Hunting weapon. From the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century Blackmore Howard L.

Japanese bows

Japanese bows

Japanese culture developed under strong Chinese influence. Intensive cultural and trade ties between the two countries began to take shape during the Tang Dynasty (618-906 AD), which brought peace and prosperity to the country, and could not but affect the construction various kinds weapons. Yes, the ancients Japanese swords there is a clear similarity with products from Northern China and Korea. A poem by the Japanese Empress Suiko (593-629 AD) praised "jewellery from Hega province, as for sabers, good blades from Kure (China) were the best!". Numerous stories about the exploits of Chinese archers have been preserved in Japanese folklore. They shot down geese flying above the clouds, aiming only at the cry of a bird.

Most ancient Japanese compound bows are similar in design to Chinese designs. The Imperial Treasury in Tokyo holds a pair of huge silver timpani dated March 8, 767 and covered with engraved images of mounted archers hunting boar and deer. They use compound bows with long "ears" of a distinctly Asian type.

In some collections, there are several solid longbows made of catalpa or zuki wood dating from the same period. On some bows, traces of binding have been preserved. In 764, the vault contained about a hundred bows made of euonymus and other wood species.

As the influence of the Tang Dynasty waned, the Japanese began to strive for originality in the manufacture of almost all types of weapons, until they finally focused on long, thin bows made of bamboo. Mongol invasion 1274-1281 led to the more powerful and shorter compound bows that existed on the continent, and in subsequent times the Japanese continued to make bows of this type.

Archery training was considered an obligatory part of the education of a member of the nobility, first of all, they trained shooting skills from a moving horse. Even after the spread of handguns, the bow continued to be regarded as the main hunting weapon and was perceived as such until the second half of the 19th century.

Japanese bows differed little in length, but by design they can be divided into five main groups:

maruki - flat wooden bows;

shigetoyumi - bows wrapped in rattan;

bankui - guard bows;

hankui - short bows;

hokoyumi - bows for shooting darts.

The first two varieties are considered typically Japanese, and are long and graceful in shape, 7 to 9 feet (2 to 2.7 m) long (Fig. 58). Usually their width reached 1 inch, they had a circular cross-section along the entire length and were hardly decorated. Shigetoyumi, or compound bows, were made from slats of some deciduous tree (mulberry, sumac, or cherry) reinforced with strips of bamboo, the bark forming outside. Such a three-layer bow was strengthened with a winding of rattan rings. Like the sword, the bow had its own name and was the subject of a special cult.

When the bowstring was pulled, the bow acquired a slight curvature. TO distinctive features It is precisely the Japanese bow that can also be attributed to the position of the grip, which was not located in the middle, but about a third of the length of the bow from below, thus adapting to the undersized Japanese archer who fired from the back of a horse or from his knees. Above the grip was one of the rattan rings (nigiri), which was used as an aiming device.

The bankui bow was about half the size and was used primarily for shooting from the back of a horse. The same group included hankui, or ceremonial bows for guards, which mainly had a decorative rather than a practical use.

The most complex design was the hokoyumi, which was an improved version of the ancient Chinese compound bow. Often it was reinforced with metal plates. It was fired with small darts (yumiyari) about 3-4 inches long. To prevent the bowstring from jumping off when fired, special notches with horn overlays were made at the ends.

Since longbows were easily drawn to the ear, which was in keeping with the Japanese tradition, Japanese arrows were much longer than European ones and had large tips that looked little different from the tips of darts.

Perhaps there is a certain amount of truth in the stories of the giant archer Tamitomo (1139-1170) who used a bow 8 feet 9 inches long (over 2.5 m). It is said that he sank when he plunged into a small boat with only one heavy arrow. Japanese arrowheads (yanone) made of metal came in an incredible variety of shapes and sizes (Fig. 59), and yet they can be grouped into four main classes.

Togari-ya - in this class of arrowheads, a wide variety of shapes are noted from long pointed peaked heads to wide flat heart-shaped ones. Most of them were carved.

