3. Regarding hitting the target

Physical consideration of KYUDO -Japanese archery

3. Regarding hitting the target


In Kyudo (Japanese archery), hitting the target isn't everything. However, the goal is to consistently hit the target with accurate shots. No matter how much you practice without hitting the target, you won't improve. Hitting the target with an arrow is actually a very simple physical phenomenon: "releasing the arrow without breaking your posture while maintaining your aim (的付け/Mato-zuke)."


The following are the essential physical conditions for "shooting an arrow accurately."


⑴ The target must be properly aimed.

⑵ The thumb of the left hand (where the arrow rests) and the thumb of the right hand (where the string is nocked) must remain still (the "holding position (会/Kai)") until the moment of release.

Full draw (会/Kai)~ release (離れ/Hanare)

If these conditions are not met, no matter how much you talk about mental fortitude or how beautiful your shooting form is, the arrow will never hit the target.

Conversely, even if you have any shooting flaws (射癖/Sha-heki) in the process leading up to this, if these conditions are met, you will hit the target. However, these are also troublesome conditions that make it difficult to correct shooting flaws such as premature release.

Conversely, even if you have any shooting flaws (射癖/Sha-heki) in the process leading up to this, if these conditions are met, you will hit the target. However, these are also troublesome conditions that make it difficult to correct shooting flaws such as releasing too early.

The moment of release


So, how can we achieve these conditions ?

To do that, you need to have a good understanding of the release technique in Kyudo (Japanese archery).


Before going into that explanation, I would like to touch upon the concept of targeting, which is based on the fundamental premise that the shape is well-formed in a full draw, as stated in condition (1).


To aim more accurately and consistently, instead of vaguely aiming at the entire target, you should aim at the black circle in the center (一の黒/Ichi-no-kuro). By being mindful of this, you will be able to strive for more precise aiming, so please try it. (Some people recommend vaguely aiming at the entire target, but I don't recommend this because you'll end up releasing without worrying about slight deviations.)


In Kyudo (Japanese archery), aiming is not simply about physically positioning the bow to align with the target.


Another target lies within the body !


This involves redirecting the force generated during the draw of the bow along the axis of the arrow.

Since the force generated during the draw has components in the up, down, left, and right directions, the aim and balance will be unstable for a while after entering the full draw. It's similar to the feeling of a balancing toy being poked and swayed.


If you release the arrow in this state, it will fly in the direction of the final swing and miss the target. This is what happens when you release the arrow too early and the timing is off.


If you try to stop this vibration, it actually causes resonance with your muscles, increasing the vibration. I think everyone has experienced this.


The swing will be contained by aligning the tension in both of your elbows (the strength of your upper arm muscles) with the axis of the arrow.


I was taught this to mean "It's important to keep the arrow clear (矢の澄み/Ya-no-sumi)," but since literary expressions are difficult to put into practice if they cannot be physically interpreted, I interpreted it as described above.


It's important to keep the arrow clear (矢の澄み/Ya-no-sumi). ≈ Align the direction of tension (muscle strength) with the axis of the arrow.

The desired form of hit

Another aspect of targeting is how accurately you can align the direction of your tension (muscle strength) with the axis of the arrow; if you can't do this, you won't be able to consistently hit the target.


Next time, we'll be discussing releases.
We look forward to your next visit as you become more familiar with "hitting the target (的中/Tekichu)".




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Physical consideration of KYUDO -Japanese archery
Contents

3. Regarding hitting the target


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