Kyudo
Japanese martial art of the longbow — an asymmetric yumi shot from a formal seated or standing stance.
👥1 per team🌤both
What is Kyudo?
Kyudo is the traditional Japanese martial art of the longbow, using the asymmetric yumi (a bow more than 2 m tall). It descends from samurai and Zen archery traditions and stresses posture, breathing and form over hitting the target. Competitions score both the technical form of the shot and where the arrow lands.
Quick facts
Category
Combat Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇯🇵 Japan
Estimated origin
Feudal Japan; modern kyudo standardised 1930s
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-20.verified