Quality vs Quantity

Quality vs Quantity

They sometimes say that kyudo is all a matter of how many arrows we shoot.

I attended a few seminars with Takeshi Shibata Hachidan Hanshi. On one of these we were out to dinner with the 'heads' of kyudo in America, and Shibata Hanshi was giving us a lecture. He said (my translation so give it some room), 'something is wrong'. You guys seem sincere in your practice, and your students look pretty good, but something is wrong.' It seemed a rhetorical question or perhaps we were just embarrassed into silence... but our silence begged for more and he added, 'you guys can't shoot'.

Takeshi Shibata Sensei
Photo compliments of Rosemarie Read of Panama Kyudo Kai

Now Shibata Hanshi is one of the best shooters in Japan; for example on another seminar he was showing us how the body expands during hikiwake and especially to produce the hanare; he wasn't really concentrating on the target, but all of the 20 (or so) arrows he shot hit the target. (he wasn't even wearing a glove, just a little gauze on his right thumb).

He then sent us all off to try and emulate this expansion. As we all walked away I turned and asked, 'Sensei, how did you do that?' 'Do what?' he responded. 'You hit the target every time!' I said. 'Oh' He replied, 'I teach high school students; if I can't do that, they won't listen to me'.

I thought that was the end of the great lesson, when he said, 'I tell you what, I'm going to shoot one more and put it in the right corner'. Of course, I believed he meant the right corner of the target; but you know what, he put it in the right corner of the bulls eye! Still I thought he meant the right corner of the target, until he said, 'this one in the left corner', and it flew right into the left lower corner of the bulls eye; this one I'll put in middle', and he did... right smack dead center between the other two.

Now back to dinner... Sensei continued, 'You seem sincere in your practice, but something is wrong'. He seemed to wait for an answer this time, for us to explain why 'we can't shoot'.... 'why we can't hit the target'. 'Well', someone responded, 'You're right Sensei, we are sincere, and we teach the best we can, and shoot the best we can, I guess we don't know what we're doing wrong?' And with this we asked for his help. 'Well...' he asked, 'how many arrows do you shoot everyday?' 'Oh, everyday' we said, 'well, you know we have families and jobs during the week, and even on weekends we're usually teaching we don't always get a chance to shoot much ourselves...' and he cut us off. 'Ah, well there's the problem then.'

At this point someone was brave enough to ask, 'Sensei, how do you do it?'

'Oh' He said, 'in the morning I go to the dojo and shoot 100 arrows, I hit those 100. Then if students show up, I teach them. If not, then I shoot 100 more.'

That's 100 to 200 arrows a day! No wonder he can shoot so well. But there are a couple more lessons in there. He doesn't say he hits the first 100 to boast; it tells us that he doesn't waste them, he shoots them with care, he's not just 'chucking' them down there without giving each one it's due attention.

Also the main lesson for those of us at the dinner was 'before the student's arrive he shot 100'... and everyday he practiced. From that day on I try to shoot everyday, certainly I practice everyday even if it's sit, stand, bow & tote renshu in a hotel room. One of my students who heard this story began shooting 100 arrows a day too, and he got pretty good too.

Satoshi Sagino Shihan of Muyoshingetsu-ryu

On the other side of this coin is Sagino Shihan of our Muyoshingetsu school. Who told us to put everything we have into one shot. 'Shoot everyday' he said, 'shoot one arrow, and put your whole-self into that arrow... exhaust yourself completely'. We have a student who hearing this now takes 3 hours to shoot that one arrow every day. Cleaning and preparing his backyard space... cleaning and preparing his equipment and clothes... meditation... and beautiful taihai and hassetsu to release that one arrow...folding his kimono and hakama neatly... and putting everything away. And you know, he's really good too. My eyes once asked him about this practice, and he said, 'you know... when you only shoot one arrow... and it takes 3 hours of your day... you never waste that arrow'.

In the middle was Onuma Sensei, who on one visit to Los Angeles told us, 'Shoot 10 arrows every day. With 10 arrows you can really focus, many more and it's difficult. So shoot 10 arrows everyday without fail'.

