Swords, axes, and bows, oh my.
It's like a Game of Thrones episode, without the sex scenes, although Mechanic's shirtless pic is worthy of getting the 16 to 21 year old GoT girl fans excited, like their hero Gendry. Hahaha, I'm linking this thread to the westors.org's website, prepare for some fans you two.
edit - Batfink, can you post source on Kyujustsu predating Kenjutsu schools, I googled it and couldn't find anything. I've read a lot about Japanese sword arts, becoming interested in it after training in Kendo for a few years, and iaido, but I've never gone looking for anything about Japanese bow arts as they relate to the timing of the Japanese sword culture. Very interesting. I've read much about Yabusame, and its roots go back to the 4th century, but that is specific to mounted Japanese archery. There were periods of both revival and decline of the bow in Japanese military culture, but the sword retained its importance right through to today.