Those who have Facebook and who stalk me on a whim will see from my display picture that I am currently taking kyudo - Japanese archery. I've been taking lessons for the last several months here in Tottori. I find it a great way to clear the mind, particularly after a long and grueling day of limbo and English. It has become such an enjoyable activity for me that I've even decided to purchase the equipment and clothing that I may continue to practice when I return to Canada.
Its relaxing nature is a huge appeal for me. On the one hand, it is quite demanding to remember dozens upon dozens of minuscule details as well as to use considerable force to push the bow apart. The trick is to work on one aspect at a time so that it becomes second nature, and then work on another, and another. Eventually, the entire process becomes so seamless and effortless that one doesn't even think when picking up the bow, and before one knows it, an arrow is embedded in the target and one scarcely knows how it got there. That time when your mind is clear and your focus concise is what many strive for in kyudo. More to it, it allows for the taking in of one's surroundings and a more general awareness of self. I think that some of my best memories will be shooting at targets 28 meters away while a gentle, silent snow gracefully falls between us, or practicing while noticing the blooming cherry blossoms out of the corner of my eye.
Most everyone who knows me knows that I have one of the worst memories in recent times. Most everyone who lives with me in Japan will know that I have a terrible memory when it comes to Japanese names. After a year and a half, you'd still be surprised at the sheer number of teachers whom I work with every day whose names I still have no clue about (I really just should study the seating chart...). Hence, it should come to no surprise to those at my kyudo club - if they knew these two facts beforehand - that I still don't know most of their names. A few I do because I talk to them regularly, but most of the other 15 or so members I haven't got a clue about. Then and therefore, my brain being the idle yet creative machine that it is, my friend (who also practices with me) and I have constructed a mechanism for identifying the lovely people we train with - we've given them Star Wars labels.
While he (perhaps) may not delve as in-depth as I do into the universe of the Skywalkers, we keep it simple enough so that anyone who knows the story even a little can pick up on who we're talking about without missing a beat. Here is a short list and description of those individuals (Real names removed to protect the innocent).
Yoda - A short and quirky man, Yoda was and is our main instructor. Like from the training of a young Skywalker, from day one, we were put into intense training that was constantly being critiqued and refined. He is knowledgeable about all things kyudo and regularly oversees everyone at the dojo (training hall). His endearing qualities include a penchant for speaking in ways that confuse most (including himself at times) as well as possessing an infectiously unique laugh, which is used often and at the slightest of things. I might almost go so far as to say that he likes to laugh more than he does to shoot. Don't let his charming personality fool you, though. When he picks up his bow (lightsaber), he'll nail ten targets in a row, then sternly come down on himself for not having perfect form.
Vader - If anything, I'd almost call him a combination of the quirky little 9-year old Anakin as well as the imposing and Dark Side-fuelled Lord of the Sith. When watching him draw, you almost wonder how he could be a kyudo practitioner, just as one looks at the sandy-haired Anakin and thinks, "You're going to be Vader in 13 years? Ha! No way!". He's an older gentleman (though not too old - perhaps in his 60's. Still has a dark head of hair), and when he draws, his arms shake to such a degree that one might think the bow to snap him in two. You'd never believe he was as skilled as he is, just as you'd never believe that a slave from Tatooine could have the highest midi-chlorian count in the galaxy (Ugh, midi-chlorians... What a bad move. /Sidebar). And full folly you to think such things, for just when he is about to release, the trembling stops and this moment of focus consumes him as he put the arrow right through the target, such that I'm surprised that neither the arrow or target doesn't explode due to the raw, surging energy. He'll then hit another target. And another. And another. And another. Such that one might wonder if the force is truly with him - such a force that smacks with the dark side, for no one can be THAT good.
Mace Windu - What can we say about Mace? He's just a badass, through and through. There is no one else in Hollywood who should be given a lightsaber than Samuel L. Jackson. Such qualities found shine through exemplary in this gentleman at the dojo. He moves here and there, instructing and giving advice to all those training, much like a second-in-command. Only when everyone's looking good and refined will he casually pick up his bow and just nail a few targets before pointing something out with another student. His serious, yet calm attitude, as well as a casual sense of humor just exudes badass.
Obi-Wan Kenobi - We named Obi-Wan Obi-Wan because he starts off (going chronologically) as a student before moving on to teacher and then master. This guy possesses the qualities of all three. He practises each and every aspect of the kyudo process with intense focus (master). He will also receive a few tips and pointers from Yoda or Mace on occasion (student). Very rarely will he give advice to the other students, myself and my friend included. However, when he does, one would be wise to listen as what he says usually is of a minor imperfection that will have major shooting ramifications later on (teacher). He is very focused and intense, and has that wisdom-beyond-years that only Alec Guinness could bring out.
