Editors note: if you didn’t think archery was hard enough already, Nadeem’s article today looks at the exciting world of Horseback Archery, how it works, and how to take part…

Introduction

It’s impossible to talk about the Asiatic style of archery without talking of mounted archery – the two are completely interlinked and mounted archery has formed a crucial part of Asian warfare and hunting for over 2500 years. It requires extremely good horsemanship, as you are riding without any rein contact.

The first peoples to use mounted archery were the Assyrians and the Scythians. Mounted archery in war was typically combined with shock cavalry to devastating effect – in 53 BC, the Parthians used this combination to be the only peoples to ever destroy an entire Roman legion at the height of Rome’s power; and in the 13th Century, the Mongols under Chinggis Khaan used this tactic to conquer most of the known world.

An Assyrian horse archer, without stirrups. Note the forward position of his legs to help stabilise him whilst riding (this is long before the invention of stirrups!)

Mongol Cavalry engaged in battle. The Mongols have short stirrups and stand up in them, giving them a lot of maneuvrability.

The power of the composite bow and its ease of use from horseback meant that mounted archers were still able to rule the battlefield as late as the 19th Century. In the early days of the American west, American soldiers and settlers would get off one shot from their single shot, muzzleloading rifles; before being cut to pieces by the mounted archers of the Plains Indians such as the Lakota and Comanche. The bow and arrow would be a formiddable weapon until the introduction of repeating firearms in the mid-1800s.

Mounted archery today

Today, mounted archery is a rapidly growing equestrian sport. There are several centres in the USA, a few in the UK, and several more scattered throughout Europe and Asia (in particular, countries such as Germany, Hungary, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Mongolia, China, and Korea have very good mounted archery associations). Japan is one country which has had an uninterrupted tradition of mounted archery since medieval times, called Yabusame.

Mounted archery has changed from a method of warfare and hunting into a sport. This has resulted in a few changes. Firstly, bows used by modern-day mounted archers are light (under 50 lb). Some have wrongly used this as evidence that historic mounted archers only used bows of 50 lb, but it is not hard to train and build up strength to use heavier bows, even at a full gallop (yes, I am speaking from experience!). The horse is often guided along a track, marked off with rope to keep the horse straight. This is in no way a historical technique. Also, most modern day mounted archers tend to sit in the saddle, whereas historic mounted archers would prefer to stand up in their stirrups in the two-point position, giving them much more maneuvrability.

Mounted archery competitions are held throughout the year in various places. The biggest ones are in Korea (the International Horse Archery Festival – IHAF) and Europe (the European Open Championship of Horseback Archery – EOCHA), smaller competitions are held at various points throughout the year in the USA, Europe, and Asia. Many competitors dress in traditional costume (to match their traditional bow, arrows, and quiver) and the community is very welcoming of beginners.

There are two major types of competition. The Hungarian style and the Korean style. The Hungarian style has only one type of run – you have to hit three targets along the run within a specified time. The targets are: a forward shot, a sideways shot (the easy one!) and a backwards shot (the difficult one!).

The Korean style includes a few different runs. The easiest of these is the single shot – which is just one arrow on one target, a sideways shot. Next in difficulty is the double shot, which is a forwards and a backwards shot. The most difficult is the serial target, which is 5 targets, all sideways shot. This requires you to loose off 5 arrows in a very short amount of time.

The Korean mounted archery style also includes a game called Mogu. In Mogu, the mounted archer chases after a large ball for a target, which is dragged along by another rider. The ball is shot with arrows dipped in ink, and the number of hits is counted as the number of ink stains on the ball. This is very difficult, as it may require the use of offside shots (i.e: shooting to the right if you’re right handed, with your bow arm crossed across your torso and your waist twisted to the right). These offside shots require a great deal of maneuvrability and a light bow.

How to get started in mounted archery

The base for mounted archery is good equitation. It doesn’t matter how good your archery is, if you can’t ride well, you will not be able to do mounted archery. On the other hand, if you ride well but cannot shoot, mounted archery is very easy to pick up. You should learn to control the horse in all gaits and learn to balance properly. If you have your own horse, work on giving cues with the legs, voice, and seat only, and not using the hands. Some horses will naturally rush forwards when you drop the reins. If your horse does this, immediately bring them to a standstill until they have learnt to rush forwards only at your request.

Use a bow which is light. Although certain people have managed to use heavy bows on horseback, even in the modern day, it requires a fair bit of training. You must be able to shoot instinctively, as you will be unable to gap-shoot or use other aiming methods such as sights on horseback – against a target that is moving, relative to your frame of reference.

Blind nocking is an important part of mounted archery, and you should be able to nock your arrows without looking at them. It helps to get arrows with 4 feathers on so it doesn’t matter which way round they are. Many mounted archers use plastic nocks on their arrows which give some indication as to which way to nock the arrow (by feel), but it is certainly possible to use simple self nocks too – I do!

Which bow to get?

This is down to personal preference, but make sure you choose a bow that is lighter than what you are used to. Experienced riders or athletes with a strong core may be able to get away with a bow of the same poundage.

