As a practitioner of Kyudo

People have always asked what is Kyudo and how can it be interesting.

It's slow paced and quiet. There are no tournaments, no cheering

crowds, no medals for hitting the target. There are no tv coverage, no

food venues, no team competition ... nothing, Yet, many people will

still ask what is it and standby on Waitlists for months just to experience

it.

So, what is Kyudo? Well, there is no real answer because Kyudo is

different for everyone. Is it a martial art just because its origin is from

Japan or because like all martial arts, it teaches us a little about

ourselves, our minds, our physical being. A true Kyudo practitioner will

not tell you that the primary goal is to hit the target. Rather, it is

secondary, a means to the end to achieve a sense of balance and peace

and understanding. It takes a lifetime to master Kyudo and given the

short window at today's meeting I can only express but a few points.

Foremost and most importantly, Kyudo teaches us to be quiet and to

help us find our inner soul. It is passive, respectful, and non combative.

And yet, after all these years of practicing Kyudo, I still don't know what

it is, but I can tell you what it is not.

• It is not a group of people wildly shooting at a target without

• thought or focus.

• It is not a group of undisciplined individuals yelling and partying

• during practice.

• It is not practiced without an experienced instructor or sensei.

• It is not practiced in an uncontrolled, unsupervised environment.

• It is not practiced without a Safety Protocol or dojo manager.

• It is not an art that excludes. Our practitioners come from all ethnic

• groups, religions, beliefs, and ages.

At this time, we are looking for a place to continue practice so that the

traditions, history, and culture behind Kyudo can be passed on to the

next generations. Like many other ethnic practices and arts, if not

continued in practice, it is destined to disappear.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tom Itagaki, Kyudo Sensei, Age 93yrs old.