THE OPPOSING TARGETS

I have attempted to recreate an ancient method of archery practice, based on a text from the manuscript, 'Arab Archery'. 

This is the first step towards mastering shooting from all directions on horseback. It begins on foot, shooting at targets ahead, behind and either side of you without moving your legs. From there the archer moves on to shooting on horseback while stationary, then while galloping, and finally while charging.

Just this first stage was remarkably difficult, even at this short distance (ten yards) particularly when shooting to the right. I would surmise that the anchor point would have been the breast, as it seems impossible to use the face as an anchor point when shooting to the right without moving one's legs. Shooting ahead was also difficult. Surprisingly, shooting behind was not has hard as I imagined.

The greatest difficulty I encountered was shooting with a thumb ring with my arrows in the draw hand (as the text suggests). Shooting with arrows in the bow hand was considerably easier.

DABBLING IN YOUTUBE

Filming myself shooting often is helpful for recognising where I am going wrong with my form. I was not thinking of making a Youtube video, but in a few moments of boredom and curiosity, I thought I'd try my hand at it with what terrible footage I had at hand in my phone. 

YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!

The problem with taking up traditional archery is that every other archer - traditional and modern - becomes your coach, whether you ask for their advice or not. In a way, this is understandable: archery schools do not teach you how to shoot traditional bows, and all the instruction is based on shooting a modern recurve or compound bow. While the same principles apply to all archery, traditional shooting is more free and simple, but considerably harder, and so there is no end to all the tips and advice you will receive. Every traditional archer fundamentally is self-taught. Through experimentation, practice and experience, you learn what works for you and what doesn't. It really is that simple.

Matters become worse for archers who, like me, are intrigued by Eastern bows and techniques. A coach at one of my clubs was giving me some stern looks because of my unconventional (for Western archery) method of shooting. I started worrying that I would be ejected from the shooting range. When eyes are keenly watching you for errors and bad form when you are just trying to enjoy your archery while working out the best method for shooting a horse bow, it really sucks the enjoyment out of the sport.

Mongolian method: thumb draw with
the arrow placed on the outside of the bow

This brings me to the subject of bows and styles and why we use them. I have been on the receiving end of ridicule for my choice of bow: "Why are you shooting that without a horse?", "Where is your thumb ring?" Why are you placing the arrow on that side of the bow?" etc. etc. I do not expect all archers to be clued up on every style and method of archery, but it would be nice if people considered that I might actually know a thing or two about the form of archery I prefer. Most horse bows, in fact, are simply bows that were used in Eastern Europe and the Far East. Ancient archers from those parts of the world did not have one bow for horses and another for being on foot. They were simply the bows which were used in general - for warfare, hunting, and target practice. So no, I don't actually need a horse to justify the use of a horse bow. I now prefer not to use the term "horse bow" at all. I think "Mongolian", "Chinese", "Hungarian", "Scythian" etc. would be more accurate definitions. In fact, I seriously doubt any Eastern archers ever referred to their bows as "horse bows". Perhaps it is a term Westerners came up with to distinguish Eastern bows from their own.

Chinese method: the thumb draw with the
arrow placed on the inside of the bow

Moreover, there is more than one "traditional" method of shooting. The Mongolian style is not the same as the Japanese, and the Japanese is not the same as the Korean. Even within these traditions, there are variations. Alas, most people now glean their knowledge from Youtube videos, online articles and raging comments on social media, and then regurgitate them with remarkable confidence without ever having experimented themselves with the styles, tips and information they have picked up. For example, I have been told quite strongly that the arrow must be placed on the inside of the bow when using the thumb draw, as it causes the arrow to flex in the opposite direction to the Western draw on release. Not only did I not experience this when practicing, I later learned that many Mongolian archers use the thumb draw with the arrow on the outside of the bow. There may be more to it than I realise, but based on my own experience, that is a pearl of wisdom I may as well throw to the pigs.

