friends(A quick lesson on names: adding -san after a name is polite and used constantly among people of equal status, except in the case of familiar friends. There are a number of these name tags that you need to know to avoid offending people.)
I’ve joined Temple’s kidou club—kidou is Japanese-style archery. We have to learn and practice it in the sitting style, for a variety of different reasons.
First of all, the standing style is very ritualized and takes a much longer time to learn to do, as well as to actually do with any effect. The sitting style is much more relaxed, safer and, well, more fun. Also, as we have to do this indoors, the sitting style is actually the only style we can do—the bow is taller than I am, and would be through the ceiling if held properly.
All told, it’s really difficult to get the hang of holding the bow and nocking the arrow without dropping something if you’re not used to it at all. I actually managed to shoot an arrow into the wall on one of my first tries. There’s a fair bit of draw weight on those big bows, and you have to draw it with only two fingers. If you unlock your elbow, it’s game over. Also, that armband I’m wearing is not a bracer: it’s there to protect my arm from the bow string striking it on the follow through. It hurts.
However, once you do get the hang of it, it’s way fun, especially when you get a line of archers shooting together. I got a couple of bull’s eyes on my first night. This style of archery, believe it or not, is also good for exercising the upper body, and improving your balance and concentration. I may get a bow and some arrows once I get back to the states and keep up with it.