There is also the question of long vs. short draw. In my experience, a longer draw provides better balance, however, a shorter draw allows you to shoot more arrows quickly and is vastly more maneuvrable. At the extreme end of the short draw bows are the Plains Indian bows, with draw lengths often as short as 18 – 22 inches. These bows are extremely handy for forward and offside shots, requiring very little (if any) twisting of the waist.

Looking to get started? Watch out for Nadeem’s horseback archery directory, coming later this week. If you have already signed up to receive email updates, we’ll email you when it’s ready.

N3S is new to the game of golf, and is very competitive at it. While he can hit the ball most of the time, he has little control and direction, which is a great source of frustration – sometimes to the point of not being able to compete the course. (Was anybody else like that as an archery beginner?)

Michael goes on to say that he used to be the same, until he learnt how to practice something he calls emotional detachment – the art of seeming not to care about the eventual outcome. Michael has stopped worrying about the outcome of where the ball actually goes, and only worries about the quality of the shot execution. If he executes the swing as he intended and makes good contact with the ball (as he intended), he cannot then control the eventual outcome. So he tries not to worry about it, and derives pleasure and satisfaction from having executed a good shot. If the ball then isn’t going where he wants it to go, he can get a coach to fix that.

I’m sure you will have been making them, but the parallels to archery are uncanny. In a way I’ve never been involved in a sport where we stress ourselves out so much about the eventual outcome, quite often to the point where we stop enjoying our shooting (but carry on anyway).

Target archery is – I think – intrinsically hard. Doing the same precise action 60 or 100 times requires a lot of mental effort not to let your mind wander during shots. Practicing emotional detachment however keeps you focused on the parts of your shooting you have complete control over.

The opposite of course is emotional attachment. The emotionally attached archer watches each arrow as soon as it leaves the bow, and feels frustrated when it falls short of their expectations. It makes it difficult to shoot for more than a year of two (most beginners fall into a rut after a year or so, as the coaches’ attention moves on to other beginners. And I’ve seen all sorts of antics in the range from frustrated archers emotionally attached to the location of their arrows. After a while it un-enjoyable to shoot with them. I end up feeling bad because they are feeling bad. And I shouldn’t.

Anyway I hope that resonated with you. Derive pleasure from the process of your shot (let’s face it, it’s an addictive and challenging process that makes archery fascinating), and get coaching if you still aren’t happy with your arrows.

Rob

P.S. THANK YOU to everyone who got back to me regarding Traditional Archery bowyers you would recommend. The directory is coming, I am currently having a technical battle with WordPress. It wants to do one thing, I want it to do another. It’s almost like we’re married!

P.P.S. I know this is the first post in a while, for which I apologise. Also I know there is a lot of this type of article, and many of you would like to see more specific articles on equipment, arrow making and so on. I hear you.

Editors note: today’s post is a guest post, kindly contributed by Peter Trowse. Peter is an experienced field archer – an area of archery I find fascinating but have little experience in. I hope it provides you with a sense of the variety and challenge field archery can provide.

If like me, you are old enough to remember the excitement of watching Richard Greene play Robin Hood on TV, then perhaps you will understand why, from the age of about eleven, I wanted to be an archer and live in the woods. As I grew older the dream faded, but lived on in my subconscious until I reached about thirty five years of age and a friend offered to introduce me to his archery club. All the old feelings of excitement were suddenly awakened. I was warmly welcomed by the club archers and given lots of advice, loans of bows to try out, and help with just about everything the target archer should know. It was not long before I had bought my first bow, tab, bracer and arrows and had taken my place on the shooting line with the other members.

This lasted for about a year and although the club was always friendly, my stance was good as was my loose and my scores were beginning to creep up, my heart was not in it. The thrill and excitement I had dreamed of was just not there.

I then met a Field Archer who introduced me to his club. What a difference! The Meet was in a field in Herstmonceux and after the usual introductions we entered an adjoining wood, where I was lead to my starting point, a red peg stuck in the ground. The rules were then explained to me.

Our targets were animal pictures with an area marked on each target approximating to the vital organs and this was called the “kill” area. Anywhere else on the animal counted as a “wound”. The scoring was as follows:

1^st arrow kill = 20 points, 1^st arrow wound = 16 points

2^nd arrow kill = 14 points, 2^nd arrow wound – 10 points

3^rd arrow kill = 8 points, 3^rd arrow wound = 4 points

My leading foot must be touching the red peg and I shoot one arrow only. If the arrow scores you are finished with that target. If it misses I move to the white peg and again shoot one arrow. If it misses again, move on to the blue peg and if that also misses, the score for that target is 0. The pegs progressed towards the target making the shot clearer and easier. After everyone in the group has shot, scores recorded and arrows retrieved, we would move on to the next target.

For me the real attraction was not trying to replicate my best shot endlessly because the likelihood of taking the same shot again was slim. The archer shoots a virtually new target with every arrow. The ‘correct stance’ is non existent since many of the shots demanded that I lean over at crazy angles, or perhaps had to kneel down to avoid a low hanging branch. Distances were not marked and could be difficult to estimate since many shots are taken either up or downhill, often over a pond or other body each of water. The targets were often half hidden by bushes and suchlike.

