Ikkyu 1991: Newsletter published by members of The Los Angeles Kyudo Kai

Los Angeles Kyudo Kai 1929

"Better known as Japanese Zen Archery, 'Kyudo', came to the United States via Seattle in the early years of the present century [20th century].

The word kyudo  literally translated means 'the way of the bow'. Kyudo  is knows as Zen archery because archery in Japan was deeply influenced by Zen philosophy. Kyudo is an art, a discipline, a form of moving meditation. In the past times kyudo was also called 'kyujitusu'.

Not much is known about kyudo in its first birth in this country [United States of America], but we do know it had reached Los Angeles by 1910, with scattered individuals practicing around the city [we now also have learned that there was a Rafu Kyudo Kai as early as 1908, having seen a newspaper article that referenced them with that year]. [We also now know that between 1903 and 1908 the Hawaii Kyudo Kai was formed]. In 1916, the first Los Angeles Kyudo Kai was founded by Suda Chokei.

In San Francisco in 1925, the original owner of the Japenese Tea House in Golden Gate Park asked the archer Imaizumi Wazaburo to begin instrcuting a local group in the 'Heike' style of kyudo [we also know that the style of the Los Angeles Kyudo Kai was also Heike-ryu]. The group of 40 individuals named itself Shinno Kai and practiced once a month. In the spring and summer they also presented Shinto Ceremonies in the city. In 1926 another group, the Satsui Kai, was formed by Ebina Shunshuro and Yamazaki Senkichi. An Oakland group was formed by Shiozawa Tetsushiro and Aoki Saneharu. By 1930 there were well-established group[s] practicing in San Francisco,  Oakland and Los Angeles [and Hawaii].

World War II caused a grave disruption of this ancient and solemn practice. As kyudo was considered a martial art, their  'weapons' were seized by the government. the  bows and arrows which escaped confiscation were either  burned or buried by their fearful owners [there is a great story of how Kosaka Sensei was able to recover some of these treasures, which we still have as part of our 'inheritance']. All Japanese Americans were sent to relocation camps.

The history of kyudo in the United States after the War is obscure, It is not known if any groups were formed again or practiced until 1975 when the Reverend Koen Mishima arrived in Los Angeles. As a miniser of the Higashi Hongwanji Temple, and coming from a faimly of kydoi practitioners, he reinstated the art of kyudo under the name Los Angeles Kyudo Kai [the story of how this name and legacy was offered to them by members of the first Los Angeles Kyudo Kai is quite interesting as well]. The group has been practicing continuously from that time and presently meets on Friday nights at the Nichiren Buddhist Temple in East Los Angeles. the group fluctuates between 10-20 members.

In 1989 Rev. Mishima immigrated to Australia and formed the first kyudo group on that continent in Brisbane. Presenlty his close associate since 1975, Hirokazu Kosaka, is the instructor of the group.

In May 1991, the group celebrated the 75th anniversary of kyudo in Los Angeles. [2016 they will celebrate their 100th anniversary].

Los Angeles Kyudo Kai 1991

[my own notes (by rick beal)]

Los Angeles Kyudo Kai 2009

July 11, 2015

Kosaka Sensei discusses tea bowls.

How they're made.

How their design and coloring change through the seasons.

Their organic nature.

Their History and more...

Lecture Q&A with Kosaka Sensei

My teacher often gives lectures on Japanese Culture and Art. In addition to being a Priest, he is an artist, teaches kyudo, runs the gallery at the local Japanese Cultural Center, has a wife and kids, etc. So after one lecture, he asked if there were any questions. A woman said, "Yes, I have a question. With all these different aspects of your life, how do you balance them all". He had quite a pause after that question, he even looked puzzled. I'd never seen him look puzzled, he usually shoots back quickly and concisely to questions. Then you could see his face light up, and I realized that it was not the answer to the question that eluded him but the question itself; he said, "Ah, I see, you've separated them".

Teaching

When Kosaka Sensei said, 'Rick carries my legacy,' he actually said Rick, and others, carries my legacy. Since this was the first time I'd heard him utter such a statement, I wondered who the 'others' were. I'm fairly certain though that the 'others' refers to Nobuyo Okuda and Robert Williams.

When I first started to help Kosaka Sensei teach the classes, Nobuyo and Robert were among my first two. Robert was extremely talented and seemed like an enlightened Guru to me already, I even wondered why he came, did he really need this training?

Nobuyo too, was already a tea teacher. Nobuyo wanted to live here in the U.S. so she gave up the Iemoto (inheritor) position of her families practice in favor of her sister.

I think that to have me start teaching with these two was almost a joke among the 'real' Sensei.

They asked me to teach Nobuyo how to 'walk'. This was our basic instruction in walking, sitting, kneeling, and bowing that was my main practice when I started with the Los Angeles Kyudo Kai. I was so pleased and proud that they asked me to teach someone. I walked up (with my nose in the air) and said, 'follow me' and had her copy my movements as I had copied the Sensei who taught me. But as I watched Nobuyo-san from the corner of my eye, I quickly realized that she was already better than I was. I lead her through the movements a few time and said, 'ok, she knows it.. now what do you want me to do?' I think they sent me to make tea.

After I was 'stamped' Nobuyo-san began to call me Sensei (even though we had agreed years before that there was only one Sensei in our school, and that was Kosaka Sensei); but I insisted on calling her Sempai (senior) too. So although the Sensei' teased me by having me try and teach those already beyond me, we now tease eachother with such phrases as Sensei and Sempai too.