Yanagi-ha - the most common form of arrowheads, a rough copy of a willow leaf, shapes and proportions varied significantly, the length varied from 3 /4 inches to 2.5 inches.

Karimata - a head similar to the European type with forked, sharply sharpened teeth. The width ranged from 1 to 6 inches.

Watakushi is a lanceolate head with reverse teeth. The literal translation of the name is “tearing flesh”, because this head could inflict a severe wound.

Rice. 58. Japanese archer. After an engraving by Morikuni (1729). Note the longbow, which turns in the hand so that the rope rests on the back of the wrist.

Within the listed four types there were many variants that had their own names. Thus, among the togari-ya, an arrowhead called rinzetsu (dragon tongue) is noted. We also note the omodake (water plantain), which caused severe injuries. Large arrowheads were covered with exquisite patterns and poetic lines. Obviously, they were intended as offerings.

We do not describe kabura-ya, thick-headed wooden arrows with holes that whistled in flight, as they were not used for hunting. At the same time, let's pay attention to kihoko - a flattened wooden head used in hunting dogs (inuoi) - a disgusting entertainment introduced in the 12th century. Emperor You. During the hunt, the dog was released into the fenced area, where it became a target for horse hunters moving along the perimeter.

To accommodate such a variety of types of arrows, a huge number of varieties of quivers were developed, many of them distinguished by their elegant finishes and were intended for officials, guards and parades. A hunting quiver (kari-yebira) was a box woven from thin bamboo, stuffed with arrows. For greater strength, the bamboo base was sheathed with wooden planks. Another type of hunting quiver, depicted in numerous portraits of hunters, is utsobu, a cylindrical box covered on the outside with fur or leather with a hole in the front at the bottom. One of the shortest Japanese bows was made from whale bone and was only 2-3 feet long, often carried in an open lacquered rimanka case along with arrows.

Note that Japanese archery techniques were very different from Chinese ones. The bow had to be held lightly, "as if afraid to break an imaginary egg", so that after the shot it swayed strongly, and the bowstring could quite noticeably hit the left hand from the back.

Japanese archers were constantly on the lookout for perfect shooting and delicate bow handling, which was reflected in the shooting instructions, which stated the following: “The bow must never know when the arrow will be fired ... the archer himself should not know when the arrow will fly ... such a shot is said to cause only a long sound behind it ... an arrow moves as easily as breathing, and really seems alive.

Rice. 59. Japanese arrows. Upper row: two fork-shaped heads (karimata), heart-shaped spear heads (togari-ya). Bottom row: two willow leaf heads (yanagi-ha), three-pronged (watakushi), thickened head (kihoko)

The Japanese also used the Mongolian method of launching an arrow, when the ring for thumb was replaced by a kind of shooting gauntlet (yugake) with a padded corrugated thumb. For more formal occasions, special armlets (yugote) and chest armor (tomo) were used. Despite their large size, Japanese longbows cannot match the power of the shorter compound bows, as they could not be fired further than 200 yards.

This text is an introductory piece.

An archer dressed as a samurai warrior shoots a target with a bow at Sumida Park in Tokyo

The art of archery in medieval Japan was known under the general term shagei ("the art of archery"), although nowadays it is more commonly known as kyu-jutsu ("the art or technique of the bow") or kyu-do ("the way of the bow" ). For the medieval Japanese warrior, the meaning of the words "war" and "bow and arrow" (yumi-ya) were synonymous. People spoke of the god of war Hachiman as yumi-ya-no-hachiman; the left hand in Japanese is yunde (yumi-no-te - "the hand in which the bow is held"). In general, the Japanese have always considered the left hand to be more important than the right. Interestingly, if a person did not have a little finger on his left hand, then it was assumed that he would no longer be able to wield a sword well. Apparently, this is the origin of the custom of cutting off one's own little finger on the left hand as atonement for a serious offense. This tradition has been preserved among the Japanese Yakuza mafia to this day.