The only helpful guide the field archer has is gut instinct and his greatest asset is a sense of humour.

The single shot that sticks in my mind the most was at an open shoot in a glorious wood in Kent. It was raining quite heavily and we were at target number 5 (there are usually 20 targets in a round) and the red peg was half way down a muddy bank. The target was a roe deer almost completely hidden by undergrowth and to make matters worse it was on the opposite side of a large lake. Only the back legs were visible.

The shooting point was on the bank and the target was therefore considerably lower than me. I gingerly scrambled down to the peg, tried to find a stable foot hold and glanced at several grinning faces above me. They had guessed what was going to happen. I turned towards the target and drew, aiming for where I guessed the kill area was and let the arrow fly. My feet went from under me and I slid on my backside in the mud to the bottom of the bank. While trying to get back to my feet I heard the welcome words of the marshal “archer, do not advance to white peg. 1^st arrow is a kill”.

This is what archery is really all about!! Perhaps I had not reached Robin Hood standard, but I was certainly one of the Merry Men.

For a full set of rules, styles, rounds and other useful information visit the National Field Archery Society.

Thanks to Peter for the contribution.

Massively thought provoking, massively sombre. You can learn a lot from the past.

Which amazes me then, that I refuse to learn from the past in any way at all when it comes to archery.

I seem determined to learn everything the hard way. Every mistake you can think of, I’ve probably made it!

If you pay attention of course, you can improve your shooting based on past events and knowledge – either from your own experience, or the experience of other people.

I wanted to share a great online resource then, where you can find out-of-print books and articles on archery, published anywhere between 1515 and 1936.

If you have a little time, do check out www.archerylibrary.com.

A properly fitting ring is ESSENTIAL. A badly fitted ring will compromise your release and damage your thumb. A properly fitted ring made in the wrong style can cause you to tense up and fatigue improper muscles, and will impact upon your shooting.

So, what should you look for?

Simply put, the purpose of the thumb ring, first and foremost, is to protect the thumb. For light bows, you can get away with a leather glove or a tab, or band-aids, or even some local anaesthetic. For heavier bows, you can get away with a tab made of water hardened leather. For even heavier bows, you need a ring made of stiff materials, or a thumb made of steel to endure the pressure.

Based on this principle, we can say that the best thumb rings are simply a hard surface, that matches the curvature of the thumb. No grooves, no shelves, no funny protrusions. And definitely no grooves! Most of the thumb rings you can buy, such as the thumb rings from Csaba Grozer or Richard Head Longbows have a groove for your string. This prevents you feeling the string and getting an indication of where exactly your wrist is, and reloading without looking at your arrows (blind nocking – an essential part of horseback archery) is impossible. For this reason, you should also avoid rings that conform well to your distal thumb segment, but have a protrusion covering part of your proximal thumb segment.

This is a good example of a thumb ring to AVOID. The ring sits too far up on the thumb, it has a straight edge, and a groove.

The rings from Zhang Li (www.alibow.cn) are of a good quality based on the photographs. They are smooth and have a simple curve which fits to your thumb’s curve. You need to supply the depth and breadth of your thumb just below your thumb joint to get a good fit. Rings by Lukas Novotny and Jaap Koppedrayer are also similar.

Most people make their own thumb rings, as it is easier to get the perfect fit, and a lot cheaper. Rings can be made from horn, bone, wood, billiard balls, and boiled leather. With simple hand tools, you can make your first ring in a few hours. I personally prefer boiled leather thumb rings. They take 10 minutes of work, and a lot of waiting, and are as hard and smooth as rings made of horn or bone (but a little less durable). The boiled leather can be shaped to fit your thumb perfectly.

A variety of thumb rings, including a Chinese cylindrical ring (in white, at the back).

When you get your thumb ring, put it on by rotating it 90 degrees, i.e: so the part covering the thumb pad points towards your other fingers (or away). After the ring has gone past your thumb joint, rotate it 90 degrees so the protective surface covers your thumb pad.

The ring faces inwards (towards the other fingers) as it passes the thumb joint. It needs to be in this orientation to get past the joint.

After it has passed the joint, it is turned 90 degrees so the lip covers the thumb pad. The sides of the bones in the thumb joint will keep it on your thumb, even if your thumb is straightened and you try to pull it off. To remove the ring, simply rotate it 90 degrees and remove. The ring in these photos is a boiled leather thumb ring.

And you’re ready to shoot!

As an aside, I don’t know about you, but searching for arrows is possibly one of my least favourite things! If you’re going to be shooting long distances on wet ground, it may be worth investing in a cheap metal detector as your arrows can bury themselves beneath the soil. You’ll probably also want a tassle to wipe the mud off (not to mention a decent pair of wellies!). Basically be prepared for wet weather – if you shoot in the UK it’ll happen at some point!

