Yabusame Practice

Wait, what, I'm doing a blog post??  Yes, yes...  I've been really neglecting my blog (and vlog).  I could trot out some excuses: I've been busy, I've been depressed, I've just gotten out of the habit of blogging - that last is the most to blame at this point - and discuss them, but instead I'm going to forge ahead.  Onward and upward!


I've mentioned Yabusame (traditional Japanese horseback archery) on here a few times, including the one time I got to take a lesson at the horse club closest to where we live.  During that lesson, I rode a horse around a bit and tried to practice the Yabusame riding position.  I'd also had a brief bow lesson on the ground.

The closest I'd come to doing Yabusame "for real" was when I paid for a Yabusame experience at one of the competitions: wearing a traditional outfit, shooting the (looong) bow from the ground, and then sitting on a horse in front of a target to take the three shots.

I knew before we'd even completed our move to Japan that I'd like to learn the horseback archery, if I could.  I had no idea what to expect, where I might find it happening and if it would even be possible to be involved.  As it turns out: about 45 minutes away and not only possible, but encouraged!

For a couple of years I've put off getting serious about it - taking lessons, entering competitions - because of the cost.  However, our time here is winding down, which makes me very sad.  It's basically now or, most likely, never.

So, I've joined the riding club, started taking lessons, and...  I'm officially signed up to enter the Fall competition in just under a month!

I've taken about 6 lessons now I think, spread out over the past 4 months or so.  This past Monday I had one and Jeff was able to come along to take pictures and video!

Without further rambling, here are some pictures:

We don't know which horse we are riding until we get there.  My ride for the day was Toby, a sweet palomino gelding.

We'd been paired up in one lesson before.  Other horses I've ridden for lessons have been Suzaku and her sister, Opal.

In the barn, getting cleaned up.  His mane is SO thick.

Chatting with Angie, she would be riding Opal.  Angie and I had met 2-1/2 years ago at an outreach event the club was having.  She is also from the U.S. and is here teaching English in some of the local schools.

Time to saddle up.  Most of the saddles used for Yabusame are Western.  I've seen one Australian stock saddle and a couple of traditional Japanese saddles at the big competitions.

Bridle time.  Toby's bridle had some pretty turquoise accents on it.

After getting our horses ready, all of the lesson participants mount up and ride to the track, down a dirt road a little ways behind the barns, and past the pastures.  It's a pretty ride.

Once we get to the track, we do several warm up passes, the first at a walk.  I think here I was admiring some clouds in the sky.

"I'm on a horse!"  Though it's happily become more common than once or twice a YEAR over here, it's still wonderful, every time.

That picture also gives a glimpse of close to the Yabusame riding position.  The stirrups are actually tied forward.  You then lean forward, stick your butt out, arch your back, chest up....  The idea is you are supposed to take the motion of the horse with your legs while your upper body doesn't move.  I'm not there yet!  Some of the people who are really good appear to be floating above their horse.  The top of their head won't move, while their horse races underneath them.

After a pass down at back at the walk, we trot, then canter.  Then we get our bows and the horses know that it's go time.  They will run faster as soon as we have a bow.  I've also noticed that some will run even faster when we hit a target.  They know their job.

This was the first day I shot all three arrows on most of my runs.  So far I'd been shooting only one or two, but I was determined to speed it up a bit and get all three out.

Here I've launched the first arrow and am pulling out the second.

Firing that second arrow.  I have a bad habit of holding the bow at an angle - it's supposed to be straight up and down.  It's a habit from the Plains Indian style archery that I had learned first.

I love this picture, this is the lesson group walking back after one of the runs.  Along the walk back, the instructor hands us our arrows and gives up feedback, tips to work on, or just says "good" with a smile.  Angie is in the lead, then a little girl who is very good - better than all of us I'd say - me, and a woman who I think may have been fairly new?

Coming down the track for another round, trying to remember the instructor's words "up, push, pull".  The process of putting an arrow to the bow, drawing, and firing is actually a very precise 10 step process.  There is a lot to remember!

First arrow up...

Push, pull, fire!

Last arrow, push, pull...

Another "gangsta" sideways bow shot.  I really need to work on that...

Did I make it?  I made a few in the target that day.  The instructor is at the end of the track.

More shooting:

One of the walks back, probably deep in thought.  I do a review of my own on the walk back thinking, thinking, thinking.  Sometimes I practice some of the steps as we return to the start.

