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BillOregon |
The enchanting art of Kyudo |
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If any of you have become enchanted the Japanese meditative archery form known as Kyudo by watching YouTube clips (as I did), I recommend you order a copy of
"Kyudo, the Essence and Practice of Japanese Archery," by Hideharu Onuma. I just got mine from Amazon, and have only skimmed it but it looks
wonderfully informative. Guys, this is a whole new dimension to shooting with simple, traditional tackle. I've had Japanese archery on my periphery,
especially the odd shape of the bow, or yumi, but I had no idea how much more there is to this. I can't imagine that knowing something about Kyudo
wouldn't make as all better and perhaps more thoughtful archers.
Last Edited By: BillOregon 05/31/09 6:45 AM.
Edited 1 time.
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jonahhhh |
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Thanks for the info on the book. I have been thinking about buying a book on Kyudo ever since I saw some people practicing at a the range. It is definitely a
different mindset in archery, wonderful to watch.
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BillOregon |
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Jonahhhh: Here's one of the clips that got me started. Watch the second girl's form. I could watch a loop of her shooting all day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llgO6Z2RhoA Bill, I hope you don't mind that I edited your post to include the video from Youtube.� Tom
Last Edited By: PaleoAleo
01/26/08 6:31 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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Akkaid |
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Wanting to build a Yumi is what got me into this. I've since been sidetracked with the desire to build a sinew-backed ERC flatbow, but the draw of the Yumi
is always there. Too bad there are only a dozen vague descriptions, and all a little different.
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toxophileken |
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I have that book. It is good. I've quoted from it here on PP several times.
Ken |
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greenchicken |
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Interesting and inspiring youtube clip. Question. Unlike our wood bows which we do not want to hold for extended time at full draw, these archers hold the bow
draw for a very long time. Is this because of the all boo construction of the YUMI.
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jonahhhh |
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Yeah, that is a cool video.
Hey, Ken - hows it going? Does that book have much info on the construction of the bow? Or do you know of any books that do? TBB only has a basic description of the construction. It seem like a basic laminated bow with glued in curves, although the bow I saw in person wasn't too reflexed when unstrung. I am going to have take a closer look next time. |
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Bowman AKA THE HUNTER |
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Zen Archery
I know some about the construction method of the yumi and materials used for it if you want to know....
A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.
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jonahhhh |
I do want to know | ||
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I know about the basic set up of the laminations. Core of bamboo with wood on the sides, back and belly of raw bamboo with the tips of the limb being wood. I
am curious about how to tiller, is the core tapered? Is there a standard amount of deflex and/or reflex?
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greenchicken |
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The cross sections of YUMI I can seen have all been 100% boo. Tapered boo back and belly with tapered power boo core. No wood at all. They are basically
pretillered by the individual layers tapering with fine tuning done by reducing the sides. This alone is the reason I have not have the nerve to make one yet.
I can only imagine the many many attempts it would take before you got the taper right. Each time having to start over.
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BillOregon |
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Bowman: If you would share details of construction of the yumi, I would very much appreciate it. Very fine avatar.
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toxophileken |
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Hi Jonah. I don't remember there being much construction info to speak of in the book, only shooting technique. There are a couple of photos of bows under
construction, and an illustration showing cross sectional construction of bows from various eras. There is a small section on straightening the bow if it gets
crooked.
The illustration on page 38 shows that there is a bamboo belly and back, arranged horizontally (as per normal laminated bows). Between them are laminations on edge (90 degrees rotated to the belly and back) or vertical to the belly and back. They are of waxwood and bamboo. The outer edges and the center one are waxwood, and to either side of the middle are two adjacent bamboo pieces. So, from left to right: Waxwood, bamboo, bamboo, waxwood, bamboo, bamboo, waxwood. Earlier models had all bamoo in the center (three or four pieces), with waxwood on the edges. Still earlier models had catalpa wood in the center, with bamboo verticals on either edge. Before that, bamboo back and belly with catalpa core, and before that, only a bamboo backing with a catalpa belly. Prehistoric bows were from a single catalpa sapling, if I am interpreting the illustrations correctly. I don't know of any books on yumi construction. I made a nodes out bamboo bow for my niece, Phil. I floor tillered the lams, and tapered them in thickness from the middle out to the tips. I corrected the tiller by removing material on the sides... Ken |
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greenchicken |
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I stand corrected on subject of wood side to the core. Here is a link to a page that has a construction x-section:
x-section |
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Rod |
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I've had this book for quite a while and particularly like it for some of the historical background but can't say that I am taken with the over
elaboration of etiquette in the post war form of Kyudo.
I would be more interested in traditions representing how the fighting and hunting bows were practiced for actual use. Not to say that some of the mental and physical comment is not relevant or interesting, but I would rather read Daisetz Suzuki or Yagyu Munenori and carry on with my longbow practice. Rod. |
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Bowman AKA THE HUNTER |
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Ahh so Ken san knows quite a bit about the materials, good work Ken!
