One week left

So far, I've been in what is known as "Subiki" in my Kyudo dojo. Subiki means I have a bow, but I don't have arrows. I go through the entire firing procedure (Off in a corner) as if I had an arrow, but when it comes time to release the arrow, I gently loosen the tension on the bow and then let go (I don't dry-fire the bow), and then go back to the "Firing" position sans bowstring, and continue from there.

Well, no more.

Starting next Thursday (We don't have practice this Saturday), I will actually get a real arrow in my real bow. And then I join the rest of the Dojo in firing rotation.

I have been in Subiki since the beginning of October.


As a side note: I just discovered that when I test for my "Shodan" (Roughly equivilant to a mid-colored belt, Blue or Red belt, ChuuDan is the Brown Belt, and then Ichi Dan is the Black belt), I have to go to Capital-City and test in front of a whole mess of old, Japanese-Kyudo Masters...

And there is a written test.

...In Japanese...

...Using ancient terms (Like, for instance, "Kyudo")...

No pressure.

But my Dojo will support me, and they have already committed themselves to the task of getting their only Gaijin safely into his Shodan.

There have been a handful of Gaijin who have successfully passed the tests, so it's not like this is an impossibility, just a really-hard-ibility....

And I'm not against giving it my best shot.

I'm still a little stunned by the "Written Test" part to be worried yet... Shock is a wonderful thing...

--Shocked...