Yabusame - Japanese Horseback Archery 流鏑馬 Video
http://therovingroninreport.blogspot.com/2009/04/yabusame-japanese-mounted-archery.html
Yabusame is a Japanese Shinto ritual involving mounted archery. Archers ride at a full gallop and shoot at three targets set up at certain intervals. Hitting all three, an archer is considered to be very skillful. The ritual is purpose is to bring prosperity and peace.
The video is a complilation of Yabusame events I have been to over the last two years. There are two different schools of Yabusame - Ogasawara Ryu who perform at Asakusa (here 2007&2008) and Takeda Ryu who perform at Meiji Shrine (2006), Miura (2007), and Kamakura (Spring 2007 & Fall 2008)
The song is called "Gunslinger Man" and it fits with the old tradition of samurai on horseback using bows rather than spears and swords as they did later. The Yabusame costume looks rather cowboy-ish.
The music is by the Exotic Ones:
http://www.myspace.com/exoticones
This also a tribute to the memory of a firend of mine who passed away a few years ago:
Jack Hunter Dave, Jr who wrote and sung the song "Gunslinger Man."
http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=150399&ck=
Tell your friends: 
HypnoSurf22: Hi Dave. A few yrs ago I had the pleasure of visiting Kamakura and saw the Yabusame festival. It was thrilling to watch. Great vid. It brought back good memories.
k1s23: i love youtube widescreen. cool video, yo!
TokyoEnglishClub: nice video once again!
bartman905: Nice video Dave.
kansaiPJ: Nice video sir. Five stars!
frogleap57: Do they have the national tournament at Sanjusangendo?
novanine: Good footage you got + nice use of slo-mo + interesting subtitles = great video! Cheers!
RoninDave: that's regular archery. They do a type of ritual where they shoot 100 hundred arrows in a day but it's on foot
BlackRoninMartialArt: WICKED! I love Yabusame, you just dont get to see enough of it when regarding the traditional martial arts of Japan. I like the unusual western music also, very fitting albeit in a rather unusual way. I would love to see more of the same, maybee a vid comparing the similarities/differences between Kyudo, Kyujutsu and Yabusame? This is another to add to my favourites list Arigato
NoSkillzGC: awesome! great song choice too :)
RoninDave: yeah, kamakura is one of my favorite places in Japan. It was a bit tough getting shots at their Yabusame event due to the crowds but one of my favorite shots I got there this Sept - about 1:23
sudobob: what the heck is that big pink wang for at the 30 second mark yo?
RoninDave: it's part of the opening intro - I always stick bits of other festivals and stuff into the intro like previews or reviews of upcoming and past videos. That wang is part of a festival held every april in kawasaki. When I have time I plan to do a video on it.
gfgfhgfhgfg: LOL Gunslinger Man & japanese horse archery! :-) Awesome video!!! Tnx Dave!
SamuraiKnight50: Ronin Dave. Great Video! western Type music with samurai Yabusame. Very appropriate! Any way I can get a copy of the video?
gambarian: man, it was like the "Fight Club" stuff where he inserted dicks into movies awesome!!! :)
raphmaster23: im also thinking the plains native americans and buffalo.
Author: RoninDave; Uploaded: Nov 24, 2008; Duration: 3:3; Views: 4881
Tags: yabusame japan archery horses mounted-archery cowboy gunslinger music-video sports arrow bow roving-ronin-report 流鏑馬 侍 日本 archery interchange archery world archery gb archery clubs archery uk archery games archery supplies archery equipment archery shops archery bows