Hideharu Onuma Sensei.
Photo from the book 'Kyudo - The Essence and Practice of Japanese Archery'
By Hideharu Onuma with Dan and jackie DeProspero

Since both quality and quantity obviously count, I think each of these approaches has merit. Each can have a place in our practice throughout the year. If I were to choose, I think I would choose quality over quantity; so the one arrow would be the best practice; but the guy who shoots 100 may beat you in the tournament; so maybe that's the best practice; but do we really have time in our busy lives for 100 or 200 arrows a day, can we really give each of those the quality our practice demands? If so, 100 is a great practice. Maybe the 10 a day is the best balance? I like balance and middle road, so my practice for many years followed this 10 a day. Today sometimes I shoot one arrow with all I've got; at least once a year, and sometimes coming up to it, we have our 108 arrows shoot; mostly with my hitori geiko (solitary practice) I shoot hitote (a handful, or in kyudo we define this as 2).

quality vs. quantity. both count. Again if I were to choose, I would probably choose quality. But they are not really separate; shoot as many quality arrows as you have time, energy, and attention to give them.

However many arrows you decide to shoot each day is up to you. But please practice everyday. And put your wholeself into that entire practice. Put your wholeself into your entire life... every moment of every day. The rest of our lives depends on it.

Thank you,

Zen and Arts

Though I know that most martial artists know really nothing of Zen; I also know that most Zen practitioners know really nothing of the martial arts. Or do they?

Actually though it has been rare that the two intertwine directly, they have mixed and merged throughout their entire history.

Zen began with the warrior prince become buddha, then in China was promoted by the warrior prince became founder of Chan, and merged with the warrior class of Japan and their Shinto Rituals as Zen when it arrived there, The Zen influence on Japan is well known and accepted.

For me, my Zen heritage is quite clear on it's support on the intertwinement of Zen and the Martial Arts. Also my Martial Arts teachers, and Geido (Japanese Artistic Arts) teachers both embraced their Zen roots. So for me, at least, there is no question.

I guess this is all I need then. For me and my teachers, for me and my arts, our 'do' is Zen in motion.

Everyone else will have to decide for themselves.

Other noted Sensei of the past who included Zen/Buddhism in their Budo.
Sudamune Ogasawara.
Hojo Toriyori was a great supporter of Zen, and Hojo Tokumune was a strong practitioner of Zen.
Kamiizumi Ise No Kami
Yagyu Munetoshi
Yagyu Munenori
Ibaraki Sensai
Yamaoka Tessu (19th c.)
Yamada Mûmon 山田 無文
Umeji Kenran
Awa Kenzo
Anazawa
Suhara Koun

The 'Dō' 道 arts of Japan and 'Zen' 禅

Zen 禅 is a form of Buddhism that arrived in Japan from India as Dhana via China as Channa. The Japanese version of this is Zenna or Zen.

Dhana is a form of Buddhist meditation, absorption meditation to be precise. It is said by the Zen Masters that this is the meditation Shakyamuni Butsu (The founder of Buddhism) experienced to awaken to the true nature of reality.

As Dhana traveled through China it absorbed much of the Chinese thought, especially the principles and language of Taoism. It is this mixture that became Chinese Channa or Chan.

The same happened in Japan with the Descendants of Dogen Zenji (the founder Soto Zen in Japan), when they mixed and merged the Chan with the existing teachings of Japanese thought. It is this combination that we now know of as Zen.

The 'Dō' 道 of Japan is the Japanese pronunciation of Chinese Tao 道.
The dō existed in Japan along with Confucianism and Buddhism in Japan since the 6th Century AD. But these Taoist aspects played a minor role until Zen came to Japan. The dō arts of Japan reflect this influence of  Zen on the arts.

This is most easily seen as the role Zen played in reviving the sacred portions of arts like Calligraphy, Flower arrangement, Tea Ceremony and the other arts the aristocracy were playing with. The Zen monks interacted very strongly with the Warrior Class of Japan as well; and influenced their understanding of the world greatly.

