what a weekend!
Two posts in one week - can it be?
For all that I complain about things - my car, earthquakes, the fact that I'm still painfully single, annoying things; I really do have an amazing life and I've had just incredibly opportunities!
A couple of months ago, before the whole Earthquake thing happened, Ema (the daughter of the owner of the barn where I ride) asked me if I wanted to try Yabusame (or 流鏑馬, Japanese mounted archery) with her - her husband competes in it, and in the end of April there was going to be a women-only 'Sakura Yabusame' competition. She wanted to enter but didn't want to do it by herself! Being me, I naturally jumped at the chance and her husband, Yasuhiro, started teaching me the yabusame style of archery - on foot, to start off with. Then the Earthquake happened, Sakura Yabusame was canceled, and I stopped practicing for a while because along with the damage to the barn, they had to move where the stalls were and we lost our practice space. It wasn't until late May-early June that I started practicing again.
Fast forward to this weekend. There was a yabusame competition in Tono, Iwate - where Yasu used to live before he married Ema - so I jumped at the chance to actually try it out. Ironically enough, Ema couldn't go, so Yasu and I would head up together. On Friday, I finally got a chance to shoot from horseback - Yasu had finally tried it himself of one of the barn's horses and deemed him safe enough - and was thrilled to hit the single target set up in the outdoor ring 4 times during the hour lesson.
So Saturday morning I met Yasu at the barn and we drove the 2.5 hours up to Iwate. Arriving at the site, it was clear from early on that Yasu knew just about everyone there - and a bunch of them thought *I* was his wife! Oops. Oh well. We got checked in, and as soon as his former boss (from whom we were borrowing horses) arrived, started warming up.
I guess here I should explain the rules of the sport. Yabusame is done on a long, mostly straight track, about 180 meters long, with targets placed on the left side of the track (because bows are held in the left hand) at 30, 90, and 150 meters. Riders have 15 seconds to ride the course (requiring at least a fast canter for the whole run) and try to hit all 3 targets. Every hit target gives points; the person with the most points and fastest time wins. There are also varying difficulties with the targets, with one heat per target: there's the 'normal' target, worth 20 points, that's 3 meters away, paralleling the track at approximately shoulder height for a mounted person. Then there's a low target, also worth 20 points, that's slightly angled away from an approaching rider (you're actually supposed to shoot just after you pass the target, so while this is a harder shot it's not as impossible as it sounds). Lastly (for the amateurs), there's another target at the same height as the first, but further away - 4 meters - and worth 30 points apiece. (For pros, this target is 5 meters away, and there's another heat as well, shooting two of the low targets from the opposite direction, meaning you have to twist around and bring the bow over the horse's back)
So after warming up, it was time for the 'Pre-competition,' a practice event. There were 2 heats (normal and low targets), and Pros and Amateurs were mixed together. My first run I was thrilled to actually hit the thrid target, but sadly my time was a bit over 16 seconds, so I was disqualified. After that, Yasu's old boss told me to switch horses for the next round, so on a brand-new horse I tried for the harder, low targets, and missed all three. But considering I'd only ever done it once before, and never three targets on a straightaway, I was pretty pleased with myself overall - I managed to get three shots off both times and got reasonably close to the targets. Yasu had said if I wasn't ready by the second target to just wait, and if nothing else to make sure I didn't fire any of his arrows into the river beyond the track! No worries on that account, at least.
After the 'pre-competition,' there was a BBQ party. At first it was awkward, me not knowing anyone and them clearly worried that I didn't speak Japanese, but as the party wore on (and people started getting drunk) they started talking to me. I ended up talking to this one girl and it turns out that she studied at Keio University, and graduated a mere month before I studied abroad there! Small world. She had come up from Chiba for the competition. Also during the evening's festivities there was a demonstration of nighttime group yabusame! For the group event (part of the real competition as well), three riders form a team, and they have 17 seconds from when the first rider crosses the start until the last rider finishes to hit as many of the (normal) targets as they can. That was just about the most amazing thing I have ever seen!
Sunday morning was the real competition. First for the day was the first heat of the team competition (during which Yasu's old boss and two other people from that barn hit a total of 8 out of 9 possible targets!), followed by alternating heats of Pro and Amateur until the 3rd Pro heat. After that was a lunch break, then the last Amateur heat went, followed by the last Pro heat, and a final team heat. In the first two heats, Yasu was the only one in the Amateur division to hit every target! I was so excited - it was incredible watching him go! I have to say for my own part, I feel I did incredibly well for my first competition and third time out ever. I managed to stay within the time all three of my rounds, hit that third target of the first heat again, and even (shockingly) managed to hit the first target of the second (low) round! After lunch, Yasu was ridiculously nervous - if he could hit all three targets again, he was assured 1st place. If he missed and others who had only missed one or two before hit all three, it was possible he wouldn't even place. It seemed the pressure got to him - he only was able to hit the second target. On my turn to go, after missing the first target I fumbled a bit knocking the second arrow, so instead of wasting a shot I skipped the second target and concentrated on the third - and came *so close*! I hit the frame of the target. Didn't count, but I was pretty happy with how I did!
When the dust settled, Yasu ended up coming away with 3rd place! He was a bit disappointed in himself (he's even more of a perfectionist than I am!), but the rest of us were thrilled! So after the award ceremony we packed up and headed home. Talking to various people who approached us during the day, I got invited specifically to enter the next competition, to be held in October in Aomori, and I really hope I'm able to go! I had so much fun with this whole thing - it's still a bit hard to believe I actually did it!
wow, that ran a bit long... (pictures, btw, can be found on Facebook, and hopefully video will be forthcoming!)
