THE MEANING of DAN & SHOGOU　

　

　

Preface of my booklet of the Japanese Kyudo

titled "THE GUIDELINE OF THE REQUIRED

SKILL ON EACH DAN"

　

- NOT FOR SALE, PRIVATELY WRITTEN -

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

15 March, 1993

　

　

　

　

IWAO MATSUI

　

Kyoshi 6 Dan

2-23-6 Takamido cho, Inazawa City, Aichi Pref., 492-8213 Japan

　

Comments from writer:

The concept and examination system in Dan or Shogo in Japanese Kyudo are very difficult for Western people so I think. For result Dan is not License, and it is the mark of own standing point under the mastering the skill and its philosophy. It means the every Arts in Japan have its purpose in how to make own character through mastering the Art. Therefore I must explain the purpose of the Japanese Kyudo for explanation of meaning of Dan (Grade) and Shogo. First I must make clear the purpose of mastering Kyudo or Budo, and it is not a kind of sports, so we don't set importance in only surely hitting the target. It is a kind of Budo which purposes are building character through mastering it. Usually I explain it is just like mountain climbing that we are climber & the top of mountain means its highest purpose for mastering, and the standing position between the sloop and the top means the Dan or Shogo and it show us our standing position and by the recognize standing position we can decide our next plan to practice.

For instance in Kyudo we have 5 kinds of Values in hitting the target, and it means that there are the different values in the hitting the target and we don't appriciate only fact of hitting the target but also we appriciate its process, suiting the basic, people obey the manner which is said Rei between his partner or others and so on. Of course hitting the target is the most important thing but there are the different values in hitting it. It is same in Kendo and Judo so I think.

Maybe you know every Budo are said "do" which means the human way and are called Michi in Japanese. They are Kyudo, Kendo, Judo, Karatedo, Aikido and so on in Budo, and Sado, Kado and Koudo in Japanese Arts too. And every road is continue from slope to the top, and when we stand on the top we can see the beautiful panorama before our eyes. All of their purposes trend how to build own character through practicing or studying them. At the highest position after building our character through mastering Budo we can understand the meaning of our life and the meaning the relationship between the Nature and Human Being, so we can spend our life happily, so it means the value or purpose of mastering Budo or other Cultural Arts said Do.

Dan and Shogo are not license, and I think they are the mile stones to know the standing position in the way or the mid-way in building character through it.

So I am going to explain about the meanings of Dan and Shogo in this article, and it is preface of teaching book of Kyudo for Western people which I wrote, and the booklet is my answer to receive the questions from European kyudo leaders.

　

（IWAO MATSUI (KYOSHI 6 DAN of Japanese Kyudo)

CONTENT:

Comments from writer:

1. The Concept of Michi or Do.

2. Relation between Japanese Nature & Culture;

3. What is the meaning of DAN?

1) Relationship between Japanese Culture and Traditional Art & Budo

2) Kyudo theory which is built through experiences

3) Studying attitude of Kyudo

4) The purposes of the practicing Kyudo

5) The Highest Purposes of the practicing Kyudo:

4. Examination of Dan or Shogo in Kyudo

　

　

　

　

1. The Concept of Michi or Do.

I introduce you the do or michi in the upper writer's comment.

We must think about it in all of the Japanese Culture and History. These concepts

were built around 1450 to 1500 in the Muromachi Era after the battle field age in Japan, and they had been cultivated in Edo Period gathering with Bushido.

For the Western people please understand the following conditions.

First Japan is the islands country which has many mountains and rivers, so people could not move from the place to the place freely just like the continental countries. The second, industry of Japanese industry is based on the rice paddy field so people could not move for cultivating and harvest. They are the reasons for people to live in the closed countries. So people had to make good communication in the closed society so the most important value became the keeping harmony. Western people says Japanese culture as " Culture of Shame", and it means that people in the closed country must behave based on the moral and ethic in the society, and the person would push out from the society when he did out of the moral. So in Japanese family their children will grow in the concept of Shame in the family, society, root of family and so on. So Japanese people must take care to build character suiting with the sense of society moral and ethics.

Especially in the Bushido which is the moral of Samurai set importance in sample in the society and family. Because the Samurai was the highest rank in the society, and they were permitted wear the sword which could kill the person, so the government controlled them keeping the moral and ethics as model in the society. And they had to become sample in the society in all living fields, so they controlled themselves in the family and the society by the concept of Bushido and usually they thought how to live as sample in them and it was very useful for self-control, and they were the political issues to keep social moral for the Military Government of Tokugawa.

It is the true meaning of Bushido. Maybe you can understand the purpose of practicing Budo and the concept of Do or Michi in the reasons, and you can understand the Dan or Shogo are not license of grade and it is the mile stones to check oneself in the standing position or check the mastering level in the training. The Japanese culture set values more important to keeping harmony than winning in competition or game.