So while I’ve not been threatening the gold too often with my shooting so far this season, I wanted to highlight a point from a few weeks ago about the difference between accuracy and precision. Consider the two photographs below:

Greater Precision, but not in the gold!

Greater Accuracy, but a larger group.

How often do your ends look like the image on the left, and how often do they look like the image on the right?

The first starting point of course is to get a round in. If you haven’t done an outdoor shoot yet, pick a short round (like a Warwick or a Short Windsor), and go and get your first score of the season.

The technique described here is not specific to any particular style or tradition of archery. The variations between specific traditions are discussed at the end of the article. It is also worth noting that most traditions have not been withheld throughout the centuries as bows and arrows gave way to firearms, and only a few traditions have been specifically reconstructed.

When starting out, choose a bow that is LIGHT. If you go straight in with a heavy bow, it will take a LOT longer to learn. Even if you are used to shooting 50 – 60# sighted recurve, there is no need to use a bow heavier than 25# when learning. Cheap fiberglass “Wall-Mart” bows can be bought at most archery shops for £20 – £30, and after about an hour with a few files and a knife, you can reduce the uncomfortable grip to a nice, smooth, narrow Asiatic grip too. In addition, longbows bows made of manau (rattan) are available for £40 – £60 and are also perfectly suitable, you may be able to get away with less handle modification. Make sure you can draw the bow long, at least 33 inches for safety if you are of an average height. Make your arrows 2 or 3 inches longer than your draw length as well, for ease as well as safety.

When you are starting out you do not need a thumb ring; a leather glove or band-aids will do the trick. A thumb ring, however, offers much more protection to the thumb, and allows for a slicker release, IF MADE WELL AND FITTED PROPERLY. You will do a lot more damage to your thumb and / or your technique if you choose a badly designed, badly fitted thumb ring. Thumb rings will be discussed in a lot more detail in another article.

The Technique

Stance

Stance and breathing are important components, but take an entirely different form when you are on foot compared with when you are in the saddle. Space your feet a comfortable width apart, at right angles to the target. Your head should be turned 90 degrees and you should present the narrowest possible profile to the target. Not only does this make shooting easier, it also presents a narrower target for your enemy who may well be shooting back at you! Stand up straight, and relax your shoulders.

On horseback, your feet and legs are replaced with your core muscles. This is especially true when you are riding without stirrups. On horseback, you must use your core, that is, your abdominal muscles, back muscles, and many postural muscles you are probably not aware of, to stabilise you.

Grip

Extend your bow arm out in a straight line, and extend your hand in a straight line to continue your arms and reach out towards your side. The side of the bow will lie on the palm of your hand, just distally from your thenar eminence (the muscles at the base of your thumb). Gently curl your thumb and fingers around the handle, taking care not to grip too tightly. The belly side of the bow handle should rest partly in your palm and partly on your thenar eminence, and your thumb’s metacarpophalangeal joint (first knuckle) should be roughly in line with the outside edge of the grip. The second thumb knuckle should be on the outside of the bow’s handle.

The correct grip

Bow arm

Point the bow arm at the target, but bend at the elbow slightly. The bend should only be 10 – 20 degrees. The elbow should point predominantly downwards, with a small degree of pointing backwards as well. Play around until you find a comfortable angle. The result of this is that your bow arm’s tricep will take a lot of the tension. The importance of this will be explained later.

If your elbow is not bent enough, it will not allow you to complete the follow through forward sufficiently, and a bend that is too sharp will load the tricep too much and you may struggle to pull the bow back.

Posture at full draw. Note the long draw, the bent bow arm, the loose bow hand, and that I am leaning into the target slightly.

The draw hand and the thumb draw

Practice this before you draw your bow back a couple of times to get the hang of it. In Asiatic archery, we draw back using the thumb. The thumb and forefinger are stronger than the two or three fingers used in Western archery, and can (eventually) pull a heavier bow. In addition, it allows quicker reloading, and a slicker release. To form the draw hand, first form a fist with your middle finger, ring finger, and pinky, and extend your index finger and thumb, as though you were making a gun shape with your hand.

Making a fist - step one.

Then, bend your thumb, so the tip of your thumb is pressed against the second segment of your middle finger.

Making a fist - step 2

Then, fold your index finger over the last segment of your thumb.

Making a fist - step 3

The string rests on your thumb pad, or in the angle in your thumb. The first finger is used to support the thumb, and also supports the arrow against the handle. Play around with the angles until you find a variation that is comfortable for you.

When you draw the bowstring back, make sure your draw hand stays horizontal and your palm stays downwards. A slight amount of outwards rotation of your wrist (so that your palm faces forwards very very slightly as well as downwards) is also ok, but do not rotate it the other way so that the palm faces inwards, as your index finger will catch the string upon release. This is painful and will also mess up your shot.

The string should sit at the junction of the ring with your thumb.

The draw, the release, and the follow through

In Asiatic archery, we tend to draw the bow back to the ear, whilst keeping the bow arm bent. For most people, this is between 31 and 32 inches. Your shoulders should settle into a comfortable position. Lean into the target and focus on it with both eyes. Focus on a single point in the center of your target, and point your bow at it. Resist any temptation to close eyes, start gap shooting, or forming a sight picture.

