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American Blacks in Japanese Culture and Arts
Written by Fuu Miyatani French
My name is Eddie Morales and welcome to Martialforce.com Online Martial arts Magazine. The following is an article that was submitted in regards to the art of Kyudo (Japanese Archery). I spent a day being introduced to the art by an old friend, Sensei Marcus Bossett. Most people know him as an early competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He teaches every Saturday at 12 noon at the El Dorado Park Archery range located in Long Beach California. Bossett walked me through the basics of stance, holding the bow and shooting the arrow. The movements from beginning to end were like a ritual of self-realization. Within this time, some of his students demonstrated their technique, which was amazing to watch. The execution of technique was flawless and the mental posture maintained throughout was one of calm. I have been involved in the Martial Arts since the early 1970’s and this day was like finding the missing link to my years of training. The demonstrators in attendance were Michi Shimura-Bossett, Korhan Tekin, Erickson Marques and Richard Grossman. It is my hope that the following article and photographs will give you a glimpse of this fascinating art and its teacher.
The following article was written by French
American Blacks in Japanese Culture and Arts:
Kyudo - a path less traveled
Kyudo is the Way of the Bow. The Japanese bow is large, supple, and is made of wood and bamboo, now a days also fiberglass. Because the act of shooting reflects the inner working, the heart, of the archer, Kyudo is viewed as a path of self-discovery. Kyudo provides the opportunity for the archer to be pure, and to continue this purity until the arrow, naturally, of its own, leaves the bow. When practiced this way, Kyudo can be a deeply spiritual training.
The contemplative practice of Kyudo, when taken up with patience and attention to detail, is a dynamic way to focus the mind and open the heart. Kyudo demands that we let go of our goals and expectations and live fully in the moment. Each shot like each day, each moment of life is to be given full attention this is the way of Zen training.
The physical aspect of Kyudo is inseparable from its spiritual aspect. The form and movements provide a subtle mirror of the mind at the moment of the arrow’s release. Kyudo is a great inner (spirit) challenge as well as an outer (body) challenge.
Kyudo is not simply shooting arrows at a target but an art of combining the bow, the body and the spirit in harmony. The Kyudo-ka or practitioner of Kyudo, develops technique, mental focus and character together. Virtues and weaknesses both physical and spiritual become apparent during the process of shooting the arrow. Learning Kyudo involves the demanding and challenging process of balancing the body and spirit in harmony.
Kyudo follows the method of traditional Japanese arts and disciplines in promoting self-cultivation through the rigor of a prescribed process and may not be suitable for those unwilling to follow such an approach. The origins of Kyudo begins with the introduction of archery from China into Japan over a thousand years ago. Over the last few hundred years it evolved in its own way. During this latter period, Japanese archery became associated with ceremonial functions at temples, distinct from the practical use of the bow for war and hunting.
The current practice of Kyudo has come forth from a blend of the influences from the temple and martial styles of Japanese archery and in the process has lost any of its application on the battlefield or the hunting ground. The Children of Africa are no strangers to the Martial Arts. Boxing, Kung Fu, Muy Thai, Karate, even Sumo has had an American of African Heritage among its high-ranking lines. Karate is filled high-ranking Black American’s. There is still a field of the Japanese Martial Arts that few Children of Africa journey into and fewer stay, Kyudo. Outside of Japan in the US, Kyudo has still a fairly low following for this most ancient of Arts. In Europe there is a much larger following of Kyudo than in the US. Kyudo these days is an Art which has a growing world following. Major groups being in Japan, Germany, France, England, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Mexico to name a few. For it’s size, the US is still far behind on its Kyudo organizations and schools. The governing body that oversees the Ranking, Rules of Conduct, is the All Nippon Kyudo Federation, which is based in Tokyo. Every year people come from all over the world to attend the yearly international seminars for testing and training.
The birthplace of Kyudo is Japan and as such the All Nippon Kyudo Federation (ANKF) is responsible for the development of kyudo and keeping standards of practice to the many national organizations that are found throughout the world.
