© Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, 2014 |
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| General Information |
Kyudo is a traditional Japanese style of archery. The bow used is called yumi, over 2 meters long, and made of laminated bamboo. The grip on the bow is low, distinguishing them from Western and Chinese bows, in order to be used on horseback. The bow is drawn to the shoulder and not to the chin, this requires the arrows (ya) to be longer (Menard 2001). |
| History/Development |
The history of Japanese archery can be traced back to ceremonial archery in Shinto and combative archery developed from warfare and hunting.It was used by the upper classes and warriors for recreational hunting, especially during the feudal period. The introduction of firearms eventually caused the bow’s popularity to decline (Menard 2001). |
Transmission
(Policies/institutions) |
From 1967 kyudo became part of the regular high school curriculum and thus part of Japan’s physical education. It is also taught in universities as well as private archery halls (kyûdôjo) (The International Kyudo Federation, s.d.). It is taught rather as a mental, physical and spiritual discipline than a competitive sport. |
| Relevant Organisations |
- International Kyudo Federation
https://www.ikyf.org/
- All Nippon Kyudo Federation
https://www.kyudo.jp/info/english.html
- European Kyudo Federation
https://www.kyudo.jp/info/english.html |
| Additional Materials |
- Onuma, H. (1993). Kyûdô: The Essence and Practice of Japanese Archery. Tokyo: Kodansha International.
- Acker, W. (1998). Kyûdô: The Japanese Arts of Archery. Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle. |
| References |
- Menard, K. (2001). “Archery, Japanese”. In Green, T. and Svinth, J. (eds.) Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
- The International Kyudo Federation. (s.d.). “The History of Kyudo”, International Kyudo Federation. https://www.ikyf.org/history.html |
*see also kasagake, yabusame | |