Count Dooku - Dooku was just recently named, actually, as we couldn't think of what to call one gentleman. He possessed this maverick quality that we just couldn't quantify. The only person who would come close would have been Mace Windu - a name we had already given away. It was only when we considered the Dark Side that we did land on the Sith Lord. Dooku is a man of words and action. He'll draw in the other students with distracting yet captivating conversation, yet he also has the power to back it up as he elegant and graceful style will make an arrow happy to be sitting on the bow. As with Vader, his uncanny powers also reek strongly of the Dark Side.
Boba Fett - Boba Fett has qualities similar to Anakin in that you may think that such a cute kid would be incapable of unspeakable acts upon the targets, but charade will you be when you see him bust out his own personal arsenal of bows and arrows. He almost strikes you as a hunter, who if prey does escape him (or hitting the target escapes him), he'll soon be back like the Empire to rain shot after shot upon it. His pursuit of a hit may elude him at times, but it never has far to run.
Aunt Beru - This delightful woman has all the qualities of a grandmother or older aunt: She's always giving the kids compliments and teasing the other boys. One look @ her and you just think, "Auntie!" While she may not own the targets as much as the other Masters, her form is exquisite and shows that she means business.
Wedge - Wedge was a tough one to cast. We couldn't think of any other Jedi or Sith to label him as, so we instead realized that he was like the steady wingman that you'd want to have beside you any day. He's always talking to and supporting us. Usually, we'll just idle time away chatting about this and that. His easygoing manner has the air of a hotshot pilot just home from taking down a Death Star.
Palpatine - The ultimate in the Dark Side. In the movies, he's shown to be on par - if not slightly better - than Master Yoda; just on the opposite side of the coin. In reality, their affiliations are both of the light, but in terms of skill, this description isn't far from the truth. I believe he was there when we first arrive, but went away for a long hiatus. When he did return, it was as though he were a mysterious stranger who just walked in one day and starting hitting targets like it was his job. My immediate reaction was Dark Side from him. And while he looks like the oldest of us, the Force Lighting springs from his fingers to make it look like his arrow were possessed. His form and technique leave very little to be desired.
At present, we're still trying to cast Padme, Leia, and Han Solo. We're still deliberating, so updates will come after a few more practices and we test out their monikers in person.
Its relaxing nature is a huge appeal for me. On the one hand, it is quite demanding to remember dozens upon dozens of minuscule details as well as to use considerable force to push the bow apart. The trick is to work on one aspect at a time so that it becomes second nature, and then work on another, and another. Eventually, the entire process becomes so seamless and effortless that one doesn't even think when picking up the bow, and before one knows it, an arrow is embedded in the target and one scarcely knows how it got there. That time when your mind is clear and your focus concise is what many strive for in kyudo. More to it, it allows for the taking in of one's surroundings and a more general awareness of self. I think that some of my best memories will be shooting at targets 28 meters away while a gentle, silent snow gracefully falls between us, or practicing while noticing the blooming cherry blossoms out of the corner of my eye.
Most everyone who knows me knows that I have one of the worst memories in recent times. Most everyone who lives with me in Japan will know that I have a terrible memory when it comes to Japanese names. After a year and a half, you'd still be surprised at the sheer number of teachers whom I work with every day whose names I still have no clue about (I really just should study the seating chart...). Hence, it should come to no surprise to those at my kyudo club - if they knew these two facts beforehand - that I still don't know most of their names. A few I do because I talk to them regularly, but most of the other 15 or so members I haven't got a clue about. Then and therefore, my brain being the idle yet creative machine that it is, my friend (who also practices with me) and I have constructed a mechanism for identifying the lovely people we train with - we've given them Star Wars labels.
While he (perhaps) may not delve as in-depth as I do into the universe of the Skywalkers, we keep it simple enough so that anyone who knows the story even a little can pick up on who we're talking about without missing a beat. Here is a short list and description of those individuals (Real names removed to protect the innocent).
Yoda - A short and quirky man, Yoda was and is our main instructor. Like from the training of a young Skywalker, from day one, we were put into intense training that was constantly being critiqued and refined. He is knowledgeable about all things kyudo and regularly oversees everyone at the dojo (training hall). His endearing qualities include a penchant for speaking in ways that confuse most (including himself at times) as well as possessing an infectiously unique laugh, which is used often and at the slightest of things. I might almost go so far as to say that he likes to laugh more than he does to shoot. Don't let his charming personality fool you, though. When he picks up his bow (lightsaber), he'll nail ten targets in a row, then sternly come down on himself for not having perfect form.
