Regional kyudojos in the Chikurin-ha tradition
Seiko Kyudojo in Barnet, Vermont, at the Karmê Chöling Meditation Retreat Center. Seiko offers several retreats over the course of the summer, including a women’s retreat led by Lucy Halvorsen. https://www.karmecholing.org/programs/kyudo
Toko Kyudojo in New York City. They do distance shooting monthly, weather permitting, at the Garrison Institute in Garrison, New York. In recent years, they have hosted a four-day retreat at the Garrison Institute in May that is open to everyone who has already undertaken First Shot. This year’s retreat is May 6-10. toko.squarespace.com
Byakko Kyudojo in Boston. https://www.byakkoiba.com/
Zen Mountain Monastery in Mount Tremper NY is the location of an annual kyudo retreat and First Shot training. This year’s intermediate program runs from August 4-9, and First Shot runs from August 5-9. zmm.org
Equipment
Miyako has a range of yumis (bows), kakes (shooting glove) and yas (arrows) to use during practice.
It is strongly suggested that you not purchase a yumi until your form and strength have settled. At a certain point in your kyudo journey, you may want to acquire your own equipment, though you are always free to use Miyako’s during practice.
Please ask the senior students about purchasing a kake if you wish to have your own. Most of us have yumis made by Don Symanski, the senior US teacher in our tradition. He will make a yumi to your specifications, and he often has yumis for sale at retreats. Occasionally a student who has not been able to continue practicing kyudo will ask us to sell their equipment and we’ll make that equipment available first to Miyako members and then to the wider kyudo community after it has been evaluated for safety and fitness for practice.
Tom Kyle makes ya (arrows) and can be reached at his email: [email protected]
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