Glossary for Yabusame

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.

Concept / Principle Japan

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).

Concept / Principle Japan

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.

Equipment Japan