And So It Goes: My first Kyudo Competition

Saturday, September 27, 2008

My first Kyudo Competition

It's a custom at my Kyudo-kai that everyone who plans to take Kyudo examination should enter at least one competition as a trial stage. My examination is coming up in November, so I decided to join Kyoto-City September competition (there is a name for the event, but mind me, I forgot -"-)

The shooting performance for the opening ceremony

I was quite relax as I thought it must have been an individual race I was entering. Only until I found out it was a team race! A team of "three" competes for 3 rounds; 2 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. Each time each of us gets 4 chances to shoot. The team in which gets the highest scores from shooting wins (possible maximum score of 36) . This type of competition cares only if the arrow hits the target, and the distance toward the center of the target does not matter.

setting up the targets
(The target is of 36 cm diameter and placed 28 m away from the shooting spot)

We gathered at 8:30 a.m. of Monday, September 15, 2008, a Japanese national holiday (it's an "entering Autumn day"). I dressed up in my Hakama uniform from home already, so once I reached dojo (a name to call kyudo practicing place) I only had to take care of equipments - yumi (bow), tsuru (bow string), ya (arrow), and kake (kyudo glove).

Our guy team: Mochtsuki sensei, Sakabe-san, and Yoneda-san

The guys' first two shooting

Everything was completely fine until we were lining for our turns to enter the race. Man... my hands started to sweat!!! I guess this is it that my sensei wants newbies to experience before the exam - the excitement and nervousness. Thank goodness we rehearsed our taihai (the way to walk into our position before shooting) awfully a lot before the competition.

Keeping an eye on competitors

I actually found it fun and interesting to learn of a lot of things I've never known about doing kyudo from the competition. Taihai was one. I always thought there was only a sitting form of taihai as I've always seen at the national competitions and examinations. I was wrong. There is this standing type of taihai too. Much more simple than the sitting type, but still... a lot to remember for it.

while watching and waiting

Here is the only VDO that I have of me shooting. Now I know I'm VERY BAD at hikiwake (the lowering of the bow before reaching shooting position). Result? Nope.. no hitting the target! It was not to my surprise though since I never hit the target at practices anyways :) (not counting the very one time I hit the target of the person standing in front of me! =P oops!)