Japanese bow weapon. Japanese bow - the oldest weapon

KYUDO- archery. Of all those transformed in the middle of the twentieth century. V sports, kyudo to the greatest extent retained its original form.

Kyu-jutsu (Japanese art of archery)

Connoisseurs of Japanese weapons know that Japan has long been called the Land of Longbows. Onions are the oldest japanese weapons , and taking into account the natural conditions of the country - the most profitable. Combat on ships, in hard-to-reach mountain ranges, defense of steep banks, forest ambushes - the bow is everywhere the most important weapon. A horse archer could deal with a group of attacking infantry, or run away from a group of pursuers not armed with bows, while shooting from a roundabout back. Under the rule of the shoguns horse riding and possession of a bow were allowed only to high-born samurai.

At a time when the bow was of military importance, good archers were noted. The best were taken as the guards of the imperial gardens (in fact, the palace guards), or in the personal protection of the shogun.

After the Mongol invasion was repulsed, “marathon tournaments” began to be held among archers, where it was necessary to shoot quickly and for a long time, while maintaining accuracy. Many achievements are noted in the chronicles Japanese archers in these competitions. In 1686, in Kyoto, the archer Wada Deihachi fired 8,000 arrows within 24 hours, hitting the target over and over again at a distance of one hundred meters. In 1852, the archer Masatoki repeated this achievement. Within twenty hours, he fired 10,000 arrows at the target, hitting 8,000 times. The Japanese used bows of various types. Women used small bows Azusa Yumi. compete with bows auzume-yumi, used bows in battle hankyu And yokyu, less often - a bow of the Mongolian type yoko-yumi. Archers-snipers used huge bows daikyū. Used for shooting different types arrows In fact, each major genus used a different tip shape. The manufacture of quivers was a special art; the decoration of the quiver showed the rank of the samurai.

The Mongol invasion showed the Japanese an unusual tactic of using bows - group shooting of mounted archers. Although the typhoon helped to avoid danger, it became clear that it was necessary to think about the defense of the country in the event of a massive invasion. A bet was made on improving the individual skills of horse archers of individual samurai families, when each of the genera was responsible for the defense of its own section of the coast. Warriors who survived fifty days of battle emphasized two aspects of archery: the archer's physical endurance, and his mental toughness. In search of training methods, the eyes turned to. It was necessary to teach the warriors how to quickly draw the bow technically (without any extra effort) and how to shoot without aiming (and, consequently, without shifting the line of fire), because it is almost impossible to aim in a battle. However, over time combat value the bow disappeared. Kyujutsu (art of archery) turned into (the path of archery) - not, but a system of spiritual self-improvement, where the bow and arrows are just a tool for self-knowledge.

Inuoumono

Exercise in archery (kyu: jutsu) from a horse, a sport of bushi. INUOUMONO was shooting dogs with blunt arrows. In the center of the riding arena, a circle with a diameter of about 14.3 m was surrounded by a rope. Inside it, a circle of a smaller diameter stood out ...

Kasagake

In practice KASAGAKE the shooters galloped the horses along a special path towards the target, and from the middle of it they began to shoot arrows at a leather-covered wooden target with a diameter of about 50 cm, installed at a distance of about 15 m away from the path ...

Yabusame

A Shinto ceremony held to scare away evil spirits and divination, and an exercise in archery (kyu: jutsu) from a horse at targets. YABUSAME includes 4 elements: first, the leader of a group of shooters, which can be 7, 10 or 16, shoots an arrow into the sky and into the earth to establish eternal peace between them ...

弓, "bow") is a bow more than two meters long, but unlike other bows, the handle does not divide the bow in half, but in the proportion of one (bottom) to two (top). In modern Japan, used during classes kyudo (jap. 弓道 kyu:do:, "way of the bow"). traditional bows made from puffed bamboo, wood and leather, using technologies that have not changed for centuries, although there are cheaper counterparts made from glass and carbon fiber.