Then there is the purpose of the bows and styles to consider. Here the objections of modern archers have a little more substance. Eastern bows, like English longbows, were not invented with the purpose of hitting a bullseye in mind. Bows were designed to kill, and no one really cared which part of the skin or hide on a rib cage you managed to pierce, or how good your grouping was on any given corpse on the battle field. It is indeed much harder to acquire consistent accuracy on a target face with such weapons than it is with their modern counterparts. But unless you are a lunatic who is preparing for a zombie apocalypse or hoping your skills with a bow will come in useful for killing living beings, shooting at inanimate objects is the only kind of archery you will ever do, and acquiring accuracy and consistency is the only real indication of improvement. So, there is something to be said of using bows which will help you be as accurate as possible. Notwithstanding that objection, there is more to archery than hitting one's target: there is the enjoyment, aesthetics, history and meditation of the art to consider. In my opinion - and this is an experience shared by many a traditional archer - the simpler the archery, the more enjoyable it is as an activity. 

There are many types of bow, many styles and traditions, and many "correct" ways of doing things. But I would dare to say that there is one very incorrect way of doing archery: if you are not enjoying yourself, you are definitely doing it wrong.

SHOOTING WITH A THUMB RING AND THE KAYA GLOVE

Finally, I got to put my thumb ring to the test, as well as my Kaya shooting glove. Here is my comparison of these two acquisitions for those interested in using the thumb draw, or Eastern-style release.

Before the comparison begins, a little information about what I was shooting with. My bow was a Mongolian horse bow which pulls 45 ibs at 28 inches. My arrows were 125 grain 31 inch Japanese bamboo arrows suited to bows between 45 and 70 ibs.

The Kaya shooting glove KTB from Merlin Archery

I began shooting with the Kaya shooting glove from Merlin Archery. It is a comfortable leather glove, and the leather tab which is added to the thumb sleeve makes it easy to pull even a 45 ib bow to full draw repeatedly. It was easy to keep the arrow in place and there was no strain or friction on the thumb after more than an hour of shooting.

My consistency was terrible, but I think that is far more to do with the idiot behind the bow than it has to do with the glove.

Thumb ring from Longbowmaker (Amazon)

I then put the glove away and donned my thumb ring, procured from Longbowmaker via Amazon. 

It was harder to keep the arrow in place due to the smoothness of the ring providing little grip, but my consistency was radically improved! Clearly, the point of the ring is the smooth material removes friction, meaning less torquing of the string, and therefore a cleaner release. However, it made my thumb quite sore. This is what my thumb looked like one hour after shooting only nine arrows.

Furthermore, it became increasingly difficult to keep the arrow secure in place and pull to full draw repeatedly without shaking, and I lost my new-found consistency as quickly as I had discovered it. That being said, I suspect the thumb ring is slightly too tight for my thumb. I can not properly review thumb rings in general until I have one custom-made to test. 

All that being said, the thumb ring from Amazon is considerably cheaper than the Kaya shooting glove from Merlin Archery. However, the Kaya shooting glove provides a great deal of comfortable shooting in return, while shooting with the thumb ring is just untenable for more than a few rounds.

If you want to shoot using the thumb release, I recommend the Kaya shooting glove, but if it is possible to get hold of an archer's ring that is just right for your thumb and will enable you to pull the bow you want to shoot time and again without discomfort, I suspect you will be getting a great deal of accuracy by comparison.

ZEN ARCHERY: IS IT MUMBO JUMBO?

I am not really into Zen archery. I find it a little pretentious. Any attempt to add some lofty, self-important, spiritual purpose to a hobby, sport or activity which is about little more than survival, war or recreation, is likely to provoke a little silent laughter in me. Nonetheless, I do not think it is all nonsense through and through. From the moment I took up archery, I instinctively knew that there was a meditative quality to it. It was because of my interest in this that I discovered that there was such a thing as Kyudo (Japanese for 'the way of the bow'), also known as Zen archery. The good news is whatever form of archery one practices, this meditative quality is accessible. 

While I am unable to understand the hows and whys, I have learned a thing or two about the importance of attitude in archery. Seeing archers more experienced and capable than myself shoot, and hearing those who take the art seriously speak on the matter, has substantiated my own meager experience.

So, here are a few meditative qualities an archer needs to work on, which are also necessary to hone one's skills and develop consistency.

