Why do you suppose some people still practice Zen archery?

Question

Could it be tha the "real fight" and the "which style is better" crowd has missed something?

Answer 1

Same reason why people take up Tai Chi, Yoga or Meditation. Usually, these people are into the spiritual aspects of the martial arts. To them, a sound mind equals a sound body. Zen archery isn't so much about hitting a target with an arrow as it is about being able to unify mind and body and be able to move in one swift motion from the initial thought of nocking an arrow to the act of releasing the arrow. It's about getting into a meditative state that allows one to overcome stress and act decisively without hesitation. A similar exercise would be drawing a perfect circle in one swift motion. Any hesitation would result in an irregularly shaped circle. With Kyudo, any hesitation would make one miss the target.

Answer 2

They practice it for the same reason people go out to medievil events and collect baseball cards, they don't go around saying that what they do is street effective

If you say that what you do achieves a certain purpose you should back it up. Although alot of people who do martial arts may never get into another fight their whole life there are people who work in industrys or live in countrys where fights are alot more common so people have a problem mostly when styles say they can do something that they really are not so good at

If people who do Muay Thai started saying that it's the best thing to get chi the styles that actually focus on chi would get pissed off too rite? Zen archery has nothing to do with it, if you want to do a martial art that is just fun go for it, do what you like, just don't say that because you do it you will kick anyones arhse unless your willing to back it up

Answer 3

What is real and what is an illusion? I read a book about Zen Archery and it would be reat to have a life style where it could be practice like that.

The "real fight" is the "babbling brook". Zen Archery is where still water run deep.

I'd love to practice Aikido.

Answer 4

The name pretty well says it all as for the others perhaps someday they will grow up .

"Reality" training which is done under unreal conditions by the way is a dead end street leaving most of it's practioners still unconfident and doubtful so they blindly jump to each new fad method that comes down the road .

Answer 5

same reason people do normal archery to hit your mark and be one with the world