Vader - If anything, I'd almost call him a combination of the quirky little 9-year old Anakin as well as the imposing and Dark Side-fuelled Lord of the Sith. When watching him draw, you almost wonder how he could be a kyudo practitioner, just as one looks at the sandy-haired Anakin and thinks, "You're going to be Vader in 13 years? Ha! No way!". He's an older gentleman (though not too old - perhaps in his 60's. Still has a dark head of hair), and when he draws, his arms shake to such a degree that one might think the bow to snap him in two. You'd never believe he was as skilled as he is, just as you'd never believe that a slave from Tatooine could have the highest midi-chlorian count in the galaxy (Ugh, midi-chlorians... What a bad move. /Sidebar). And full folly you to think such things, for just when he is about to release, the trembling stops and this moment of focus consumes him as he put the arrow right through the target, such that I'm surprised that neither the arrow or target doesn't explode due to the raw, surging energy. He'll then hit another target. And another. And another. And another. Such that one might wonder if the force is truly with him - such a force that smacks with the dark side, for no one can be THAT good.
Mace Windu - What can we say about Mace? He's just a badass, through and through. There is no one else in Hollywood who should be given a lightsaber than Samuel L. Jackson. Such qualities found shine through exemplary in this gentleman at the dojo. He moves here and there, instructing and giving advice to all those training, much like a second-in-command. Only when everyone's looking good and refined will he casually pick up his bow and just nail a few targets before pointing something out with another student. His serious, yet calm attitude, as well as a casual sense of humor just exudes badass.
Obi-Wan Kenobi - We named Obi-Wan Obi-Wan because he starts off (going chronologically) as a student before moving on to teacher and then master. This guy possesses the qualities of all three. He practises each and every aspect of the kyudo process with intense focus (master). He will also receive a few tips and pointers from Yoda or Mace on occasion (student). Very rarely will he give advice to the other students, myself and my friend included. However, when he does, one would be wise to listen as what he says usually is of a minor imperfection that will have major shooting ramifications later on (teacher). He is very focused and intense, and has that wisdom-beyond-years that only Alec Guinness could bring out.
Count Dooku - Dooku was just recently named, actually, as we couldn't think of what to call one gentleman. He possessed this maverick quality that we just couldn't quantify. The only person who would come close would have been Mace Windu - a name we had already given away. It was only when we considered the Dark Side that we did land on the Sith Lord. Dooku is a man of words and action. He'll draw in the other students with distracting yet captivating conversation, yet he also has the power to back it up as he elegant and graceful style will make an arrow happy to be sitting on the bow. As with Vader, his uncanny powers also reek strongly of the Dark Side.
Boba Fett - Boba Fett has qualities similar to Anakin in that you may think that such a cute kid would be incapable of unspeakable acts upon the targets, but charade will you be when you see him bust out his own personal arsenal of bows and arrows. He almost strikes you as a hunter, who if prey does escape him (or hitting the target escapes him), he'll soon be back like the Empire to rain shot after shot upon it. His pursuit of a hit may elude him at times, but it never has far to run.
Aunt Beru - This delightful woman has all the qualities of a grandmother or older aunt: She's always giving the kids compliments and teasing the other boys. One look @ her and you just think, "Auntie!" While she may not own the targets as much as the other Masters, her form is exquisite and shows that she means business.
Wedge - Wedge was a tough one to cast. We couldn't think of any other Jedi or Sith to label him as, so we instead realized that he was like the steady wingman that you'd want to have beside you any day. He's always talking to and supporting us. Usually, we'll just idle time away chatting about this and that. His easygoing manner has the air of a hotshot pilot just home from taking down a Death Star.
Palpatine - The ultimate in the Dark Side. In the movies, he's shown to be on par - if not slightly better - than Master Yoda; just on the opposite side of the coin. In reality, their affiliations are both of the light, but in terms of skill, this description isn't far from the truth. I believe he was there when we first arrive, but went away for a long hiatus. When he did return, it was as though he were a mysterious stranger who just walked in one day and starting hitting targets like it was his job. My immediate reaction was Dark Side from him. And while he looks like the oldest of us, the Force Lighting springs from his fingers to make it look like his arrow were possessed. His form and technique leave very little to be desired.
At present, we're still trying to cast Padme, Leia, and Han Solo. We're still deliberating, so updates will come after a few more practices and we test out their monikers in person.