A sharp rise in interest in the bow among the ancient Japanese is observed in the second half of the Yamato period (300-710), which was caused by the appearance of horses brought from the continent at the end of the 4th - beginning of the 5th centuries. This caused a revolution in tactics and weaponry. Infantry armed with axes, spears and short swords are being replaced by horsemen with bows and long sword. However, the ite archer, also called yumi-tori ("bow holder") or uma-yumi ("mounted archer"), was indispensably a noble warrior in ancient Japan. The bushi military aristocracy and the kuge court nobility were trained in the use of the bow from childhood. The size of the army in ancient Japan was also measured by the number of bows, that is, the number of noble well-armed horsemen. For comparison - in medieval Europe, the army was calculated by the number of spears, that is, the number of knights whose main weapon was a spear. During the 10th and early 11th centuries, the growing availability of horses led to further changes in combat tactics, which were now largely determined by the ability of warriors to shoot arrows at full gallop, and at the last moment change course to regroup. The ability to wield a bow has become so important that the term kyusen-no-ie has come to mean "family of the samurai", although it literally means "family of the bow and arrow."

Daikyu bow details:

• juhatsu - thinning at the ends of the shoulders of the bow in front of the horns on which the bowstring rests
• kata - shoulder of the bow
• yuzuka - bow handle
• yu-hadzu - the ends of the bow
• otokane - bow horns
• tsuru - string

The ancient yumi bows were simple, that is, they were made from a single piece of wood. However, even then that unique asymmetric shape developed that cannot be found anywhere else in the world: about two thirds of the length of the bow is above the handle, and only one third is below. This allowed the equestrian archer to hold the longbow in an upright position and not touch the horse's neck.

The large daikyū combat bow had an average length of 2.2 m, but some known specimens reached 2.5-2.8 m. lay on the floor, and the other was raised above the ground by about 0.5 m.

Yudame wooden block for bow making

The string of the tsuru bow was made by specialized tsura-sashi makers from plant tissue, usually hemp, Chinese nettle, or silk (silk was typically used for ceremonial bows), and waxed to make the surface hard and smooth. Strings varied greatly in quality, from strong, strong bowstrings for combat bows to soft and flexible strings (kusune) used primarily for sporting and hunting bows. At the ends, the shoulders of the bow (kata) thinned out, forming horns (otokane), to which the bowstring was attached. The horns were sometimes covered with metal; when fired, the string struck them, making a sound often used to give a signal. For example, when the emperor needed water for washing in the morning, three of his servants signaled this by making a ringing sound on their bows.

It was possible to estimate the strength of a bow by counting how many people it takes to pull it. A bow that could only be drawn after being bent by two people was called a sannin-bari. A spare gen string was worn in a quiver or on a special reed or leather tsurumaki reel, often richly decorated. Almost all traditional bows varnished to protect the glued parts from moisture so that they do not weaken. Outside of battle, on the road or during storage, for protection, the bow was placed in a cloth bow tied at the ends. Of course, the composite bows of Asian nomads were also known in Japan, but the Japanese rarely used them. According to this design, only short bows were made. The probable reason for this fact is that the horns and tendons needed for such bows came from the slaughter of cattle, and few cattle were kept, because most of the Japanese were Buddhists and it was disgusting for them to eat meat and generally touch anything, which comes from dead animals.

Like most Asians, the Japanese pulled back the string with their thumbs. right hand, keeping it bent under the boom; index and middle fingers rested on the nail of the thumb. This requires the arrow to be on the right side of the bow from the archer's point of view, rather than on the left side as when drawing the string with the index and middle fingers. Unlike the Chinese, the Japanese apparently did not use rings made of stone or ivory to protect their thumbs, instead they wore leather glove yugake. Gloves worn during training often covered only the index and middle fingers, and had an enlarged thumb reinforced with cornea or skin where it meets the bowstring. During the fight, when such a glove would interfere with the handling of a sword or even arrows, a pair of more ordinary gloves was worn, again reinforced, but only with a small piece of a second layer of leather with inside right thumb. The two middle fingers of the glove, the middle and ring fingers, often for some reason differed in color from the others.

