Way of the Bow, Part Three

I haven't written about kyudo recently, mostly because every day is just practicing over and over. But today's events warrant their own post.

I got to kyudo very early today, having ridden the bus immediately after class. I practiced with the adults for a few minutes, but then it was time to clean up. Sensei told me to help out, and this time I finally got a chance to. I got to sweep the floor over by the entrance. It sounds silly, but I feel like joining in on the cleaning really makes me an official member of the dojo.

There were also three Taiwanese exchange students there, who seemed interested in trying out kyudo. Sensei gave them the usual rundown, and I dropped a few comments in here and there. I introduced myself, and made some small talk before picking up my bow. I noticed that I've gotten ever so slightly stronger, because I can draw my bow with less difficulty now. And today, I finally took an important step forward: I figured out how to make the arrow fly in a straight path. It's hard to explain, but its almost as if you pull as hard as you can and let the arrow shoot on its own. If you relax as you shoot, the trajectory gets all wiggly.

Oh, and my friend Takuya got to shoot for the first time today. He did well, probably better than I did at first. It seemed to wear him out a lot though, as it did me. The first couple of weeks were the hardest, looking back on it. Dropping the arrow, getting slapped by the bowstring, having sensei whack you when your posture is bad. Sensei told us about the first time she shot an arrow - she was able to draw the bow fully and fire it perfectly from the first, she said. The thing is, she hit the wooden stand instead of the target, so the arrow rebounded and hit her right between the eyes. Luckily, she was okay, but boy would that suck! Pretty dangerous too, if you think about it.


Some guy popped into the dojo for a picture of...the clock, I think he said? I don't really get it, but sensei was really, really funny. She essentially photobombed the guy, diving into the photo with both hands making the peace sign. Picture a tiny, Japanese grandma photobombing in the middle of a kyudo dojo. Yeah, our sensei is awesome.


Just as I was getting ready to go, Leila got to do something amazing - sensei brought her out into the 射場, where you shoot at real targets. What was even more amazing is that Leila hit the target with her first shot; even though it was the farthest ring from the middle, a hit is a hit. That girl really has a knack for archery, I can tell that much. Sensei assured me that I'll get a chance next time, but I'm in no real rush. I'll get there when I'm ready.

I'll end today's post with a bit of philosophical jargon. Some refer to  kyudo as "standing zen". I find this an apt description. When doing kyudo, I think about nothing save the things present in the dojo - the people I'm with, and the practice I'm doing. My cares and worries melt away as I fire arrow after arrow, getting a little stronger with every shot. Although I'm worn out when I leave, my heart is freed from the burdens of everyday life. This is why I love kyudo. It's my happy place.