　

Next I want to introduce the background keeping harmony and its values in the society. Therefore I want to introduce the relation between Japanese Nature and Culture.

2. Relation between Japanese Nature & Culture;

I want to introduce you Japanese Nature influencing Japanese life and culture briefly, especially want to introduce the characters being relate with Kyudo.

When we want to understand each other, we want to think on the view points of oneself, and we can not have a chance to think difference of life from basic. But from the ancient ages human being under the Nature conditions and the influence are very large. So I am introducing it comparing with European Nature. Japan Island is situated at latitude 24 to 46 degree, and the temperate zone of a mild temperate

climate and rich rainfall and is surrounded with sea. The condition of rich sun light and rainfall are suitable for vegetation growing thick, so Japanese get abundant supply of vegetable food and fruit, while other from sea which is flowing the black Current beside island and a lots of nourishment's flow into from a number of rivers of the Japanese island, we get abundant supply fishery recourses. Like this Nature for Japanese are blessing for providing rich food to live. Japan Island is situated in the temperate zone with monsoon, so it is very changeable and severely Nature. In the middle part of island it has 4 seasons with each 3 months, and the natural condition is altering each one week in the change of seasons, because it is twined around sunlight, moisture and wind intricately. In the case of paddy rice field which is the main agriculture, farmers makes 72 joints of a year for works suiting the very changeable weather condition, and they are wisdom for farmers. Moisture which units boiling hot born Natural rage as a heavy rain, deluge, storm and typhoon, so farmer must work threaded changing Nature for harvest. Summer in Japan is humid and sultry.

In the case of the paddy rice agriculture plants seed of rice and make a little rice plant in the suitable condition of rain and sunlight around April and May, transplant rice seedling in the rainy season around June and July, grow in the hot Summer around August, crop the rich ear of rice around the early of Sep, and harvest them around the end of Sep before coming typhoon. For the suiting the changeable seasons the works of agriculture are doing with gathered works of village. About the threatening Natural condition, the localized torrential downpour breaks the firm banks and usually flow the houses, typhoon and rain storm are very strong and the wind are changeable, and islands has a lot of mountains. About wind, you will image the pine tree in ROMA which stands straightway and have leaves like as umbrella and the branches growing symmetrically under the calm wind condition, but when you will suppose pine trees in Japan, you will surprise the queer figure which is crooked. But the crooked figures is nature in Japan, because the wind is strong and the direction of wind changes usually.

We, Japanese have not defense forces in front of NATURE which rages in the strong wind and heavy rain. While other Nature gives us rich food in vegetable and fishery, namely Nature means Live for people. We have blessing for Nature with our experiences, so we believe Nature and feel thanks to Nature and received to calm mind from Nature. Sea and ocean gives us a lot of fish, shellfish and sea leaves. The numbers of fisherman and fishing boats are the largest in the world coming from the upper reasons. European are learning systems and rational rules from Nature and with them people want to control Nature and their attitude and thinking to NATURE became their culture. In the desert area Nature do not give water, so Nature means death. But we have a good Natural conditions to live. Our Nature is not calm but they give us foods, so we feel a worm in Nature and have thanks mind to Nature and final we want to unit with Nature and it is the most happy life. Different feeling to Nature makes us the different cultures, because there are differ in thinking and attitude to Nature.

The attitude and thinking to Nature for Japanese are just as child in the mother hands. When people want to live in Nature, there are satisfaction and calm mind in them. Thinking uniting with Nature when we throw away oneself (it means Muga) although Nature are strong and heavy. And Japanese feels harmony and order in

Nature. Japanese think that everything on the earth, in the ground and in the sea have values, and these thinking is based on influence of the old Indian Philosophy and Buddhism. When people want to live together with Nature, they want to train Zen. These are come from the relationship between Nature and Human Being, and their thinking and attitude became Japanese Culture. Combination with rich water and sunlight, changeable wind makes us delicate in mind. Nature having changing and huge energy makes us mysterious thinking for us. For instance we have a lot of words about rain in Japanese, vapor in the green wood is mysterious and beautiful and gives us a worm taste in atmosphere. Atmosphere which we feel in Nature and experiences with Nature can not explain, so you must set yourself in it. We must feel the value of Nature in Japan with only experiences. This is a key word to understand Japanese culture. And forming a closed country makes the culture of Shame and Order too. European thought is based on the scientific rationality and born the thinking the clear logical methods based on analysis.

But Japanese thought are differ, and Nature born whole (not personal), mysterious and irrational thinking and the thought of selflessness uniting with Nature, and Japanese want to return and unit with Nature. When these different thinking will marry together, the world will become peace through practicing Japanese Kyudo. They will compensate and enclosing each other, and will appear the fine new culture. I want to introduce you about the background of Japanese culture on the view point of relationship with Nature, but I have not enough pages so I can not detail of my thought. I hope you can understand a little the outline and background of Japanese culture.

　

3. What is the meaning of DAN?

We estimate our level of the shooting skill, Taihai and thought with Dan. But we do not think it just as a license or qualification to teach and getting money. It has the relation with the true purposes of the Kyudo. We are checking my standing position with the Dan and it means the level of myself. We can not estimate myself, because we can not appreciate myself with the absolute estimation for instance the rate of correctness hitting the target or the elimination series of Kendo and Judo, because our target was settled and do not move, and Kyudo is not appreciated with only skill of hitting the target so to judge the level is very difficult and we can not judge the level by myself. So Dan is appreciated with the highly Senseis who have rich experience. I think that Dan is the just as the standing position to watch the view on the mountain. The purpose of the practicing Kyudo is the inquiring the truth which is the Providence of Nature, because the Old Chinese and Japanese thought that the Providence of Nature and the Providence of human being were same and the former is said Bon which means the Nature and Cosmos and the latter is said Ga which means human being, and between two they are connected with the Energy of Ki and it is circulate with breathing, so to know oneself through practicing Kyudo means understanding the Providence of Nature and Cosmos. To know the Providence of Nature is the highest level. Nature is spread out in front of every people in the same condition, but the sight of view are different for each person, and it is come from the clearness of the heart, and it is the same that the views are differ in the position of the mountain although the Nature Panorama is same around the mountain for every

person. The person who is on the higher position are easy to watch whole view panorama and the person who is standing at the top of the mountain will watch the whole panorama naturally width and depth of the Nature view. The level to watch the Providence of Nature which is the truth is the Dan. So Dan is not a license or qualification, and there is Dan for estimation of own standing level so I think. So we said Kyudo is the way of Yumi (archery), and the way is continuing to the top of the mountain, and it has the purpose of studying the truth of human life. Kyu-Do means the way (do) and Yumi (kyu), and it means that we must know the truth of Nature and human life through practicing Yumi, and to know the truth the way is continuing from the slope to the top. When the Kyudo students are studying Kyudo correctly under the Sensei for a long years step by step, they will approach the top of the mountain and they will look the true view, Providence of Nature and valuable human life. Training of Kyudo is the same of ascetic exercise of Buddhism.

And next I want to introduce whole explanation about background of the required skill on each dan as following,

　

1. Relationship between Japanese Culture and Japanese Traditional Art & Budo.

2) Kyudo theory which is built through experiences

3) Studying attitude of Kyudo

4) The purposes of the practicing Kyudo

After them I want to write the main subjects which is the required skill on each dan from Shodan to Renshi. I am afraid that this preface will be long sentences, because I must explain about the sense of value in the Japanese culture and the meaning of Dan, and I hope you to understand them correctly.

　

1) Relationship between Japanese Culture and Traditional Art & Budo

Japanese Budos grew the deep and strict doctrines as the way of living with strict discipline being connected with Shintoism, Buddhism and Confucianism about 16 century through a long ages of battle. Every Budos recognized importance of control oneself and making character through the rich experiences, and there are thought to control oneself make to control family, and to control country. Therefore we must learn many virtues which are plain, simple, overcome, admire other person, harmony and making peace and so on. Every Japanese culture and Budo walked the same way of purposes, not only Kyudo but also Kendo which is the Japanese fencing, Judo, Naginata which is the Japanese long handled sword, Sado which is the tea ceremony etc.. For instance, even how to drink tea, how to live flower, how to smell became each culture having high potential way as Michi. They were authorized about the end of 16 Century which the world affairs of Japanese became calm down after the battle period, and came near Emperor culture and Samurai culture. The Japanese people desired peace deeply and built Human Way (Michi) as living with

strict discipline. And through Edo Period these culture went deeply, individually and purely, when Tokugawa Shogunate Government closed the trading with the foreign countries for 300 years and it was said SAKOKU.

I must bring back the subject to Kyudo. Maybe you know the purposes of practicing Kyudo is not only hitting the target, and more important purpose is the training own mind, and the highest purposes are “Shin" “Zen" & “Bi". In the thought of “Zen", we can understand the sense of value of making peace and keeping peace & harmony. It's said Wa. (Japanese character is 和 -peace, harmony) What is meaning Peace in Budo ?

First I must explain the differences between the Japanese and Europe in War. I think that general speaking for European people may image War conquering other Nations, and winner built own culture there. It was not only Europe but also Chinese and other continental countries too. But Japanese battle is different, because of Japan is Islands country, and I think it is come from the Natural condition, and it grew the thought of Budo Spirit. What is the Budo Spirit?

