Frequent Asked Quetions

Attention: "Sports blowgun" is changed to "Smart blowgun".
In Japan "Sports fukiya" was registered brand name by JSFA.
Their lawyer sent a warning to our member who advertised
sports blowguns. Dec.30 03 H.Higuchi

Q14. Comparision between ISBA,IFA and JSFA            040103
International Sports Blowgun Association,International Fukiyado Association
Japan Sports Fukiya Association

ISBA, IFA JSFA
PipeLength 120cm 120cm
Quality, weight Al.150gr、middle p.720gr  Carbon90gr、Resin250gr

Hand making  

Free  Sanctioned only
Accesary Free Not allowed
Dart  About 20cm、0.8gr About 20cm、0.8gr
Quality Sharp point Round point
Hand making Free  Sanctioned only
Shooting range 10m  6m.8m.9m,10m
Darts number 30 darts for a game 20 darts
Degree and Award Free Free Charged
8m 20 darts 100 points 1dan(Shodan)
9m 30 darts 150 points 2 Dan
30darts120 points 10m Iron or 2 Dan
30darts150points 10m Bronz or 3 Dan 3 Dan
30darts162points 10m Silver or 4 Dan  4 Dan
30darts175points 10m Gold or 5 Dan  5 Dan(174points)
3 Gold in a year Master(meijin) 
Annual fee Free  JPE 3.000
Join the match  Anyone can join Paid members only
News E-mail news Post delivery
Instructor fee Free Cahrged every year
Wire ring target(Divider) Used at game paper target only
Match dropping game Official game
Oversea affiriation NSBA in USA

 Q22. I want to call myself as ISBA xxx branch.
      I want to advertise the name by internet.Is is all right?
     May 05 03
    A.: Yes you can.Anybody who agreed with the aim of ISBA can
        call himself as ISBA xxx branch.If he set up a tournment
        according ISBA competition rule he can advertise it as
        ISBA tournment.All free,it costs nothing.
 
 Q21.Will you tell me someone near me who like blowguns?
    May 5 03
    A:  Many people would like to know someone near him who
       loves blowguns.But like other shops I can't tell you the
       blowgun friend even if I knew.
       It's illegal to open private information without his permit.
       If you would like to play blowguns together with someone,I will
       put your name and phone number on my web site and you will
       get a phone call.If a lady who don't like to open her name,she
       better ask a gymnasium to be an intermediator.
  Q20. Why Ameircans don't understand sports blowgun.    Jan.2 02
   Attention: Following is a opinion,send me your comment.
 Answer
1.They don't have blowgun history except Cherokees.
2.They don't know the accurate japanese style film cones.
3.They don't believe the world record that Mr. Matsumoto
   marked 189 points at 10 m by  30 darts.
4.The rats and woodchucks are too many in USA.. They
   are satisfied to shoot these small animals at short
   range by blowguns.They know small archeris are more
   effective for small game hunting.
5.The law that prohibits blowguns in MA and CA gives
   the image that blowguns are ferocious weapons.
6.The law that mouthpieces must be fixed to blowguns
   is the obstacle for blowgun sports.Pushing lips to the
   mothpiece sometimes decreases accuracy of shooting.
7.Most of blowguns buyers carry blowguns as the secret
  weapons or self-defence weapons.
8.There are too many criminal addicts who would like to
  use blowguns for criminals.
9.They don't know that people in jungle use blowguns to
  protect animal resouces.They hunt games by blowguns
because it is weaker than archery.

10.They don't understand that blowguns are effective
  sports that seniors and handicapped people can practice.

11.They don't know sports blowguns stimurates internal
  organs and accelerate blood circulation. Blowguns are
  the abdominal respiration health method.
12.They don't know that dew inside the pipe must be
  wiped  away after he blowed every 5 - 6 darts.
13.They don't know how to put a stabilizer weight on the
  muzzle.Most of their pipes are simple aluminum pipes.
14.They still believe in the taboo of blowguns. They don't
  make public that his name and he loves sports blowguns.
15. They don't know that sports blowguns are the new
  big wave now in Japan.
16.They don't know two big organizations,Int'l Fukiyado Association,
  and Japan Sports Fukiya  Association.
17.They don't realize the loss that they don't know the
  merits of sports blowguns.
18.Most of peope who bought blowguns stop practice
  don't keep pratice cause blowguns are difficult to
  learn and they believe that it can't be the accurate
  sports.They don't reserch blowgun balistics.It is
  special and not the same with gun and air rifle.
19.They look down Ninja and tropical jungle people
  who have long history of blowguns.

Q19.What is different between japanese blowguns and american blowguns?

Japanese blowguns American blowguns
Darts Thine plastic film cones Steel wires
How dart flys  It flys like a glider It flys like a stone by inertia
Power of player He dosen't need powerneed power He needs big power to blow
Distruction  It dosen't go deeply It penetrates deeply
Pipe No mouthpieces.He holdspipe end by his lips  They push lips to mouthpieces 
Inner size   13 mm(51 Cal)  10mm(40 Cal)are popular
Length   Fixed to120 cm(47.3inch)   Unfixed.
How they use   Only for matches.  Hunting, self deffence.
Game  Points game,matchbox dropping,
 long distance shooting.
They do abiding by rule.
Organization   JSFA*,IFA NSBA,MSBA,others.
Shop   Few shops   Many internet shops
History   About in 1700 blowguns were popular   Cheroki used blowguns.

