Mongolia archery

yidegang · Post by **yidegang** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:27 am

several days ago, I visited a Mingolar archer, who lived at Baling Youqi of Chifeng, just at southwest of my homtown, see pic.
sorry the pic cannot be attached this time.

every summer, there are about tens old Mongoliars to compete by old bow and arrow at Mongoliar traditoinal Nadamu festival at Baling youqi.
if you have interest, this summer we together go to take part in Nadamu.

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 9:54 am

Thats' an interesting photo. Look at his draw-hand: his grip on the string is well above the arrow nock. We can't see if he is using a thumb draw; but he has the arrow on the inside of the limb.

Fox · Post by **Fox** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:44 pm

Yi,

I need to visit Huhehaote this mid aug and thinking to join the Nadamu, as we are riding horse, shooting arrows except wrestling at Hong Kong (Xiang Gang).

I may visit Beijing in Jul, how can I join Nadamu at any place at Inner Mongolia, including the one at Chefeng.

Thank you for any hints.

Fox

yidegang · Post by **yidegang** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 3:21 am

Stephen,

Please look at another photo and he did use the thumb draw.

Fox,

Welcome inner Mongolia anytime.
Mid aug is the best time for join Nadamu. if possible, before aug 15 we take a meeting on archery at Huhhot then we together go to Chefeng riding horse, shooting and wrestling.

anyone who want to join can mail me. I will choose better way and time est.

Best,
Yi

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 8:57 am

This (i.e. the photograph) does not seem to be a thumb draw but a three finger draw.

Fox · Post by **Fox** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 11:55 am

HI Mr. Yi,

Many thanks for your reply. In fact, I need to visit some family members at Baotau and Huhot. I have two weeks holiday from 7 Aug 2005 to 21 Aug 2005. If I can join Nadamu at Huhot or Baotau, I would rather not to go Chefeng as you know better than me, the distance from Baotau & Huhot to Chefeng is about the same as crossing the country of France.

I should have meet you in the Festival 2003, though I was only an attendant to the seminar and the show.

I will email you and we can talk.

Fox

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:49 pm

Not only is the archer using a Mediterranean draw, but he appears to be using a kisser button. I am not sure, but I thought I could also a makeshift sight on the left side of the bow.

Perhaps the influence of Olympic archery practice is here too.

Szabi Nagy · Post by **Szabi Nagy** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:51 pm

Can you please tell us a bit more about this bow?
best,

Szabi

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:25 am

I'd also like to know more about the bow. It looks like a hornbow.

I wonder whether it is a monkey bow (i.e. originally designed as a pebble bow), or else a standard Chinese bow from which the siyahs have been removed.

(The Tibetans and western Mongolians think that the siyahs on old Chinese bows are unnecessary and slow the bow down. They sometimes saw them off!

)

yidegang · Post by **yidegang** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:38 am

Szaby,
The bow should be Chinese traditional horn bow or Qing bow, but arther rebuilded these bow for shooting. see those photos. the archer said that those bows were about 100 years history. I try to draw eary bow but I do not draw enough.
at this village there are many other archers, but I have not time to visit them and do not know their bow.

Bede,
I think so, the influence of Olympic archery practice is here too. today
at Balin youqi Nadamu shooting compete there are tow groups including traditon bow and morden bow.

Fox,
congeretulate you have time to visit some family members in inner mongolia.
You know now archer are used to use morden bow at Huhhot or Baotou Nadamu. I look for many place and only find 10's archers at Chifeng still use tradition bow. so if you want to compete with tradition group, it is better for go to Balin youqi. Now there is a line train from Huhhot to Balin youqi.

Best to all
Yi

bustedarrow · Post by **bustedarrow** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 5:37 pm

although In one of the pictures it apears that the man is useing a 2 figure draw. But the mongonlians are known to shoot off the left hand side of the bow with a thumb release. So who do they keep the arrow from falling off their hand at full draw. Matt

robno · Post by **robno** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 12:32 am

I have, in fact, seen more examples of thumbdraw with arrow inner than I have the opposite when it comes to mongolian archers. Including but not limited to the example of mongolian technique on ATARN's main page and most pictures from archery at Naadam when googled.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:51 am

Pictures from the 1960s and earlier show the arrow on the outside of the bow exclusively. In some cases a ring with a spike was used to hold the arrow against the bow. It was similar to the leather ones I have seen in old Korean photographs.

Modern Mongolian archery is not static nor is it uniform. I believe the major advantage for using the arrow on the draw hand side of the bow is found when you are on horseback or shooting rapidly. Neither of these conditions is common any more.

MJuingong · Post by **MJuingong** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 3:14 am

In the photo of 3 bows, what is the projection out of the grip wrap?

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:33 am

"In the photo of 3 bows, what is the projection out of the grip wrap?"

Sighting device.

Mongolia archery

Mongolia archery

Visit of Nei Mongu this summer