Outdoor and Rec Athletics 0115 - Beg. Kyudo (Japanese Archery)

Archery was once considered the most elite of all samurai military arts. To be an archer meant you were beholden to defending your lord's stronghold from distant threats. After the era of great civil war had ended in Japan by 1600 A.D., samurai warriors were at a loss for way to keep their practical skills for the battlefield honed. The need to repurpose their fighting arts philosophically shifted from the emphasis of destroying a target to a path and lifestyle of self-refinement. Students will encounter a standing form of Zen meditation or Ritsuzen, by way of the Japanese bow. At the beginning level, students will concentrate on learning the first step-by-step form called Shichido, or The Seven Coordinations. This precise form represents the basic method of firing a single arrow. Students will begin by becoming acquainted with the equipment through simulated shooting with no target and then graduate to live shooting a target at short range. The target, which is only seven feet away, serves the archer as a mirror, reflecting the condition of their mind and spirit. ABSOLUTELY NO WEARING OF jewelry, watches, hats, shoes or use of cell phones during class. Class will meet in the South Lounge, 2nd floor of the Robert Crown Center. 5-College students will be graded pass/fail.

This class may be used for CEL 1 credit.