Tornados In My Back Yard!

A tornado formed in my back yard today!  For days storms have been following the Ohio river valley and I'm in Hartford, Kentucky, while Yoshiko is in Japan and yesterday a cloud started rotating right over my back yard.  Here are the pictures of the rotation:

Then the rotation tightened up:

Then it touched ground!

Be careful out there folks!

Yon-sun-nobi Yumi For Sale In North Carolina

Mr. Elmar Schmeisser emailed me recently to pass on his offer to sell his yon-sun-nobi yumi, made by Mr. Don Symannski.  Mr. Schmeisser is looking to purchase a rokku-sun yumi and would like to sell his yon-sun-nobi which is 18 kilo at a standard draw length of 90 cm. and the bow should be available near the end of this year.  The bow is in good condition and the only reason he is selling it is to buy the longer bow which is presumably being made now.  Anyone interested in purchasing the bow should contact Mr. Schmeisser in Cary, North Carolina.  

He can be reached at eschmeisser (at) nc.rr.com

Shibata Kanjuro Sensei's Yumi Making Web Page

The current Shibata Kanjuro sensei has made a very nicely done web page on how a bamboo bow is made.  Even if you don't read Japanese the pictures and illustrations make the page worth seeing.

When Things Fall Apart

I have been reading the book "When Things Fall Apart, Heart Advice for Difficult Times" by the American Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön because of my own difficult situation which doesn't seem so difficult after all.  Most of the tsunami videos you see show destruction lasting perhaps, 10 minutes.  Entire villages wiped out in that short time.  In the book, which is a series of edited lectures, Pema Chödrön says you must give up any sense of security and embrace groundlessness.  When I see tsunami pictures and videos I think of her challenge to give up security and embrace groundlessness:

"If hope and fear are two sides of one coin, so are hopelessness and confidence.  If we're willing to give up hope that insecurity and pain can be exterminated, then we can have the courage to relax with the groundlessness of our situation.  This is the first step on the path."

Trying to Outrun A Tsunami!

One man succeeds:


Another man does not:

New IKYF Overseas Test Application Form

Those of you testing for renshi and up at this year's National American Seminar in Minnesota should be aware of a post on the Minnesota Kyudo Renmei's web site giving a PDF of the new form.  The old form, which allowed for comments to be written on it from a federation president, has been replaced by this new form that does not have such a space and all renshi candidates should use the new renshi test application form.

Good luck!

Instructors and Kyudo Vendors Announced for 2011 American Seminar

We are excited to announce the sensei who will be leading the 2011 American Kyudo Seminar this year in Minnesota.  They are:

Iijima Masao sensei, Hanshi Hachidan, of the Daiichi Chiku, Tokyo Kyudo Federation
Satake Mariko sensei, Hanshi Hachidan, of the Wakayama Kyudo Federation
Kubota Kiyoshi sensei, Hanshi Hachidan, of the Ibaraki Kyudo Federation

We at the MNKR are looking forward to hosting these wonderful sensei at this year's seminar!

We can also announce that there will be two kyudo equipment vendors represented at our seminar.  Feel free to contact these vendors directly for questions concerning their attendance or the potential for pre-ordering items from their shops.  They are:

Sambu Kyuguten, http://www.sambu-kyugu.com
Takahashi Kyugu, http://www.takakyu.com/

We will be sure to give our vendors appropriate space to make their goods available to seminar participants.  Please remember to contact these vendors directly for questions concerning their products.
--
Carly Born
Minnesota Kyudo Renmei
www.mnkyudo.org

SENDAI TEIKI CHOSHINSA AND TOHOKU RINJI CHO RENSHI SHINSA LOCATION MOVED DUE TO EARTHQUAKE

FROM THE ANKF
OFFICE

APRIL 1^ST,
2011

SENDAI TEIKI
CHUOSHINSA TAKES PLACE

 IN

HAMAMATSU CITY, SHIZUOKA
PREFECTURE

INSTEAD OF
“SENDAI”

Sendai city has
been considerably affected by the Eastern Japan Great Earthquake that hit on
the 11^th of March.

As
a consequence of this disaster the two chuo sinsas cannot be held in the
affected Sendai
city.  The ANKF will hold these two tests
in July, 2011 however they have had to move the test site to another location
and also have had to rearrange the events.
The following is the CHANGED SCHEDULE of the SENDAI TEIKI CHUO SHINSA
and the TOHOKU RINJI (SPECIAL) RENSHI CHUO SHINSA.

Organizer:  All Nippon
Kyudo Federation

Host:           Shizuoka Prefecture
Kyudo Renmei

Date:          July
8^th (Fri), 2011  /  testing 8^th dan and Kyoshi   Time:   9:00

                   July
9^th (Sat), 2011  /  testing 6^th dna and 7^th
dan    Time:          9:00

Place:         Kami
Sogo center Kyudojo / Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka prefecture /
Phone: 053-447-6820

Dead line:  June
1^st, 2011 (must arrive)

***************************************

TOHOKU RINJI (SPECIAL) CHUO RENSHI SHINSA TAKES PLACE

IN

HAMAMATSU CITY,
SHIZUOKA PREFECTURE

The Tohoku Rinji Chuo Renshi Shinsa
has also been changed to HAMAMATSU CITY, Shizuoka
prefecture.  The schedule is as follows:

Organizer:  All Nippon Kyudo Federation

Host:          Shizuoka
Prefecture Kyudo Federation

Date:          July 10^th (Sun),

Place:         Kami Sogo Center
Kyudojo / Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka
prefecture/Phone: 053-447-6820

Dead line:  June 1^st (Wed), 2011 (must arrive)

sōteigai 【想定外】

After watching all the interviews with tsunami survivors I think the expression

sōteigai 【想定外】 (beyond all expectations) 

 will soon become the most used expression in the Japanese language!

Dog Rescued From Floating Roof In The Ocean

While it is hard to find good news in the tsunami wreckage a kyudo friend sent me this video of a dog rescue from a floating roof in the ocean.