The arrow should be on the outside of the bow handle, i.e: resting above your thumb, rather than your finger knuckles. Smoothly pull the bowstring back to behind your ear.

The release is similar to flipping a coin, but less explosive. Lift your index finger off your thumb and relax your thumb in the same movement, and the string should come off your thumb.

At the point of release, you want to perform the follow through. The follow through forward is performed by suddenly straightening your bow arm towards the target. Your wrist should be floppy and your grip should be light, so the bow should pivot slightly. This allows the arrow to clear the grip, thus giving it a much straighter, much faster flight to the target, as well as protecting your bow’s grip. The follow through backwards is performed simply by extending your draw arm away from the target. The final result – you should resemble the letter T. The backwards follow through is important for keeping your balance (in the saddle).

Posture after both follow throughs are done. The body resembles the letter T. The bow arm is now fully extended, and the bow wrist and the bow have pivoted slightly.

Congrats! You just shot your first arrow with a thumb ring. It is a very different tradition to Western archery, and a lot of people who shoot both, shoot Asiatic right-handed and Western left-handed (or vice versa). For now, just shoot into the grass to get the feel of the draw. When you are comfortable, get a small target (I shoot at shoeboxes stuffed with straw) and shoot at that. Your accuracy will improve rapidly as your brain subconsciously makes adjustments.

Variations among different traditions

Please note: I have not included Hungarian archery in this list. Although Hungarian traditional archers are some of the more numerous and enthusiastic traditional archers around, they use a two or three fingered draw rather than a thumb draw. Likewise, I have not discussed Bhutanese archery.

Turkish archery

Turkish traditional archery is very popular in Turkey, and has largely been reconstructed (from the early 20th century) based on manuals, paintings, and bows and arrows in museums by Murat Ozveri. Now, there are a few different groups (to my knowledge) practicing Ottoman Turkish archery. Turkish archery differs from most other Asian traditions in that the draw length is fairly short – to the corner of the lip. Some Turkish archers use that as an anchor, some use a floating anchor. This places the draw length around 25 – 27 inches.

Murat Ozveri of www.tirendaz.com demonstrates the short draw of Ottoman Turkish archery

For more information on Turkish archery, please see Murat Ozveri’s website, www.tirendaz.com.

Chinese archery

Chinese archery, in it’s current form, could more accurately be called Manchu archery. The Manchu bow is fairly unique among Asiatic bows in that it is large, with large siyahs, and designed to throw a heavy arrow a short distance, rather than a light arrow a long distance. Manchu archery uses a very long draw length, often past the ear, and in addition, the draw arm is held straight. To my knowledge, it is again reconstructed.

Chinese Archery in the 1800's

For more information on Manchu and Chinese archery, contact Stephen Selby of www.atarn.org; or Peter Dekker, of www.mandarinmansion.com.

Kyudo

Kyudo is Japanese archery. It shares many features of “mainland” Asiatic traditions, however, the draw lengths are extremely long. Unlike Chinese archery, the draw arm elbow can be bent slightly. The Japanese longbow is also extremely long, much longer than any other Asian bows, lacks siyahs, and is asymmetrical. Nowadays, Kyudo is a highly ritualised martial art, and there are many schools worldwide.

Korean archery

Korean archers are some of the best in the world, and they have a fantastic archery tradition. The technique in Korean archery can be quite varied, some archers will follow exactly what has been described in this article, others may have a more static approach with a straight arm and no follow thoughts.

Korean Archery

For more information on Korean archery, please contact Thomas Duvernay of www.koreanarchery.org.

Fastlinks

• Astatic archery history and development
• How to apply this when selecting a bow

Asiatic archery: a rapid history!

Now, first for a quick history lesson, so we all know what we’re talking about. The hornbow appears to have been the invention of the Scythians, who used a typical “Cupid’s bow” which can be seen on Greek vases and Persian stone reliefs.

Recently, a number of these bows have been found in graves and working replicas based on their dimensions have been made, notably by Adam Karpowicz and Jack Farrell.

An exact reproduction from grave excavations of a Saka (Scythian) bow, made by Adam Karpowicz of www.ottoman-turkish-bow.

Around the same time, the angular horn bow was in use in Egypt – this took the shape of a simple triangle when strung, and a semi-circle when drawn back. The angular bow appears to have evolved into the Persian “D” bow seen on the reliefs at Persepolis and Susa.

A carving at Persepolis, showing Persian and Medean soldiers. The Persians use a long, less sharply curved recurve bow, whereas the Medeans use the Scythian bow held at the waist in a gorytos.

During the Parthian Empire in Iran and the Han Dynasty in China, the old Scythian type bows were replaced by bows with static tips or siyahs. At first, these were built by laminating woods into the shape of the ear. Each lamination was relatively thin and could be bent around the angle of the siyah knee, but together, they were very stiff. They were reinforced with horn plates. Han bows and Parthian bows had slightly different geometry. Around 100 AD, the bow most commonly associated with the huns, the assymmetrical Hunnic bow, was introduced in Central Asia and remained the main bow design for several centuries. The bows found in Miran, China, are large, narrow, with smooth angles (markedly different to many of the replica “Hun” bows sold). These bows had long draw lengths.

