‘Archery gives me a chance to decompress from a busy life’

Jessica Gerrity, 44, was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and moved to Japan over 20 years ago to teach English after graduating from Auckland University. She has since become highly trained in several forms of traditional Japanese martial arts, particularly archery, and now works to promote Japanese culture and artisans as a tourism ambassador.

1. Have you always been interested in martial arts? When I was small, I didn't know anything about martial arts. Growing up in New Zealand, I had access to European medieval culture. From around 5 or 6, I was really interested in King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

2. How did you become interested in Japanese culture? The first brush I had with it was when my mother showed me tabi, or Japanese socks, as a child. She bought them in Japan before I was born. Also, New Zealand has a lot of Japanese cars. My father, being an engineer, loved talking about them. My first time really experiencing Japanese culture, though, was when I was at university. My half-Japanese friend Naomi had family in Himeji, Nagoya Prefecture, where I rode trains for the first time in my life. I saw Nagoya Castle and Himeji Castle. I fell in love with the modern and traditional designs.

3. How many traditional Japanese martial arts have you trained in? I study four on a regular basis. My main martial art is kyūdō, or “the way of the bow,” Japanese archery. The others are naginata (pole weapons) and sports yabusame (horse-mounted archery). I also do shihan mato (short-bow archery) but I'm not sure if you can call it a martial art. It's more casual and relaxed. Otherwise, I've tried various forms of fencing and studied uchine (hand-held throwing spear), ninja style shuriken (throwing star) and tameshigiri (making test cuts with a sword).

4. What is your favorite? Kyūdō, it really gives me a chance to decompress from the busy life of working different jobs and raising three children. It helps me step out of that hectic world and into the very quiet, serene and peaceful dojo where I train.

5. Can you tell me exactly what kyūdō is? Kyūdō can be a sport, there are competitions where the pressure is high, or it can be a relaxation method. It can also be a way to take care of your health. As for its origins, the samurai used bows in warfare, most often on horseback. Over time, the aggressive aspect was removed but the traditional elements carried on. After the war, Japanese schools incorporated kyūdō into the curriculum.

6. What makes someone good at kyūdō? It depends on what you mean by "good" because there are different purposes to practicing it, whether it be health-related, sports-related or just to give yourself a mental break. So I think that if we switch the question around, we can say that kyūdō is for everyone. It's just a matter of finding a dojo that fits you best and a community that will accept what you'd like to do.

7. How do you find the right dojo? Go and visit different dojos. Ask the leader of the dojo about what their goals and missions are. A lot of people don't find out until they join. So, you should proactively ask if it will be a good fit for you or not.

8. Is there a right age to start practicing kyūdō? The earliest you can start is middle school but there is no cap for being older. Unlike archery in other countries, you must be over a certain height, 140 centimeters. This is because the equipment, which is handmade by craftsmen, is big. In my dojo there is a person who retired from a Japanese company and picked up kyūdō from age 75. When I think of New Zealand's national sport, rugby, it would be the most insane thing to start at 75. So, that's what fascinates me about kyūdō.

9. How big is the kyūdō community in Japan? Statistics say there are 140,000 practitioners in Japan, and 75% of them are students.

10. The uniform looks hot, how do you stay cool in the summer? We have summer uniforms made with hemp and cotton that give us more air and keep us cool.

Gerrity's main martial art is kyūdō, but she also practices naginata (pole weapons), sports yabusame (horse-mounted archery) and more. | Courtesy of Jessica Gerrity

11. How did the pandemic affect your kyūdō practice? It was difficult because my home dojo in Urawa shut down right before my grading so I had to go to one in Tokyo. But having the dojo shut for several weeks at a time gave me a chance to start sports yabusame. They didn't shut down because it was outside.

12. What is a common misconception about kyūdō? There are quite a few. Especially non-Japanese people think that kyūdō is only for old people. A lot of people also mistake kyūdō for being a spiritual practice in Zen Buddhism.

13. Can you ride on horseback and shoot at the same time? That seems tough! It's super fun. There are two types. There's the one performed outside shrines as a Shinto ceremony called yabusame-shinji. It is a very serious practice that takes a long time to become an archer. I do sports yabusame. We use all the same traditional things as yabusame-shinji but it is more welcoming.

14. Has anyone been surprised to see a red-headed girl from New Zealand so passionate about Japanese martial arts? Yes and no. Kyūdō is very international and is even in New Zealand. So, it is not unheard of that non-Japanese do kyūdō in Japan. My teacher had no issues whatsoever with me joining his dojo.

15. A lot of athletes speak about a transcendent joy when performing their sport. Does kyūdō give you any similar feelings? Definitely. Lately, I've been thinking about ikigai, something in your life that brings you passion and joy. Although I have a busy life with children, kyūdō gives me the relaxation to make a relaxing home life.

16. What is your mission as an influencer sharing traditional Japanese culture? I think that seeing different aspects of traditional Japanese culture leads people to want to learn more and educate themselves. So, I want to raise awareness by visually presenting little-known aspects of Japanese culture.

17. What are your hobbies outside of kyūdō? Looking after my kids! My children are 15, 12 and 9. My youngest child was born with special needs. She can't walk or talk. She needs to be fed. A lot of my time is devoted to looking after her. Honestly, my hobbies and my work with martial arts are so intertwined that it's hard to distinguish between them. I love watching true crime and trashy shows on Netflix.

18. You are a PR and Tourism Ambassador for Saitama Prefecture, what does that entail? I had been living in Saitama for about 16 years and I wanted to give back to the community. I contacted the prefectural government to ask how I could help. They gave me the title of Love Saitama Ambassador, which is a PR and tourism ambassador. I'd visit different places in Saitama Prefecture and try doing bonsai, making tatami and writing articles for the prefecture's tourism and travel website, Chocotabi. I visit different areas in Saitama, and I'm really into finding experiences that other people can try and take something from. Next, I'm going to a tabi-making experience in Gyoda, which I'm excited to use in kyūdō afterward.

19. I see you’ve been on Japanese TV. What shows? I've been on Japanese TV for 18 years now. I started when I still couldn't speak Japanese. My first job was on “Sma STATION!!,” which was broadcast live close to midnight from Asahi TV. Usually the shows have people from different countries and I was the New Zealander. I got to introduce things about my own country.

20. In addition to traditional martial arts, you’ve also done acting, narration, writing, modeling and English-teaching. You are also a mother of three. How do you fit it all in? I try to find spaces of time in the day and balance things. I try to not overload myself. Recently, I've been trying to be more selective of what jobs I take on. I'm more focused on my own social media, research and writing a book.