Second Bi-Annual 100 Arrow Shoot

The SCKR has set January 22nd as the date for our second 100 arrow shoot, otherwise known as “The Ironman” from last August. While we braved the heat, our friends in the Southern hemisphere withstood the cold. This time roles are reversed… it’s winter in the North. What can I say, except lucky are those shooting in temperate zones and climate controlled buildings! Sunday, January 23rd, will be the rain date. Feel free to shoot whenever you can. I know many just did the 108 arrow shoot, but if you are up for a second challenge, join in!

Rules are simple… shoot 100 arrows before the day is done. Any conditions beyond that are self-imposed.

So far we have word that individuals in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Vermont, Maine, California, Mexico, Canada, Argentina, France and Thailand will be shooting in their home kyudojos for this event. Knowing our friends far and wide are joining in brings a wonderful sense of unity! We invite you to join in as well.

We hope to post the results in the Journal of the SC Kyudo Renmei @ http://sckrjournal.org

So, please drop us a line here or on the event posted on Facebook and let us know of your participation and share your thoughts. Also, photos are welcome.

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A New Year

While the holidays are welcome, it is nice to settle back into the more routine side of life. I think about all of the “Happy New Year” exclamations and remember that it is but another moment in the passing of time. Every moment is a new moment and worth celebrating… but, for the most part, these moments are taken for granted.

It was a busy weekend, with the Journal of the SC Kyudo Renmei going live. For being the holidays, the response has been excellent. I touched briefly on the journal in the previous post, but being in a rush to leave town and visit with family, feel that I did not give it my full attention.

The journal is a quarterly publication. The normal subscription, which is free, will allow a preview. For a small fee to help cover our costs, the premium subscription will allow full membership. While it is not a “how to” publication as such, the premier issue opens with an in depth article by our guest, Don Rabska. Don’s expertise is in Olympic recurve archery, but he has studied many different styles, including Kyudo. With this background, and as a former Olympic archery coach, he brings rare insight to the subject. I believe you will be surprised to find the common bonds we share.

Those of you that know Blackwell sensei, know that he can be a man of few words. So, much like the E.F. Hutton…

…when he talks, we listen.
He has a series of articles lined up for this year on cultural influences in Kyudo, with the premier being Confucianism. This is highly educational and helps bring understanding to the “whys” of many of the Kyudo customs.

While, the 2010 IKYF seminar fades with the rest of 2010, Marceleo Frischknecht ignites a memory in a most poetic sense. Whether you were there in person or not, you will enjoy the journey he paints of this experience. Marceleo was there assisting, translating, competing, training and testing, so he had the full seminar experience in the truest sense.

We hope you agree that with this journal, we have brought an enjoyable forum to learn and grow and that you will join us through sharing your own personal insight into the art, regardless of style. Each person has something to teach, so I hope you will take our hand and join us on this journey.

Let me close by wishing you all a happy new year, celebrating each new moment along the way and finding the positive aspect that is always there to be found.

Happy New Year!
(http://sckrjournal.org)

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