Kyudo

Kyudo is the fascinating Japanese martial art of archery, where the ultimate goal is to conquer one's own ego. Archers must stay focused, committed, and balanced while shooting at a stationary target, with no emotional reaction to their performance. To shoot the arrow correctly in kyudo, archers must maintain a straight posture, spread their arms equally, open their chest broadly, and focus their energy into the lower abdomen to unite themselves with the bow and target. At full-draw, they pause momentarily to heighten their spiritual concentration before calmly and decisively releasing the bow string. If all the conditions are met, the arrow should find its mark. However, even if the archer gives their best effort but misses the target, they use this as an opportunity for introspection and evaluation, which forms an essential part of their mental training. This is why kyudo is held in such high regard as a spiritual pursuit. Kyudo has become increasingly popular overseas, leading to the establishment of the International Kyudo Federation in May 2006.