Form

Yumi is an asymmetrical bow, with the hilt approximately one third of the length of the bow from below. There are several hypotheses for the origin of this form. The main hypothesis is that this form is necessary for shooting from a horse with the possibility of free aiming in any direction. According to another hypothesis, this form is needed for shooting from a sitting position. There is also a hypothesis that this form arose at a time before the invention of the composite bow to compensate for differences in the properties of wood at a distance from the root. Without a bowstring, the bow bends in the opposite direction

bowstring

Tsuru (jap. 弦, "string") yumi are traditionally made from hemp, but most modern archers use synthetic bowstrings made from materials such as Kevlar for greater durability. Usually the bowstring is not changed until the very break. The point of contact with the arrow is reinforced with an additional thread with glue, which allows you to protect the bowstring and hold the arrow more securely.

Relation to onions

Serious kyudo practitioners treat the bow with respect as an object of great power, they say that the bow contains part of the soul of the person who made it. The student must never step over a bow lying on the ground, which is considered disrespectful. Typically, onions are treated the way you would like to be treated, such as keeping away from heat or cold, in a dry, but not too dry place. It is also considered disrespectful to touch a bow without the permission of its owner.

Care

Bamboo bow requires careful care. Without this, the bow can lose its shape and become useless. The shape of the bow may change for the worse, and the correction may require the application of pressure through special blanks, or leaving it with a taut bowstring or, conversely, without a bowstring for a while. If the bow has taken an approximately flat shape, then it is left without a bowstring. With excessive arching, the bow is left with a bowstring. With good care, the bow can last for many generations, otherwise its life will be short.

Bow length

The choice of bow depends on the height of the owner.

Height	Arrow length	Recommended Bow
< 150 см	< 85 см	Sansun-zume (212 cm)
150-165 cm	85 - 90 cm	Namisun (221 cm)
165-180 cm	90 - 100 cm	Nisun-nobi (227 cm)
180 - 195 cm	100-105 cm	Youngsun-nobi (233 cm)
195-205 cm	105-110 cm	Rokusun nobi (239 cm)
> 205 cm	> 110 cm	Hassun-nobi (245 cm)

Story

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An excerpt characterizing the Japanese longbow

Did the French leave the left bank?
- As the scouts reported, the last ones crossed on rafts at night.
– Is there enough forage in Krems?
- The forage was not delivered in that quantity ...
The emperor interrupted him.
“At what time was General Schmit killed?”
“Seven o’clock, I think.
- At 7:00. Very sad! Very sad!
The emperor said that he was grateful and bowed. Prince Andrei went out and was immediately surrounded on all sides by courtiers. Affectionate eyes looked at him from all sides and affectionate words were heard. Yesterday's adjutant wing reproached him for not stopping at the palace, and offered him his house. The Minister of War approached him, congratulating him on the Order of Maria Theresa of the 3rd degree, which the Emperor had bestowed on him. The chamberlain of the empress invited him to her majesty. The Archduchess also wanted to see him. He did not know whom to answer, and for a few seconds he collected his thoughts. The Russian envoy took him by the shoulder, led him to the window and began to talk to him.
Contrary to the words of Bilibin, the news brought by him was received joyfully. A thanksgiving service was scheduled. Kutuzov was awarded the Grand Cross by Maria Theresa and the entire army received decorations. Bolkonsky received invitations from all sides and had to make visits to the main dignitaries of Austria all morning. Having finished his visits at five o'clock in the evening, mentally composing a letter to his father about the battle and about his trip to Brunn, Prince Andrei returned home to Bilibin. At the porch of the house occupied by Bilibin, there was a britzka half-stowed with things, and Franz, Bilibin's servant, dragging the suitcase with difficulty, went out the door.
Before going to Bilibin, Prince Andrei went to a bookstore to stock up on books for the campaign and sat up in the shop.
- What's happened? Bolkonsky asked.
- Ah, Erlaucht? said Franz, heaving the suitcase into the britzka with difficulty. – Wir ziehen noch weiter. Der Bosewicht ist schon wieder hinter uns her! [Ah, Your Excellency! We're going even further. The villain is on our heels again.]
- What's happened? What? asked Prince Andrew.
Bilibin went out to meet Bolkonsky. There was excitement on Bilibin's always calm face.
- Non, non, avouez que c "est charmant," he said, "cette histoire du pont de Thabor (bridge in Vienna). Ils l" ont passe sans coup ferir. [No, no, admit that this is a charm, this story with the Taborsky bridge. They crossed it without resistance.]
Prince Andrew did not understand anything.
“But where are you from that you don’t know what all the coachmen in the city already know?”
“I'm from the Archduchess. I didn't hear anything there.
“And didn’t you see that they were stacked everywhere?”
- I didn’t see ... But what’s the matter? Prince Andrew asked impatiently.
- What's the matter? The fact is that the French have crossed the bridge that is defended by Auesperg, and the bridge has not been blown up, so that Murat is now running along the road to Brunn, and today they will be here tomorrow.
- Like here? Why didn't they blow up the bridge when it was mined?
- And I'm asking you. Nobody, not even Bonaparte himself, knows this.
Bolkonsky shrugged.
“But if the bridge is crossed, then the army is dead: it will be cut off,” he said.
"That's the point," answered Bilibin. - Listen. The French are entering Vienna, as I told you. Everything is very good. The next day, that is, yesterday, gentlemen marshals: Murat Lannes and Belliard, sit on horseback and set off for the bridge. (Note that all three are Gascons.) Gentlemen, one says, you know that the Taborsky bridge is mined and contramined, and that in front of him is a formidable tete de pont and fifteen thousand troops who were ordered to blow up the bridge and not let us in. But our sovereign Emperor Napoleon will be pleased if we take this bridge. Let's go three of us and take this bridge. - Let's go, others say; and they set off and take the bridge, cross it, and now, with the whole army on this side of the Danube, they are heading for us, for you, and for your messages.
“It’s enough to joke,” Prince Andrei said sadly and seriously.