Clear the Mind

A mistake I keep making is rushing. Limited time no doubt plays a part, but I find that it is important to take one's time when setting up his equipment and also before shooting to acquire a measure of calmness. Archery is one of those martial arts/sports that creates calm all by itself, but also which requires one to be calm to do it properly. It is not unsual for me to have to shoot for an hour before acquiring the right frame of mind to start shooting accurately and consistently. While this is partially due to becoming physically accustomed to shooting, much of it involves the mind. A little time clearing the mind (and doing physical warm ups, which too many of us archers forget or can't be bothered to do) is helpful.

Enjoy the shot cycle

 

Sometimes I am too keen to get to the shot, and do not spend enough time on each element of my shot cycle. This cycle should be thought of as one action, from stance to follow through. The more calm and measured one is, the more meditative and relaxing archery becomes. Perhaps one reason speed shooting, which has been popularized and brought to the attention of the masses recently, is frowned upon by some archers is that it contradicts the calm and measured approach which characterizes target archery and even field archery. I think both forms of archery should be respected and enjoyed, but it is important to know the difference.

You are alone

Generally, archery is not a very social sport. I have noticed that even when a club is full of archers, the best ones are silent and behave as though there is no one but him/herself and the target. They do not compare their shooting with other archers, and you will never know when they have made a mistake or a bad shot because they react no differently to when they make a good shot. Too often, in our embarrassment or concern that others are seeing our errors, beginners make a song and dance about the terrible shot or what was wrong, thus trying to demonstrate that they are not normally this bad, or that  they know exactly how to rectify the problem. The best archers seem to be free of such vanity (at least while they are shooting).

You are the target

 

I know it can sound pretentious to hear "The target is yourself" or "You and the target are one", as you do in Kyudo. But it is true in a way. The arrow does not consistently hit its target just because the archer is aiming at it. The beauty (and difficulty) of archery - and this is particularly true of traditional archery (no sights, stabilisers, clickers or other gadgetry) - is that what the archer is trying to master is his own body: the stance, grip, draw, anchor point, release, and so on. Just a fraction of a difference in these translates into wildly different results on the target board. So, in a way, the more one masters his own body, the better an archer he becomes: the one who controls himself the best shoots the best.

Timing and repetition

Another bad habit of mine is reaching for another arrow as soon as my previous one has hit the target. I focus too much on the shooting, seeing all that precedes it as nothing more than preparation for the shot. But really good archery is about the whole shot cycle being one activity enjoyed for its own sake. Of course, there is no denying that archery would be no fun and completely pointless without shooting, and it can be a great deal of fun even when only shooting is the focus. Yet it does not change the fact that the best archers take every element of the art seriously, and see the preparation and shooting as one action and one activity.

End as you began

 

Instead of hastening to put away their equipment and rushing off to the next thing they have planned, many good archers end their sessions the way they begin: in a calm, collected and measured manner. It will make no difference to how you shot that day or how you will shoot next time, but it is indicative of a certain mindset required for archery. In this respect, all archery to an extent shares a characteristic of Kyudo, in which hitting the target is but an indication of the archer's self-mastery and inner peace.

***

All of this suggests that what is true for Zen archery is true for all archery: hitting the target is not the goal, but the result, of archery. It is a form of developing a calm mind impervious to distraction and emotion, a way of practising self-mastery by "way of the bow".

THE HORSE BOW AND THE MONGOLIAN THUMB RELEASE

The XL Scythian horsebow from Merlin Archery

This fine morning I made my first serious attempt at learning the authentic method of using a horse bow: using the Eastern, or Mongolian, thumb release. 

I know that there are many fans of the horse bow who are eager to learn this style of shooting, but who are perplexed by it. I am therefore eager to share my experience of experimenting with this technique and what I have learned so far.

Equipment and distances

First of all, a few details about the equipment I was using. My bow was a Scythian horse bow which pulls 30 - 35 ibs at 28 inches, and with a maximum draw of 32 inches. I used two different sets of arrows, which worked equally well: my Gold Tip Traditional carbon arrows (500 spine, 31 inch length, 100 gram tips and 4 inch feathers), and my XX75 Platinum Plus aluminium arrows (19/16, 29.5 inch length, 3 inch feathers).

