Shibata Sensei XX invites all of his students who have received First Shot instruction for this weeklong kyudo retreat. In his words: “Busily running around in little circles, this is not kyudo. Come to a stop. Enter a big circle. Mushin, empty heart. This is kyudo. This is high quality practice. Trying to master hitting the target is the way of desire. Not helpful. That’s a road for people who want to defeat their perceived enemies. Shambhala Mountain Center is an excellent place to take aim and look at your own heart, far from the speed of city life. But too laid back, lazy, is not good either. I hope to see a gathering of strong, determined hearts practicing all together.”

Photo ©Martine Bouman, Barako Iba Netherlands

Read more about Shibata Sensei’s relationship with Shambhala Mountain Center in Generosity of a Samurai.