Especially after peace time during the Tokogawa Shogunate...

Dōjō道場 (Way Place, A place for Training in The Way)

Dōjō道場 (Way Place, A place for Training in The Way)

The original term 道場 dōjō was used in Buddhist temples to denote a training hall. Not usually martial arts in the beginning, but later they began to be used this way. Today the term is most well known as a martial arts training all. But it is a hall to train in The Way; In the Temple, The Way was expected to refer to A Way of the Dharma.

Ogasawara Family and In/Yo Theory

"A propriety, horsemanship, and archery traditions and technique succeeded by the Ogasawara school are firmly based on the Ying and Yang thought.The Ying and Yang thought was imported from China. Almost 1400 years ago, in Heian ( it means "peace") period in Japan, this thought became a vital foundation of universal scholarship and all natural phenomenon. It has been thought that the universe itself is built up by the Ying and Yang, invisible but mighty power circulation and balance of two conflicting components, e.g. light and shadow, plus and minus, sun and moon etc. A fundamental orientation and mathematics derived from the Ying and Yang thought largely influence the patterns of licensed arrows provided by the Ogasawara school and a field and altar arrangement of ritual archery ceremonies, however, the point that should be specially noted is "Ying and Yang"; shout ( in Japanese, it pronounces "In‐ Yo" ) by the Yabusame archers on horses at the Yabusame ritual ceremony. By shouting In‐Yo, their spirits and souls are able to correspond with the universe in other words almighty God."

The above is from the Ogasawara Family

below is my comment:

In/Yo Theory or the principles of yin and yang come from Chinese Taoism. Taoism arrived in Japan along with Buddhism and Confucianism in the 6th century AD. But Taoism was the weakest of the 3, bearing such a resemblance to the existing shaministic practices and beliefs already in Japan that it only existed in the periphery, and within the mix of the 3 which became knows as Jukyo.

The Ogasawara Family established for us the foundations of what culminated in what we now think of as Traditional Japanese Culture. The In/Yo theory that they used is based on the principles of Taoist thought. In/Yo theory entered Japan within the Jukyo combination of influences from the mainland. Jukyo consists primarily of Confucian Values, Buddhist Ceremonies, and Taoist Principles... pretty much in this order. To the extent that Jukyo is sometimes translated as Confucianism. But in talking with the Japanese about what is Jukyo, the principles described are Taoist; so as stated, Jukyo is Confucian Values, Buddhist Ceremonies, and Taoist Principles, just as this In/Yo Theory used by the Ogasawara Family suggests.

Zen too came to Japan as Buddhism; but quickly, under the descendants of Dogen Zenji (1200-1253) (who brought what we now call Soto Zen Buddhism to Japan) again the Jukyo was incorporated, and along with that indigenous ideas were incorporated into Zen as well. This combination of all, roots from Japan and all the jukyo from the mainland combine in varying ways, and in varying degrees, to create what we now call Traditional Japanese Culture.

The Ogasawara Patriarch most responsible for the strengthening of the Ogasawara Teaching, and establishing it as the Japanese Way was Sadamune Ogasawara (1292-1347). Sadamune studied under the Zen Master Seisetsu Shoho and used these teachings to re-establish Ogawawara-ryu of the time. He took the principles of Zen and incorporated them more strongly into the Jukyo Principles already in place.

The other principles that we think of as Traditional Japanese Culture, come directly from Buddhism and particularly Zen. Zen Masters brought a particular taste and way of practicing to such things as tea, calligraphy, and flower arrangement. They took what for some had been just past times for those outside of the temple, and brought the flavor of the temple back into them, since that's where they came from in the first place.

They also had great influence over warriors of the time who developed their warrior practices into 'do' arts during peacetime particularly. This 'do' is the Japanese pronunciation of Tao. All of the 'do' arts of Japan have some basis, to one degree or another, to the Jukyo and Zen influence, since they were the bringers of in/yo theory, the basis of 'do'."

