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Yugamae

What is Yugamae?

Yugamae is a critical stage in Kyudo, the Japanese martial art of archery. It involves preparing the bow and arrow for the shot. The term "Yugamae" roughly translates to "preparing the bow" or "bow readiness." This stage is essential for ensuring that the archer is properly set up to execute the shot with precision and control.

Yugamae consists of three main components:

  1. Torikake (Gripping the Bowstring): The archer uses the thumb and fingers of the right hand to grip the bowstring. This grip must be firm yet flexible, allowing for a smooth release when the arrow is shot.
  2. Tenouchi (Gripping the Bow): The left hand grips the bow itself. The grip should be relaxed but secure, allowing the bow to pivot naturally during the shooting process. Proper tenouchi is crucial for maintaining control and stability of the bow.
  3. Monomi (Aiming): The archer sets their gaze on the target, aligning their body and bow with it. Monomi involves a focused and calm state of mind, where the archer visualizes the shot and prepares mentally for the release.

Yugamae is the third of the eight fundamental stages in Kyudo shooting, known as the "Hassetsu" or "Eight Stages of Shooting." Mastery of Yugamae is essential for ensuring that the archer is properly prepared both physically and mentally before drawing the bow and executing the shot.

Related Article: Kyudo: The Zen Art of Japanese Archery

The minute you don a black belt, the minute you step in front of a class to teach, you are seen as an expert on violence. It doesn’t matter if you have absorbed a complete philosophical system with your martial art. It doesn’t matter if the art gave you, for the first time, the confidence to view the world as a pacifist. It doesn’t matter if you studied as a window to another age and culture. It doesn’t matter that you have found enlightenment in kata or learned to blend in harmony with the force of your attacker. It doesn’t matter because you are about to teach a martial art, an art dedicated to Mars, the God of War. A MARtial art. Even if somewhere over the years you have lost sight of this, your students have not.
Rory Miller

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