Maybe you know that Japan is island country which has rich natural condition having rich water, plant and sunshine, so our culture is based on agriculture of paddy rice field, but the other way we have rapid ocean in West, and open ocean in East and South, so Japanese could not move to other continent. Adding on, we have the changeable nature which has 4 seasons of each 3 months, snow in winter. So our climate is very changeable, for keep our harvest in the water pad field we must gather the neighbors power. And we have many mountains and only 16% flat area in island, so Japanese must live closely each shoulder and keep harmony in social, suit to nature and environment. So Japanese people want to live harmony with neighbors in the narrow island country, therefore they felt the most important issue is Satisfaction oneself and social.

In Japan people can not to keep harmony with neighbor, could not live in the society, so they learned skills how to live, what are not telling own opinions, not appear own emotion force operating, but people learned to live being moderate in peace not to go ahead, and not to reserve. In those conditions the war became differ from Europe.

　

WHY JAPANESE SWORD WERE HELD WITH BOTH HANDS?

I want to think the principle of Japanese Budo. There is a good sample to know the Japanese Budo. The fighting style in Europe which is to hold a shield with the left hand and to use sword with the right hand, is advantageous to be able attack and defiance at the same time. But Japanese Samurai must defend with sword because holding it with both hands. Therefore in Japanese Kendo, attacking is more important than defending. When Samurai took out sword from the scabbard, there was only live or death, so Samurai might not take out sword unless there was some very respectable reasons. Samurai paid efforts to solve the troubles not to take out sword. They did not die oneself and do not make a opponents to die. So in the thought of Japanese fight, the foundation is to make harmony, and not to fight, but when the fight could not avert, they fought for the Justice and Honor without the risk of own life.

Maybe you can understand easily Honor is the most important as Norm to live in the closed country. In the battle period Samurai told own name, the native country and the name of boss each other before fight. It is one of etiquette, because they fought depending honor together and declare not fight with foul and unfair way. Do you know “Chiri" in the Japanese National Sport "Sumo" which is the posture of opening the both hands, that proves not having any arms, and it is one of Rei in Sumo which is the naked fight. As so to Desired Peace is the dreams for every Nation, but in Japan it became Kata (Form) of Rei and became culture. The Japanese fight made importance Honor and Fair originally, and want to keep peace and harmony. We have very few wars with other Nations, and they are differ from Europe as continent. Condition of the island country and paddy rice agriculture are keys to understand Japanese Culture.

The Japanese Sensei sometimes say Shizentai (the natural posture), and it is come from the sense of Nature for Japan. Japanese live in prosperity with the blessing of Nature, even the strict and changeable Nature will settle the best balance and harmony through having a fierce competition Nature will calm down in Natural Harmony. In the practicing Kyudo you must practice hard for a long years, then extra movement and force will be cut off and become slim, and they will settle in Natural Harmony, and it is said Shizentai (the natural posture), and it became Kata. Idea of the Japanese culture is becoming Shizentai, what is being back to Nature, becoming unit with Nature. These thought will come from the sense of Nature for Japanese. With the Japanese thought, the Japanese is friend with Nature and human being is one of Nature.

The Japanese culture was influenced with the foreign cultures, but Japanese always digest them, and took in Japanese culture and costume after digest as the Japanese style, and make suit to the Japanese environment. You know that Buddhism in India is not same with Japanese, and Confucianism in China & Korea is not same with Japanese one, but they gave a great influences to Japanese Kyudo. Of course I know that every country will take the foreign culture in own culture after digest for suitable and safety to the social.

Namely people want to live happy, so people must suit own culture and custom, and take it in own society as the most suitable taste, but I think in Japan it is taken in own culture centripetal force, because Japanese people want to find community and similarity between Japanese and the foreign one, not fight public in the problem of thought and idea. Japanese want to have co-operating and harmony usually against the outside of force or change.

In the international ages, we Japanese are expressed sharp criticism not to have own opinion, or usually have mysterious smile face, but for Japanese we want to have community and similarity with the members more than telling differences with others, and want to appear not having hostility inside.

I think they came from the Japanese custom and culture among a long history. As so the Japanese Budo had be growing to the Michi of fight for making peace and harmony in these natural environment, and growing as the way of living with strict discipline of making own character. To understand Japanese you know the thought of sense of Value for Nature.