Ogasawara-ryu Genealogy notes

Ogasawara-ryu Genealogy

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Genealogy
The Ogasawara family is from the Minamoto family line. The first of the Minamoto was Prince Tsunemoto, grandson of the Emperor Seiwa and an excellent archer and horseman. One of the most noteworthy of the Minamoto was Tsunemoto no Yoshiie under whose leadership the family's power increased greatly. Yoshiie's brother, Minamoto no Yoshimitsu, was the progenitor of the Ogasawara.
Yoshimitsu's great-grandson, Tomitsu, was highly skilled in both literary and military arts. Due to his bravery during the suppression of the Taira, he was given an honorary post. He further distinguished himself during the reign of the Emperor Takakura, when he was called on to shoot a mysterious light that was assailing the Emperor's court. Tomitsu's son, Nagakiyo, was the first to be called Ogasawara, after his home village in Kai province (now Yamanashi Prefecture). The Ogasawara's reputation for excellence in archery and horsemanship was already well-established at this point, and as a family document indicates: "After Nagakiyo became known as Ogasawara, the family's skill in military arts became more and more celebrated."

Nagakiyo served Yoritomo no Minamoto as master of archery and horsemanship, further increasing the fame of the Ogasawara. Etiquette, however, was not among the pressing needs of the warrior class at the height of the Kamakura Period, so Nagakiyo did not teach it.

It was the 7th Headmaster, Sadamune Ogasawara, who reintroduced etiquette to the arts of archery and horsemanship. For this he is called the restorer of the Ogasawara school. It is from the 7th Sadamune's teaching that the Ogasawara school as we know it today descended. Sadamune studied under the Zen Master Seisetsu Shoho and stressed the Zen components of their teaching, and incorporated them even more strongly into the Ogaswara-ryu. This paved the way for continuing evolution of the arts which we now know as the 'do' arts of Japan.

Sadamune served the Emperor Godaigo during the period between the collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate and the establishment of the Muromachi Shogunate. The Emperor took him into service on account of his great contribution to the downfall of the Kamakura, and assured him that the Ogasawara school of etiquette would become the code of the warrior class. Sadamune subsequently joined the forces of the Muromachi Shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, serving as master of etiquette and thus adding to his good reputation.

The Ogasawara continued to serve the Ashikaga from generation to generation. They taught not only archery and horsemanship, but also the rites of manhood, wedding rites, and the other ceremonial etiquette.

Three generation after Sadamune, a man named Nagahide compiled the "Sangi Itto", the cornerstone of Ogasawara etiquette. The volume was written at the behest of the third of the Ashikaga shoguns, Yoshimitsu, who deplored the deterioration of ancient courtier manners.

During the Warring States Period, the Ogasawara were charged with protecting the province of Shinano (now Nagano Prefecture). They fought Takeda Shingen several times, losing their territory but eventually regaining it under the banner of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The family head, Sadayoshi, handed down the "Seven Volumes of Ogasawara Etiquette" to his heir Hidemasa during this period. Unlike later systems of etiquette that only boast of splendor, these volumes provide an authentic explanation of the unadorned grace of warrior-class manners.

When the battle of Osaka broke out in the summer of 1615, Hidemasa and his heir, Tadanaga, went to the field in support of the Tokugawa and died heroic deaths. In return for their loyalty, the Ogasawara were named the ruling family of Akashi, Harima Province (now western Hyogo Prefecture), a fief with an annual yield of 110,000 koku of rice. Subsequently, they were named the rulers of Kokura, Buzen Province (now northeastern Fukuoka and northern Oita Prefectures), a fief with a yield of 150,000 koku of rice.

During the Edo Period, the Ogasawara instructed the succeeded elite of the shogunate in the fine points of etiquette. Even the general population began to bear the Ogasawara mark, as they increasingly adopted the manners of the warrior class. The Ogasawara code of etiquette was exhaustive. It explained rituals for annual events, furniture arrangement, how to change and fold clothes, how to write cards correctly, how to eat in a proper manner, how to wrap gifts, and more.
In the Meiji Era the head of the Ogasawara was given the title of count.

