How Do I Get Started?

The most common inquiry we get is “How can I learn more about kyudo?”.  So I thought I would start out my first post by answering the most common questions.  Here’s a short Q and A that covers it all. 

The short answer:

The best way to learn more about kyudo is by doing kyudo.  We know that kyudo is not a good fit for everyone, and so we make the point of entry as low as we possibly can for anyone who wants to give it a go. 

How do I register for classes?

We have partnered with the community education offices in two different cities to offer our regular weekly practices.  They are kind enough to let us use their spaces for the fees they collect through the regular registration of our members.  This is a great win for both parties – they get to advertise something unique and we don’t have to pay costly gym rental fees.

In Northfield, the registration fee is quite low.  You can register through the Northfield Community Services (search for ‘kyudo’) site 3 times a year, fall, winter and spring/summer.  In Northfield, we get the large gym at the high school and can accommodate a full distance 5-person shajo (shooting hall) on a weekly basis from 7-9pm.  We practice here throughout the year, including summers.

In St. Louis Park, we practice in the small gym at the Middle School.  It’s a bit shorter than regular 28m distance, but we can also get a 5-person shajo into this location, along with extra area to the side to practice gomu-yumi or taihai.  St. Louis Park Community Education (search for ‘kyudo’) also handles their own registration.  While the price they charge for registration is a bit higher than in Northfield, they are convenient to the Twin Cities.  We are able to offer classes in St. Louis Park during the academic year, but we lose our practice space in the summers.  So if you are thinking about joining us there, you may want to start in the fall.