　

2) Kyudo theory which is built through experiences

As I am writing upper, the Japanese Kyudo was screened through a long period of battle, and the best way of skill was selected naturally. So when I am asked from the students about Shagi why to do so or please explain rationally and scientifically, I am usually confused to reply. Rationality and scientific thinking which are based on the or Christianity, but Japanese traditional thought in experiences, does not get used to unit. The Japanese Kyudo handed down their experiences as Shagi from generation to generation, and there are not clear theoretical thought of Shagi rationally, and only few documents are publishing from Tukuba University in these few years, but they are not enough essentially. So if students take a attitude to learn Japanese Kyudo rationally, they will face to the thick wall in it. Please understand Shagi in the experiences of every Kyudo school for a long years.

So generally speaking to learn the Japanese culture, to do is most important, before arguments. Students must enter from Kata (Form), and gradually they are learning the mind & skill through their experiences. I explained at 1), that with practice hard for a long years makes your movements and mind cutting off extra parts, and making most simple forms. To do so is train (Shugyo) in Kyudo.

There are not another way to learn Shagi through experience. In the continuous failures and when you faced problems in Shagi seriously, then you can bring up the talents of receiving your Sensei's enlightenment . And you can understand the speaking of your Sensei what he told you about skill, when you faced the problems in skill, then clear it with your experiences. And you consult your Sensei about the problems in skill when you face to the trouble or have problems in Sha or Taihai, your Sensei will give you hints or images for it. Because your Sensei can not explain how to do with the rational reasons or methods, and he will give you hints or image based on his experiences. You must train along these hints or images under believing your Sensei's taught. Therefore you can not conquer the troubles, if you do not believe your Sensei. Where there are not relationship of belief in your mind and skill, they can not grow and master them. I am using the word “skill" as Shagi, not to use technique, because I think Shagi does not support with technology, be supported with experiences, and they are taught students the skill from the Sensei's mouth to the students' ear. European Sensei or leader may have difficulties in teaching skill to students with the reasonable teaching, and they are taught with experience and unclear experiences when you will teach your students or you are teaching from your Sensei.

Next I will introduce about Kyudo tools.

But I can not explain them scientifically, because they are made with experiences and tradition too. The best figure and function remained naturally through the rich experiences for a thousand years. When you will use these traditional tools and shoot with the perfect skills, you can appear Art as Wabi and Sae in your Sha. The taste of Sae is not explain in English, because it is very deep and subtle, and they are the high sensed Japanese culture. I translated it The Great Skill in English, but I cannot satisfied the word, and I can not tell you the taste with its word. They are the

deep and admiral world what I can not explain with the sentences. The traditional tool needs the traditional skill, and all of them are based on the deep experiences. I have not enough explanation about tool, but I make explain about the relationship with skills.

BOW; The bow is made with bamboo and wood. The bow has rigidity with sticking together bamboo and wood, and place joints of bamboo are different place inside and outside of the bow. The figure has a large curve in upper of grip and a small curve in lower of grip and these differences of curves makes absorb the shock after separating (Hanare) turu at the grip, so we feel soft and only little shock in Tenouchi at Hahare. And for making repulsion force more large, the bow will set turu from outside. They are come from the rich experiences for a long years, so we can shoot a arrow rightly, strongly, straight and far distance. I can not explain the figure and the function rationally.

Japanese climate is very wet so the Japanese Bamboo is sticky. So it is very strong wearing the thick snow for bending and bearing the weight with the large curve.

ARROW; They are made with bamboo for arrow (Yadake), and make straight by fire, and strip off the surface of bamboo with stones, and make strong. They are selected and make 4 or 6 arrows for a set, which are the same weight, diameter, balance, the place of joints and color and so on among the bamboo for arrows growing in same natural condition in sunshine and wind. Nowadays we can use a bow and arrows produced by industrial method using materials of Fiberglas, carbon fiber and metallic, and they are contribute the great progress of popularize Kyudo. And percentage of hitting the target improve with keeping quality in the same range. For instance we sometimes broke an arrow at the hitting the frame of the target, then it is very difficult to find a same bamboo for the spare arrow, and the perfect set will be broken, so we make 6 arrows for a set and use 4 arrows for a set and 2 arrows for spare at broken, but 6 arrows is very expensive, usually twice of 4 arrows in price. Comparing this trouble with the industrial production, we can make spare arrow is very easily, and we can keep the same arrows instantly. When you will use the bamboo bow and arrows for a long years, you will feel splendid taste in use when you can shoot with perfect skill. For instance we can feel to soak up the shock in hand when you use bamboo bow, but we feel strong shock in hand when we use Fiberglas or carbon bow. Functions of the bow will work instantly but softly. It is said Sae, therefore we must master the skills of Tenouchi. I think that the bow works softly first, and work strong in midway, and work softly in final. And the linen turu and the bamboo arrow will work same. Shock at Hanare will be suck in flexibility of bamboo, so work strongly but softly and smoothly. Therefore we can shoot a arrow without shock in Tenouchi with the suitable matching strength of bamboo bow, weight of bamboo arrow and linen turu. To keep these good function be alive we must master the skill of Tenouchi, but they are very difficult and I think the final skills are Tenouchi and Breathing. Therefore we must know the relationship between the material of tool and skill. They are piling in the rich experiences through a thousand years, and the suitable balance between the strength of the bow and the weight of turu and arrow etc. through experiences too. There are a same story about YUGAKE too.