Yugake gloves. Edo period

In order to draw the string, the archer raised the bow above his head so as not to hit the horse, then, lowering the bow, he spread both arms so that in the end the left arm was extended straight, and the right hand was near the ear. Another style, used by foot soldiers, was reminiscent of European style - when the bowstring began, the bow was held horizontally at waist level.

Actions of the rider in archery

Actions of an infantryman during archery

The angle of effective archery of a rider in armor o-yoroi

There were also various variants of the short bow in Japan, known under the general term ko-yumi or shoku ("small bow"). The most widespread of the short bows was the hankyu. It was a complex symmetrical bow, 50-90 cm long, made using wood, whalebone and tendons. Hankyu probably comes from the Korean bow, which in turn is a variation of the Mongolian bow. Despite its modest size, it provided a high initial speed of the arrow and was a very effective weapon on close range. Hankyu, along with small arrows (approximately equal in length to the length of a bow), was usually stored in a lacquered leather case. For their small size and high efficiency, hankyu was also loved by spies-saboteurs of shinobi. Kago-hankyu was often taken on the road by daimyos, as he allowed them to shoot without leaving the palanquin.

Contrary to popular belief, the Japanese knew and used the crossbow, although it was not widely used. The Japanese first got acquainted with the crossbow in 618, when the Korean state of Goguryeo handed over to Japan two Chinese captives and several samples of new weapons. By 672, crossbows were already actively used in military operations. In the 860s, the Japanese government, fearing a possible invasion from the Korean state of Silla, ordered to supply crossbows to a number of strategic posts on the coast, where the enemy's landing was most likely. In 894, crossbows were used in a naval battle between the Korean and Japanese fleets. The Japanese also used a crossbow that fired stones.

Ishiumi crossbows. Designed for shooting stones

doku shop crossbow

The options for both shooting arrows (bolts) and shooting stones were very compact: the span of the bow, as well as the length of the bed, was about 60 cm. The bed was finished with bone or whalebone and often richly decorated. It is very rare to find examples of a doku shop crossbow, probably copied from Chinese models. An interesting camouflaged weapon is the crossbow fan. When folded, it was an ordinary fan, and when it was opened, the bowstring was pulled and a shot was fired. Of course, such a crossbow did not differ in range, but it had an element of surprise.

Ya arrows were made by ya-khaki arrow makers. The jagar shaft was usually made of bamboo. It was cut in November or December when the bamboo was in at its best, and for the manufacture of the shaft, the bark and growths were cleaned from it. An eyelet for the bowstring was cut just above one of the growths, for strength at the end remote from the root of the growing plant. Thus, the shaft narrowed somewhat from the tip to the heel of the arrow. Each shaft was softened in hot sand and then painstakingly straightened using a serrated stick as a lever. On the best sets of arrows from the Edo period (1603-1868), you can see that the shafts were sorted so that the growths were at the same level when the arrows were placed in the quiver. Above the heel and under the arrowhead, the arrows were trimmed with cloth or thread, varnished on top to prevent splitting of the shaft at these vulnerable points, and in many cases the master's signature was put on the winding of the heel of the arrow with red varnish.

Details of the arrow "I":

• kutsumaki - winding the shaft of an arrow under the tip
• i-hadzu - an eye for a bowstring
• jagara - shaft
• i-but-ne - tip
• yabane - plumage
• i-saki - point

All types of feathers were used in the plumage, but for the most part they were feathers of eagles, hawks, cranes and pheasants.

The arrowheads of the ya-no-ne (or yajiri) were made by special blacksmiths. Sometimes the latter put their signature either on the blade itself, or in the smallest hieroglyphs on the shank.

