Kyudo Assembly with Kanjuro Shibata XXI at Karme Choling, Vermont, June 17 - 21, 2015

via Grace DiNapoli on Facebook

December 27 at 3:23pm · 

 

Seiko Kyudojo announces with great pleasure the first Kyudo Assembly with Kanjuro Shibata XXI at Karme Choling.
Here is a special opportunity to meet Sensei and join together in a retreat setting for an extended period of group practice and fellowship. All past and present Kyudo practitioners are warmly invited to experience and add to the renewed energy of the freshly uplifted Azuchi.
Mark your calendar and plan to enjoy the Summer Solstice in the beautiful hills of Vermont. All levels of practitioners are welcome. 

Wednesday through Sunday, June 17 - 21, 2015

Registration opens soon. Please check back to the program calendar at Karme Choling’s website http://www.karmecholing.org/programs.php. Participants may register for a single day or multiple days of attendance. 

"Through Kyudo one can learn to live beyond hope and fear, how to be." – Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

AKR Update, October 2014 edition

IKYF ID Renewal

Remember to send out your request for IKYF renewal.

The IKYF is requesting that IKYF members renew our IDs. This is based on a decision that was made at the IKYF General Assembly Meeting in Paris in July, 2014.

I would like to know if you want to renew your ID or not. Please read the attached IKYF info (pdf) that will help you to make your make decision. Pay special attention to the "A to E" categories in the PDF file that is attached to this email.  This renewal is valid from Jan. 2015 to Dec. 2015.

IKYF ID Card Renewal

Please note the following reminder for future events that you may be interested in participating in as they will require IKYF membership:

1. Membership in the AKR is required to obtain an IKYF ID #. New members joining the AKR in 2014 must be recorded as AKR members by the 31st of Dec., 2014 in order to be eligible to obtain an IKYF ID #. But, even if you do not renew your IKYF ID you can still be an NCKF/AKR member. IKYF membership is optional.
2. Those AKR members who plan to take a shinsa in Japan MUST have an IKYF ID #.
3. Those AKR members who plan to attend the 2015 AKR/IKYF kyudo seminar in South Carolina MUST have an IKYF ID #. (Basically, you have to have a valid ID to attend any official event or test.)

Yoshiko Sensei and <deleted> will work on this renewal. Please choose one of A, B,C,D,E as your decision and then email Yoshiko Sensei and <deleted> about your decision by November 15th. 

AKR Update, November 2014 edition

From the AKR:

1)    Reports on the  IKYF  Seminar in Paris:  <deleted>

2)    There is a proposal from the AKR office for a national kyudo tournament.  <deleted>

3)    AKR website lead editor wanted!!   <deleted>

4)    Creating a translation committee group was suggested to the Translation Committee. There was a good and competent interpreters group at the 2013 Seminar in SC. If the AKR had a group of such competent and dedicated interpreters there could be even more translations to create more useful information for AKR members. Such a group could contribute their work to the AKR website also. We look forward to hearing from the committee in the near future.  

<deleted>

5)    The 2014 AKR membership renewal:  It is already time to start thinking about the AKR membership renewal.   The deadline is December 31, 2014.  There were a couple of delays (the last renewal was in  March).  Please make sure to complete your renewal and the payment of the dues in time.   Your cooperation is greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance.

 From the ANKF: (excerpts from the Kyudo Magazine, Sept.edition)

3)    How to overcome "Hayake" by the late Morikawa sensei: <deleted>(NCKF) has volunteered to translate this article for us.  It will take time since this is 6 page instruction.  I hope you will enjoy the article once it is translated.  He will probably divide the article in to 2 to 3 parts.

The Kyudo magazine is re-introducing old articles every month that are useful for our kyudo study.  The Sept. edition is carrying an instructional article that was written by the late Morikawa Masaru (hanshi kyudan).  He is writing about his experience of his Hayake and how he overcame it.  Also he is kindly advising how not to become Hayake and recovery training if you do become Hayake.  It is a very good article and I am hoping to have it translated into English.  

