The "Hiki-tori" is drawing the bow. The drawing is the next process to the "Uchi-okoshi," and consequently the bodily balance taken in the previous positions should not be altered except the further operation naturally requires some necessary change. As the bow arm pushes the bow forwards the middle joint of the arm will be in a slight degree turned inwards.
The archer at this time has to bear in mind that the pushing of the bow is being done with a force distributed evenly over the whole bow arm. In other words, the pushing should be performed evenly with the power of the whole arm and not evenly by the hand alone. Then the right hand should be drawn backwards and lowered, while the left acts on the bow, so that is will finally come into touch with the right shoulder joint.
When the process now mentioned is properly carried out, the left hand will naturally come to point at the mark, and at the same time the right will be found in the correct position, partly resting on the shoulder joint. On the contrary, however, if the archer fixes the left hand on the mark in haste at the beginning and then draws the string, it is not only a great strain upon the muscles, but hampers the firmness of the position.
The right hand should not be drawn back with an effort— beyond the easily available power of the archer, but as far back as the natural strength allows, because it is required that he should reserve the strength till the arrow is fully drawn, and he has to remain steady for some seconds to take exact aim. As a rule, the right hand will be drawn till it comes into touch with the shoulder joint, but this is not indispensable, and may be rightly altered according to the archer's different method of training.
This position is the most important one in archery, and the archer must take every precaution to keep up the perfect firmness of his body, yet at the same time easy and springy. The more natural it is, the more likely it is to possess these qualities.