The last picture is from far away, but I thought it was a neat shot.  Toby launching into stride as I prepare for "up, push, pull".  The horses know that once we have a bow and arrows, their job is to run down the track.

To wrap up, here are a couple of videos that Jeff took!



This last video was my best ever run - so far.  I fired all three arrows, making it into the target with the first and third!!  The instructor and I both were laughing at the end, because Toby slowed down on his own for the end of the run and I took the shot anyway, at a trot, and made it in! 


The competition - which is the World Yabusame Championship (no pressure) - is October 20-21.  I'm planning to do as much practice as I can before then, including weekly lessons, at least.  Another friend loaned me one of her bows, since she won't be competing this time due to an injury, and Angie loaned me some arrows.  So I'll be doing some bow practice in the backyard.

Oh!  And I'm having a traditional riding kimono made.  I'm very excited about that! 

Yabusame - I Did It! Sorta

At the horse festival a couple of weekends ago, I actually had not one pony ride, but two.  The second was a chance to try Yabusame (Japanese horse archery) on a horse.

They started me off on the ground with three chances to shoot the (looong) bow that they use.

It is quite a bit different from the horse archery that I'm used to.

First, the bow is quite a bit longer.  Secondly, as I experienced the first time I was able to shoot one - back in March, they use arrows with a weight on the end.  Most different of all I think, is the way in which the bow is drawn.

The bow is lifted, arms high overhead.

Then, instead of drawing the string back, the bow is actually pushed away from the hand holding the string, as it is lowered to sight the arrow.

In Yabusame competition run there are three targets, so you get three arrows.  I was given three arrows to shoot on the ground and then it was time to get on a horse!

They had several horses available and told me I could pick one.  I ended up going with the one that was in front of me.

Trying to work things out, horseback.

Up goes the bow.

Knocking another arrow and trying to remember everything that I'm supposed to be doing.

Lining up on the target.

Away went the arrow.  When they loose an arrow, they sort of let their hand fly back away from the bow string.  Obviously I have not mastered that move.

Out of three tries, I hit the target twice, the other arrow bounced off the edge.  Pretty good, though of course I was sitting still, right in front of the target.

I've got a long way to go before I can do this:

Still, I'm glad for the chance to try it out.  I'm still looking into lessons here.  They are expensive... but it is a cultural experience that I'd like to take advantage of while we are here.

Thankful Thursday - This Last Week!

I decided to do a quick little Thankful Thursday post for today.

I'm thankful for SO much, particularly over the past week.  I had such a wonderful time on my trip and I'm so grateful that I had to opportunity to do all of these things. 

I'm thankful for:

Safe travels to and from everywhere I went.

The fantastic show that I went to, the hostesses and judges who were all wonderful, and the great people I met there too!

Deb, a great lady I met - with one of her AMAZING performance setups

The chance to visit with some (real) horse friends I hadn't seen for several years and a good time there doing some horse archery.

An arrow in flight, this was everyone's first time doing horseback archery

An entire day spent with Candace Liddy, having fun and learning a TON in her studio!

One of my wacky projects that we worked on

I'm also continually thankful for you, my blog readers and commenters!  I noticed just now that my little blog has 7501 views as of tonight.  That's so cool!  Next stop, 10,000?  ;)

Incredible Day!

Today was my day in the studio with Candace Liddy and... It. Was. Awesome!  I learned SO much, saw some awesome stuff,  took lots of notes, and pictures.  I hope I can remember and put to use at least half of everything I learned today.  There's so much that I've been wanting to learn how to do and I saw most all of it today!  I may have also done some shopping and bought several resins... ;)  My wee little resin herd (of only 3) has grown quite a bit now!

As with the show, I'll do a full report once I'm home.  I apologize for these pictureless posts about all of this exciting stuff.  It's hard to upload the pictures while I'm away from home.

I'll be hitting the road again in the morning, headed back home after my wonderful whirlwind trip.  It has been a truly FANTASTIC trip all around, but of course it will be good to be home.

Oh, here's a picture from yesterday!  A quick peek at yet another post I'll have to do from this trip.  I stopped by to visit some friends and give a mounted archery lesson to a friend who really wanted to try it.  She did great!  :)

Denver Bound

Tomorrow, or sometime in the middle of the night rather, I'm headed down to Denver to pick up a friend of mine.  She is coming up to help us man our Stock Show booth, possibly help us start getting ready for our huge upcoming move, and - of course - just come for a visit!  We've known each other since the 6th grade and had lost touch after I left Colorado many years ago.  Thankfully we were reunited through Facebook! 