The tips were of a wide variety of shapes, sizes and were made of various materials depending on the purpose. Arrows with bone or horn tips were called tsunogi and were used for hunting. The tips of the combat arrows, of course, were steel. Many arrowheads were of enormous size and often with many openwork decorations; obviously, they were not intended for shooting, but were used in various ceremonies.

Hikime whistling arrowheads of kabura-ya. Arrows with such tips made a whistling sound and were used for signaling in battle and yabusame equestrian competitions.

In addition to combat arrows, each samurai wore one “ancestral arrow” in his quiver with his name indicated. It was not intended for combat - this arrow was used to recognize the dead after the battle. Arrows were carried in quivers attached to the side or behind the back. The whole variety of quivers - military, hunting and decorative - can be divided into two groups: open and closed. In the first, the arrows were separated from one another; in this way their feathers were preserved and the shooter could use them at any time. These open quivers could hold up to 50 arrows, although there were usually 24.

Ebir quiver. A reel for a spare bowstring (tsurumaki) is spun to it.

Open, richly decorated heikoroku quivers were worn by the zuijin palace guards; in them the arrows were lined up behind the back like a peacock's tail.

In closed quivers, the arrows were reliably protected from the vagaries of the weather, but they were very inconvenient when it was necessary to quickly shoot one arrow after another. However, although the feathers could be somewhat dented if the arrows were not securely fastened inside, closed quivers were still preferred by horse archers, because they better protected the arrows when riding fast (often over rough terrain) in any, even the worst weather.

Yazutsu quivers

Three utsubo quivers

Location of arrows in utsubo quiver

Boxes for arrows ya-bako and stands for bows and arrows (chado-kake) always stood in prominent places in the house of a noble bushi.

Horse archery contests were especially admired by pampered courtiers throughout the Heian period (794-1185). Riding horse training was more aristocratic in both nature and tradition. This art required good coordination in the management of a galloping horse and the simultaneous release of arrows one after another at a variety of targets, which could be either stationary or moving. Among the popular forms of archery were: three-target shooting, bamboo hat target shooting, dog shooting, dog hunting, bird hunting, and big deer, bear hunting.

Inuoumono competition. Image on a screen from the Edo period.

Shooting at dogs consisted in letting dogs into a fenced area and then driving them in a circle, shooting at them from a horse. 36 horse archers were divided into three groups of 12 horsemen each. Each group in turn was allowed to enter the circle, where 50 dogs for each group were then launched. The disgust that arose from this senseless slaughter, deepened by the spread of Buddhism in Japanese society, led to edicts according to which archers in this dog shooting were to use non-lethal arrows with large wooden round tips, while dogs were to wear special armor on soft lining. In this modified form, with only occasional minor deviations, training and competition continued for centuries.

Japanese archers were distinguished not only by accuracy, but also by their rate of fire and endurance. It is known that in 1686, a certain Wada Daihachi sent 8133 arrows from one end of the Sanjusangen-do (Hall of 33 pillars and arches) to the other in 24 hours of continuous shooting from sunset to sunset. The rate of fire averaged 5 arrows per minute. However, in 1852 this record was broken. Tsuruta Masatoki in the same hall fired 10,050 arrows in 20 hours of continuous shooting, of which 5383 hit the center of the target, and the average rate of fire was 9 arrows per minute. Archery is still practiced in Japan today. The highly ritualized art of kyudo archery is practiced in many schools and universities. It is believed that it develops coordination, endurance and educates character. On September 15-16 of each year, horseback archery competitions are held in the city of Kamakura.

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Good, beaver in the house! Today you will read about another deadly weapon of the samurai. We will also find out the difference between Japanese and English bows. Let's get started!

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Definition

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The Japanese longbow, or daikyū (longbow), or simply yumi (bow) is a bow over two meters long, distinguished from others by its arch, hilt and arrows. Yumi can be used when shooting from the knee, while standing, as well as when shooting from a horse, which distinguishes it from other types.

