#kyūjutsu
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roger1952.bsky.social
Kyudo archery. Japan. Kyudō (弓道), "the Way of the Bow," is one of Japan's oldest martial disciplines, tracing its lineage from feudal battlefield archery (kyūjutsu) into a refined Zen meditative practice during the Edo period.
Captured in dramatic monochrome contrast, an archer kneels in a disciplined half-crouch, drawing a monumental asymmetrical longbow (yumi) to its absolute peak of tension. His upper garment is folded down on one side to free his shoulder, revealing the taut musculature of his torso while broad, pleated hakama trousers anchor his lower body firmly to the earth. His sharp gaze tracks along the horizontal line of the nocked arrow, his right hand encased in a heavy shooting glove holding the bowstring at full draw (kai). The towering, sweeping arc of the bamboo bow reaches high above his head, counterbalanced by the straight, razor-thin line of the pulled string. Beneath his knees, a spare arrow rests parallel on the floor. Set against an unadorned white field, the composition isolates a singular sensory moment: the creak of stretched bamboo, the held breath of absolute focus, and the vibration of stored kinetic energy. Kyudō (弓道), "the Way of the Bow," is one of Japan's oldest martial disciplines, tracing its lineage from feudal battlefield archery (kyūjutsu) into a refined Zen meditative practice during the Edo period. Central to the art is the traditional yumi, a uniquely asymmetrical longbow constructed from laminated bamboo and hardwood that often exceeds two meters in length. Historically designed with its grip offset toward the bottom third to facilitate shooting on horseback or from a kneeling position, the yumi demands immense physical technique and spiritual alignment. In kyudō, hitting the target (mato) is secondary to the purity of the eight-stage shooting movement (hassen), striving for Shin-Zen-Bi (Truth, Goodness, and Beauty). The fabrication of these organic bows and specialized shooting gloves represents an extraordinary legacy of monozukuri (artisanal mastery), where natural materials are transformed into precision instruments of spiritual cultivation.
September 27, 2026 at 5:05 PM
roger1952.bsky.social
Kyūjutsu (the traditional martial art of Japanese archery) during the 19th-century Bakumatsu or Edo period.
Kneeling in a low, combat-tested stance beneath the overhanging eaves of a tiled roof, a samurai archer draws an asymmetrical Japanese longbow (yumi) with resolute precision. His body is anchored firmly to the ground, his wide, patterned hakama spreading across the floor while a short sword (wakizashi) rests securely in his belt. Bound around his forehead, a white headband (hachimaki) secures his hair, while a leather chest guard (muneate) and braided armguards protect his form against the snapping recoil of the bowstring. Over his right shoulder, a dense quiver (ebira) bristles with feathered arrows. The towering yumi—bound at regular intervals with decorative rattan wrapping (shigedō)—curves dynamically through the frame, its grip positioned at the traditional lower third to accommodate the archer’s low, crouching posture. The unique construction of the Japanese yumi represents a masterpiece of monozukuri (uncompromising craftsmanship); constructed by laminating strips of bamboo around a wooden core and secured with rattan ties, its distinct asymmetrical design allowed a mounted or kneeling archer to swing the bow across a horse's neck or execute low-profile ground shots without the lower tip striking the earth. Aesthetically, the image freezes a profound moment of spiritual and physical seijaku (tranquil quietude), capturing the total, motionless alignment of body, mind, and weapon just prior to release (hanare). The deep, shadowed interior framed by the timber posts operates as an active field of yohaku (meaningful negative space), isolating the archer’s silhouette against an architectural void. Bounded by the heavy tile roof overhead and the line of the drawn string, the posture establishes an inviolable kekkai (sacred boundary) of intense focus, where external distraction dissolves entirely.
September 15, 2026 at 10:32 AM
gwenynen.bsky.social
Ah, yeah, it was dead fashionable at this point! Jiu jitsu masters came over and did exhibitions and things. I'm out but this is the first thing that turned up

redroseju-jitsu.org.uk/ju-jitsuuk/
History of Ju-Jitsu in the UK – Ju-Jitsu and KyuJutsu Club
redroseju-jitsu.org.uk
March 9, 2026 at 7:44 PM
rimbot3000.bsky.social
I’m sorry but Kyūjutsu is not a game of numbers, it is a game of vibes
October 27, 2025 at 2:41 AM
sokeanshu.bsky.social
Here I’m working on Kyūjutsu (弓術), archery skills! 🥷🏻 This was a fundamental skill practice by the ninja and samurai.
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#SokeAnshu #Ninjutsu #MartialArts
January 29, 2025 at 3:19 PM
wasbellab102.bsky.social
#Kyūdō #Japanese: 弓道 is the Japanese #MartialArt of #Archery. Kyūdō is based on #kyūjutsu “Art of #Archery”
#Photography
December 22, 2024 at 1:55 PM
darkwaterphotos.bsky.social
Kyūdō (弓道) is the Japanese martial art of archery. Kyūdō is based on kyūjutsu ("art of archery").

Kenjutsu (剣術) is an umbrella term for all (ko-budō) schools of Japanese swordsmanship.
September 2, 2024 at 6:54 AM
christianbclark.bsky.social
Kyūdō (Japanese: 弓道) is the Japanese martial artof archery. Kyūdō is based on kyūjutsu ("art of archery"), which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan. 🤘🏻
August 3, 2024 at 10:25 PM