弓道場
Kyūdō is not something that belongs to any one person. It is a living tradition that Japan has preserved with extraordinary care, discipline, and beauty for centuries. What we do here in South Africa is therefore not an attempt to create something new, but an effort to respectfully learn from, and honour, that tradition.
The opening of this Kyūdōjō was never intended to place attention on any individual. Its purpose is far simpler and far more meaningful: to build a small bridge of respect and friendship between South Africa and Japan, through the practice of Kyūdō and through the values it represents — sincerity, discipline, humility, and harmony.
If this place achieves anything, I hope it will simply be that it offers a doorway through which more people on this continent may encounter the spirit of Kyūdō, and through that encounter, come a little closer to the culture and wisdom of Japan.
My personal hope is very modest. On a continent of more than one and a half billion people, I do not imagine being anything more than a small light.
But if I can be a candle — a small candle that helps illuminate the path of Kyūdō in Africa — that will be more than enough.
— Sandy B Herman
弓道は、誰か個人に属するものではありません。それは、日本が何世紀にもわたり、思慮深さ、規律、そして美しさをもって守り続けてきた生きた伝統であるからです。私たちが南アフリカで行っていることは、新しいものを生み出そうとする試みではなく、その伝統を敬い、学び、尊ぶための努力に他なりません。
この弓道場の開設は、決して個人の注目を集めるためのものではありません。その目的はシンプルであり、深い意味を持っています。それは弓道の練習を通じ、弓道が体現する誠実さ、規律、謙虚さ、調和という価値観を体験することで、南アフリカと日本との間に、敬意と友情の小さな架け橋を築くことです。
もしこの場所が何かを成し遂げるとするならば、私はただ、それがこの大陸でより多くの人々が弓道の精神に出会うための入り口となり、そして日本の文化に少しでも近づく機会を提供できればそれで十分だと思っています。
私の個人的な希望は微々たるものです。15億人以上の人々が暮らすこの大陸で、私は自分を小さな灯火以上のものだとは思っていません。
しかし、もし私が一本のろうそく——アフリカに弓道の道を照らす小さなろうそく——となれるならば、それだけで十分に幸せです。
— サンディ・B・ハーマン
Kyūdō is the Japanese martial art of archery. Unlike competitive archery, it focuses on physical, moral, and spiritual development — the perfect shot is not only accurate, but dignified and aesthetically excellent.
Slow, controlled, and precise movements make this form of archery closer to meditation than sport. Essential to any appreciation of Kyūdō is the relationship between technique and feeling — the concentration of mental and subtle physical energy within the framework of form is what makes it both demanding and deeply rewarding.
After firearms ended the age of the bow in warfare, Kyūdō became a forum to train body and mind. Today it endures as arguably the most refined of all the classical martial ways — a living bridge between the physical and the spiritual.
Hermanus Dojo is a member of the South African Kyudo Federation. Members are graded internationally through the International Kyudo Federation, with international seminars, tournaments, and examinations held annually.
Keeping to the natural form of the body and the proper technique. Truth in movement is truth in self.
Kyūdō archers strive to be courteous and compassionate, with morality and dignity — never showing aggression.
Kyūdō must look beautiful. The archer shows control, expressing dignity and grace in every movement.
Instruction at Hermanus Dojo is offered freely, to all who come with sincerity.
No prior experience is required — only the willingness to walk the path.
[Client to confirm schedule details]
Kyudo Demonstration — Hermanus Dojo
Hermanus Dojo
12 Sunbird Crescent
Leopard Rock Mountain Estate
Onrus Rivier, 7201
South Africa