Kyudo, the way of the bow, is alive and well in Victoria. The Victoria Kyudo Association is in its third year of practicing and promoting kyudo. We have an enthusiastic group that meets every Sunday morning from 10-12. We practice in the gymnasium at the Fernwood Recreation Centre located at 1240 Gladstone Ave.
To better serve our members we now only offer the introductory course once a year. This enables our members a greater opportunity to practice and improve with more one on one instruction. Our next course will be from Sept 20 – Dec 6. If you are interested please come by and observe a class before the end of August. The introductory course covers the hassestsu (8 stages of shooting), kihontai (the correct form of movements), rei (etiquette), and of course safety practices.
We also welcome those of you who have practiced kyudo previously. Even if it has been a few years (or more) please join us and be surprised by how much you remember.
All equipment, gomuyumi (rubber bows), kake (gloves), yumi (bows), and (ya) are provided. We advise students not to purchase any equipment or clothing until they have developed some form and technique.
The instructor, Brian Angene, was trained at Oji-dojo in Kobe. He has practiced kyudo for over 10 years and regularly returns to Japan for seminars and exams. He earned his yondan rank last year in Nagoya at the Asia Oceania seminar.
We look forward to kyudo enthusiasts, new and old, joining us in the coming year. Come and observe a class if you are curious. The introductory course is $120 for 10 classes. Fees for continuing members vary by number of classes per session. Typically it is around $40 per month. For more information, or to arrange a class observation, please contact: