The first Kyudo Seminar in Saint-Petersburg
under the guidance of  Sensei INO Kiyoshi (Japan)
On the 4th-5th of June, 2011 for the first time in Saint-Petersburg RPO “Saint-Petersburg Federation of the Traditional Kyudo” held a Kyudo Seminar under the guidance of Sensei from Japan, Ino Kiyoshi. Within 2 days, 22 people became the participants of the seminar, who were able to try their hand at mastering the archering technique of a traditional Japanese bow Yumi, to get acquainted with the ritual, which is an integral part of the shot in Kyudo.
Practicing Kyudo participants were able to receive personal instructions and adjustments to the further improvement of their technical skills. For the first time, Ino Sensei held in Saint-Petersburg the Kyudo Club Tournament and awarded the tournament participants with commemorative prizes. Each of the seminar participants got the Participant Certificate.
In addition, Sensei Kioshi Ino demonstrated the Ceremonial Ritual with a bow and arrows called “Meigen no gi” (“The Sound of a Bowstring”), which has been performed in Japan to expel Evil Spirits since ancient times. The bow and arrows traditionally were sacred weapons, and a modern Japanese culture still keeps a special attitude towards them. The ritual “Meigen no gi” should be necessarily taken on the occasion of the birth of a boy in the Imperial Palace or consecrating a new home. Also, nowadays this ritual is considered a kind of talisman against possible Evil. It remains to hope that now Kyudo in Saint-Petersburg is under reliable protection of the Forces of Good, which will contribute to the development of this course in our city, allowing to strengthen the established ties of Saint-Petersburg with Japan in the field of such unusual and deep in content art as Kyudo.
RPO “Saint-Petersburg Federation of the Traditional Kyudo” expresses its gratitude to the General Consulate of Japan in Saint-Petersburg for their active support and participation in the development of Kyudo in Saint-Petersburg. Moreover, sincerely thanks personally to Mr. Ichiro Kawabata, who honored the participants of the Seminar with his presence as the Honor Guest of the Seminar.
We will be glad to all who wish to join the ancient tradition of Kyudo and invite you to practice with us. For many people Kyudo may become the gateway to the world of traditional martial arts of Japan, because of the fact that in Kyudo virtually there are not no age restrictions and, at the initial stage, it doesn’t impose any significant requirements on the practitioner's physical form. In the process of gradually mastering the techniques and skills of shooting, the practitioners improve their coordination, increase their physical strength, endurance and develop their ability to concentrate and self-control. Everything else depends solely on the tasks and desires involved of practitioners. The Kyudo Path, like any other traditional Warrior Path, has only the beginning and the endless movement towards perfection, the depth of which each one determines for itself. Of course, we will be glad to those, who wish to understand more deeply their own Budo practice in other directions with the help of the refined Kyudo technique.