17 December 2025

Sweden has a newly appointed national coaching team, to lead us through the European Championships in 2027 and on all the way to the World Taikai in 2028. We are especially proud that they are both Issha members!

Head coach: Kari Jansson

Assistant coach: Christine Alveblad

Let us all give them our full support as they begin the arduous task of screening and selecting members for the national team in the months ahead.

14 December 2025

Sunday 14 December saw the 2025 edition of the 100 arrow competition in Solnahallen in Stockholm. 12 brave people entered this test of endurance, which ran from 9 o'clock in the morning until 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and everybody stuck it out to the end!

After 25 rounds of 4 arrows, Issha's head instructor Knut Högvall was the winner. The fight for the silver and bronze medals went all the way to a tie-break, where it came down to a millimetre fight, quite literally. After intense scrutiny by the judges, the silver medal was awarded to Aleksei Popov from Honto, and the bronze to Vladimir Svetcovic from Seikyukai.

Good job by everybody!

See you again next year!

(We also had a visit from the world's first anti-doping dog!)

5 December 2025

This Friday, we celebrated the dojo’s success at the recent Swedish national championships. Issha Kyudo Kai took home the team gold and bronze medals, as well as the individual gold.

In total, the club sent eight participants to the competition, and every one of them returned home with at least one medal each!

Congratulations to everyone!

Next year, let’s make it a clean sweep!

3 November 2025

At the annual ceremonial competition at the Meiji shrine in Tokyo on 3 November, 1,528 people participated, including 19 westerners. Issha's head instructor Knut Högvall was the only westerner to make it through the qualification rounds after a perfect first round. However, he did not make it past the first of the subsequent elimination rounds. Better luck next time!

25 October 2025

The 2025 Swedish National Championships were held on Saturday 25 October in Gubbängshallen in Stockholm, and once again it was a triumph for Issha Kyudo Kai and our fantastic members! Every participant from Issha came home with at least one medal; some even two or three!

The day started with the team event, where Issha fielded two teams. The team with Knut Högvall, Fredrik Karlström, and Ingemar Karlsson, with Kari Jansson as substitute, had a very strong start in the very first round, and could proceed without much trouble all the way to the gold medal.

After three rounds, Issha's team featuring Christine Alveblad, Salinee Banna, and Helena Lindström, with George Cheng as substitute, were in a tie for third place. At the tie-break, Helena Lindström saved the bronze for Issha by keeping her cool and scoring a bronze-winning hit with the very last arrow of the round.

After lunch, the individual finals started, with the 10 best hitters of the qualification rounds. Issha's head instructor Knut Högvall was on a roll after the team event, and shot consistently for most of the event, with several perfect rounds, and could take the gold medal well ahead of the competition after another perfect final round.

Christine Alveblad and Salinee Banna from Issha's bronze-winning team were also contenders for the gold all the way to the final round, but were sadly both passed on the home straight by Per Ybo och Uwe Klosa from Hokushinkan, who took the silver and bronze medals.

This was Knut's fifth individual national title, and he and Christine now both have four team titles each.

Issha took two further medals when the total points for this year's Swedish Cup were tallied. There, Knut Högvall and Fredrik Karlström from Issha's gold-winning team claimed the silver and bronze medals, after Per Ybo from Hokushinkan, who took the gold.

Gold – Nationals team
Gold – Nationals individual
Silver – Swedish Cup
Bronze – Nationals team
Bronze – Swedish Cup

Congratulations all around!

(Photo: Linda Wohlin)

23 August 2025

The seminars and examinations in Magglingen, Switzerland are over, and the club now have three new dan grades! Helena Lindström and Salinee Banna both passed 1 dan, and Fredrik Karlström passed 3 dan.

In all, 13 Swedes participated in the three seminars (C, B, and A), of which no less than nine were from Issha!

The first day of the A seminar started with Issha's chief instructor Knut Högvall being presented with his renshi certificate from the hands of Usami Yoshimitsu sensei, hanshi 9 dan.

Congratulations to all!

3 August 2025

During the weekend 2-3 August, the first official Swedish kyudo gasshuku was held in Linköping, hosted by Linköpings Budoklubb and supervised by Knut Högvall, renshi godan from Issha Kyudo Kai. On Saturday, the third installment of the Swedish Cup was held. There was an exciting fight for the gold between Knut Högvall from Issha and Per Ybo from Hokushinkan, going all the way to a third and deciding shoot off. This time, Knut had to concede, as Per performed best with his very final arrow. Finishing third was Lily Sron, also of Issha Kyudo Kai, after a very strong start and consistent follow-through, with a final score just a single hit behind the winners. So silver and bronze for Issha this time!

Congratulations to everybody!

13 July 2025

At the European Championships in Bourges, France on the 12-13 July, Sweden fought well. The team—of which Issha instructors Knut Högvall and Christine Alveblad were part—finished on seventh place after the preliminaries, but was unlucky enough to just miss the finals, where the six best teams competed.

In the individuals, Issha head instructor Knut Högvall performed best, and was the only Swede to get to the final round, where he finally finished in sixth place. Well done!

13 June 2025

The annual club taikai was held during the last class of the spring semester. The gold medal was won by Knut Högvall. Following him, no less than four persons fought it out over the silver and bronze medals. When the shoot-off was over, Lily Sron had won the silver, and Christine Alveblad the bronze. Congratulations!

Afterwards, according to tradition, everybody went to Restaurant Ragusa for a bit to eat and some relaxed conversation.

Summer practice is on Wednesdays 6.30pm-9.30pm, until 6 August, after which the seminars and shinsa begin in Magglingen, Switzerland!

17 May 2025

At the Swedish Cup 2 that was held today, Issha’s Fredrik Karlström shot consistently and shared the lead from the start. However, Knut Högvall, also from Issha, after a slow start finished strong with a double kaichu and managed to win the gold medal ahead of Fredrik, who got the silver. Issha’s Christine Alveblad found herself in a tie for third place. But after two izume rounds, she had to concede the bronze medal to Per Ybo, dashing the hopes for an Issha grand slam.

At the kyu examinations, Helena Lindström passed ikkyu, and we wish her all the best at the dan examinations in Magglingen in August!

21 April 2025

Issha Kyudo Kai and Sweden have a new renshi!

At the examinations during the Asia-Oceania seminar in Nagoya, our head instructor Knut Högvall passed his examination for renshi, and is now, together with Jan Graaf from Kenshou, the highest graded in Sweden!

Congratulations!

1 March 2025

At the kyu shinsa on Saturday, all candidates passed with flying colours. Congratulations to Salinee och Olle for getting ikkyu, and Helena for nikyu!

At the Swedish Cup 1, Fredrik took the silver medal. Congratulations!

14 February 2025

Valentine’s Day, and a tryout for the position of Cupid. Knut hit first, so the position looks to be his until next year.