stringing bow from sitting position

Justin Ma · Post by **Justin Ma** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 11:09 pm

Does anybody have a reference or picture for how to string a bow from a sitting position?

I've tried stringing a bow from a crouching position w/o assistance, but stringing this way gets more challenging for me as the weight goes up. (Maybe I'm not using the correct form?)

Jos?Dom · Post by **Jos?Dom** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 9:46 pm

Koreans use this technique all the time. I never tried it but looks like difficult for a heavy bow. Take a look:

http://www.koreanarchery.org/index.php? ... &Itemid=77

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:35 am

The Korean technique is practical for the smaller recurve bows like Korean and Turkish. It is difficult, however, for larger bows like Manchu. For these bigger bows, you need to use two people - one to bend and the other to attach the string. See the technique on the first session of my YouTube videos.

Justin Ma · Post by **Justin Ma** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:56 am

Stephen Selby wrote:The Korean technique is practical for the smaller recurve bows like Korean and Turkish. It is difficult, however, for larger bows like Manchu. For these bigger bows, you need to use two people - one to bend and the other to attach the string. See the technique on the first session of my YouTube videos.

Yeah, I've been using the crouching technique described in your YouTube video both assisted and unassisted (w/ the unnocked top loop already around the top limb).

I guess stringing makes social interaction unavoidable.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:07 am

The Korean technique is similar to a Middle Eastern technique practised by the Turks, Arabs and Persians. With highly reflexed short bows, you need to be very flexible at the waist to reach out to the tips of the bow. I used to do it when I was thinner, but my present shape (larger stomach) makes it quite hard.

The major problem using this technique with horn/wood/sinew bows is that if you are not careful you can overstress one limb of the bow. If you correct this quickly, it is not too bad, but otherwise the bow will be unbalanced. Needless to say, if you practise this technique, you can overcome this problem. Practising with a short modern Korean bow of modern materials is a good way of learning the proper position.

Comox Tom · Post by **Comox Tom** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:06 am

Excellent video here ,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOPIaOPLdHU

Jos?Dom · Post by **Jos?Dom** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 2:29 am

So far I can't do it safely. I don't see the benefit of this method. I prefer to use the 2 person method, pulling the bow with both hands against the knees or the step through method.

daryush · Post by **daryush** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 5:59 am

I use a similar thing to the Korean method. I am sitting on a chair, the bow handle is under my right leg, and the siyah, or siyah joint, is on my left thigh. The string is attached at the right siyah (usually the upper, but I alternate). I pull the right hand siyah up with my right hand while stringing the left hand siyah with my left hand. I can do it on my 65 # Grozer Scythian and 57 # Hwarang, but not on my heavy heavy Grozer Mughal or my Mongolian-made composite. The Grozer Mughal is too heavy, and my legs can't stretch far apart enough for the Mongolian bow!

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Sat Sep 04, 2010 2:26 am

The purpose of all single person bracing methods is to make it possible for a lone archer to string his bow. I know from personal experience that you do not always have someone handy when you need to string your bow. I have noticed that persons who are very experienced with a particular composite bow will string it by themselves if the geometry allows. However, the same people will use an assistant with a bow they do not know or one that has known problems.

Given the choice, I would use the two person system.

J. Bergkvist · Post by **J. Bergkvist** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:54 pm

I use this korean technic all the time on smaller C-shaped bows.
Like Bede says, there is not always an assistant whene you feel like practis archery.

You really do need to pay attention and be carefull this way, very easy to bend one limb more, but once you know the way, it's very pracitcal!

Gokmen · Post by **Gokmen** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 1:17 pm

talking about the stringing method while sitting I wanted to add the method which is described/depicted in Mustafa Kani's book.
You have a 'kemend', a long strip/ribbon with two loops at the end. You put it around the bash sections of the bow. the other part comes around your back/waist. So in a sitting position you push the bow forward with your feet and then string it.

I have not tried it to be honest with you. I also wonder how they prevented the bow limbs from flipping upwards and turning towards you. Maybe they helped with their hands. But this was apparently the standard method to string very heavy bows.
some kemend still exist but are not on display in museums. There is a picture in Unsal Yucel's book.

Another thing a champion did is mentioned in a text (I think it was Tozkoparan Iskender, have to look it up again...):
He grabbed the bow on the grip, bent down, stepped a bit on the ends of the bow and pulled it from the middle and stringed it

cheers

Gokmen

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:34 pm

I have seen Cem use the Kani method without the kemend, but with an assistant to put the string on. I made a kemend and crossed over the ends in front of me as Kani recommended and with a heavy bow I thought it was going to be cut in half.

Gokmen · Post by **Gokmen** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 1:28 pm

Bede,

cut in half, do you mean the kemend, the bow or yourself?

How did you keep the limbs low? =how did you prevent the bow from flipping/turning towards you?
If the kuram of the bow is extremely hilal shaped as in most flightbows it is gonna be really tough.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:12 pm

It was me that being cut in half. Cem was able to stretch all the way forward to grab the tips and bend them back.

When I tried it with a kemend, the process was the same. I found it difficult to find where to put the kemend on my waist. Too low and I could not get enough leverage and too high it cut off my breath.

I based the kemend on one in Napoleon's Description de l'?gypte, which also had engravings of bows and other archery equipment.

Gokmen · Post by **Gokmen** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 4:07 pm

Hi Bede,

I have had a look at some pages of the Description de l'?gypte and something else came into my mind; the Okmeydan in Cairo is mentioned a lot in Ottoman texts, but we have not much information about it. Do you have any information, maps, engravings etc? Can we even locate it today?
I wished we had some Egyptian friends who would research from their side...