Teaching Kyudo 2

Between the time when Kosaka Sensei had me start helping him teach kyudo and now, over 25 years has passed. Many students have taken their first arrow with my hands to guide them. Many are still practicing; some of these have passed tests, and some have never taken a test.

Watch with my ears and listen with my eyes... See the dojo world from all corners. Discover the core reason for any error; and/or the correct direction of their practice; Find the teaching that fits the student at this moment in this space and time. I used to be amazed at the knack that Sensei had for this, but now the answers are obvious, jumping out at me... and I understand how he did it. It's all in the teaching, it's already been done, it's already been said; the how and when is the only question, and even that is now very clear.

So, some ask me, how could it be clear like that. But now I know the problem is not how to teach others. To see others and to help them is the easy part. The real practice is how to keep the eye on our own center, to see ourselves clearly, to demonstrate through our own composure, from our own upright spine, the true teaching. When the teaching is clear to all that know how to look, that is the ultimate practice. Look within, then reach out from the center found... include all. Then all is clear for all to see.

Hito no furi mite waga furi naose = Observe others’ behavior, and correct your own.

Teaching Kyudo

I'd been with Sensei a few years when he first started to have me help teach. I helped in his class with his students. I didn't really teach, I didn't really speak to the other students much; I was more like a demonstration dummy, that would show what Sensei had taught me, and they would copy me.

When Kosaka Sensei first started to teach me how to teach, He would ask me to first to pay attention to how I shoot, then to watch how he shot, then to watch the
students shoot.

I was told to listen with my eyes, and watch with my ears...

He would ask me, 'what do you see'?
'What do you hear'?

Remember the teaching...
Remember all the people who made this practice possible.
All those that made the equipment to all those that cleaned the space today.
Remember those that lived taught us what we know, the others died so we would know.

What is the most important?
What is the root?

Do you believe in cause and effect?
What is the root cause?

One day, after watching a group of students shoot, he asked, 'What do you think? and I told him. He said, 'you're right.' He then started to walk to them to tell them what I had said, but he stopped... turned back to me and said, 'You tell them'.

After that I taught a lot and he would watch or teach another group on the side.

He would watch me out of the corner of his eye, and I would watch him out of the corner of my eye.

When we were alone he would remind me of things like, 'Always take care of the beginners.' 'Always teach correctly.' I learned that if you weren't sure it's better not to say, it's better to keep my mouth shut.

I've always taught the way Kosaka Sensei taught me. In the beginning I even used the words he used, I just regurgitated them as I remembered them. Today I've developed new ways of saying the same thing... to match what the student needs to hear; but the teaching is still the same... The same as it has been for generation after generation. He has passed it to me, and now I must learn how to pass it to the next generation too.

Generation after generation the teaching must live on... remember everyone who made the practice possible, everyone who came before. never forget... never quit...
Keizoku wa shikara nari