Yabusame - Japanese Horseback Archery

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Yabusame is a Japanese Shinto ritual involving mounted archery. Archers ride at a full gallop and shoot at three targets set up at certain intervals. Hitting all three, an archer is considered to be very skillful. The ritual is purpose is to bring prosperity and peace.

The video is a complilation of Yabusame events I have been to over the last two years. There are two different schools of Yabusame - Ogasawara Ryu who perform at Asakusa (here 2007&2008) and Takeda Ryu who perform at Meiji Shrine (2006), Miura (2007), and Kamakura (Spring 2007 & Fall 2008)

The song is called "Gunslinger Man" and it fits with the old tradition of samurai on horseback using bows rather than spears and swords as they did later. The Yabusame costume looks rather cowboy-ish.

The music is by the Exotic Ones:
http://www.myspace.com/exoticones

This also a tribute to the memory of a firend of mine who passed away a few years ago:
Jack Hunter Dave, Jr who wrote and sung the song "Gunslinger Man."
http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=150399&ck=
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SamuraiDave
  • video added November 24, 2008

2 comments // Yabusame - Japanese Horseback Archery // Video

  •  

    I would enjoy this if it had any sort of narration or information. I'm not a fan of the song, but the subject was appealing, at least in the title..

    Maybe some history, information about the people who do it, training, interviews, anything really.

    ii386
  •  

    i like this - it easy to understand and enjoy

    kazu
    • kazu
    • 11 months ago
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