Ogasawara History notes

Ogasawara family is a lineage of the Seiwa Genji. 

The 1st headmaster of Ogaswara-ryu was Nagakiyo Ogasawara (I found 2 records, one says born in Koshu (nowadays it is known as Yamanashi prefecture) in 1162, and the other with the dates 1185-1333?). His father was Kagami-jiro-tomitsu, his mother was a daughter of Wada yoshimori. The Ogasawara village really existed, however, the name has changed to Minami Alps city.

It has been said that the surname "Ogasawara" was provided to Nagakiyo by the Emperor Takakura.
Nagakiyo is an ancestor of all the families named "Ogasawara" today. When Nagakiyo was 26 years old, he became Minamoto-Yoritomo's personal teacher of mounted archery and manner. 

Minamoto-yoritomo is a founder of Japan's first warrior government. The Ogasawara family served the Shogun of the Kamakura era (the Minamoto shogunate), the Muromachi era (the Ashikaga shogunate), and the Edo era (the Tokugawa shogunate) as the martial teacher.


It was the 7th Sadamune who reintroduced etiquette to the arts of archery and horsemanship. For this he is called the restorer of the Ogasawara school. It is from the 7th Sadamune's teaching that the Ogasawara school as we know it today descended. Sadamune studied under the Zen Master Seisetsu Shoho and stressed the Zen components of their teaching, and incorporated them even more strongly into the Ogaswara-ryu. This paved the way for continuing evolution of the arts which we now know as the 'do' arts of Japan.

Sadamune served the Emperor Godaigo during the period between the collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate and the establishment of the Muromachi Shogunate. The Emperor took him into service on account of his great contribution to the downfall of the Kamakura, and assured him that the Ogasawara school of etiquette would become the code of the warrior class. Sadamune subsequently joined the forces of the Muromachi Shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, serving as master of etiquette and thus adding to his good reputation.

The Ogasawara continued to serve the Ashikaga from generation to generation. They taught not only archery and horsemanship, but also the rites of manhood, wedding rites, and the other ceremonial etiquette.

Three generation after Sadamune, a man named Nagahide compiled the "Sangi Itto", the cornerstone of Ogasawara etiquette. The volume was written at the behest of the third of the Ashikaga shoguns, Yoshimitsu, who deplored the deterioration of ancient courtier manners.

During the Warring States Period, the Ogasawara were charged with protecting the province of Shinano (now Nagano Prefecture). They fought Takeda Shingen several times, losing their territory but eventually regaining it under the banner of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The family head, Sadayoshi, handed down the "Seven Volumes of Ogasawara Etiquette" to his heir Hidemasa during this period. Unlike later systems of etiquette that only boast of splendor, these volumes provide an authentic explanation of the unadorned grace of warrior-class manners.

When the battle of Osaka broke out in the summer of 1615, Hidemasa and his heir, Tadanaga, went to the field in support of the Tokugawa and died heroic deaths. In return for their loyalty, the Ogasawara were named the ruling family of Akashi, Harima Province (now western Hyogo Prefecture), a fief with an annual yield of 110,000 koku of rice. Subsequently, they were named the rulers of Kokura, Buzen Province (now northeastern Fukuoka and northern Oita Prefectures), a fief with a yield of 150,000 koku of rice.

During the Edo Period, the Ogasawara instructed the succeeded elite of the shogunate in the fine points of etiquette. Even the general population began to bear the Ogasawara mark, as they increasingly adopted the manners of the warrior class. The Ogasawara code of etiquette was exhaustive. It explained rituals for annual events, furniture arrangement, how to change and fold clothes, how to write cards correctly, how to eat in a proper manner, how to wrap gifts, and more.
In the Meiji Era the head of the Ogasawara was given the title of count.

Kiyokane Ogasawara, the 28th headmaster of Ogasawara-ryu. Kiyokane served the Tokugawa shogun and in 1862 he totally organized the royal wedding of Princess Kazunomiya, a sister of the Emperor.

