Hanare
離れ
Release of the arrow, the seventh of the eight phases of shooting in kyudo. It should come as the natural peak of tension, not as a conscious decision.
Quick Facts
Term typeTraining method
LanguageJapanese
Formnoun
Pronunciation[hah-nah-reh]
Alternative Namesrelease of the arrow
Readings and romanizations
Reading (kana)はなれ
Hepburn romanizationhanare
Word breakdown
離れhanareseparation, release (verb hanareru)
Definition
Hanare (離れ) means separation, release. In kyudo it is the seventh of eight phases of shooting (hassetsu): ashibumi, dozukuri, yugamae, uchiokoshi, hikiwake, kai, hanare and zanshin. The string slides off the thumb protected by the yugake glove and the arrow flies. Kyudo teaching stresses that hanare should not be a conscious “letting go” but arise from the growing tension in the kai phase. A jerky or premature release is seen as a mistake. After hanare comes zanshin, in which the archer holds the posture and watches the arrow's flight.