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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 bowstring is pulled with the tip thumb to the ear or behind it. The arrow of a Japanese bow passes over the thumb right hand, it 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.

Japan rarely appears in our articles - and pneumatics are not welcome there (except for airsoft), and bows with crossbows have historically not been the most common weapons, mainly due to natural and climatic features, although it seems that there was also a subjective factor .

Kyudo - traditional Japanese archery

Any Japanese knows that the venerable gentlemen in the picture did not gather at all for fishing or, say, a dacha to install a greenhouse frame. Their path lies in a special hall (kyudojo) or on a platform for practicing the martial art of Kyudo (“The Way of the Bow”). Both it itself and the weapon used are sharply out of the canons familiar to most countries.

We have repeatedly addressed the topic of the so-called "Asian" bows, which are most adapted for shooting from a horse - powerful, short recurves, capable of almost being tied in a knot without breaking. They were based on wood, horn and veins. The Japanese, either due to certain historical conditions, or, more realistically, due to natural features, made their bows mainly from bamboo.

It is characteristic that the bow (like the crossbow), due to the peculiar climate, did not receive much distribution on the islands, although every samurai was required to master the art of shooting from it. Including from a horse. The inventive Japanese created their own unique version of long throwing weapons, called wakyu (Japanese 和弓, "Japanese bow"), daikyū (Japanese 大弓, "big bow"), or even just yumi (Japanese 弓, "bow" ). Its design is asymmetrical, the handle is not located in the center, but is shifted about two-thirds down. This is what made it possible, when shooting, not to cling the tip of the lower shoulder to the saddle, knees or the horse itself. Naturally, wakyu were also used on foot.

To this day, this amazing weapon, like Kyudo, is very popular in Japan. And not only there, as evidenced by the video below. The only thing is, it is difficult to say whether the Europeans are able to fully imbue the philosophy of the "Way of the Bow", because these are not just shooting exercises, not so much sports discipline how much a ritual, and extremely formalized. It's like comparing the Japanese "tea ceremony" with our traditional snack on the run and a cup of coffee drunk in one gulp.