Over time, these bows became more symmetrical. The Moshcheveya Balka bow, from the 8th Century, is a typical Hungarian bow. These bows have long, static siyahs, which are not angled away from the string. The Uyghur bow, from 10th Century western China, is a type of early Turkic bow. Although similar to Hungarian and Hun bows in external appearance, their construction is more similar to later Turkish, Persian, and Korean bows than it is to Hungarian bows. They used a V-splice in attaching the siyah to the limb, which allowed the angles at the siyah knees to become sharper, and for siyahs to become more reflexed.

An excavated Uyghur bow, from the 10th century AD.

Contrary to popular belief, the Mongols at the time of Genghis Khan did not use the popular Mongolian bows sold today – their bows were of the Hungarian type. However, shortly after Genghis Khans conquest, we see the late Turkic bows appearing. These differ from the early Turkic bows in two ways. Firstly, the siyahs are short, and angled forward – they have contact siyahs. Secondly, between the siyah and the limb is a working recurve, known as the kasan. The kasan eye, at the transition between the limb and the kasan, is flexible. In Turkish flight bows, the kasan eye was the thinnest and the most flexible part of the bow. Bows of this design were in use in India, Turkey, Persia, and parts of Russia until the mid or late 19th Century. Examples of these bows are Turkish, Persian, Indo-Persian crab bows, Ming, and Korean bows.

Reproduction of an early Turkic / Hungarian style bow, made by Peter Bencsik of www.botondbow.com.

In China, after the Manchu conquest, bow development took a different turn. Bows became large, with large, long, non working siyahs, like earlier Hungarian models. However, the siyahs were angled forwards, and a string bridge was used to effectively shorten the length of the string and increase it’s oscillation frequency (and, as a result, arrow speed). The Manchus also conquered Mongolia and Tibet, and Mongolian, Tibetan, and certain Central Asian bows are based on the Manchu pattern.

Native American bows have a different evolution and slightly different mechanics, which will be discussed in further articles.

So, what does this all mean for you?

There are many, many variables when looking at how well an Asiatic bow will shoot, and understanding which ones are good and which ones are poor is a skill that will come with experience. When I look at an Asian bow, I can generally tell fairly well whether it will be a good shooter or a poor shooter simply based on its photo. There are a few universals which you can use to guide you in your choice.

Bow length is an important choice. For maximum efficiency, choose a bow that is as short as possible, without compromising on your draw length. A shorter bow is lighter, and hence more efficient. However, a larger bow of the same design will stack less, will generally be more stable, and may be cheaper, because it may be easier to make. A longer bow is also more awkward in the saddle.

Some bows will look large, and will have large measurements, but will act like short bows, because of their dynamics. Bows like these have long handles, long siyahs, and very short limbs. The bows depicted in Sassanid Persian artwork can be thought of like this. These bows can often pleasantly surprise you with their dynamics. In particular, some of the newer Hungarian bows made by innovative bowyers like Csaba Grozer and S. Molnar are built like this. The bow materials are under considerable stress.

Generally speaking, a bow with a section of working recurve, or kasan, will shoot faster than one without, with all other variables the same. Turkish and Korean bows are said to be the most powerful bows around, even though they are small and quite dainty. The kasan “unrolls” during the draw, and rolls up again at release, which improves the efficiency of the bow. Bows of this type, however, are a little harder to make, and can be harder to stabilise if they are made of horn and sinew. Turkish bows have a ridged kasan, which is thought to have been a way to keep mass low while keeping stiffness high. Korean bows have a rectangular cross section. Reproductions of Scythian bows work on this principle as well, and are very similar in dynamics to Korean bows.

Horn and sinew reproductions of a Turkish bow by Lukas Novotny of www.salukibow.com. Note the flexible "kasan eye" immediately before the recurve starts. Photos and bow by Lukas Novotny.

As above - in action!

Siyahs add weight but act as levers. A longer siyah is a longer lever, and thus, allows you to store more energry in the bow. A sharper angle at the siyah knee affects where the bow bends, and if the angle is sharp enough, and the siyah is long enough, the bow can actually display a “let off,” where the poundage appears to decreaes as you pull it further. This can be seen on Manchu bows. The angle of the siyah also affects stacking – a sharper angle means that the bow might stack less. The lever-effect of siyahs is why the force-draw curves of Asiatic bows flatten out towards the end of the draw.

A Turkish bow by Lukas Novotny of www.salukibow.com, showing the short siyah and string pad. Photo and bow by Lukas Novotny.

When choosing a bow with siyahs, make sure the siyahs are light and stiff. All-wood siyahs can be bulky. Historically, bowyers would put thin sheets of bone or horn on the ends of the siyahs to stiffen them more, and thus allow them to be narrower, keeping mass down. If your Hun, Hungarian, or Manchu bow has a siyah that is over 1 – 2 cm in width at the ends, beware of poor arrow speed and hand shock.

