The oldest written record of Yabusame goes back about 900 years.
In the Heian Era (809-1192), Yabusame was held to entertain the nobility on various occasions by the archers of the royal guards and local samurai warriors.
The nobility eventually lost power and Yabusame continued as a martial art among samurai warriors, who promoted Yabusame as an exercise for their young warriors, not only in horsemanship and archery but also in concentration, discipline and refinement.
Yabusame is seen at its peak when the rider,
"Ite", achieves "Seishintoitsu", a heightened state
of awareness producing a flawless performance.
In the Kamakura Era(1192-1333), when the Japanese
capital was located in Kamakura, a city 50 kilometers south of Tokyo,
Yabusame became very popular and was staged as a ceremony in the Genji
family.
The Shogun thought the reason the Heike family lost their power was their
practice of cultural arts.
He wanted his men tough in martial arts such as Yabusame.
Yabusame was held as a Shinto ceremony at the Kamakura Hachimangu Shrine
which was family supported.
