I've officially become a member of the kyudo club!
(Kyudo is traditional Japanese archery, used by the samurai.)
Today I basically had a private lesson with Yumiba-sensei (23). ("Yumi" as in "bow", haha!) He showed me how to place my feet, hold the bow and how to draw (and release) the bow. (Although I'm currently using a rubber band fastened to something that looks like a plastic handle. I probably will be for the next month or two.)
Let me tell you - it's a lot harder than it looks! As is the case with most things, actually. I believe that you should never say that something's easy until you've tried it! It's just that skilled people can make it look that way. ;)
I think it's very fun - lots of challenges! Keep your arms up, shoulders down, align your hands, don't use too much strength, relax... I think hitting the target is the last thing you bother with! XD Or, if you manage a perfect shot, you'll hit it. So you aim for the perfect shot. Although me and ol' rubby will be friends fore some time before I go anywhere near a target! :P Still, Yumiba-sensei said that I was the first newcomer he'd seen that had the arm holding the bow aligned that well with the body when "shooting". I was happy to hear that! ^^ He also gave me his number and mail, so that I can contact him whenever I want to practice. He said he'd come over whenever he could. "And besides, if I have too much free time I'll get fat!" XD
Another guy from the kyudo club (a first-year who's name I can't remember yet) came to practice later. By then Yumiba-sensei and I were sitting down taking a break. He showed me a purikura picture of him and his girlfriend, so I told him about my boyfriend in Norway. I told him that he'd turn 20 this year, but think he must have misheard me, or I might have messed up. He smiled and looked like he was about to laugh. Then the conversation went about as follows:
Yumiba: Ano...Heren?
Me: Yes?
Yumiba: Heren?
Me: ...yes? (o_o;;)
Yumiba: Heren, that's the same age as me! O__o
Me: Oh! Ah, no, no, he turns 20!
Yumiba: Ah, 20! I thought you said 23... *phew*
He looked relieved to know that I did not date a guy 5 years my senior. XD Still it was quite fun, because our age difference is the same as between him and his girlfriend. And so the conversation went on, much to the dismay of the nexly arrived first-year, since the obvious question had to be asked: "so, do you have a person you like?" "Eh.. no." This, of course, was subject to much lament on our behalf. Yumiba-sensei was kind enough to explain: "There's a lot of cute girls around, but he sais he doesn't have interest in any of them! What shall we do with him? He's a nice kid, but there's no one who's fallen for him yet..." So we conjured up various ways in which to help him, including praying at temples, have him watch romatic TV-shows and painting hearts on the targets. (Amor, you know.)
Yumiba: So have you ever recieved any chocolates for Valentine's Day?
?: Well, from my grandmother and stuff...
Yumiba: *turns to me* What shall we do with him? *turns back* You like chocolates, don't you?
?: ...yeah, I guess...
Yumiba: *turns back to me again* A girl's sweet love, and sweet chocolate... that's the best!
Me: Yes! A girl's sweet love, chocolate and don't forget a warm heart!
Yumiba: ...Right? Oh, what shall we do with him? Heren, give him a friend chocolate (obligation chocolate) for Valentine's Day, will you?
The rest of the time was spent whispering and giggling with Yumiba-sensei teasing (in a friendly manner) the poor kyudo guy, who'd turn around now and then asking "what?" to which Yumiba-sensei would reply "Ah, nandemonai. Kochi no hanashi da." ("Oh, nothing. Just talking between the two of us." Lit. "here's conversation" ...I find this hard to translate well -.-;) Then we'd laugh till my stomach hurt and sensei'd be massaging his cheek. XD
After kyudo practice I walked back to the train station with sensei, and we talked some more before I got on the train home. Lots of fun! Tomorrow's bunkasai, culture festival, at school!
Location: Japan!
Mood: Elevated XD
Practicing: Kyudo!
PS: I can't seem to write a short blog post about anything, ever. -.-; Though I know many of you don't mind. (Dolle, Molle... I'm looking at you!) If you do - you're free to skip it. ;P
2 comments:
Gratulerer med din første kyudo-time, Komp. Gjett om jeg gjerne skulle vært med på den - og de andre som kommer. Japansk bueskyting er midt i blinken! :o) Fra "Zen in the Art of Archery" har jeg lært at pusten også er en viktig del av det å kunne slappe av når du spenner buen. Husk at målet ikke nødvendigvis er å treffe blinken. Jeg vurderer å sende deg boka.
Stå på, Komp - jeg er innmari stolt av deg og de valgene du har gjort hittil.
IT WAS ABOUT TIME, EH! :DDD Isn't it just a lot of fun? :D
We western archers also don't care too much about hitting the target when we're fresh. We try to gather our arrows in the same point no matter where on the target they hit. But of course, we WILL care as time goes on in contrast to you guys. Western archery isn't so much about the spiritual as kyudo is :) We're practical savages who care far too much abot hitting the yellow spot. Haha xD
Oh, and regarding you wanting to see the differences in our archery practices; I'll try to record it sometime so that you'll be able to see how I draw and release, eh? :D
We keep our arms down and straight out from our body, shoulders down just like you, feet apart one shoulderwidth, the whole body aligned, and arrow drawn up to our faces. How you draw and where you anchor differs a bit from bow type to bow type though. I shoot a what they call a 'barebow', a recurve bow stripped of all the add-ons you see on olympic bows (an olympic bow is always a recurve).
Haha. Poor guy. But it must have been incredibly amusing on your part!
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