Kyujutsu
Encyclopedia
is the traditional
Japanese martial art of wielding a bow. Although the samurai
of feudal Japan
are perhaps best known for their swordsmanship
with a katana
(kenjutsu
), kyūjutsu was actually considered a more vital skill for a significant portion of Japanese history. During the majority of the Kamakura period
through the Muromachi period
(c.1185–c.1568), the bow was the symbol of the professional warrior, and way of life of the warrior was referred to as .
, founded in the 14th century. In particular, the practice of shooting a bow while riding a horse at full gallop (yabusame
) was developed and trained extensively.
The bow (yumi
) itself was fairly unusual in its asymmetrical shape and extremely large size; a little under six feet to just over seven feet long and gripped only one third up from the bottom. At the height of their use, bows were made from a combination of wood and bamboo, and many different arrowheads were created for different applications. Training involved the shooting of 1,000 arrows per day, and the techniques developed for their use were ritualized with systematic focus on the various stages of shooting and the mental attitude required for each. Additionally, many specialized tactics were developed for regiments of bowmen.
s were introduced to Japan in the mid-16th century, emphasis upon the skill of kyūjutsu gradually began to decline. Kyūjutsu was eventually developed into the modern , still practiced today.
Koryu
is a Japanese word that is used in association with the ancient Japanese martial arts. This word literally translates as "old school" or "traditional school"...
Japanese martial art of wielding a bow. Although the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
of feudal Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
are perhaps best known for their swordsmanship
Swordsmanship
Swordsmanship refers to the skills of a swordsman, a person versed in the art of the sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword...
with a katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
(kenjutsu
Kenjutsu
, meaning "the method, or technique, of the sword." This is opposed to kendo, which means the way of the sword. Kenjutsu is the umbrella term for all traditional schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration...
), kyūjutsu was actually considered a more vital skill for a significant portion of Japanese history. During the majority of the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
through the Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
(c.1185–c.1568), the bow was the symbol of the professional warrior, and way of life of the warrior was referred to as .
Development and practice
One of the earliest formal schools of kyūjutsu, teaching a scientific approach to shooting the bow, was the Ogasawara-ryūOgasawara clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Ogasawara acted as shugo of Shinano province in the medieval period The was a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Ogasawara acted as shugo (governors) of Shinano province in the medieval period The was a...
, founded in the 14th century. In particular, the practice of shooting a bow while riding a horse at full gallop (yabusame
Yabusame
is a type of mounted archery in traditional Japanese archery. An archer on a running horse shoots three special "turnip-headed" arrows successively at three wooden targets....
) was developed and trained extensively.
The bow (yumi
Yumi
is the Japanese term for bows, and includes the longer and the shorter used in the practice of kyūdō, or Japanese archery. The yumi was an important weapon of the samurai warrior during the feudal period of Japan.-History of the yumi:...
) itself was fairly unusual in its asymmetrical shape and extremely large size; a little under six feet to just over seven feet long and gripped only one third up from the bottom. At the height of their use, bows were made from a combination of wood and bamboo, and many different arrowheads were created for different applications. Training involved the shooting of 1,000 arrows per day, and the techniques developed for their use were ritualized with systematic focus on the various stages of shooting and the mental attitude required for each. Additionally, many specialized tactics were developed for regiments of bowmen.
Decline and modern practice
Once firearmFirearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s were introduced to Japan in the mid-16th century, emphasis upon the skill of kyūjutsu gradually began to decline. Kyūjutsu was eventually developed into the modern , still practiced today.