  

Shrine entrance

Yasukuni Shrine

Alec wrote the following paper:

Kyúdõ

By Alec Condry

        Kyúdõ literally meaning "way of the bow" is the Japanese art of archery.  Archery began in 500 BC.  Then the need for archers rose in 1180-1185 for the Genpei War.  From the 15-16th centuries Japan had many wars.  


        The Japanese bow is called a yumi.  It is usually two meters tall.  Bigger than the archer and mostly the bows are made of bamboo.  But sometimes they are not. All archers hold their bow in the left and shoot with the right.  There are three levels of skill for archer. Tooteki is where you just have to hit the target, kanteki is where you have to pierce the target, and zeiteki is where you have to get the arrow to stay in the target.  The yumi (bow) and the ra (arrow) shafts are both made of bamboo.  


        The other day I got to see Japanese archery and I thought it was really cool because the bows looked pretty lethal.  But, the arrows had rubber tips.  I would like to try it sometime soon but I am not fifteen, the age you can start this sport.

the judges

one the the archer helpers, each archer had his or her own attendant

the target

preparing to compete

archer one

archer two

the winner taking her bows

ready (men have to remove arm from sleeve)

aim

fire!

Alec's pic of standing bows