New Kyudo Bleg

I've decided to start using this space as a sort of kyudo diary and as an exercise in writing on a regular basis.

Last night I was reading through the movement section of the kyohon: Standing, sitting, walking, turning, bowing. I'm a bit ashamed to acknowledge that this is the first time I read that section closely, and was surprised by the amount of space spent on ikiai (breathing properly.) It explains when to inhale and when to exhale when you're sitting down into kiza or seiza as well as when you're standing up or bowing. When you rei, for example, you take three breaths: Inhale while you go down, exhale while you hold the breath, and then inhale as you return to upright. Tonight I'll finish up that section to see if that timing also works for yu as well as if it is the same for the rei and yu when you enter the dojo.

Another tidbit I picked up that I had forgotten is that your knees should remain touching each other throughout hirakiashi. The knee that's doing the turning should also stay on the ground, but it can come off if you're not flexible enough as long as it continues touching the other knee. The act of sitting back down into kiza will naturally bring your trailing leg into line. And the turn should be completed in one inhale.

I have a lot of goals and things to work on, it will be interesting to look back on them after this coming seminar to see how they've changed.

Goals:
Consistently get yugaede by this seminar.
San dan this year. (2012)
Yon dan next year (2013)
Move up to an 18 kilo carbon bow by 2013.
Move up to a 20 kilo take yumi by the time I'm testing for go dan.
Eventually make it to renshi go dan.
Hit every arrow I shot at a seminar.
Act as a kaizoe at some point in time.
Be able to hold ikasu while in kiza.
Hold kiza for as long as necessary, be comfortable in seiza.
Shoot powerfully, sink my arrows deeper than anyone else with the same weight of bow. (But don't get competetive!)

Things to work on:

-Taihai:
Practice kiza every day.
Standing smoothly from kiza.
Sitting down smoothly into kiza.
Not stepping on my hakama when I stand up, especially after doing hirakiashi.
Keeping my weight centered as I set my feet during do zukuri.
Walking at the proper pace.
Mezukai.
Keeping my heels together in kiza and getting enough flexibility to get my butt all the way down to my heels.
Sitting down so that I'm still lined up with the target when I stand back up.
Measuring my pace so that I line up on the shai after stopping at the honza.
Walking smoothly with my heels down and my weight always centered without losing my posture.
Keep the proper pace.
Zanshin in my taihai movements, don't just do the movements, do them earnestly.

-Ikiai:
Breathe properly from the moment I enter the dojo until I exit and can relax my posture.
Remember to do each move in time with my breath, and not start the next move until I finish the breath. Don't rush!
Remember the proper timing to ikiai when doing taihai, and doing the same during the hassetsu.
Feel energy build up as I breathe.
Breathe from my belly, not my chest.
Practice breathing every day.

Hassetsu:
Try making a triangle with the middle finger, pinkie and fourth finger and see if that affects yugaedi and the strength of my te no uchi.
Push/extend my pinkie more so I can hold the bow more strongly without squeezing.
Pinkie strengthening exercises.
Push through my thumb while extending my pinkie for a strong shot and yugaedi.
Is the tip of my left thumb pointing up?
Keep my right thumb pointed at the target, not down.
Get my right hand as relaxed as possible, experiment!
On the release, give that last little burst with my chest, release with power. Make the release snap.
Keep my shoulders down.
Keep my elbows up properly all the way through uchiokoshi, don't need to perk my elbow up at the top and at dai san.
How high should I raise my bow? Am I raising it too high?
Get my pull to the right length, I'm pulling too far right now. Maybe narrow dai san some.

That's just off the top of my head, I'm sure I'll think of a lot more things and run into even more in practice.