From the IKYF:

1)    Report on the meeting with Mr. Miike/IKYF   Please see the attached file.

<deleted>

3)    Report on the Special International Seminars Tokyo:  <deleted>

4)    ID renewal:  It is on going.  As of 11/24 the ID renewal is almost done.  I would like to thank <deleted> sensei for collecting the lists from the federations and arranging them for sending to the IKYF.  Please submit your renewal in time.   There will be some more AKR new members in 2015.  Those new members who wish to attend seminars in 2015 can obtain their ID when they apply for the events.  Details of ID application in 2015 for new members will be guided by the IKYF office accordingly (confirmed 11/24).

5)    UPCOMING IKYF SEMINARS in 2015:   Special Shogo seminar in Feb., 2015,  Asia-Oceania Kyudo Seminar in April, 2105 and IKYF/EKF seminar in July/2015,  IKYF/AKR seminar in July, 2015 (tentative)

From the  Affiliates:

1)    seminars in the affiliated countries:

Paraguay and Brasilia seminar report <deleted>

Following the Buenos Aires Seminar the Brasil Kyudo Kai offered and instructed another seminar in Paraguay and Brasilia, report from <deleted>.

<deleted> (renshi godan/SoCKR) conducted and instructed a seminar in Mexico during the weekend of the 15th.   He has been residing in Mexico for his business for some time  and has begun helping some kyudo friends in Mexico.  <deleted>

2)   Kyudokai Panama will have their first\kyudo seminar on Jan., 2015.   Mie Takahashi sensei (KAC) is invited as the instructor.

"Tenouchi and Expiration Date" from the December 2014 Kyudo magazine, translated by Mr. Howard Houng

Good evening folks.

After a hectic schedule these past couple of weeks and getting really sick, I finally have some down time to post the new Kyudo poem from the Dec. issue of the Kyudo Magazine. 

"Tenouchi and Expiration Date"

鵜の首や紅葉重の手の内は、初心の人に教へ射させよ。（大和）

U (or Garancho) no kubi ya kouyou kasane no tenouchi wa, shoshin no hito ni oshie e isase yo*. (Yamato)
Tenouchi like the neck of a cormorant or autumn leaves piling up, this is what you teach beginners how to shoot." 

*My apologizes in advance, I can't be certain that the pronunciations of certain kanji are correct. 

Iijima-sensei's comments:
A long time ago, not much thought was given. There was no concept of an "expiration date", phrases like the tenouchi should be like "the neck of a cormorant" or "autumn leaves piling up" weren't taught. We were told to grip the yumi and just shoot; a fairly reckless way of teaching.
It is important that teach proper tenouchi from the beginning. There is a phrase "3 year tenouchi" which does not mean that a tenouchi takes 3 years to make, but rather if you do not make a proper tenouchi within 3 years, then you will spend a lifetime of hardships. Maybe 3 years is too long, it should be more like 3 months. Before reaching the "expiry date", a (proper tenouchi) should become part of the body, an instructor should feel the anxiety and take the extra effort to look after it.
奥伝は初伝に在り
Okuden wa shoden ni ari.
The passing of secret teachings lies within the initial teachings.

New Year 2015 Kyudo Seminar in Melbourne, Australia

One day seminar with Gregory Stewart (Godan).
Gregory will be in Melbourne from Japan and has *very* kindly offered to instruct in a one day seminar on Wednesday the 7th of January.
Venue will be VU Footscray Budokan, Lev 3.
Time will be 12 midday to 5pm
There will be a Kyudo dinner that night.
This will be the last seminar before Nagoya, so will be a great opportunity to polish up your skills before shinsa.
Please note: This is not a beginners seminar: The seminar is open to all Kyudo jin who are currently practicing Kyudo.


https://www.facebook.com/events/317041758480973

The 4th ASIA-OCEANIA KYUDO SEMINAR in Nagoya, Japan, in April 2015, is open to all IKYF affiliated groups.