Like these tools are improving with the rich experiences during a long, long years, so I am afraid that I can not reply with the rational thinking and reasons to the students'

questions correctly. My replies are based on my experiences or teaching from my Sensei, or reading the old traditional books that do not describe the reason only describe the facts based on the experiences. So please understand to study Kyudo that skill of Kyudo handed down Experiences from generation to generation, and believe the teaching from Sensei who has the rich experiences and studied hard. But I want to introduce and making efforts to the meaning of Shagi & Taihai for the European leader and students as possible rationally and logical as I can. But I have another problem for European leader and students, and they are that we have not experiences or know how about the too long bow (over 4 sun nobi) and too long arrow (over 1 meter). In traditional way we have 2 sun nobi bow and 1 meter arrow, so maker have not enough experiences about them because we Japanese are small in height.

　

3) Studying attitude of Kyudo

I described the thought of the Japanese culture and Shagi based on the rich experiences. I want to describe next how to teach and how to study Shagi which can not explain the language.

First I must explain how to teach them. You can not teach your students if you have not belief between you and students. Therefore you must be believed with your students, and you must make efforts to make character and improve oneself through the practicing Kyudo. You do not talk what you have not enough knowledge and enough experiences. Usually you must talk the right and correct things, and if you have not confidence about it, you must say “I think ---", and you do not conclude them. You must have bravery to say I do not know or I am sorry I have not enough experiences or knowledge to explain it. They are same in Shagi and in the daily life, because there are not the perfect Sensei in Sha. Please reference my booklet “Confucius and Kyudo- Jin, Gi, Rei, Chi, Shin" and “Rei in Kyudo" which I wrote.

For the students; They must believe their Sensei or leader, and practice without saying anything, and train or practice again and again. Then suddenly it is coming to be able to do it. Of course for learning the correct thing, they must learn under the good teacher or leader who has the rich experiences and the honest mind. That is the most suitable and the shortest way to learn the correct Kyudo.

To climb the same mountain they do not need extra experiences not being relation to the problems. I want to explain about Michi (Do; way, road) as following;

You know that Kyudo is the Kyu (Archery) Do (Michi, way), Yumi No Michi, the Do of Yumi. There are many Michi in the Japanese culture, for instance Ken-Do, Ju-Do, Iai-Do, Karate-Do, Aiki-Do, Sa-Do, Ka-Do, Kou-Do and so on, and they are connected to the same purposes to make own character purely and highly, and they have own process to reach the target or purposes. The highest purposes in Kyudo are described as “Shin" “Zen" & “Bi" in Kyudo Kyohon, which I want to explain on another chapter. But you must understand there are not these purposes only on the top of mountain, and there are at the foot of the mountain and each level of the places of milestone too. They are differ in purity, depth and width in each places. For

instance when you want to climb the mountain, there are many roots (way) to climb at the foot of the mountain. But there are the nice view, and the view will be changing when you climb little by little. But the panorama is same in the foot or top of the mountain, and we can see it different on each place. When you will see panorama on the top of the mountain, it is the fact view. Because we can see the whole view and the most beautiful view. For reaching to the top of the mountain and want to see the most beautiful panorama, we must climb to the top, and seek the continuous way from the foot to the top of the mountain. The way is MICHI, and view in the positions of every milestone is Dan. In Kyudo they are directed to Dan at each level for reaching the top of level. Sometimes we must recognize the own standing position or place, and the level of mastering the skill and Taihai, so you must understand DAN to milestone in the progress.

By Dan we do not compare with others or competition, and it is recognition of own place, and we must find out the next subject. To climb 1 Dan, your Shagi & Taihai will grow 1 step, at the same time your character must grow 1 step too. You must walk and climb obediently step by step with your speed, with your level under the guide of your Sensei or leader.

You must remember that the purposes of the practicing Kyudo is not only hitting the target, and you must learn the human mind and character to be able to live with neighbor and in social in peacefully. For it you must master virtues through Sha, and you must reflect yourself usually. You must think about to live in these values getting with through the training Shagi & Taihai in your actual daily life.

I am afraid that Living with these virtues which you mastered through the practicing Kyudo is useful or not in European living which is in individual, rational society and in the society of Power, fierce struggle for existence.

