WHAT IS FUKIYA?
Introduction
Sport Fukiya (Fukiya) is the fun sport of competitive blow darts, originating in Japan and now available in New Zealand.
The blow pipe as a weapon of stealth can be traced back centuries, although surprisingly, this modern sport version is relatively young, commencing in 1998. In April 2018, Sport Fukiya Association of Japan celebrated its 20th Anniversary. Fukiya today is a sport of marksmanship, with similarities to archery, darts and shooting. A significant aspect of Fukiya is that of the exercise and well-being associated with the dynamic breathing techniques, bringing in to play both thoracic and abdominal breathing.
The sports' founder, Mr. Koyoshi Aoyagi was driven by the desire to gift an enjoyable sport that enhanced participants health and well-being, regardless of age or physical prowess. In Japan, Fukiya enjoys a following of more than 50,000 affiliated members. Countries such as the USA, Malaysia, Thailand and now New Zealand are getting involved.
As a sport, Fukiya carries a martial arts structure, with grades ranging from 5th Kyu, through to 6th Dan. People get involved with Fukiya to enjoy the camaraderie, for the enjoyment (it’s a lot of fun!), for the exercise, or for the challenge of competition.
Overview
Played indoors, participants fire conical darts through a 1.2 meter blow pipe into a circular target, between 6-10 meters away. Equipment is strictly controlled to ensure sporting diligence.
Darts are a “feather-light” plastic film, with an aluminium ball point, 200mm in length.
The pipe is carbon, fibreglass, or toughened plastic, 1200mm in length, with an inner diameter of 13mm. Pipes come in a range of weights, between 280g and 500g.
The circular targets are 330mm x 330mm, containing progressive scoring rings of 7 points (white centre circle with centre black dot), 5 points (red ring), 3 points (outer white ring) and 1 point (outer black ring).
In a match, each player will blow 5 darts over 6 rounds.
A perfect match carries a score of 210 points, consisting of 6 rounds of 35 (5 x 7 points).
In any round, each player has a time limit of 3 minutes to fire their 5 darts.
Form
The Japanese culture and martial arts nature of Fukiya brings with it the discipline of correct form. Fukiya is so much more that simply firing darts into a target.
There are seven (7) key steps to executing the shot. When these steps are understood and delivered correctly, it leads to more consistent scoring, perfect timing for competition and enjoyment.
This is achieved through breathing technique, focus, concentration, and timing. Getting started, it is relatively easy to hit the target, quite another challenge to hit accurately, thirty (30) times in a match.
Competition
Sport Fukiya presents with its own set of rules and protocols. A full set of rules is available by downloading the “handbook” on this web site.
The Sport Fukiya Association of New Zealand encourages competition within clubs/Shibu and looks forward to participating in the organisation of events on a wider basis.
The Waitakere Gardens Fukiya Club in Henderson, Auckland hold monthly competitions for trophies including the “RobRoy” Cup, the highest score on the last Wednesday of every month. They also have the Kyu Cup and Dan Trophy, also competed for monthly. These are awarded to the players in certain grades. Ungraded through to 1st Kyu compete for the Kyu Cup, while 1st Dan and above shoot it out for the Dan Trophy.
Into the future, we intend to organise teams of New Zealand players to compete in Japan as well as holding international competitions here in New Zealand.
Grades
As mentioned above, like other martial arts, Fukiya carries its own grading hierarchy from 5th Kyu, through to 6th Dan. Gradings can only be awarded by an Instructor, certified in Japan. An Instructor has to hold a 3rd Dan and have met the instructor’s standards as adjudicated by a Senior Instructor in Japan.
The below table sets out the qualification standard required for each grade. There are rules and protocols outlining when and how a player can apply for and complete a grading. This information can be accessed in the “Handbook”.
Qualification Standard – Kyu Grades
|
GRADES |
DISTANCE |
No. ROUNDS FIRED |
REQUIRED SCORE |
|
5th Kyu |
5 Meters |
2 |
42 or greater |
|
4th Kyu |
5 Meters |
2 |
46 or greater |
|
3rd Kyu |
5 Meters |
2 |
50 or greater |
|
2nd Kyu |
6 Meters |
3 |
75 or greater |
|
1st Kyu |
7 Meters |
4 |
100 or greater |
Qualification Standard – Dan Grades
|
GRADES |
DISTANCE |
No. ROUNDS FIRED |
REQUIRED SCORE |
|
1st Dan |
8 Meters |
4 |
100 or greater |
|
2nd Dan |
9 Meters |
6 |
150 or greater |
|
3rd Dan |
10 Meters |
6 |
150 or greater |
|
4th Dan |
10 Meters |
6 |
162 or greater |
|
5th Dan |
10 Meters |
6 |
174 or greater |
|
6th Dan |
10 Meters |
6 |
186 or greater |
Health and Wellbeing
Sport Fukiya Breathing
A remarkable aspect of Fukiya is that in completing a match, a player will blow 30 darts into a target between 6 and 10 meters away. This requires the development of both thoracic and abdominal breathing. The deep breathing, along with the short sharp blow to expel the dart makes the sport more dynamic than it appears.
Coupled with the Fukiya form, this sport is an excellent activity for players of all ages and abilities. We have welcomed players as young as six (6) years and as senior as ninety three (93) years young.
We have players with lung conditions who play, through to athletes from other sporting codes.
We advise that anyone embarking on a physical activity like Fukiya who has any concerns should consult their health professional first.
Make contact with us, come along and have a go, Fukiya is great fun and very rewarding.
Adrian J. Roberts
New Zealand Sport Fukiya Association