For all that I complain about things - my car, earthquakes, the fact that I'm still painfully single, annoying things; I really do have an amazing life and I've had just incredibly opportunities!
A couple of months ago, before the whole Earthquake thing happened, Ema (the daughter of the owner of the barn where I ride) asked me if I wanted to try Yabusame (or 流鏑馬, Japanese mounted archery) with her - her husband competes in it, and in the end of April there was going to be a women-only 'Sakura Yabusame' competition. She wanted to enter but didn't want to do it by herself! Being me, I naturally jumped at the chance and her husband, Yasuhiro, started teaching me the yabusame style of archery - on foot, to start off with. Then the Earthquake happened, Sakura Yabusame was canceled, and I stopped practicing for a while because along with the damage to the barn, they had to move where the stalls were and we lost our practice space. It wasn't until late May-early June that I started practicing again.
Fast forward to this weekend. There was a yabusame competition in Tono, Iwate - where Yasu used to live before he married Ema - so I jumped at the chance to actually try it out. Ironically enough, Ema couldn't go, so Yasu and I would head up together. On Friday, I finally got a chance to shoot from horseback - Yasu had finally tried it himself of one of the barn's horses and deemed him safe enough - and was thrilled to hit the single target set up in the outdoor ring 4 times during the hour lesson.
So Saturday morning I met Yasu at the barn and we drove the 2.5 hours up to Iwate. Arriving at the site, it was clear from early on that Yasu knew just about everyone there - and a bunch of them thought *I* was his wife! Oops. Oh well. We got checked in, and as soon as his former boss (from whom we were borrowing horses) arrived, started warming up.
I guess here I should explain the rules of the sport. Yabusame is done on a long, mostly straight track, about 180 meters long, with targets placed on the left side of the track (because bows are held in the left hand) at 30, 90, and 150 meters. Riders have 15 seconds to ride the course (requiring at least a fast canter for the whole run) and try to hit all 3 targets. Every hit target gives points; the person with the most points and fastest time wins. There are also varying difficulties with the targets, with one heat per target: there's the 'normal' target, worth 20 points, that's 3 meters away, paralleling the track at approximately shoulder height for a mounted person. Then there's a low target, also worth 20 points, that's slightly angled away from an approaching rider (you're actually supposed to shoot just after you pass the target, so while this is a harder shot it's not as impossible as it sounds). Lastly (for the amateurs), there's another target at the same height as the first, but further away - 4 meters - and worth 30 points apiece. (For pros, this target is 5 meters away, and there's another heat as well, shooting two of the low targets from the opposite direction, meaning you have to twist around and bring the bow over the horse's back)
So after warming up, it was time for the 'Pre-competition,' a practice event. There were 2 heats (normal and low targets), and Pros and Amateurs were mixed together. My first run I was thrilled to actually hit the thrid target, but sadly my time was a bit over 16 seconds, so I was disqualified. After that, Yasu's old boss told me to switch horses for the next round, so on a brand-new horse I tried for the harder, low targets, and missed all three. But considering I'd only ever done it once before, and never three targets on a straightaway, I was pretty pleased with myself overall - I managed to get three shots off both times and got reasonably close to the targets. Yasu had said if I wasn't ready by the second target to just wait, and if nothing else to make sure I didn't fire any of his arrows into the river beyond the track! No worries on that account, at least.
After the 'pre-competition,' there was a BBQ party. At first it was awkward, me not knowing anyone and them clearly worried that I didn't speak Japanese, but as the party wore on (and people started getting drunk) they started talking to me. I ended up talking to this one girl and it turns out that she studied at Keio University, and graduated a mere month before I studied abroad there! Small world. She had come up from Chiba for the competition. Also during the evening's festivities there was a demonstration of nighttime group yabusame! For the group event (part of the real competition as well), three riders form a team, and they have 17 seconds from when the first rider crosses the start until the last rider finishes to hit as many of the (normal) targets as they can. That was just about the most amazing thing I have ever seen!
Sunday morning was the real competition. First for the day was the first heat of the team competition (during which Yasu's old boss and two other people from that barn hit a total of 8 out of 9 possible targets!), followed by alternating heats of Pro and Amateur until the 3rd Pro heat. After that was a lunch break, then the last Amateur heat went, followed by the last Pro heat, and a final team heat. In the first two heats, Yasu was the only one in the Amateur division to hit every target! I was so excited - it was incredible watching him go! I have to say for my own part, I feel I did incredibly well for my first competition and third time out ever. I managed to stay within the time all three of my rounds, hit that third target of the first heat again, and even (shockingly) managed to hit the first target of the second (low) round! After lunch, Yasu was ridiculously nervous - if he could hit all three targets again, he was assured 1st place. If he missed and others who had only missed one or two before hit all three, it was possible he wouldn't even place. It seemed the pressure got to him - he only was able to hit the second target. On my turn to go, after missing the first target I fumbled a bit knocking the second arrow, so instead of wasting a shot I skipped the second target and concentrated on the third - and came *so close*! I hit the frame of the target. Didn't count, but I was pretty happy with how I did!
When the dust settled, Yasu ended up coming away with 3rd place! He was a bit disappointed in himself (he's even more of a perfectionist than I am!), but the rest of us were thrilled! So after the award ceremony we packed up and headed home. Talking to various people who approached us during the day, I got invited specifically to enter the next competition, to be held in October in Aomori, and I really hope I'm able to go! I had so much fun with this whole thing - it's still a bit hard to believe I actually did it!
wow, that ran a bit long... (pictures, btw, can be found on Facebook, and hopefully video will be forthcoming!)