Things have been weird lately. After a period of stability the arrows started flying all over the place, sometimes as much as one or two target-widths away. What’s going on? I couldn’t figure it out and I think my teachers were in, “Let’s see if he figures this out on his own” mode. So I tried a lot of different things. Sometimes the makiwara really isn’t much of a help because the only way to see what’s happening is to see the results at 28m.
Finally I took a look at my kake. and noticed that some kusune had built up around the tsuru-makura, creating a rough and uneven edge, so I took it home and smoothed it out with a heated nail. It didn’t completely solve the situation but it made a huge difference. Now I have to sort of retrace my steps and undo some of the things I was doing to try to fix the situation before I realized this, and after looking at video made yesterday, I see some other things I definitely need to work on. It’s embarrassing, and yet funny how different my shooting can be from the image I have of it in my head.
Step by step…
Mu 
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Thanks for that. Unfortunately my reading ability in German is pretty much nil these days, but it does look interesting.
Hi! I just came across your blog while trying to find a source of hemp for bowstrings. I was wondering if you might know where to find the full length hemp fibres before they’re made into the strings?
Many thanks for any information you can give!
Sorry about the long delay! I had to travel for work and couldn’t access my personal stuff. Unfortunately I don’t know a good place to get hemp fiber, but since it gets used in a lot of products I imagine there are places on the web, etc. One question is whether the fibers need to be the full length of the bowstring, or if you can create a long bowstring from shorter lengths? I suppose the answer there is to buy a new hemp string, boil away the kusune, and see what you get!
If the teachers come to our dojo tomorrow I’ll ask about it!
I find that this happens as soon as my teacher notes that I have been getting consistent with my form and my hitting. I know that as soon as I start hitting 50 to 80% of my shots, that he will “refine” something (tenouchi is the current thing) and my percentage hitting goes to zero almost instantly as I try to incorporate the new teaching. *sigh* so it goes – but that is good. Always something to grow towards.