Kai / Full Draw
会
The stage of kyudo in which the archer holds the bowstring at full draw in a moment of apparent stillness that in fact conceals ever-growing internal tension leading naturally into the release (hanare).
Quick Facts
Definition
Kai is the sixth of the eight stages in the kyudo shooting sequence (hassetsu) and occurs after the archer has reached full extension of the bow (daizatsu) and holds that position, appearing outwardly completely still and calm. Internally, however, kyudo teaching holds that a subtle, continuous expansion of the draw in all directions (called nobiai) continues throughout, building tension steadily until the string itself seems to ask to be released. The word kai can be literally translated as meeting or gathering, referring to the unification of mind, breath, and physical draw into a single undivided moment. The German philosopher and archer Eugen Herrigel described his experience of the kai stage in the famous book Zen in the Art of Archery, portraying it as a state in which it shoots rather than the archer. The duration of kai can vary considerably among advanced practitioners, but rushing through this stage or artificially shortening it is considered one of the most common technical errors among beginners.
Related Terms
State of relaxed alertness and sustained mental focus before, during, and after a technique.
Hanare / The Release離れThe moment of releasing the bowstring in kyudo, which should occur spontaneously as the natural culmination of the full draw rather than as a conscious shooting of the arrow.
Yumi / Japanese Longbow弓The traditional Japanese longbow with a distinctly asymmetric shape, whose grip sits roughly one-third of the way up from the bottom end rather than at the center as in Western bows.