Jeff and I have visited her in Denver (Aurora) several times.  She came up over the summer last year and stayed for about a month.  We had a lot of fun when she was here and one of the big occasions was that she rode a horse for the first time!  I was shocked to find out that she'd never ridden and I assured her that we'd fix that!  So, once again, Bo gave someone their very first ride on a horse.

First ride

For her second ride, we went outside to get better pictures - the lighting in the indoor is not that great and the dust doesn't help either.  Outside is much better!

Second ride

On her second ride, we did some horseback archery.  She had done some archery on the ground before, but obviously never on a horse.  We had a great day and killed a piece of foam insulation many times over.  (the target I keep at the barn)

It'll be good to see her again tomorrow.  For me the trip is going to be a "turn n' burn" - there and back in a day - about 13-14 hours of driving.  It'll be a long day, but I've done it several times before and thankfully the weather is supposed to be nice!

Horseback Archery

Lately I've suddenly started seeing posts on Facebook from the Mounted Archery Association of the Americas.  I know that I "Liked" their page quite a while ago, but I think (thanks to Facebook) I haven't been seeing their posts for some reason.  That's too bad, they share a lot of awesome pictures.  Hopefully I'll be seeing their posts now; I went and checked on the "Get Notifications" thing under the Like button, that's supposed to help.

Looking at the pictures they've been posting made me think of the horseback archery that I've done.  It is something I always had an interest in when I was younger, but I'd never had a chance to try it.

Then one summer, a few years ago, a guy came and did a clinic for Plains Indian style horseback archery... right at the barn where I board!

It was a great clinic.  He was doing it for a three day weekend I think, but on the first day Jeff and I were the only ones there, so we actually had the clinic all to ourselves.

For that first clinic, we rode a horse he had brought and used one of his bows.  We started on the ground, learning some history and safety, and shooting from the ground.  Then it was time to hop on a horse.

We learned that there are three basic shots: when you are approaching the target, when you are alongside the target, 

and when you are leaving the target.

I quickly learned that the last one, the parting or Parthian shot, is my favorite.  (It still is!)

When I said that I was interested in trying this someday on Bo, the clinician offered to introduce Bo to archery.  So I brought out my boy.

He started on the ground, letting Bo sniff the bow.  Then he fired a few shot from the ground, standing right next to Bo.  Bo didn't care, he rarely ever does care about much.

Finally he hopped on, bareback, and rode around.

He had a few shots fired off of him that first day, it was no big deal.  

The clinician exclaimed, "I've gotten your horse archery broke!" and we had a good laugh.

Next up, it was Jeff's turn.

He did most of his shots from a standstill since he hadn't ridden a horse much at this point.

The next clinic I went to was at the clinician's ranch that fall.  This one had a few participants.

We started on the ground again and then got on horses.  I had brought Bo and the other two ladies were borrowing horses from the ranch. 

After the clinic, we had a "graduation picture" taken.

The whole clinic had been done riding at a walk, but he told me afterwards if I wanted to try at a faster speed that I could.  So Bo and I did several canter passes while a friend took pictures.  Here are some of the best ones:

This is one of my favorite pictures from the day.  It wasn't until I saw this picture that I really realized what I had done.  Ride at the canter with no hands...!  I never would have thought it was something I could or would do, but when you are doing archery, you are so focused on handling the bow and watching the target, that everything else goes away.  This picture really captured my focus on the target while Bo cantered along.  I had just knocked and arrow and was about to take a shot.

The next year I did go to another one of his clinics, but I hadn't taken Bo so I was using a horse he brought again.  I only have one picture from that day.

All along, I hadn't had my own bow or arrows, so I wasn't able to get in any practice on my own.  I was only able to shoot when I went to the clinics.  The clinician made bows, reproduction Lakota horseback bows, and sold them.  Christmas before last, Jeff bought me one of the bows and six target arrows!

I've had a lot of fun with my bow since getting it.  I've done a lot of practice off of Bo and plenty of shooting from the ground too.  I've helped introduce others to mounted archery too, it is a lot of fun! 

Looking at the pictures from the Mounted Archery Association on Facebook makes me want to go out and shoot some more arrows!