Archer's thumb ring

I am still waiting to receive a thumb ring, so I practiced the technique without it, drawing with my thumb around the string and locked into place with my forefinger and middle finger, and releasing by opening my hand and moving the elbow outwards (from what I have observed this is the traditional method of release for horse bows). Fortunately, my Scythian bow is quite easy for me to pull without a thumb ring, though it did become a little strenuous after much repetition.

I practiced the thumb technique from 15 yards and 20 yards, and, to my surprise, the results were very much the same from both distances.

Right or Left Side?

Due to Lars Andersen's viral video on archery, some may be of the opinion that the rapid fire of the horse archers of yore was down to placing the arrow on the right side of the bow (for left-handed archers, it would be the left side). Lars Andersen's video demonstrates that it is possible to shoot this way, but when I tried it (both with the bow canted and with the bow upright) the arrow, rather than flex around the bow, flew off to the right and completely missed the target. It seems to me that the arrow needs to be on the left side since it first flexes to the right. It is possible that the choice of wing feather (left or right wing) may have some role to play here, and that not all arrows behave the same way. 

My own meagre experience aside, I have noticed that the most notable horse bow archer, Lajos Kassai, as well as some Eastern archers, do indeed place their arrow on the left, just as Western archers do.

Aiming

The first thing which struck me about using the thumb technique is how far to the left my arrows would fly in comparison to where I was standing and aiming. I had already noticed this pattern with my horse bow when using the Mediterranean release (I assumed it was just down to having the wrong arrows, different to the ones I was now using), but it was more acute when using the thumb release. I continued to adjust my position and aim accordingly, until eventually my arrows would land where I wanted. 

This was most frustrating, and I racked my brains for an answer to this problem, suspecting there was something wrong with my technique, with my bow or with my arrows. I was certain my arrows were not the problem, for they were penetrating the target straight and not at an angle, so I believe they were matched to the bow. On previous occasions when I used the same horse bow with wood arrows not quite suited to my bow and employed the Western method of shooting, the arrows would penetrate from all angles, but mostly with the nocks to the left, suggesting that they were too weak for the power of my bow. 

Example of an Eastern thumb technique

I later ceased trying to imitate the release as demonstrated in the above link, and instead simply opened my thumb and fingers while drawing my hand back a little to avoid inadvertently torquing the string, and the arrows began flying far straighter. Clearly my attempt at the "open arm" release, which I had seen, was torquing the string considerably, making my arrows fly to the left. By simply opening my thumb and forefingers, I was getting a much cleaner release.

Speed and penetration

The second thing I noticed was a marked difference in the speed and penetration of my arrows. I expected the thumb technique to give me a cleaner release, but I was truly surprised by the increased velocity of the arrows. As yet I have no idea why the thumb technique has this effect.

Anchor point and consistency

I then turned my attention to the problem of anchor points. I had observed previously that notable horseback archers, such as the remarkable Lajos Kassai, would shoot from the breast, with no clear anchor point I could detect. I found it very difficult indeed to acquire any consistency with this method. It is a method which makes sense for an archer mounted on a charging horse. For mobility would surely make a normal anchor point very difficult to maintain. 

The thumb release on horseback (Lajos Kassai)

If I had any consistency it was only vertically, with arrows forming a line across the target, but no real grouping. I then decided to make my anchor point (as seemed fitting for the bow and method I was using) the side of my jaw/front of my ear. Once I began using this as my anchor point, some consistency began to form. 

Towards the end of my two-hour session of practice, I was taken aback by the degree of accuracy and consistency in some of my rounds, with three or four arrows very closely grouped together on some occasions. 

This proved to me that however different this weapon and method of shooting to other bows and styles - traditional and modern - it is indeed possible to master consistency and accuracy as well as speed with this remarkable weapon and Eastern style of archery.

A different kind of archery

I realised that I had the horse bow all wrong, and I came to appreciate the Eastern method of archery like never before. I will never shoot a horse bow with Western eyes again. 

Now I can truly enjoy two different styles of archery: the Western style and the Eastern style. Twice the know-how: double the fun!