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Daikyu is inextricably linked with the history of Japan - it has been used on the battlefield for thousands of years, and even now it is an important attribute of Japanese culture. It was the bow that was the main weapon of the samurai until the katana and firearms came to replace it. But even after that, the bow was popular. Yumi can still be seen in ceremonies and religious rituals of the Japanese to this day.

Creation

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The Japanese bow is usually made from the best materials, and the price of such a weapon is not small. Therefore, there are cheaper analogues made of glass and carbon fiber. In the manufacture of expensive yume, leather, bamboo and wood are used, and the technology itself has not changed for centuries. In winter, when bamboo is the driest, the yumi maker searches the bamboo grove for the perfect tree. Even in a grove full of dry trees, it is very difficult to find the right one. Only one bow can be made from one bamboo, but the distance between the nodes must be correct and there must be no scratches or other damage on it. After it is cut into strips and taken to dry in a special smoking chamber. Bamboo will lie there for 6 months.

After drying, since all the pieces are different, the master needs to calculate what their thickness will be for the necessary flexibility. Every millimeter matters. After the three parts are ready, the future bow is glued and tied with a rope and small pieces of bamboo are inserted under it - they will hold the yume when bending.

Until the glue hardens, the master begins to bend the bow, at first not much, but then more and more confidently - this is how the bow takes on an asymmetric shape. Top part the bow is twice the size of the bottom, which is why the yumi is kept at a distance of two-thirds from the top. The master makes the handle in the lower third of the bow, since the recoil after the shot is stronger in the middle. The position of the handle in the lower third enhances the power of the bow.

The master bends the future bow

After the daikyu has taken the desired shape and is ready to install the bowstring, the master tucks the bow into a special machine and clings to the ends of the bowstring cable, which is called “tsuru”. Immediately after that, the master takes Yumi in his hands, trying to understand if the bow was a success. If between the top and lower parts there is a balance, then good bow if not, then bad.

Fighting technique

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The Japanese bow was used only by the samurai class. Not everyone could become a master at yumi shooting. Due to its unique shape, this weapon is more powerful than other bows, but even so, the samurai increased the power of the daikyus. Japanese archers have a technique called "tsunome". When fired, the shooter's hand is deflected at the last moment so that the arrow flies straight out of the bowstring. This gave the arrow speed, power, increased accuracy, and also reduced vibrations.

The daikyū is drawn differently than other bows. The string is pulled with the tip of the thumb to or behind the ear. The arrow of the Japanese bow passes over the thumb of the right hand, this stabilizes and improves accuracy.

Yumi was used everywhere: in the defense of castles, in naval battles, and in attacks. This deadly weapon made it easy to shoot at different sides. Wealthy samurai were mounted archers and could easily fight back spearmen. To defeat the rider with yumi, it was necessary to kill his horse. The samurai were poorer foot archers, in battle they became two ranks - while one rank was reloading, the other fired, diverting attention to themselves. The daikyū could also be used as a spear or before the battle of the fearsome Japanese warriors.

Two samurai of equal status came out from two opposite sides, they fired arrows at each other. If one side was intimidated by the skill of a warrior, then she could surrender.

Usage in modern times

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In the twenty-first century, there are only two schools left in Japan that teach yumi shooting, the Ogasawara School and the Kyudo School. At Ogsawar, they are taught in the tradition that the samurai once trained in - in some training, students wear armor that weighs 20 kilograms. This school trains mainly for shooting from the saddle. In Kyudo, archery is more viewed as martial arts. In this school, they do not teach how to hit the target, but concentration and control of movement. Students eventually learn when to let go of the string to hit the target.

Temple Cleansing Ritual with Yumi

These schools hold ceremonies where the participants can show their abilities. For example, Yabusame is a special ceremony that includes the exorcism of evil spirits, divination, religious rituals, and archery from horseback.

