The Bow of the Samurai

A yumi (Japanese:弓, kun-reading: yumi , on-reading: kyū ) is a Japanese bow. The most common variants are the longbow (大弓, daikyū , literally 'large bow') and the shortbow (半弓, hankyū , literally 'half bow').

Archery was one of the oldest martial arts of the samurai.

The bow was considered the embodiment of discipline and purity. The yumi is considered the longest longbow known in the world.

Story

Bows were used in Japan as early as the third century and were originally made of untreated wood. The longbow, developed from these early models, was one of the samurai's most feared weapons, boasting great range and penetrating power.

As early as the eighth century, Kyūdō was practiced on traditional occasions and represented one of the most important martial arts disciplines that a samurai had to learn. For a long time, longbows were the key weapon in every battle in feudal Japan. Samurai would specifically seek out an opposing archer and engage in a kind of long-range duel with them, rather than acting as a united force. Even when the first firearms appeared in Japan in the mid-16th century, the bow initially remained invaluable. Firearms required gunpowder and were often rendered unusable in the rain. Bows were far more reliable and, in the hands of a skilled archer, had approximately the same range and a higher rate of fire.

The Japanese bow developed into a symbol of etiquette and status. Today, the yumi is used as a means of concentration and is popular across all social classes. The bow used today in Kyūdō differs little from its historical model, the longbow of the samurai. The use of the longbow, Kyūdō (Way of the Bow), still enjoys great popularity as a martial art today and is one of the oldest of the traditional Japanese Budō arts.

Construction

For the yumi, a wooden core is glued to several layers of bamboo, then varnished and partially wrapped with rattan. Bows made from this composite material retain tension much better than a simple wooden bow. The string (弦, tsuru ) is made of wax-coated hemp or bast fibers, which are attached to the body of the bow with silk ribbon. Traditionally, white silk ribbon was used at the lower end and red silk ribbon at the upper end.

A typical feature of the longbow is its asymmetrical shape. The handle divides the bow into a short lower section and a considerably longer upper section, allowing these longbows to be used from horseback; however, this shape existed even before the introduction of horses in Japan. In addition, the vibration of the asymmetrical bow at the handle when fired is significantly lower, as the standing wave of vibration has a node at the handle. The length of a daikyu was determined by the draw length, which was roughly half the height of the bushi (warrior). A distinction was made between the standard lengths Sansun-tsumari (2.12 m), Namisun (2.21 m), Nisun-nobi (2.27 m), Yonsun-nobi (2.33 m), Rokusun-nobi (2.39 m), and Hassun-nobi (2.45 m). In addition to the longbow, there was a shorter variant called the shortbow, which was intended for use in confined spaces, for example, indoors or between densely planted trees. also the Kago Hankyū , a miniature bow which could be fired even from a narrow sedan chair.

arrows

The arrows (矢, ya ) consisted of a bamboo shaft, which was straightened in a hollow containing highly heated sand. Eagle, hawk, crane, or peacock feathers were used for the fletching. Arrowheads were crafted by specialized blacksmiths. There were three main shapes:

1. A narrow, four-sided arrowhead shaped like a leaf, and named after it (a popular shape was sasa no ha , 'bamboo leaf'); the narrow leaf shape was suitable for piercing an opponent's armor.
2. Hirane , a thin-bladed, spiked arrowhead.
3. Karimata , a forked form.

quiver

The quiver (靫, utsubo ) was made of urushi-lacquered bamboo and had a flap at the bottom so that arrows could also be pulled out of the quiver downwards.

Source: Wikipedia