The Evolving Spring Green Kyudojo
We are pleased to announce the completion of the Kyudo Matoba, or 'Target House,' at the Spring Green Dojo. This beautiful structure protects the sloped sand and houses our traditional wooden and paper targets, offering a dedicated and serene space for Kyudo practice. It stands as a testament to Ken Kushner Roshi’s many years of dedication to the practice, despite the absence of a formal facility in Wisconsin for over four decades. While we now have this exceptional resource, it is important to remember that true training is not bound by ideal conditions, but by the spirit and determination of the practitioner.
When Kyudo practice first began in Spring Green almost 20 years ago, the Kyudo crew trained in far humbler circumstances. At first, we shot from the wooden Budo platform, which has since become enclosed and is now the main dojo.
We then experimented with “Field Kyudo”, moving our practice to the upper meadow where arrows were launched out into the wide open sky while standing in an expanse of waist-high grass. There were no targets out there in the meadow, so the aim at that time was to go for distance and Kiai.
Construction of a large straw and earthen wall and a wooden platform commenced during Spring Sesshin 2009 in a protected section of the upper meadow, tucked in among the trees with a view of the larger meadow beyond. We had the opening ceremony in June 2009 and the Kyudo students traveled from Madison to practice shooting full-range as much as possible during good weather. The Kyudo class “warm up” was carrying all of the equipment and tools needed for shooting and for repairs up the steep, old logging road to the “Mada (Not Yet) Kyudojo”. Each shot would chip away at the wall, requiring fresh plaster and frequent repairs. The wall stood for about 3 or 4 years until it finally collapsed, a vivid reminder of the dedication and effort that went into training even under less-than-ideal conditions. It was a period of great resolve, showing that no obstacle—whether distance or lack of facilities—could deter those truly committed to the Way of the Bow.
Fast forward to Spring of 2023 and we are breaking ground on a new full-range Kyudo facility. This time more accessible, just up the valley from the wood-fired ceramics kiln and across from an existing platform built for the annual Feast of the Senses. The ground was leveled between the platform and the site of the new Matoba to create the Yamichi, or ‘Arrow Path’. Five Sesshin and a few work days later, with a solid crew of Zen students and teachers wielding shovels and power tools, we now have a permanent home for the Kyudo program.
Today, we look to the future with excitement. With the completion of this Matoba, Chosei Zen now has one of the few full-range Kyudo facilities in the Midwest. For now, we will use the existing open platform to shoot from, but plan to build an enclosed structure called a Shajo, or ‘Shooting Hall’, in the future. Like all of the previous versions of the Spring Green Kyudojo, this facility is being built by Zen students and teachers, both Kyudo practitioners and non-practitioners, all coming together to participate in the activity of training and building community.
This new chapter of Chosei Zen Kyudo brings opportunities for growth, and we are eager to see how our community will continue to develop as we carry forward the spirit of practice and perseverance that has defined us all these years.