In 1879, he dedicated the Yabusame ritual at the Imperial Palace. His Yabusame ritual was watched by Emperor Meiji at the Ueno Park.

In 1880, Kiyokane opened the Ogasawara school to the public in Kanda Tokyo and he taught etiquette at the girls schools.

Kiyoaki Ogasawara, the 29th headmaster of Ogasawara-ryu. Kiyoaki dedicated Yabusame ritual to celebrate the establishment of Meiji Shrine in 1920.  He revived the Yabusame ceremony at many shrines like Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Kasama Inari Shrine, and so on.

kiyonobu Ogasawara, the 30th headmaster of Ogasawara-ryu. Kiyonobu dedicated the ritual Yabusame ceremony at many shrines. And he also dedicated other ritual archery ceremonies, Ohmato-Shiki, Momote-Shiki, and Kusajishi-Shiki. He explained the physical movement of Ogasawara-ryu from a scientific point of view,

To teach Ogasawara-ryu for a living is strictly prohibited by the family tradition for the purpose of passing on Ogasawara-ryu correctly. So, he worked as a professor of Meiji University.

Los Angeles Kyudo Kai

Kyudo came to the United States from Japan in the early years of the twentieth century, reaching Los Angeles as early as 1908 with scattered individuals practicing around the city and the beginnings of a group called the Rafu (the local Japanese pronunciation of “L.A.”) Kyudo Kai. As early as 1916, Mr. Suda Chokei had founded the Los Angeles Kyudo Kai, and the group practiced together regularly. From 1920 to 1928, Mr. Miwa Tanechiko taught the Heike style of archery. Students met at a dojo located on what was then Jackson Street in Little Tokyo, near the intersection of San Pedro and First Streets. A second dojo was located in Boyle Heights on St. Louis Street, near Hollenbeck Park. Vintage photographs and a collection of artifacts from the first dojo survive to this day. World War II caused a grave and decades-long disruption in the practice of kyudo in Los Angeles. Because kyudo was considered a martial art, bows and arrows used by practitioners were seized as weapons by the federal government, and those that escaped confiscation were either burned or buried by their fearful owners. The Jackson Street martial arts center was closed and eventually demolished, and for the duration of the war, Japanese-Americans were relocated to internment camps. After the war, individuals resumed their practice in isolation without the help and support of an instructor, and there was no official kyudo dojo in Los Angeles for over thirty years. In 1973, Rev. Koen Mishima arrived in Los Angeles from Japan to minister at the Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple. He practiced kyudo in the temple's basement by himself for a long time; one day, he was photographed as he was practicing. Iwao Iwata saw that photograph displayed at an exhibition, and he became Mishima-sensei's first student. Eventually the two of them were joined by Rev. Hirokazu Kosaka (a priest from a neighboring temple), Rev. Kiyomaru Mishima (Mishima-sensei's younger brother), and an American man named Mike Stanley. By 1976, Mishima-sensei and Kosaka-sensei officially reinstated the old Los Angeles Kyudo Kai, and weekly taught a growing number of students in a variety of locations: from 1973–1978, at the Higashi Honganji Temple; from 1978–1981 in the basement of Koyasan Temple in Little Tokyo; from 1982–1992, in the beautiful wood-paneled church hall of the Nichiren Temple in East Los Angeles, at the corner of Fourth Street and Saratoga; from 1993–1999, in the Rafu Chuo Gakuen Community Hall on Saratoga. From 2000 to the present, the Los Angeles Kyudo Kai has met with the Nanka Kyudo Kai at the Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute. In 1996 The Nanka Kyudo Kai was formed by Rick Beal with permission from Kosaka-sensei to represent the growth of their group beyond Los Angeles to include all of Southern California. Nanka is the word used by the local Japanese Community to mean "Southern California." Today kyudo is represented in Southern California by a few groups, some formed by previous students of Sensei Rick Beal of the Nanka Kyudo Kai, Rick Sensei himself, and of course Hirokazu Kosaka Sensei of the Los Angeles Kyudo Kai continues to honor those that first brought the bow to the area.