There are different background in culture between Japanese culture which is seeking the similarity and European one which is seeking the difference and compete with each others. But there are the same conditions and environments in the modern Japanese, because we are loosing the traditional Japanese culture and costume after the World War 2nd and we have heavy difficulty to get back the original Japanese culture and fit them to the modern ages, especially we must get back ethics in REI.

I can not understand why European people started to learn the Japanese Kyudo, and where there is the values in it for European. And I am looking for the useful information to European people, so I want to know the reasons why European people want to learn the Japanese culture clearly, and the differences between the Japanese culture and European. I have not confidence to my recognition as following, but I dare to write.

I think that one of the reasons for European people to want mastering the senses of values in the Japanese Kyudo although in the unsatisfied environments of practicing Kyudo, is not only yearning for the Oriental culture and curiosity but also wanting to solve contradiction in European idea and thought which are based on the scientific rationalism of Christianity and Hellenism, Capitalism and Indusrialism etc. built through a long, long histories in Continent, and you are looking for the third thinking

and idea to solve these problems all over the world and you can find one of them in the Orient thinking. I mean the third thinking and idea as Shintoism, Zen Buddhism and Confucianism and other Orient philosophy, and you make the great effort to learn and practice actually Japanese Kyudo, and to master these idea and ethics.

Of course I do not think that there are not contradiction in the Japanese culture and thought and it is the perfect idea. Every culture is based on the Nature condition and each culture remain in the most suitable style for each Nation and Nature condition, so I am thinking. So they have the strong and weak parts in each other, so we must cover each other and live together peaceful in the every Nations and Countries on the EARTH with respect and learn each other. So I want for European leader to find and live the mind of Kyudo in European society by European Kyudo members. I think that is the True Wisdom, and it is the most important purposes for European Kyudo members through practicing Kyudo. Therefore I want to describe this booklet as Japanese in the Japanese thinking. I do not recognize that the Japanese culture is unique and European People can not understand it. I know that it has a peculiar parts, but it is same as differences of each culture in Europe. Please appreciate the Japanese culture through the practicing Kyudo, and we make great efforts to understand the European culture, and we will make peace through the practicing Kyudo and it is one of the purposes in Kyudo. Differences are very important and useful to progress each other. The sense of virtues which you mastered Kyudo will live in European culture if we have the basic attitude as respecting and learning each other. But you may face many problems to teach the Japanese Kyudo to your students and you must explain it in the European thinking and behavior, and you must overcome them. And you must contact with AJKF or the Japanese Senseis for administrate the organization, and you must study how to teach and how to practice it. I hope you can understand after reading my explanations about the background of the thought and behavior in the Japanese culture, differences with sport and Kyudo, and how to learn it etc.. All of European Kyudo Leader will read hard the book of the Japanese culture and the Japanese Budo, but you may have many difficult points to understand them coming from the difference of the culture and history, and I hope this booklet will assist you to understand them much more. I have much of another things to discuss with you, but I have not enough pages in preface, so I want stopping to write and let us discuss about the culture gaps when we will meet. Final of this preface I will introduce you the purposes of the practicing Kyudo along the Kyudo Kyohon.

　

4) The purposes of the practicing Kyudo

The purposes of the practicing Kyudo and studying attitude to learn it are described in Kyudo Kyohon, but I want to explain it with my language. I will introduce you it with my free translation for European people to understand easily, so read again description of chapter 1),2) and 3), so you may understand more easily.

　

5) The Highest Purposes of the practicing Kyudo:

In the Kyudo Kyohon they are described “Shin",“Zen" and “Bi" and they are meaning as following;

(1) SHIN-TRUTH

We must pursue truth usually through the practicing Kyudo. The true Sha appears your truth in thinking and attitude for Sha. Truth in Sha proves with the great skill Sae of the bow, Turu-ne (the sound of hitting the bow at Hanare) and hitting the target. (Sae is very difficult to explain in English, so you may understand here it “sharp but soft". When you can shoot a arrow with the pure mind, with the strong spirit and with the perfect skill, the arrow will fly straight and strongly to the target, then the bow will work with the highest performance and will remain the soft and sharp sound. We can recognize the results of Sha in the flying arrow to the target. Therefore we must know what is the truth in Sha.

And we must reflect ourselves always with the reached arrow to the target, Turune and the speed and strength of flying arrow. WE MUST PURSUE THE TRUE SHA.

(2)ZEN-Ethic, Moral, Rei, Peace

We must master the mind and thought of friendship, peace and harmony through practicing Kyudo, and we do not loose the calm and usual the mind (it is said Heijoushin) always, and we do not fight, hate or counterattack on the practicing Kyudo. The practicing Kyudo based on the spirit of REI contributes to keep the moral, master the virtues with ethic and make the peaceful world. Of course it contributes to own daily life too.