String bridges and contact siyahs serve the function of effectively shortening the string when the bow has completed its power stroke, increasing the bow string’s oscillation frequency, and increasing arrow speed. String bridges, however, do add a little bit of weight. The Koreans, Persians, and Tatars use very small string bridges on their highly refined, dynamic bows. The Manchu bows tend to use larger, more robust string bridges, that have the added effect of keeping the string in the centre. For a well made bow, the added mass of a string bridge should not matter too much.

The rigid siyah of a Mongolian bow made by Tumurkhuu Batmunkh of www.mongolianarchery.com. Note how the string bridge lifts the string off the siyah, effectively shortening it. Photo and bow by Tumurkhuu Batmunkh.

Handle dimensions are often overlooked when choosing a bow, but you need to be comfortable holding the bow. Unfortunately, you can’t really tell this from a photo, and so ideally you would need to try out the bow. Choose a narrow handle for better arrow flight, and one that is curved to fit in your hand. I personally find straight handles very uncomfortable, some people prefer them. A handle that looks too thin may be a warning sign of some hand shock, and handle that is too big and clunky will be difficult to hold. Avoid pistol grips, arrow shelves, center-cut risers, and all those options. You might want to consider a handle with stingray skin or horn/bone plates if you are inexperienced or will be shooting mismatched arrows or arrows that are too soft.

Photos of the Hwarang Korean bow, showing the partially flexible recurves typical of the Korean style, and the set back handle. Photos and bows courtesy of Thomas Duvernay of www.koreanarchery.org.

As above, in action!

Handle reflex or deflex is an important variable, and one that is important for comfort. Handle reflex pushes the center of gravity of the bow further forward and, in my opinion, bow mechanics are improved. Handshock is decreased and arrow speed is increased. Handle deflex means that the limbs are less stressed at a particular draw length, and thus the bow does not stack as much; a shorter bow can be used to give a similar draw feel. Egyptian angular bows feature deflex limbs that meet at an angle at the middle of the handle – as a result, the grip is similar to a pistol grip, but slimmer and less clunky.

A reproduction of an Egyptian bow, by Lukas Novotny of www.salukibow.com. Note the deflexed handle and straight limbs. Photo and bow by Lukas Novotny.

The interplay of all these variables, along with other variables such as decoration, covering, waterproofing, etc, can make buying your bow a fairly complex process. The best would be to try it out, but this is not always possible. I own a number of Asiatic bows, and have not made any “bad purchases” – after a lot of browsing, you can tell by a photo and verbal description what the mechanics may be like. If you are stuck for inspiration, look at photos of old bows in museums as well.

Really, the answer is:

• Long enough to execute your shot properly – and no longer.
• You don’t want to be ‘pausing’ at full draw at all, but continue to pull back while you aim and prepare to release the arrow.
• If you shoot longbow, you don’t want to be pausing at all, otherwise after a while you might find your bow starts to worryingly creak!

‘Pausing’ for longer than necessary at full draw can lead to you over aiming (your brain actually needs very little time to aim), becoming fatigued and forward loosing. Forward loosing is when you get to full draw but then lose back-tension, so your draw hand is already moving forwards at the point of release. This not only affects the speed of your arrows (ideally you want them to leave the bow at the same speed every time), but also can cause problems with your release as your fingers effectively have to get ‘out of the way’.

While some archers can spend very little time at full draw (particularly proficient longbow archers), shooting recurve allows you the luxury of spending a few more seconds at full draw, in order to make sure you do everything you’re supposed to be doing.

Despite shooting recurve however, I am not very good at this.

Unless I concentrate on shooting slowly, my average time at full draw is about a second. Which for me, is harmful for my shooting. I find 3-4 seconds to be much better.

If you have this problem as well, try counting to five at full draw. I rarely make it to five – I’ve normally released after three! But if aim to count to three, I normally only make it to one or two.

I don’t know why, but that’s what works for me! I shoot more slowly and precisely, and the whole thing is far more enjoyable.

Remember; shoot less arrows, spend more time on them, and make them good ones.

Editors note: This series of articles will take an in-depth look at Asiatic archery: how it developed, what bows are available (many!), and what to look out for.

There are hundreds of “horsebows” out there, ranging from cheap, awful, clunky shooters to very, very refined pieces of work. Do not be fooled by labels – a “Turkish” bow made by a poor bowyer will perform worse than a “Hun” bow made by a reputable bowyer! But it is worth considering the following design characteristics, and also asking a little bit about the bow and the bowyer.

