Turkish technique

M Hardman · Post by **M Hardman** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 3:49 pm

Dear All,

I've searched and searched and I have not found anything definative on the Turkish technique, did they not record their methods of shooting like the Chinese?

Can someone please point me towards any kind of article on the turkish technique?

Many thanks

Mike

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:42 pm

Klopsteg's book contains substantial information on Ottoman Turkish technique. See Turkish Archery and the Composite Bow. It is still in print and available from the Manchester Museum.

If you read German, then Hein's translation of Mustafa Kani's treatise would help.

In modern Turkish, there is a vast amount of information in Unsal Y?cel's book, T?rk Okculugu. It also has pictures of targets and equipment.

M Hardman · Post by **M Hardman** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:50 pm

http://img251.imageshack.us/my.php?image=turk91cn8.jpg

This is what I look like now when I'm at full draw, is this a correct Turkish technique?

Mike

edit: I cant get the image to show up here, just put the url into your wwwbar, many thanks

Redbow · Post by **Redbow** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:33 am

Very nice bow ! M Hardman
Who made this bow ?
Please more pictures !

M Hardman · Post by **M Hardman** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:38 pm

I'm shooting a Csaba Grozer old Scythian in that photo, if you want to look at any more of his bows check out http://www.grozerarchery.com/

Any comment on my draw would be appreciated

Mike

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:52 pm

Mike,
The bow hand wrist is too high for Turkish style shooting. Your grip is very like the Korean. You need to take the belly of the grip in the centre of the area between the bases of the thumb and forefinger and turn the wrist down until the thumb is in line with the forearm. Your shoulders and elbows are positioned well though I can see you are shooting downward, but I assume that is because you are shooting at short distance, low target.

If you are wearing the glove because of abrasion on the bow hand, you may be nocking too low or tensing the thumb.

M Hardman · Post by **M Hardman** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:30 pm

If I lower my bowhand does that mean I have to alter my anchor, otherwise I shall be shooting downwards? Or do you mean I should lower my anchor?

The reason I wear a glove is for two reasons, one, it was cold out that eve and two, occasionally a fletching will bite me (although its getting rarer).

Many thanks

Mike

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:37 pm

What you do is raise the forearm at the same time. Your drawing hand is in a good position. If you look at your photo and draw an imaginary line through your elbows and shoulders, it is going down at an angle. Once you level your shoulders and adjust your wrist position, it should be easy to have the arrow horizontal.

I understand that in taking the photograph, you may have been aiming at a low target.

M Hardman · Post by **M Hardman** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:45 pm

Unfortunately yes it was at quite a short distance (suburbian gardens and all that), I'll have a go at a longer distance when this weather here gets better.

Many thanks

Mike

M Hardman · Post by **M Hardman** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:04 pm

I got to reading through 'Bracing and shooting the turkish bow' from klopstegs book in detail, and I found I missed a line in my skimming. Its says 'In preparing to shoot the arrow is drawn back until the right hand touches the lobe of the ear'.

I've tried this, and it shoots fine, but it looks like the bow is being held rather high on ones body, and the arrow is now in line with the eye. This kinda contradicts what you were saying about the height of my hand.

am I missing something?

Mike

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:31 pm

The lobe of the ear is the lower hanging part of the ear. In some people it is very small.

On me, if I hold a horizontal rule from the lobe of the ear, it passes exactly past my lips. If I hold it at the base of the hole in ear hole, it passes the base of the nose. Everyone is slightly different so it might pass slightly higher or lower, but it should not be as high as the eyes.

I assumed that you were intending to use this technique for target shooting or hunting. That is why I am referring to a horizontal arrow position. In the drawing position I am imagining, your elbows and shoulders are at the same height and your two hands are at the height necessary to contact the ear in one case and have the arrow horizontal in the other.

To elevate the arrow for distance shooting or shooting at a high target, I bend at the waist sideways while keeping the elbows and shoulders in line. This can be seen in the painting of Sultan Murad shooting at the qabak (gourd) target. Raising the bow hand and lowering the drawing hand can be used with light bows (less than 80 pounds). I am sure stronger archers can use this with heavier bows too, but I think it introduces more ways of getting parts of the body out of alignment.

M Hardman · Post by **M Hardman** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:06 pm

My lobe is level with the base of my nose, so to keep my horizontal alignement I should raise my hand. Thank you Bede for your answers.

Mike

M Hardman · Post by **M Hardman** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 7:52 pm

Are there any videos of accomplished turkish style archers out there? I think it would be helpful to be able to compare myself to someone who knows their stuff.

Thanks

Mike

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 6:31 am

Turkish traditional archery is just being revived now. While there's a lot of research going on into bows, I don't think the attempts to adopt traditional technique have advanced far.

Apart from the fact that many Turks can't read the old writing system, a lot of the old infomation is opaque or contradictory even when you can read it.

Finally, as I remind Members from time to time, do not expect to find a single 'authentic' technique.

M Hardman · Post by **M Hardman** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:08 pm

I don't know how much anyone will appreciate this but searching 'traditional turkish archery' on google got me a few interesting shooting videos on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_6YDX32xgc

Mike

Edit: and I think Ginni is on there as well...