Outdoor and Rec Athletics 0115 - Beg. Kyudo, Japanese Archery

Archery was historically considered the most elite of samurai military forms. 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 a way to keep current their military tactics. The need to repurpose the paradigm of their fighting and destructive methods caused the samurai to shift towards scholastic pursuits, religion and philosophy. 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 is the basic method of firing a single arrow in one meditative instance. Students will begin with a comprehensive briefing of the equipment and practice of simulated shooting with no target. Regular practice of live shooting at short distance will occur after individual sessions of the "First Shot" procedure. The target at only seven feet away acts a mirror to the archer; reflecting the condition of their mind and spirit. Class will meet in the South Lounge, 2nd floor of the Robert Crown Center. 5-College students will be graded pass/fail.

Accepted for CEL 1 credit