(3) BI-Beauty, Art

We must shoot a arrow with the solemn, magnificent, elegant and beautiful behavior. By the training again and again your movements are cut off the wasteful movement and become a minimum essential movements, and continuous movements like flowing, then the elegant and beautiful movements appears BI always on guard and livings. We can feel Beauty when the people move with the calm and rhythmical minds. I wrote before that there are not the purposes only on the top of the mountain and there are the same purposes for the beginner too. You must remember it.

　

Next I want to introduce you how to practice Kyudo for reaching to the highest purposes. They are described in Kyudo Kyohon as IDEA of the practicing Kyudo by Youzaburo Uno Hanshi as following;

(1) Practice and Master Shahou & Shagi

*We must learn and master the method of Sha and skill of Sha along the basic.

(2) Practice and master Taihai which suit on Rei

*We must learn and master Taihai, and the mind of Rei which are the manner of behaviors and movements. Through mastering it we can keep the mind of harmony in the social.

(3)Progress of SHAHIN & SHAKAKU

*Through the progress of Sha & Taihai we must appear the Elegance in Sha & Status beauty in Sha.

(4) Making own character

*We must make own character and build good character through practicing Kyudo. These are the purposes of the practicing Kyudo in the modern ages. When we can make harmony perfect in Taihai & Shagi, Shahin & Shakaku in Sha appears naturally. The Japanese Kyudo is not set weight most in the hitting the target. For Kyudo we need the beauty of Harmony, adding on it we practice Kyudo with the whole heart, and movement with Rei. To shoot putting heart and soul is more important than winning in the competition. For the practicing Kyudo we must have the correct confidence and the bravery furthermore understanding these things. We are desired the practicing Kyudo connects to the daily life strongly in heart and soul, and Kyudo must serve not only physical education and keeping health but also contribution to the rich life. We must remember that an ancient Kyudo authorities taught "Sha is Life" & "Sha is Daily Life". We must master the virtues of modesty, respect, peace, harmony, overcoming oneself and reflection through practicing Kyudo. These are described in KYUDO KYOHON. With these reasons you can understand that the Japanese Kyudo will go ahead to the very deep and large purposes, not only hitting the target. KYUDO IS NOT ONLY SPORT. It is one of Budo, and it is the way of building character and learning moral and ethic. Budo makes importance Rei. Please understand these purposes based on the Japanese culture.

Next I want to introduce the required skill on each Dan.

I must introduce about Taihai, but they are very difficult to explain, so please be taught it under your Sensei, and please practice under “Rei in Kyudo" which I wrote. About the required skill on each Dan there are a little difference among Senses, and they will become the differences of the standing positions or environments, and there are not absolute requirement skill in each Dan with AJKF. They are come from the rich experiences and it is the same thing that there are many roots to climb the mountain but the panorama on the top of the mountain is same although reaching from any root.

　

4. Examination of Dan or Shogo in Kyudo

Examination in the Kyudo are holding as following:

Kyudo students must receive the examination from Kyu which are 3 kyu,2kyu and 1st kyu, and next students will receives Shodan. After Shodan the students will receive

the examination to 2nd Dan, 3rd Dan, 4th Dan, 5th Dan, Renshi, 6th Dan, Kyoshi, 7 Dan and 8th Dan. We called the person having over Renshi as Sensei.

　

Examinations:

Under 4 Dan:

It is holding in the local examination almost it is holding in the Prefecture level.

And it is including both the real Sha with 2 arrows to hit the target and the written examination about the shooting theory, philosophy or experience during training.

5 Dan and Renshi:

It is holding in the local examination almost it is holding in the gathered 4 or 5 Prefectures level. In the case of 5 Dan it is holding same as examination under 4 Dan,

but at Renshi it is holding the first shooting examination and the written examination, and then the examination receivers are filtered to the second examination.

Renshi is given the passed person to clear the first shooting and written examination and the second shooting examination of Sharei Style of Mochimato Sharei, of course receiver must be wearing Kimono.

　

6 Dan:

It is holding in the central examination, and the examination receivers will gather from all of lands, and the examination is both shooting 2 arrows and the written examination same as under 5 Dan.

Kyoshi,7Dan, 8 Dan:

The examinations are holding in the central with the shooting the target at the first examination. And the receivers will be filtered, and they will get to have right the second examination. After filtered the first and second examination the passed person will give the subject of thesis, and the person must offer his thesis in 2 weeks later.

　

The judge the examinations:

The members of judge:

All examination is holding by 5 judge Senseis for shooting and one judge Sensei for the written examination, but the rate of passing examination are differ on each Dan.

END