*Japan Sports Fukiya Association JSFA Chair man Kiyoshi Aoyagi 3-8-12
Ginza Chuoku Tokyo 104-0061  E-maili: info@fukina.net
Tel 03-3564-5770 Fax 03-3564-0314 http://www.fukiya.net/
                                         (added on Sep.2 2001 revised Apr.25 04)
Q18. Have you tried firearms? Are they legal in Japan?
Mar.3 2000)
A: In Japan fireams is strictly controlled. But I can buy firearms and
 shoot ducks and bears if I got a license.
  It is easy to shoot a bird on the tree or in the pond.I don't like to
 kill the innocent birds and animals.I shoot only target and matchbox.
Q17.When you shoot at the matchbox, how long a pipe do you use?
 How long have you been practising?(Added on Mar.3 2000)
A: My pipe is 120 cm(3.6 feet) ,inside diameter is 13 mm(50 caliber).
It has a balance weight on the top  and weighs 720 gr.
I practise sports blowgun for 10 years. However I am still addicted
by the blowgun.

Q3.How far does it fly and how accurately can you hit?
A: It is written that jungle people can fly the darts about 90 meters.
Once I tried and the dart flew 45 meters.It was not in straight line
but in a curved flight line. The limit of the dart flying in straight
flight line may be 20 meters. I practice the blowgun at the distance
of 10 meters in the room. I can aim the target from 13 meters in the
straight line. I have the private record of accuracy that averges 5.5
points for a dart when I blew 30 darts according my blowgun rule.
The counting of point are 7, 5 and 3 point in 6, 9, 18 cm circle in
diameter. I can hit a matchbox from 10 meters within 3 darts.

Q4.Why they shoot games with blowguns,don't they know archery?
A:Of course they know archery.They use blowguns not because
they are strong weapons but they are softer weaker than archery.
If they used strong weapons like archery,they know that resources
disappear quickly.They hunt the game with the soft weapon,approaching
the game quietely and blow the dart.Then the animals are not surprise
and do not run away.In such way they can stay for long time in one
place and it is a lifestyle in harmony with the nature.
I wish to say that their way of hunting is eco-hunting.

Q5.What is the charm of sport blowgun?
A: If you pull the triger of gun or air gun the bullet springs out easily and
you can shoot the target.It's a very simple action.The blowgun has no
triger,it is not so easy sport as you think..Simple in the structure and in
the movement but it is deep and the sports is misterious and unknown,
it is the charm of blowgun. You must train the Yoga respiration technique
to blow the pipe and shoot the dart. The energy to push darts is from
the chest muscles and abdominal muscle.You can progress in the distance
and accuracy if you train and study the blowgun everyday.Probably you will
be surprised at your progress and new discovery of the technique every day.

Q9. Was blowgun not a weapon of Ninja?   Revised on May 20 1999
A: Ninja is not such one as we image now. Our image of Ninja is one who
puts on a black suit and runs fast quietly in the night. But real Ninja in the
Edo era was an intelligent agency who collected information about the enemy.
They had to put on ordinary suits which did not stand out. In Ninja book
Mansenshukai written in 17 century a blowgun dart was depicted. In Ueno city
in Mie pref.a short blowgun pipe like a musical instrument is preserved. It is said
that it was made in Edo era.They believe that the pipe was used by a Ninja.
Today in Japan traditonal Ninga martial arts schools are still active.One of them
is Bujinkan dojo which is located in Hukuzawa build. B 1F Kitaaoyama Minatoku
Tokyo, Tel 0480-92-4664. According Mr.Keiji Nakadai 9 dans(degrees),his teacher
Mr.Yoshiaki Hatsumi the famous successor of nine Ninpos schools told him that
blowgun training is found in Kumogakureryu Ninpo shcool. It is clear that in old
time Ninjas also practiced blowguns.But now Mr.Nakadai don't practice blowgun.
I don't know the exact size and accuracy of Ninja blowgun.Provably the pipe had
been very short and the accuracy is not comparable with sports blowgun. Ninja
martial art is very popular in USA.They practice it as a self defence technique
and survival methode.

Q10.Did they stick birds by blowgun in Edo era?(1997.4.3)
A:Tori sashi that means to stick a bird by blowgun .Hunting bird by blowgun is
our traditional manner.It is written in the encyclopedia and a picture of Torisashi
still remains.In Kakekawashi about 130 years old blowgun is kept. But now hunting
wild animals and birds needs licence.Bird is not so many as in the old time,it is
impossible to hunt the wild birds by the blowgun.

Q11.Is it true that Ainu people hunted games by blowgun?(1997.4.3)
A:Blowgun is originaly southern hunting weapon.In cold area when one blows
the pipe dew sticks on the inside of pipe.This is the most week point of blowgun.
I asked Akan sight seeing association in Hokkaido,they said that they don't find
any data of blowgun in Hokaido.I think the story that Ainu people used blowgun
is a fiction. Probably Someone wrote such a mistaken novel.

Q16.I s there any example that showed blowgun makes people strong?
A: In Japan blowgun had three centuries history ,but it has been forgotten about
hundred yeas ago.There is no typical data concerning blowgun and health. In
Kakekawa city, Shizuoka Pref.The grand father of Mr.Shusaku Saito who was
born in 1863 was died when he was 93 years old.He made the long blowgun
200 inches in the length.Mr.Saito still use the blowgun and his darts are very
heavy. These fact tell us that blowgun fits for sports. I play blowgun for 10
years and I can play windsurfing ,ski,snowboard and monocycle. I think that my
healthy condition is made by the blowgun. (Added on Feb.26 1998)

If you have any quetion and comment,please give E-mail
ISBA Japan branch
Sport Blowgun Health Method School Etsuzanjinsetsuryu BG school
Hironori Higuchi 2-6-20 Jonaicho Nagaoka 940-0061 Japn
Tel:+81-258342303 E-mailto: info@sportsfukiya.net   dhiguchi@mail.echigo.ne.jp