All,

I am forwarding to you the IKYF information on the 4th ASIA-OCEANIA KYUDO SEMINAR to be held in Nagoya Japan, in 2015. Obviously the IKYF has decided to include both EKF, AKR and Canada.  The affiliated countries are also invited.  The details of the application (seminar application, shinsa application and the payment) will be informed to you as soon as it is ready.  The deadline of the application and other details will also be informed to you as soon as they are available.

Please pay good attention to the information of the different IKYF seminars.  Please extend this information to your members.  

I appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

Thank you,

Yoshiko Buchanan
AKR President
 
----- Original Message -----
From: ikyf
To: ikyf@kyudo.jp
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2014 11:17 PM
Subject: Schedule of the 4th Asia-Oceania Kyudo Seminar

To All Representatives of the International Kyudo Federation affiliate countries,

Thank you for your cooperation on Kyudo matters.

Please let me inform you the schedule of the 4th Asia-Oceania Kyudo Seminar that will be held on April 2015 in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

The implementation guidelines of the seminar, as well as the Excel application form and the implementation guidelines of the Special Shinsa will be sent later.


* April 11-17 Special Shinsa  will be held for Shodan (1st Dan) to Rokudan (6th Dan), and for Renshi categories.
I invite all the countries of Asia-Oceania region to participate in the Asia-Oceania Commemorative Shakai on April 12.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INTERNATIONAL KYUDO FEDERATION  MASAKI　MIIKE
KISHI MEMORIAL HALL 1-1-1, JINNAN SHIBUYA-KU, TOKYO
150-0041 JAPAN
TEL 81-3-3481-2387 　　  FAX 81-3-3481-2398
 URL http://www.ikyf.org/    E-mail ikyf@kyudo.jp
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Dozukuri and Monomi" by Iijima hanshi from the September 2014 Kyudo Magazine - translated by Howard Houng

Good evening all. Thought I would continue to share the next article.
This is from the September edition. 

"Dozukuri and Monomi"

胴の伏す射手に数多（アマタ）の難ぞある
胸尻出でて 顔は反りけり (大和)
Dou no fusu ite ni (amata) no nan zoaru
mune-shiri idete kao wa sori keri

"An ite with a protruding torso has many difficulties; with the chest or buttocks sticking out and the face bent."(Oowa)

Iijima-sensei's comments:

As described above, when our head is bent backwards it can be said that our "monomi is tilted upwards slightly". When our monomi is tilted upwards, our eyes and ears are not in line with each other, our sense of balance in our semicircular canal is not normal. 

This reminds him a time during the 2009 Berlin World Championships in the 200m dash finals watching Usain Bolt's running form. The 200 meant he had to run on a curve first. But when you see his body, it was not bent at all and his head was straight in line with the ground as he ran. He broke the world record at 19.19secs. 

The deepness of the monomi is shown in the diagram on pg 116 of the (Japanese) Kyohon Vol. 1, but we should not force it to be too deep or else the left shoulder starts to form a triangle shape. It should be moderate. 

The deepness of our monomi will also effect where the arrow is pointing towards the target, so one needs to be careful about this.

November Kyudo Seminar in Paraguay!

"Dozukuri and Monomi" by Iijima sensei - translated by Howard Houng.

Good evening all. Thought I would continue to share the next article. This is from the September edition.  "Dozukuri and Monomi"

胴の伏す射手に数多（アマタ）の難ぞある
胸尻出でて 顔は反りけり (大和)
Dou no fusu ite ni (amata) no nan zoaru
mune-shiri idete kao wa sori keri

"An ite with a protruding torso has many difficulties; with the chest or buttocks sticking out and the face bent."(Oowa)

Iijima-sensei's comments:

As described above, when our head is bent backwards it can be said that our "monomi is tilted upwards slightly". When our monomi is tilted upwards, our eyes and ears are not in line with each other, our sense of balance in our semicircular canal is not normal. 

This reminds him of a time during the 2009 Berlin World Championships in the 200m dash finals watching Usain Bolt's running form. The 200 meant he had to run on a curve first. But when you see his body, it was not bent at all and his head was straight in line with the ground as he ran. He broke the world record at 19.19 secs. 

