The essential Chinese archery

yokhua · Post by **yokhua** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:11 pm

Following the "Old School" Chinese technique...This pose comes naturally.

Allows arrow goes smoother, straighter and much faster...

The Exterm of Chinese archery technique, and not easy..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY1H28GxsCw

If this pose dosen't come after releasing, yet you do it on purpose...

Hey! That's useless and wrong... Or you think your arrow is a guided missile and your bow tip is the radar antanna??!!

The trick is in the wrist of the bow hand.

箭發則靡其弰，厭其肘，仰其腕

即當以前手點弰，如擲物之狀，令上弰指的，下稍抵手胛骨下也。

前手猛分虎口，著力向下急奈、轉腕

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY1H28GxsCw

yokhua · Post by **yokhua** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:38 pm

picture

Rapsod · Post by **Rapsod** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:02 am

What is that bow?

The idea is to use bow as sling and bow in one. Something like that is present in kyudo I think.

yokhua · Post by **yokhua** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:22 am

That is the bow design of Song dynasty China... One of the horn bow designs I'm going to build.

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:17 am

I agree with you - except that you were not looking at your target while you were nockling the arrow. You must be careful that your target doesn't shoot back at you. Chinese archery is a military skill.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:27 am

Yokhua,
I have two copies of the entries in the encyclopedia from which that illustration comes from. That is from the Yuan edition of the Song original. It has an archer dressed in Mongol clothes ( the hat and the banding around the waist are typical). I have an illustration where the block was not so worn when it was printed. The bow shape is clearer at the tip.

If my memory is correct, I should be able to scan you a copy.

yokhua · Post by **yokhua** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:56 pm

Stephen;

Thank you for your tip, I'll remember and keep on training. You will see it in Sept. Korea this year. Hope I can do much better then last year.

yokhua · Post by **yokhua** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:58 pm

Bade;
I'll be grateful if you can send me the clear print. I really need it.

[email protected]

Sincerely
Jang,Yuhua

yokhua · Post by **yokhua** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:42 pm

Stephen;
Will ! Sorry about me. Just double check the original text. I found that I should check the nock first(nocking point), then take the bow off seat(on knees), then look at the target...."令眾指差池如鳳翮，使當於心，又令當闊羽向上。弓弦既離身，即易見箭之高下，取其平直，然後抬弓離席，目睨其的"
I think maybe this is not for the military...
When I read the text, I feel it more like to practice moral teachings... There are some other texts focus on military skill...
This one is too delicate, too elegant and too dainty to be a military field manual...Even better then Japanese Kyudo.. Actually, Japan took this archery method back 1,000 years ago...
"De rigueur" the only thing I can say..
My biggest goal is not to be a horn bowyer(easier achievement and I am now ).. My biggest goal is to creat a standard of Chinese archery base on this and some other ancient texts. Which in my vision will be a graceful, dainty, delicate, turely oriental and powerful archery form. Nonpareil !!

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:29 am

I respect your approach. I was in that mind-set for some time; then I found that people kept saying: "That's just Japanese archery!". I also find that in terms of 'marketing' the rivival of Chinese archery, the martial arts people are a useful market; so I have stressed the military side more than the philosophical. What a pity that people now have such a short concentration span: they just want the superficial and no depth.

p.s. Look at p. 213 of 'Chinese Archery' for the image above.

S

yokhua · Post by **yokhua** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:40 am

Stephen;
That's why I'm not going to China(so many asked me to go). Taiwan is just a perfect place to start.
My point of views is modern Chinese in mainland have lost a lot of "qualities" compare to their forefathers. Consider the charactors of the people there, it is impossible to achieve anything and too many mouths will cause troubles.

Taiwan actually is the last place that still hold some touch of ancient Chinese charactors.
And most important things is here there are no some so call "masters"(actually they know nothing but only because his grandfather was someone..)... or some old guys said he "remember" his father or graddfather did and said something about traditional archery...99% of them give wrong messages and every each one think they are the authority....Just full of gas..
Here I'm the only authority, absoultly no noise at all... Things goes exactly I want... When time comes, I believe traditional archery I foresee will be the ture classic approved. But not now yet. Fingers crossed!!

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Fri May 09, 2008 3:18 am

I have deleted a couple of posts from this topic which were not very relevant and with a rather strong tone.

jiao · Post by **jiao** » Fri May 09, 2008 7:28 am

which were not very relevant and with a rather strong tone

is these very relevant and strong tone about this topic?it is a discriminate of area!
stephen
they just want the superficial and no depth
yokhua
That's why I'm not going to China(so many asked me to go). Taiwan is just a perfect place to start.
My point of views is modern Chinese in mainland have lost a lot of "qualities" compare to their forefathers. Consider the charactors of the people there, it is impossible to achieve anything and too many mouths will cause troubles.

Taiwan actually is the last place that still hold some touch of ancient Chinese charactors.
And most important things is here there are no some so call "masters"(actually they know nothing but only because his grandfather was someone..)... or some old guys said he "remember" his father or graddfather did and said something about traditional archery...99% of them give wrong messages and every each one think they are the authority....Just full of gas..
Here I'm the only authority, absoultly no noise at all... Things goes exactly I want... When time comes, I believe traditional archery I foresee will be the ture classic approved. But not now yet. Fingers crossed!!

jiao · Post by **jiao** » Fri May 09, 2008 7:50 am

they just want the superficial and no depth

who are want the superficial and no depth? a member on my forum said he is a student of stephen, he said the archer pose is very cool, it is reason only
so i can take hongkong superficial and no depth ?

jiao · Post by **jiao** » Fri May 09, 2008 9:21 am

That's why I'm not going to China(so many asked me to go). Taiwan is just a perfect place to start.
My point of views is modern Chinese in mainland have lost a lot of "qualities" compare to their forefathers. Consider the charactors of the people there, it is impossible to achieve anything and too many mouths will cause troubles.

ok , i will tell them why you are break an appointment and how does you are invite to meet together, all the bam and deride you are want , it is the "qualities" that there Taiwan chinese has! in fact taiwan is some chinese which not know where the chinese civilization born, where the motherland it is? such a guys said his mother so ugly. there has no warrior energy, only find the low-grade bowyer such yangfuxi say how bad he is , so , they are very satisfaction, it is some people's way , debase someone for riseing his status. it is "qualities" you showed , hehe , how does a islets that full the chinese civilization. i look the map , that taiwan looks like a egg china borned, it is pride that chinese has so big land,