Samurai as they are, or rather - were

These pictures were taken between 1860 and 1890. The fact is that just a few years earlier, voluntary self-isolation, known as Sakoku (Japanese 鎖国, literally “country on a chain”), ended in Japan. And there began to receive novelties of scientific and technological progress.

So the samurai - like such serious guys - did not stand aside and accepted the art of photography with childish enthusiasm. And who would refuse - even now Instagram lives and thrives, and sometimes completely stupid selfies flooded the Network.

By the way, the pictures are lovingly hand-painted (yeah, the prototype of the anime). Naturally, most of them are staged, well, where the heroes are in family armor, they are 100 percent.

And now the main thing. In all the photos there are swords, in some places local halberds (naginata, no?), often - yumi. But there are no crossbows on dozens of images, from the word at all.

Why is that? Read about it below.

Japanese crossbows: stepchildren of the Land of the Rising Sun

So, any professional warrior was obliged to own a bow in one way or another, remember "A samurai without yumi is like a samurai with yumi, but only without yumi ...". The crossbow turned out to be in a kind of corral, as evidenced by obvious and not very facts.

First, the number of modifications is extremely small. With the exception of the fortress ballista o-yumi (i.e. "big bow"), this is actually only one model - teppo-yumi. And there are some strange things about her. Look, “teppo” in Japanese means “gun” (this is what the first arquebuses received from Europeans were called). That is, it turns out that the name itself arose after these not so distant events, not earlier than the middle of the 16th century. At this time, Europe, not to mention geographically close China, used crossbows for hundreds and thousands of years.

Although there is evidence that crossbows came to the islands in the form of Chinese gifts as early as 618 AD. t have been used quite actively for several centuries. However, the gradual stabilization of the state led to their almost complete oblivion. On the works of Japanese painting, I could not find a single sample, bows - as many as you like! Therefore, based on historical realities, I will present an image of a Chinese fortress easel crossbow (ballista), moreover, a very unbanal rotten-arm design. I don’t think that the Japanese versions were anything special different from the overseas prototypes.

Secondly, teppo-yumi is a rather primitive, especially for this historical period, construction:

Compare it with the genuine "death machines" of the last legionnaires of the Middle Ages - the Genoese mercenaries:

It seems that teppo-yumi with a stock and a shoulder span of about 60 centimeters did not differ in outstanding shooting characteristics and were not so often used on the battlefields. Maybe some of them worked as ninjas for colleagues from hostile clans or gaping samurai. Yes, even then short distances from an ambush.

Or maybe there was a subjective factor. If in Europe they tried to ban crossbows more than once as a “devil’s weapon”, then why shouldn’t the samurai consider them incompatible with the codes of bushido? That is why the islanders, who adopted so much from the Chinese, reacted to overseas crossbows without enthusiasm.

By the way, about borrowing. It is interesting that, albeit in scanty quantities, almost complete copies existed in Japan:

These shop devices were called "dokyu". In Russian, this is a kind of palindrome (the word is vice versa, like GROM - MORG) from "kyudo" (Way of the Bow). Unfortunately, we do not know how the names of crossbows were written in hieroglyphs, otherwise one could speculate on this topic.

More about the history of weapons:

The old proven practice of increasing power by increasing size sooner or later hits the barrier of impossible effective operation of a huge device. So it was with a simple bow. According to historians, English archers who shoot from the famous longbows " longbow", had big problems with broken bones shoulder joint. In such situations, when development reaches its critical point, either the device is abandoned, or a revolutionary solution is found that dramatically improves the characteristics of the old device.

Obviously, in the civilization of the Ancient East, such a turning point for came much earlier than in Europe. Two revolutionary solutions were applied to the Asian bow:

• composite structure- a wooden or bamboo base, reinforced from the side of the “belly” with horn plates resistant to compression, and pasted over with elastic tendons that withstand stretching from the side of the “back” of the bow. Everything together was glued and wrapped with tendons and protected by varnish or other material.
• recursive form- a curved bow straightens and bends in the opposite direction, which significantly increases the force of extension, and, as a result, the force of the shot.

Improvements provided the modernized bow with an increase in its power by one and a half times. The need for solid dimensions disappeared, because one person could no longer cope with pulling the string of a longbow.

