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The placement of this saying on the makiwara stand is most appropriate, for traditionally the makiwara has been the anvil on which the kyudo student forged his technique. Because it is shot at from point blank range, the makiwara provides a way in which the student can practice the basics of kyudo without being distracted with concerns about hitting the target. Omori Rotaishi's calligraphy gives caution not to abandon the makiwara prematurely. There is no substitute for makiwara practice, just as there is no substitute for dedicated and repetitious practice of the art itself.

Kyudo training, whether shooting at the makiwara or the mato, is a formalized procedure for shooting arrows. This procedure is called "hassetsu," which is usually translated as the eight steps or stages of kyudo. The specifics of hassetsu may differ slightly across the various schools of kyudo. While there is some variation in the movements preceding the performance of hassetsu, depending on the formality of the occasion and on the specific school of kyudo, the student practices the same eight steps over and over through the years. To the uninitiated, it may seem that the techniques of kyudo are simple, for how long can it take to master a sequence of eight steps? However, nothing could be further from the truth. The techniques of hassetsu are extremely complex. Every aspect of shooting, from the distribution of the body's weight on one's feet to the rhythm of one's breathing, is standardized. The more one practices kyudo, the more one becomes aware of the subtleties of the techniques of the eight steps. It is said that it takes a minimum of thirty years to master the grip. The eight stages of kyudo are described and illustrated in the drawings at the end of this chapter (pp.19—27).