Rider at the Yabusame Festival

Comparison of Yumi and English longbow

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These two bows are very different, let's compare them. Let's start with the differences. The most obvious are the shape of the curve, the shooting technique and the arrows. The bend of the yumi is asymmetrical, and the longbow (see picture) is classic. The English bow is pulled with three fingers - index, middle and ring fingers - to the cheek or corner of the lips. The shooters were mostly peasants, since the bow could be made quite easily. Yumi was stretched with the tip of his thumb to the ear and further, and the samurai used it.

English longbow

The speed of the arrow at the same tension will be equal. Yume has longer arrows, so if the arrows were the same, the speed of the arrow fired from the longbow would be slower.

The penetrating ability of the English bow is slightly better. Yume arrows are not designed to pierce chain mail. When shooting at an iron plate, the result of both bows will be the same. But when shooting at a ballistic gel, the density of which is equal to the density human body, the leaders will be daikyū.

Heavy yumi were commonly used in naval battles. Huge arrows hit enemy boats. This bow has a two thousand year history. Currently, it is used for kyudo and various rituals.

Yumi Features

The traditional Japanese bow is made from wood, bamboo and leather. Modern analogues are made of carbon and fiberglass. The Japanese bow is an asymmetric weapon. According to one version, this form is more convenient for shooting from a horse. Yumi can also be fired from the knee and standing.

archery technique

The peculiarity of the Japanese bow is that the shooter uses longer arrows by pulling the string by the ear. In this case, the arrow is held motionless with one hand, and the other pulls the bowstring with a bow. The European technique involves pulling the arrow with the hand in which the archer holds the arrow. The rider lifted the Japanese Yumi bow up and turned it vertically.

Foot soldiers during the campaign held the bow on the side. When firing, yumi was also raised and turned around. The capture of the arrow was carried out with the help of a special bone ring. Sometimes gloves with leather overlays were used instead. After the shot, the bow rotated freely in the hand. This technique is the least traumatic, but requires long workouts. Arrowheads are hollow. Therefore, when flying, they emit a characteristic whistle. It is believed that in this way the shooter scares away evil spirits and frightens his enemies. The whistle of an arrow was also a signal for the start of the battle.

Archers and their weapons

Japanese archers were distinguished by endurance and rate of fire. An experienced master hits a target from a distance. The bowstring for yumi was made from hemp. Modern archers prefer various synthetic materials to it. The bowstring is not changed until it breaks. The place where the arrow comes into contact with the bowstring is reinforced with a thread with glue.

Attitude towards yumi

People who practice kyudo (the Japanese art of archery) believe that yumi contains a part of the soul of the master who made it. Therefore, he is treated as a living person, protected from heat and cold. The bow must not be touched without the permission of its owner. Also, you can not step over a bow lying on the ground. Yumi needs to be stored in a room with a certain humidity so that it does not lose its shape. In this case, you can adjust the shape of the bow by tightening and loosening the bowstring. Also, special devices are used for this. With proper care, a yumi can serve its owner for several decades.

The art of archery

Kyudo is considered a traditional martial art. In the middle of the twentieth century, it was transformed into a sport. Kyudo appeared during the Mongol invasion of Japan. Then the first shooting schools began to be created. Much attention was paid to the education of the spiritual personality of a warrior. Therefore, kyudo for the Japanese is also a way of life. This art was greatly influenced by Zen Buddhism.

Shooting from a Japanese bow has become a special ritual. It differs significantly from traditional European technology. When shooting, most of the bow is under the palm holding it. The target's diameter is 36 cm. The distance to it is 28 m. The master must follow all the forms and rules of kyudo. This is much more important than hitting the target with an arrow. In Japan, this martial art is practiced by 500 thousand people. This state has been called the Country of Long Bows since ancient times.

Shooting was taught from childhood. The future archer held a heavy staff in his outstretched hand, gradually increasing the time. Yumi was made from cheap natural materials. Therefore, the Japanese longbow was the most affordable weapon.