Kyudo in America as governed by the American Kyudo Federation is under the ANKF. Kyudo’s highest-ranking Black American in the world is Marus Bossett. He is ranked as Go-dan by the ANKF. Marcus Bossett or M3 when called by his pen name, has travelled to and studied in Japan on several occasions. M3 received his 1st Black Belt (Sho-dan) in Japan. Here is a bio from his website:
The owner of IMAC / DYF Karate-Do, A Karate School and gym and the driving force behind “The Karate Black Belt College Program”. A decorated 4th Degree Black Belt in Shorin Ryu Karate- Do and Shorinji Ryu Jujitsu also holding rank as a internationally known 5th Degree Black Belt in Japanese Kyudo (Zen archery), as well as a 2nd Dgr. In Okinawan Kobudo (weapons) . He has been honored for training and teaching for over 16 years with over 5000 students to his credit in the Los Angeles / Inglewood California area and school district. Chosen to teach the football team at UCLA starting an innovative program call Warrior Training. Integrating martial arts techniques for other sports like football, volleyball and the menʼs track team and the girl soccer teams. Also assisting coaching at Occidental Collegeʼs Lacrosse team implementing his hard-hitting tactics to work for a winning season. A full contact reality fighter and WINNER in many events including The Ultimate Fighting Challenge on pay per view numbers 4, 5 and 12 and continuing to fight with the World Full Contact Fighting Federation of Hawaii to name a few. In July / 2005 in northern California at the North American Kyudo International Seminar Renshi Bossett was nominated to be the event dojo manager and head the entire event. All activities evolving the training hall (dojo) under his watchful eye. It was a great event with over 100 kyudoka (Kyudo students) from all over the United States Canada and a delegation from South America and 3 chief instructors / judges from Japan. Not only did he coordinate weeks events at that years seminar he also won the open tournament hitting 10 of 12 shots on target beating all other archers by 3 arrows. Film & stunt action star in over 6 films, martial arts training videos and his own series called Combat Shorin Ryu. Graduate of the University of Maryland and Fork Union Military Academy, Sensei Bossett is an instructor with a heart who cares.
Marcus Bossett recently returned form South Carolina where he helped organize ANKF “Seminar of the Americas” 2009. It was at this seminar were he alone out out of a dozen entered passed his Go-Dan Test under the watchful eye of the delegation of judges from Japan.
Bossett Renshi is currently preparing to open several new martial art Dojos in southern Ca., which will include San Diego and Garden Grove. He is owner of the University of Archery and Aka Budo Kaidojo's and a member of the Kyudo Alliance.
The 2010 Kyudo World Cup.
This year in April, Japan will host the first Kyudo World cup Tournament in Tokyo. For this two week event of Seminars, Banquet and Tournaments the will be teams and individuals attending from around the world. Such places as France, Spain, England, Germany, Mexico, Argentina, Canada, and the United States. M3 will be on a team from the US. This team was picked from the Dojoʼs from California, Georgia, Washington State, South Carolina, Minnesota to compete for the honors of the World Cup.
This year there will be two African Americans there in Tokyo doing Kyudo. This makes up the total of Black representation in Kyudo in the American Renmei Federation. This other person known to the old Black Toyko Crowd, went by the screen name of “Shaolin”. He is currently a monitor of the New BT Board under the name of “Zen” New to the World of Renmei Kyudo he has been involved with another large Kyudo Group in the US from the Shibata Sensei linage. Who is known world wide as the Bowmaker for the Emperor of Japan. This linage is from the warrior clan of Chikyurin-Ha, they have no official ranking system.
Sensei Bossett with his wife Michi, the Kyudo
class at El Dorado Park Long Beach and his daughter Miwa
Currently training with the Northern California Kyudo Renmei Group for his first ANFK attendance, testing and competition , “Zen” aka in Japan by the name of, Fuu Miyatani French is the second Black active member of the American Kyudo Renmei. French Sensei is also an active instructor in the Chinese Martial arts of Northern Shaolin, Northern Praying Mantis, Tai Chi Chaun, and Shaolin Chan (Zen meditation) as well as teaching the Filipino Arts Kali/Arnis and Japanese Shotokan Karate. French Sensei is also one of the founders of the newly developing Royal Tanuki Dojo in Northern Cal. A multi-discipline Kyudo practice center. There have been in the past several Black women who have been involved with the AKR. Their number was also small perhaps two in the US. The highest-ranking Black Woman in Kyudo, lives in France. She is also ranked as Go-Dan. Black Tokyo in its coverage of Blacks in Japan and its culture will have a podcast interview with these Sensei’s in the near future. Stay tuned to Black Tokyo for updates.
FRENCH AND BOSSETT
FRENCH, MICHI AND MARCUS BOSSETT
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