strange korean bow

ginni · Post by **ginni** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 7:55 pm

I found this on internet.
Who knows what type is this bow?
Is shorter that a regular bow?

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:15 am

No , its only in maximum draw, i mean. Beatifull pic.

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:23 am

same draw

this pic say everything...

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:08 pm

Ginni,
I can't see your original image, but if it is related to the others I can tell you something about it.

Milan Elott was in the US forces in Korea. He was an archer and became very interested in Korean archery. He wrote several articles for archery magazines and included photographs of Korean archers in his book called Why We Miss. He learned how to shoot Korean style and there are photographs of him shooting a Korean bow with a thumb ring.

I think there were only horn and sinew bows when he was in Korea. This was before the start of the modern Korean archery industry. He was very impressed by the low elevation that good Korean archers needed for long distance shots. I think he attempted to introduce bow hunting, but there was no game except chickens.

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:12 pm

Thank you Bede. I dont know nothing about M. Elott. I show tis pics (vith article) only for demonstration , how deep can draw Korean bow.
If i understand , you wrote , that 80 years ago korean hornbow was only from horn and sinew? No bamboo core ???

ginni · Post by **ginni** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:59 pm

Thanks Bede!

The original article is here

http://www.koreanmartialartsresource.com/kungsul.html

The bow seems to have little or no set back grip at full draw and rigid kassan, the overall shape is much alike an islamic bow.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:08 am

Dusan,
I was using a shortcut in naming the bow. It was a full horn, wood and sinew composite bow. In his articles Elott described the bows.

Ginni,
I can see the picture now. The flattening out of the setback of the handle is common with Korean bows at full draw as is the straightening out of the siyahs. Many of the photographs from the 1950s and 1960s show bows like this. Thomas may know better whether some bows were more flexible in the setback than others.

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:09 pm

Ok , Bede your shortcut litlle surprise me

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:46 am

Sometimes phrases get used that are confusing. The term, horn and sinew bow, came about in discussions among people who only had to distinguish between modern composites (fibreglass/wood/fibreglass) and traditional composites (horn/wood/sinew). We called the first fibreglass bows dropping the wood because it was common and did the same to horn/wood/sinew bows. Later, people became more aware antler/sinew bows and horn/sinew bows without cores. As a result, horn and sinew bow became a term not used as much. Later on, people started using the term horn bow. It was the same kind of small community problem. They did not think that pure, horn-only bows were a possibility. Of course in Java and parts of India such bows were being made.

I do try not to be confusing, but old habits die hard.