This Sunday, January 5, about fifty kyūdōkas from the Belgian and Luxembourg federations braved the rain and traffic to go to the Shugetsukan dojo in Brussels for the traditional New Year’s shooting.
As we just entered the new year, Robert highlighted the characteristics linked to the Wood Snake, the sign of 2025: wisdom, intuition and insight. So many qualities that will not fail to be useful to everyone, in life as in our kyūdō practice.
The session began with a Yawatashi. Following this ceremonial shooting, a challenge of another nature awaited the archers: the kin mato (or golden mato).
With a diameter of 9 cm and covered with gold paper, it seemed so tiny from 28 meters away… One by one, the arrows followed one another, but none of them hit its target. It was not until the last sharei of the evening that Anja’s first arrow finally hit one. Congratulations to her!
After the effort, the comfort: the tables were overflowing with all kinds of delicacies, fruit of everyone’s culinary talents. The kyūdōkas put as much enthusiasm into feasting as they did into shooting, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Three crowned heads also made an appearance: Manoëlle, Leticia and André were lucky enough to find the bean in a galette des rois (congratulations to them too). Generosity, concentration and conviviality were on the agenda for this first session, which augurs a great year for 2025.