Use in combat

Yumi is irreplaceable in any natural conditions. It was used in naval battles, for the defense of coasts, mountain ranges, forest ambushes. An experienced archer on horseback easily coped with a group of foot soldiers. The convenient shape of the bow allowed him to shoot in any direction, sharply turning the body. Such an occupation was common for noble samurai. To neutralize the war with a bow, it was necessary to kill his horse. Less wealthy Japanese became foot archers. They were used to storm castles and other fortifications. Wars lined up in several rows. Each line fired arrows in turn while the other archers prepared. This made it possible to bring down a continuous hail of arrows on the enemy. With the invention of muskets, the efficiency of using mounted archers became minimal. But the samurai did not stop practicing this art. Huge shooting ranges were created in their residences, where competitions were held. Yumi was also used for hunting. The killing of a deer by a mounted archer was a rare event. In this case, a messenger was sent to the samurai family with a message.

Tournaments

The best archers were recruited to guard the shoguns and the emperor's palace guards. Tournaments were held among them, at which not only the accuracy of the shooter was evaluated, but also his speed and endurance. Archer Wadi Deihati in 1686 fired 8 thousand arrows per day, each of which hit the target. Only 150 years later, another shooter, Masatoki, repeated his achievement. Japanese women used small bows - ajusa-yumi.

Hanku, ekyu, eco-yumi, daikyū are the names of combat types of bows. Tabi-yumi is a folding bow. Ko-yumi is a ninja bow. Each kind of samurai used arrows with a special shape of the tips. By finishing the quivers it was possible to determine the rank of a warrior. Kyujuzu was originally considered the art of archery. Its main goal was to increase the physical endurance and psychological stability of the war. Kyujuzu masters defended the borders of the coast from the Mongol invasion. Gradually, the martial art turned into a system for the spiritual development of kyudo.

materials

The bow was made from Japanese yew and reinforced with bamboo plates. All parts of the onion were smeared with fish glue and pulled together. Then the product was covered with hemp threads and varnished. The bows of the generals were wrapped along the entire length. The string was made separately by special craftsmen. After all, it was considered the most important part of the weapon. Animal tendons, leather, silk and other materials were used for its manufacture. The bowstring was also wrapped with thread. While pulling the bowstring on the bow, the master clamped an additional loop on it in his teeth. Onions were stored in a special case made of leather or fabric. A wooden case with a spare bowstring wound on a special coil was attached to the war quiver. Arrows were made from strong and light woods. Some arrows were glued together from four fragments and wrapped with palm bast. Then the arrow was dried, checked and balanced with the help of plumage. The feathers of the owl and eagle were most often used. On the back of the arrow, a notch was made for the bowstring.

The tips were made of stone, animal horns. Then they were changed to bronze and iron. The tips were driven into the arrow and fixed with a winding. Their form depended on the destination. There were "generic" tips. They featured the family coat of arms. Such arrows remained in the quiver and were not used in battle. They were used to identify the samurai in case of death. Quivers were of two types - open and closed. In the first, the arrows were separated from each other by partitions. So their plumage was not damaged. The arrow could be easily removed from the quiver. Special cords kept them from falling out. Closed quivers securely held arrows and protected them from rain. They were fastened on the back or belt of the warrior with two leather belts. The bow and quiver were kept in the house on special stands. Usually the length of the arrow did not exceed 1 m, the average diameter was 14 mm, and the weight was 80 g.

Left hand

Warriors considered their left hand, in which they held a bow and sword, more necessary than their right. A samurai who injured his left limb was considered useless in battle. The Japanese yakuza retained the custom of cutting off their finger on their left hand in recognition of their guilt. Until now, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun respect archers and the Japanese bow. Photos with arrows are loved by tourists traveling around this country.

Some terms

Inounomo is an exercise in which a mounted archer fires blunt arrows at dogs. At the same time, the space was limited by ropes. Kasagake is another exercise. Mounted arrows had to overcome a certain distance and hit the target.

Yabusame is a special ceremony that includes exorcism, divination and archery. At its beginning, one of the shooters shoots an arrow into the sky as a sign of eternal peace.