What is this About?
A short video on Kyudo or Japanese Archery we posted on YouTube just over a year ago has now reached one hundred Million views. Yes, that’s 100,000,000. It’s a mind-boggling number for any video to achieve, but even more shocking given that our video is titled “Kyudo or Japanese Archery as a Competitive Sport,” and not about Taylor Swift. We have posted before about the progress of this short video and you can read our most recent post here.
How to Reach 100 Million?
Honestly we are not exactly sure or we would have been more succesful in replicating this. However, it’s really down to how the YouTube algorithm works. It’s a complex system that analyses user behaviour to recommend videos based on your interests. Factors like watch time, likes, comments, and subscriptions all play a role in determining what you see when you visit YouTube. By understanding how the algorithm functions, you can make the most out of your YouTube experience. Yet how does an ancient martial art like Japanese archery or Kyudo reach the staggering figure of 100 million views? So very few people have the chance to visit a Kyudo dojo (practice hall) and study with a teacher.
One Shot. One Life
This YouTube video uses part of the footage from our documentary One Shot. One Life. The following is the introduction: In traditional martial arts, mastery of the art is not acquired through technical skill alone. In following ‘The Way’ one must look beyond technique. In Japanese archery or Kyudo, hitting the target is not enough. In order to shoot correctly we are told to “Shoot from the Heart”
In One Shot. One Life. or Zen of Japanese Archery the teachers of Kyudo tell us that only through technique will we be able to hit the target correctly. If this is starting to sound like a Zen koan it is! As Takeuchi sensei continues: “Even if we dedicate a lifetime, we will not be able to master Kyudo. If we keep this in our minds we can continue further”. One Shot. One Life is an exploration of Japanese Archery or Kyudo.
Competition Kyudo
Today Kyudo is flourishing in Japanese high schools, where young adults can not only embrace traditional Budo but engage in Kyudo as a competitive sport. This allows young Japanese people to practice a sport that is steeped in the ancient culture of their own history, giving them other choices beside Western pursuits like baseball and football. However, the path to becoming a skilled Kyudo archer is not an easy one. It requires years of dedicated practice, unwavering discipline, and a commitment to self-improvement. Beyond physical strength and technical prowess, Kyudo emphasizes the cultivation of a focused mind and a calm spirit. Practitioners must learn to silence the noise of the outside world and find inner stillness, allowing them to shoot with intention and purpose.
This can be beyond high school students and in the domain of adults, who must show years of dedicated practice, unwavering discipline, and a commitment to self-improvement. The Japanese call it Ikigai, meaning ‘that which gives your life meaning.’ This is especially beneficial to older people in retirement who wish to stay healthy, agile and keep their mind sharp. You can read another more detailed post on the subject of Ikegai here. This path has shown to be successful in Japan among the retired population who look to an art that can not only occupy their mind and keep them physically healthy but allow them to make firends by joining private clubs or visiting community centers that feature martial arts and Kyudo.
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