What to look for…

Unlike modern bows, the parts that make up a traditional bow are not interchangeable, so what you buy is what you get. The highest quality Asiatic composite bows are true composite bows – made with a thin core of wood, a belly (the side of the bow in compression) made from water buffalo horn, and a back (the side of the bow in tension) made from layers of sinew. This combination gives explosive power. The Scythian bow, one of the earliest examples of a horn and sinew bow, was recorded to have shot over 500 metres, standard training for Mongolian archers was at 450 metres, and a Turkish bow was once said to have shot around 800 metres! (this is discussed in more detail in the Introduction article). These distances are far above what could be expected with a simple wooden bow, or even a wooden laminate, unless the bowyer is very skilled. However, there are problems with the construction. Sinew responds to humidity, and a bow could drop 5 – 10 pounds of weight between wet and dry seasons. Horn responds to heat, and the poundage difference between winter and summer could be even greater. In snow, these bows should not be used, as the horn or sinew might risk breaking. In addition, a bow made of sinew, wood, and horn will be heavier than a bow made of wood, all other factors such as bow shape and size being equal.

Select the right bowyer…

The most famous bowyer who uses authentic materials is Lukas Novotny, of Saluki Bow company. However, his bows run at quite a price. Jaap Koppedrayer also makes expensive but very good horn-and-sinew bows. Csaba Grozer, a famous Hungarian bowyer, Gao Xiang, a bowyer from China, and Zhang Li, another bowyer from China, make more affordable horn-and-sinew bows. Bows from Lukas Novotny or Jaap Koppedrayer can cost between 2000 and 5000 USD. Hornbows from Csaba Grozer, Gao Xiang, or Zhang Li can be between 900 and 1500 USD. James Parker, from Huntworthy Productions, also makes hornbows. Hornbows are an entirely custom purchase – you select the style, size, dimensions, poundage, and decoration, and work with the bowyer in coming up with the bow of your dreams.

An authentic horn and sinew bow made by Lukas Novotny of www.salukibow.com. This particular bow is of the Indo-Persian "crab bow" style. The bow has been made and photographed by Lukas Novotny.

Know your materials…

Most Asiatic bows are made of fiberglass. These are the cheapest Asiatic bows around, and are mass produced. There are fewer custom options. Their performance is much worse than horn and sinew bows, but still can be very good. There is also the greatest variety in bowyers to choose from here. You can find some very cheap fiberglass bows on Ebay, however, I cannot report on their quality. Csaba Grozer is regarded as the best fiberglass bowyer out there. However, bows by Zhang Li are also very good. Kassai, Toth, and Szeleky (other Hungarian bowyers) are generally considered inferior. A fiberglass bow by Csaba Grozer can cost between 150 and 350 USD, a fiberglass bow by Zhang Li can cost between 100 and 200 USD (but are not inferior!).

A bow made with fiberglass limbs, with a wooden handle and siyahs, covered in python leather, made and photographed by Zhang Li of www.alibow.cn. This bow is in the "Hunnic" or "Hungarian" style, for more details, please see Part 2.

There are also Asiatic bows made of laminates of wood, bamboo, fiberglass, synthetic sinew, phenolic, and other materials. Although the number of bows in this category is probably higher than the number of pure fiberglass bows, the number of bowyers is definitely less. The most reputable laminated bowyers are Lukas Novotny (800 – 1200 USD) and Chris Constantine of Spitfire Horsebows (850 USD). Mehmet Golhan makes a laminated Turkish bow for around 300 – 350 USD. Csaba Grozer also makes lamiated bows that go for between 300 and 500 USD, including laminated bows made with pressed horn and sinew plate.

A laminated bow made by Chris Constantine of www.spitfirehorsebows.com. These bows are made with silk, wood, and fiberglass, horn, or another horn substitute. Bow and photograph by Chris Constantine.

An important class of laminated bows are the Korean bows, of which there are a number of varieties. Thomas Duvernay is the person to contact about Korean bows. They are inexpensive and performance is amazing. However, only Korean-style (and now, Mongolian and Manchu) bows are offered, and so if you are looking for a Hungarian, Turkish, Scythian or Tatar bow, you may have to look elsewhere.

Fiberglass and laminated bows have a number of advantages over horn-and-sinew bows. Although their cast is inferior, they are less responsive to changes in humidity and temperature, do not require 12 – 18 months to make, and are a lot cheaper. Performace of “hybrid” laminated bows, by Lukas Novotny, “biocomposite” bows by Csaba Grozer, and bows by Chris Constantine are reputed to exceed the performance of horn-and-sinew bows in some cases! Don’t expect to be shooting targets at 800 metres though – that requires a very specific type of bow, a very specific type of arrow, and a very, very well trained archer.

Some people make Asiatic bows entirely out of wood. While certain “woods,” like combinations of bamboo (made by James Parker of Huntworthy Productions) can withstand the stresses of an Asiatic horsebow, most woods cannot unless combined with fiberglass, horn, sinew, or other synthetic or natural laminates. Although they may not be able to reach the same stresses, they may still perform well enough to shoot. Jim Boswell of Rudderbows Archery makes a very nice wooden Asiatic bow.

Summary

So, we have covered a few different makers of bows, different materials for making Asiatic bows. In the next part of this series, we look at design elements when considering an Asiatic bow – factors such as siyah shape, angle, limb length, width, handle size, covering and decoration, etc. Stay tuned, and happy shooting.