MURAKAWA, Kiyoshi.

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Yamato-ryu kyudo densho inka no bu ("Secrets of the Yamato School of Archery: Certification"). First editions thus, first printings, of these secret teachings of the Yamato school of Japanese archery. This school was known for writing a large number of training manuals to be passed down from master to student. This edition was the first time these four manuals were released to the public. They cover firing multiple arrows, archery for ceremonies, and the recollections of great masters.The Yamato school of Japanese Archery was established in the mid-17th century by Morikawa Kozan (1631-1701), a practitioner of the older Heki school. It was noted for its focus on the philosophical and spiritual aspects of archery, as well as for the unusually large number of training manuals it produced, containing secret teachings passed down from master to student. At least 120 manuals have been traced, split into four categories: menkyo (early levels), inka (certification), hi'in sosho (secrets), and yuiju ichinin (techniques known to only one master at a time). The four works in this set are from the inka stage and teach sashiya-mae (firing multiple arrows), ceremonial archery, the teachings of the mid-18th century master Kawanabe Saburozaemon Masaka, and other assorted techniques. The author, Murakawa Kiyoshi (1882-1937), was an archery master and teacher at the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai ("Greater Japan Martial Value Society"), the largest martial arts organization in pre-war Japan. He followe

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