But what happened to the bow of the Land of the Rising Sun daikyū(Jap. 大弓, "big bow"), which is usually simply referred to by the generic word " yumi ” (Japanese 弓, “bow”)? And why is it so unlike other traditional oriental composite bows, to whose noble family it belongs?

Custom structure

At the very early period Japanese had a simple structure from a single piece of wood. Somewhere in the 3rd century A.D. e. he took on a long flat shape Maruki. From IX-X centuries yumi bow began to strengthen ahead with bamboo plates ( Fusetake). At this time, Zen Buddhism with its negative attitude towards the killing of animals came to Japan and by the 12th century finally took root. When, in the same XII century, the Japanese bow acquires 3 layers characteristic of the eastern type, the anterior stratum corneum, of animal origin, does not take root. Instead, it sets its own structure Sanmaeuchi- wooden core with bamboo parts on the "belly" and "back". Further development of yumi has already continued in the direction of all the same combinations of wood and bamboo. IN Shihodake there was a wood core and bamboo all around. Starting from 1550, yumi is made with a front and back bamboo plate, hardwood on the sides and bamboo plates inside - at first 3 u Sanbonjigo, then 4 at yohonhigo, and from 5 to 7 Gohonhigo. The latter form was considered perfect, and from 1650 the structure of the traditional Japanese yumi bow was fixed. However, the breath of the new time touched Yumi as well. Since 1971, along with the traditional shape, fiberglass daikyūs have been produced with a wood core and fiber reinforced plastic front and back plates.

The biggest in the world

Famous English longbow(long or large bow) had dimensions from 1.7 m to 2.1 m. 2.27 m (type " nisun nobi"). For shorter Japanese (150-165 cm), the standard is " namisoun» at 2.21 m, which is more than the longest longbow. And the biggest Yumi hassun nobi, has a size of 2.45 m. Such impressive dimensions have a simple logical explanation - power. The lack of horny plates and tendons characteristic of oriental bows in yumi negatively affects technical specifications Luke. Even being a Goliath in the world of bows, its range is 100 m or a little more, at the same time, the English longbow, which itself is significantly inferior to the Turkish bow, strikes an unprotected enemy at a distance of up to 300 m.

Asymmetrical shape

Perhaps the most unusual thing about Yumi is his form. Usually all bows are symmetrical. Although archers-masters distinguish between the upper and lower limbs of their bows, nevertheless, traditionally the sizes of both limbs are the same - they are symmetrical. The Japanese daikyū stands apart in this respect. Yumi grip (handle placement yuzuka) is produced at one third of the length of the bow. Thus, the lower arm is two times shorter upper shoulder, i.e. the bow is asymmetrical. There are several explanations for this.

horse version

It is believed that one of the shoulders ( kata) was shortened for reasons of convenience for the rider in possession of a bow. The bow is very difficult to train. It takes years of training to master it, so the bow is not the weapon of poorly trained, mobilized warriors. The masters of bow skills were professional samurai warriors who learned their craft, including bow skills, from childhood. Usually, they were rich and owned a horse, especially since this significantly increased the combat effectiveness of a warrior (a foot enemy is clearly inferior to a mounted one). Such a version has the right to exist, especially since in other countries riders really used short versions of bows. In Japan, only one shoulder of the bow was shortened in order to maintain sufficient power, and that of not too outstanding characteristics, weapons.

hunting version

Everything is simple here. Lying in wait for prey, the hunter sat or lay in ambush. A longbow would be awkward to use.

vegetable version

An interesting interpretation is voiced by supporters of this version. They argue that since a plant, tree or bamboo, has a heterogeneous, denser structure closer to the base (root), bow makers had to compensate for the weakness of the upper part and the strength of the lower, transferring the center of the bow to the lower third. Actually, such an interpretation shows disrespect for their bow makers. Even if we assume that they did not know how the material is selected in terms of density and elasticity, then they could adopt the experience of other peoples.

