August 31, 2024: Kyudo Video Watch Party Notes
Empress’ Cup
The Empress’ / Emperor’s cup is one of the most prestigious tournaments that an adult archer can attend in Japan. 1-2 contestants are selected from each of the 47 prefectures to compete.
In the preliminary round, archers will shoot 2 rounds of 2 arrows (4 total). They will also be given a score in each round. Out of all the archers that hit at least 2 arrows, the 10 - 20 archers with the most number of points will proceed to the final round. It is possible that you hit all of your arrows in the preliminary round, and still fail to proceed to the final round due to lack of points.
In the final round, the archers will shoot 5 rounds of 2 arrows (10 total). The ranking is determined based only on the number of arrows the archers hit.
While this is definitely the highest level Kyudo you will see holistically, in terms of the best forms, that is usually found in university archery.
Notable Moments
- 5:15 The sensei that is zoomed in here wins hitting all 9 arrows after missing the first one. This is the start of her hot streak.
- 7:26 As Jen pointed out, it seems like she adjusts her right hand during Kai. This is probably not done on purpose, and it is most likely Motare. Motare is a form of Yips in Kyudo, where no matter how much you want to release the string, you cannot. It feels like your thumb and middle finger are glued together.
- 11:59 The sensei that starts Uchiokoshi here has earned the most points. Her taihai and form is very good.
2014 High School Nationals (Inter-High)
This is the final round of the nationals. It is a good reference to watch for the highest level of Kyudo one can achieve in 1 - 3 years.
It is important to note that they are doing Kyudo with a different purpose and timeline than the contestants in the Empress’ cup. Hitting the target is paramount, and they have spent hours practicing for this. This is reflected in their forms, taihai, and the environment. However, this does not invalidate the fact that they are indeed, still doing Kyudo.
Notable Moments
- 1:52 As Gesine pointed out, the second person in the front shajo adjusts his stance a lot. In a Shinsa (exam) situation, you would not do this. However, for these students, getting the slightest edge in terms of hitting the target matters.
- 2:58 The form of the last person in the second shajo ignores almost everything about what I teach in class. I would not recommend shooting like this, because this style of shooting takes a lot of practice to maintain. The second team shoots about 1000 arrows every week, which is about 36 - 40 hours of effort.