dont know where this question belongs...

I read in a blackbelt magazine that kyudo was used to help defend japan against the mongol invasions of the 1200's. I looked up many many sites of the wars, and all the stories are basically the same, but not one of them mentions anything about kyudo. Im wondering if kyudo was actually in exsistence by this time, and if it played any part at all in this war?
I do know that bows and arrows played a big part in mongol tacticts at this time, but nothing about japan. Please help. Thanks.

as far as i no, the samurai started battling on horse back with bows and arrows, then over time changed to foot warrios with swords.

Actually I believe the Mongol Invasions were the catalist to the Samurai changing from bow to sword as their primary weapons. Before the Mongol invasions, bows were genreally used, but the katana exsisted as a side arm (it was actually orginally designed to be used from horse back), but when the Mongols landed in Fukuoke the only way to dispatch enough of them to stop them was to cut them down with a sword as soon as they got off the boat.

Of course Kyudo (and horse back archery) lived on, but it wasnt as important as it was after the Mongols. Also during the Sengoku Period (after the Kamakura period in which teh Mongol invasions took place) battles often took place in rough terrian were horses and bows were of limited use.

Im not really an expert but I believe this was the case. Kyudo was not found very useful against the Mongol invaders through sheer lack of killing numbers.