The deepness of the monomi is shown in the diagram on pg 116 of the (Japanese) Kyohon Vol. 1, but we should not force it to be too deep or else the left shoulder starts to form a triangle shape. It should be moderate. (For those with the English Kyohon, the diagram is on pg. 68.)

The deepness of our monomi will also effect where the arrow is pointing towards the target, so one needs to be careful about this.

"Ashibumi and Yazuka" from the August 2014 edition of the Kyudo Magazine by Iijima hanshi translated by Howard Houng

Mr. Howard Houng translated another kyudo poem article and posted the translation to Facebook so I have copied it here so the translation can find a wider audience than just those with Facebook accounts:

So yesterday I shared an article by Iijima-sensei taken from a new section in the Kyudo Magazine that started from August called 弓道教歌散歩 Kyudo Kyoka Sanpo "A Stroll through Kyudo Teachings (Poems)" Iijima-sensei introduces us to different Kyudo Poems to illustrate different aspects in Kyudo.

This article is from the August edition titled "Ashibumi and Yazuka"

(Disclaimer: I try my best but my translations are not always 100% correct. So it is just for reference for my kyudo friends.)

八文字　足の間の　寸ぞなき、その身　その身の　曲尺に合わせて （大和）
Hachimonji ashi no ma no sun zonaki, so no mi, so no mi no kanejaku ni awasete.
"The shape 8 (八) is not just the space between our feet, it is the body and how the body fits into its carpenter's square" (Oowa)

Comments from Iijima-sensei:
When watching people in their Shinsa, most of the time many people's "yazuka are stuck" and not really getting into kai. When looking at their ashibumi, he notices that it is too narrow. Having a narrow ashibumi affects the dozukuri and the tate-sen (vertical line) is not strong enough, so it produces the above outcome. It seems that most people receive full points when writing about this on the written test, but when it comes to the shooting test, most people don't do it correctly. The first step in the Shaho-Hassetsu is the ashibumi, which is the basis of the Sha; wisdom from our predecessors.

Things to keep in mind about Ashibumi:
1) Position
2) Width
3) Angle
4) Center of Gravity

Having a narrow ashibumi makes you look "old". Being able to establish the length of your yazuka is the first condition needed in order to construct Kai.

Translation of two kyudo poems from the November 2014 Kyudo magazine article by Iijima - Hanshi.

It is rare to get accurate translations of kyudo poems in English but Mr. Howard Houng just published his translation of two of them on Facebook so I thought that these translations should be posted here to share them with a wider audience than just those with Facebook accounts:

Here's an article in the Nov. issue of the Kyudo Magazine written by Iijima-Hanshi.
Here he talks about Torikake and the sound produced from the Giriko on the Kake.

There are two interesting Kyudo Poems referenced: 

陰陽の和合を知らぬ射手はただ片思いする恋にぞありける。（竹林）

Yin-yo no wago wo shiranu ite wa tada kataomoi-suru koi ni zoarikeru.
”An Ite (archer) who does not know the harmony of Ying-Yang is like having only a one-sided love.”
(Chikurin)

妻手はただ弦にも矢にも迫るなよ。向うを定め、軽く引きとれ。（小笠原）

Mete wa tada tsuru nimo, ya nimo semeru-na yo. Mukou wo sadame, karuku-hitotore.
”Mete is not just about handling the tsuru or the ya. Establish the other end firmly and pull lightly." (Ogasawara)

Here is a general summary of Iijima-sensei's comments:

After watching Yawatashi and several Hacidan 2nd Shinsa tests, he notices the sound of the giriko from the kake should start as we move into Daisan. The "giri-giri" sound gives one a sense of anticipation of what is going to happen next. Hikiwake is like the harmony of Ying-Yang. If we keep this in our mind, then we will naturally become so. On the other hand, if the the top of the Kake-Boshi (Thumb) is black, then it is likely that in hikiwake, no sounds are produced. Too much strength is placed into the right-hand and as a result in hanare, the right-hand will look like it's doing a shape of a rock or scissor (like rock-paper-scissors).