Ergonomic version

There is another version related to the striving for perfection characteristic of Zen. A symmetrical bow is held with an outstretched hand with a slight tilt of the hand. The pressing force is not strictly perpendicular, but at an angle, which reduces the reliability of holding the bow in the outstretched hand.

In the art of archery kyudo handle grip tenuchi occurs along a straight arm-hand axis, which forms an angle of about 65 ° with the bow line. Such a perfect grip is possible only with an asymmetrical shape of the bow.

True, it is difficult to say what came first here - the egg or the chicken.

Which version is correct, I think, does not matter. Usually, folk traditions are based on an important and proven by centuries of experience foundation. Even if the latest science, at times, disputes the rationality of some customs, then over time it still comes to the same conclusions that our ancestors received through a long path of trial and error.

Confirmation of a certain rationality of the asymmetrical shape of the bow can serve as the existence of such asymmetry in the forms of primitive bows of the Pacific natives of the New Hebrides or the American Indians of the Hidatsa in North Dakota.

A bit about the spirit and technique of kyudo

At the core kyudo(Jap. 弓道, "the way of the bow"), the art of using a bow, is a Japanese traditional martial art Toyujutsu(Jap. 弓術, "the art of the bow"), which is complemented by the Zen Buddhist philosophy of striving for perfection on the path to enlightenment. Therefore, there is a sacred attitude to weapons, and a shooting technique dressed in a ceremony, and a philosophical content of each element of kyudo. Since written sources are denied in Zen, the true transfer of experience occurs exclusively in the communication of the student with the teacher, and through the transformation and comprehension of the acquired knowledge by the student himself. The spectacle of kyudo competitions is truly fascinating.

The equipment used in kyudo has strict regulations, deviations from which are not allowed, in fact, as in other traditional arts. The most important element here, of course, is the yumi bow - a sacred object, and the attitude towards it is appropriate. No less respectful attitude towards arrows I, and to the string tsuru. You can't do kyudo without a special shooting glove yugake, quiver for arrows yazutsu and a protective cover for the bow yumibukuro. - traditional Japanese budo: black hakama (wide trousers-skirt), white tabi(Japanese socks-mittens), belt obi, White jacket- respect. Women also need a special protective bib muneate.

The archery technique is like a dance of 8 inseparable elements:

1. kyudoka takes up a position for shooting, legs spread correctly (ashibumi),
2. the body takes a certain position (dozukuri),
3. the bow is taken as for shooting and an arrow (yugamae) is set,
4. yumi with an arrow rises above his head into the plane of the shot (uchiokoshi),
5. hands spread apart, simultaneously pulling both the bow and the bowstring (hikiwake),
6. arms are lowered to the horizontal of the shot, and at the same time yumi is fully stretched (kai),
7. shot (hanare),
8. the final stage of zanshin is the return to the original state.

All this happens, smoothly flowing from one to another, in a certain rhythm of breathing. And kyudoka is completely immersed in the process, but is not concentrated on its implementation, but, on the contrary, is in a state of detachment, meditation.

Mounted archery

Considering the Japanese art of owning a bow, one cannot ignore its riding variety. Now this species is not so popular, because it requires large areas for training, the ability to ride a horse and very strong skills in shooting. So far, only ritual equestrian archery has been preserved. yabusame, which is held on religious holidays and at special official events. The military essence of a peculiar 4-stage ritual is simple, although not easy - it is necessary at full gallop to hit three targets at once in the form of samurai in full combat attire.

And earlier, archers-riders trained in other competitions. Inuoumono it was quite cruel, although from a military point of view it was effective. Shooting practice was practiced on live dogs. Although they were not killed, the arrows severely injured the unfortunate animals. It is good that this practice is in the past. And in kasagake the warrior had to hit the target standing to the side at full gallop the maximum number of times.

The popularity of mounted shooting at one time was so great that even equestrian duels were held among the samurai - horsemen rushing towards each other shot from a bow (whoever had time) at each other.

Other types of Japanese bows

Although the whole world has heard about the daikyu, and simply calls it yumi (a common name for Japanese bows), there were other types of bows in the history of Japan: