First class with Sekine sensei

It turns out there are 3 students in the class. So we were asked what we want to study. I am not sure I understood all the answer but one student will make his own bow from a semi done bow base. This is a tradition with heki shooters and well… it was like that in the old days. You started from a base bow and formed it so it became yours.

The other one wants to do something with sport and kyudo connection.

I (The Third) want to learn as much Heki as they can teach me. Its promising so far πŸ™‚ We will do probably mokuroku, I got some shooting advices (aiming, stronger left hand and everything one time only). And it will be a looot of practice.

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Looking forward to it!

Hayashi supermarket

If you live in Katsuura you will do most of your shopping in Hayashi.

It is the biggest supermarket in the “city” and probably the cheapest for big shopping.
Its not that far from the university either.

Lets see some prices πŸ™‚

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They have cheap and good mochi too!
Enjoy πŸ˜‰

How is the everyday training this week?

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So, lets see how is aΒ training at IBU in the Kyudo club at the moment.

We start at 17:00. And yes, it is 17:00. not 16:58 or 17:03. Exactly 17:00, even if everybody is there and ready before.

Before 17:00 there are a few things. It starts with changing clothes of course. Then setting up the dojo. This includes bringing out the matos and putting them in place. Then prepare your yumi (bow) and your kake (glow). Then two kyudoka runs to the matos, one on each side and the senpais check the place of the matos and directs the other two (by shouting to them) which one to move where and how much. This way the already almost perfect set up becomes unbelievable perfect πŸ™‚

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Then we take our place in the dojo and wait for 17:00 to come. At 5pm we have line up and shinto style rei before the little jinja on the wall.

After this we start with competition practice. Since we will have a shiai (competition) on Sunday we practice in the group with what we will enter. Its a 5 person guys group. I am the thirdΒ shooter and its renmei style taihai shooting. I am getting the hang of it after a few days. Its far from pretty yet, but I know when to do what and that’s a start.
We go through this 5 times until the hit board fills up. One set is 4 arrows so all together it ends up at 20 arrows.

After every 4 arrows we have yatori (bringing back the arrows). Which I am still not very good at πŸ™‚
It goes follows:
The person/s who goes for the arrows goes out on the side door, puts on outside slippers and ties up the hakama.
He goes next to the shooting area, claps twice and shouts Hairimasu and waits for an answer.
One of the not shooting kyudoka will go to the front of the dojo and if there is nobody shooting at the fifth mato (which is the closest one to the walking area next to the shooting field) shouts back Onegaishimasu.
The yatori person runs out to the azuchi and waits there until everybody is done with shooting, then claps twice, shouts hairimasu and goes in to the azuchi to the first mato, checking all matos on the way. Then runs back the the last one backwards and shouts back the results to the dojo where they confirm it with the score board and one person notes down everything.

Reporting is:
1 hit – いっけゅう
2 hit – はわけ
3 hit – さんけゅう
4 hit – かいけゅう
0 hit – ざんねん

Then the arrows are collected and the yatori person stands next to the azuchi and shouts back dozo, so the next group can start shooting.
Then he runs back to the side door of the dojo, where the cleaning equipment is.
This is a real kyudojo, so we have earth behind the matos. This means after bringing back the arrows we have to clean them. First with a wet towel, one by one and the arrowheads, then with a dry towel. Then check if all the nocks are in place and if you cleaned it well and put them back in their place in the dojo.
And you should do this very fast, which I am unable to do yet πŸ˜› I am slow with this too, like in everything πŸ˜€

And then… repeat sequence.

When we are done with the competition practice we have free shooting (kaigi). Yatori when there is around 10 arrows in the azuchi area, so around 2 arrows per person. This is a less formal yatori, no shouting back the results.

And that’s about it. Then the training ends, which means an other rei and cleaning up. Sweeping all the dojo and dusting everything. Bringing back the matos and redoing the earth in the azuchi. Then go over it and the wood above with water. Then scrape off the earth from the matos and put on new paper. Max 4 layers, if it reaches for we have to restart from the frame.

One of the sensei is present for some time in the training, checks everybody and gives advice.

And this concludes an average training this week. It might be different later on, but for now this is about everything.

Letter of Acceptance

To my future readers, as the first official post πŸ™‚

I got the answer last week, I got in!

Now comes the preparation, working a lot to pay the fees, arranging flight ticket and sorting out everything.

Japan here I come!

 
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Mail sent

Application sent for the one year kyudo program. Its my last chance probably for a longer period there to learn the language.
Lets see where it goes πŸ™‚

First of the many

Waiting for the answer if I can go for a year of adventure in Japan with a lot of kyudo and Japanese studying. We’ll see πŸ™‚
Exciting times!

If yes, this will be my blog about my stories in Japan, photos and kyudo. Its shooting in Japan for a reason πŸ™‚

Hope to see you all around!