The Way of the Bow: The Kyudo Path to a Disciplined Mind

by Deborah Klens-Bigman, Raymond Sosnowski

Kyudo, Japanese archery, is one of Japan's oldest traditions. It is one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all Japanese martial ways, and it is one of the most spiritual. Kyudo has no real practical uses in self-defense, but its principles presented in The Way of the Bow can be applied to every day life. Topics covered include training, techniques, customs, uniforms, equipment, and history. Also includes a glossary of terms.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2008

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want to read a condensed history and lineage of Kyudo, then this is the book for you!

If you are wanting to delve into the potentially deeper aspects of Kyudo, or to better understand the mechanics of it ... this is not something you want to read. The last few pages come close to addressing these aspects, but even that attempt is muddled by the author's continual reference to the lineage of this form(s).

I bought it because I thought it might be interesting, and I had relatively low (for me) expectations of what I was going to encounter ... so I can't complain. Thankfully, it was in the bargain bin.

Oh well .....

[Chris Bordelon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a historical account, and in terms of spirituality, there were a lot of great points in the book. I found a large part of the book was left to debunking other authors, which took away from the point of the book.