Tradition inherited from Japan and its history, Kyudo is deeply rooted in the Japanese soul, way of living and in various philosophical and religious approaches such as Confucianism, Shintoism, Buddhism.
Complete, not limited to the sole technique, it is aimed at the human in all its complexity, body and spirit, mental and feeling, and looking at the unification of body, spirit and technique.
Alive, the present linked to the past in the dynamics of constant practice and study; in the richness of shared practice between European and Japanese archers.
The way of the bow is one of the oldest if not the oldest of all martial arts. It has gone through the shift from jitsu (fight) to the do (absence of fight, the way).
The study and practice of Kyudo contributes to building internal wellness, to the quest of body and spirit mastery through very precise movements as well as straightness, simplicity and purity.
The archer is confronted to himself. The study of all techniques and gestures is fundamental: the archer starts with makiwara shooting (bale of straw situated at a bow’s length) ; shooting is performed according to a set of established gestures that slightly differs between ryu (martial traditions). Mato shooting (target of 36cm diameter at 28m distance) is practiced later, but does not prevent the archer from performing makiwara shooting to continuously improve his practice.
Kyudo practice makes time pass by; the archer concentrates on himself and fades into the way of the arrow while meeting with his deep self. The quest of the ultimate harmony, Rei.