New Year’s Ceremony at the central dojo of the Belgian Kyudo federation

In order to celebrate the beginning of the New Year, a Kyudo ceremony took place in the Brussels Kyudojo this 7th of January. After the opening Rei, during which Vlasselaer Sensei expressed his heartfelt new year’s greetings to all kyudoka, a Ya Watashi ceremony, performed by an archer and two assistants, was performed by :

Vlasselaer Jean-Pierre Sensei, Renshi 6^th Dan, Ite
Schroeder Ralph, 4^th Dan, Daiichi Kaezoe
Mavroidis Iannis, 3^th Dan, Daini Kaezoe

The opening ceremony was followed by Hitote Gyosha. This means that every kyudoka shoots two arrows while the sensei observes. In his following comments on what he saw, Vlasselaer underlined the importance of the rhythm of the movements. The thinking and the doing have to happen at the same time, the action can never be delayed and happen after the thought about the action. This way, no gap appears between thought and action. In the same way, the sensei insisted on the importance of regular practice. Every kyudoka has to practice for himself, and not in relation or depending on the presence of somebody else.

In the end of the training session, the archers coming from the dojos of Brussels, Liège, Antwerp and Luxembourg had a drink together to celebrate friendship before everyone returned to his home dojo for regular practice.