Anyways, The bamboo used for the back is always left untreated by heat but belly and core laminations were heat treated.The backing is 1 1/8" wide and 1/8" thick at handle and tapers in thickness very slightly to the top tip but tapers to almost nothing on the bottom. Width is 15/16" at both tips. The backing covers the whole way of the bow, but the belly does not. The top tip has 6 3/8" of belly exposed and bottom tip has 4 1/2" exposed. Also, the belly wood is notched so that the belly wood and bamboo belly have a meeting area. Rattan is wrapped under this notch and should be a little lower in height than the notch itself. Their method for heat treating for the belly lam was to "smoke" it for one to two years until it reached the desired color, usually a light golden brown, sometimes a bit darker. After this, the bamboo was stabilized and could be scorched (heat treated with coals) without bulging.When the inside bamboo is smoked it is called susutake and when left plain its called shōtake The type used is madake (Phyllostachys bambusoides) and the circumference used for the backing/belly is 18-21 cm and 30+ cm for core bamboo. The dimensions for the belly lam is around this: 1/8" thick with no thickness taper, and 1" wide, tapering at both ends to about 7/8". The core is made of several things depending on the period and what type of yumi it is. The following woods have been used in the core as either the side lams or inside the core itself with bamboo: Mulberry, waxwood/sumac (Rhus succedanea), catalpa and birch, but I have only heard of one reference of using birch in the bow so I don't know how common it was in yumis. Sometimes, figured wood is used for the side lams but this is probably not common or only for special bows. The bamboo in the core was tapered so that the side lams would not run out when width tapering, which is only very slight. Core dimensions are 9/32" thick at handle, over all thickness about 11/16". Thickness at upper limb is 3/16" thick below the notch, total thickness of about 1/2". Lower limb core is 5/32" thick with over all thickness of 1/2" also. The tips are spliced in and usually made of some "pretty wood" like figured wood etc and are there to keep the core from moving and to make the tips which are bulbous looking pin nocks. The bottom and top tips are shaped different because they will have different curves to them. All yumis have staggered nodes, none should be matched together and should be evenly spaced as humanly possible! Usually 7 nodes on back and 5 on belly, this is important. Nowadays, I believe modern glue is used,but original glue is hide glue from deer I believe. Once the core has been glued together and tapered, the backing and belly lams are glued on and clamped using rope and wedge method. There is total of five curves in the bow, one in the center reflexed (strongly), next mid-limbs of both top and bottom are deflexed (very slightly). Lastly the top limb after deflex is large reflex but not sharp. Bottom limb is also reflexed at tip, but not as long as top. The bow has 20"( sometimes more or less) reflex when first made and settles down to 16" (again more or less) later after being shot in. Important note: yumis are made with off centered string alignment to the right side of the bow. The bow is not tillered, but put on form to teach it how to bend. Then, if severely bad tillered, heat is used to correct (thats why hide glue works best) and I have not heard of it being done,but I suppose if left a tad wider, side tillering could be done.... After the correct shape is achieved, the bow is braced and shot in. Sometimes bow is lacquered clear but also black lacquer is used. Before, they would lacquer the bow black, then wrap in red silk and lacquer over the silk to give it a nice deep red color which is really pretty if done right. Of course if pretty figured wood was used then clear lacquer is best. After the finish has been put on, rattan bindings are put on in between nodes (so Ive seen but not always I suppose) on the limbs,in the handle section and under the notches on the upper and lower limb. Paper is folded at handle to build up the grip under the rattan bindings. (should be a smooth long taper, no abrupt transitions) Depending on the size of the bow (in this case about 226 cm) the handle should be centered 32-34" from the bottom nock. String used for yumis are constructed many different ways. One way is silk core wrapped with paper and then lacquer. Another is hemp core with woven silk sheath and lacquered over. No string loops are used, but instead a special knot is used..which I don't remember how to tie..... he he he I don't know how tall a bow you guys might be making, (depends how long a draw you have) use these measurements as starting points. It also depends what core woods you use, how much reflex, how it was heat treated, how short/long the bow is and how far the bow is pulled and humidity. If making a longer bow than 226 cm put the grip higher and lower on a shorter bow. If this is the right length for you and you just want a heavy bow, increase the core thickness.Since this is only about the bow, I will stop here since arrows are not included...unless you would like to know about those too? BTW, my avatar is not a picture of me, just so nobody mistakes me as a 60 year old Japanese archer lol -Alex
A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.
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toxophileken |
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I was just reading from a table for you guys. Your info is much more detailed! Thanks very much, Alex. We need to save this info on yumis, for sure.
Ken |
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toxophileken |
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Just saw the video Tom added. I may have to move to Japan... Is there anything more beautiful than a female archer?
Ken |
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French Crow |
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Bruno
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Pathfinder78 |
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Cute girl. And she's pointing her toe to the camera
Buttercup: We'll never survive.
Westley: Nonsense. You're only saying that because no one ever has. "The Princess Bride" |
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sz nagy |
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The bow on the first pic is strung backwards...
It think the book by Feliks Hoff (Kyudo - the way of the Bow) is excellent, and here's a really good stuff online as downloadable pdf. http://www.shuitsukankyudojo.de/texte/manual.pdf Szabi |
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French Crow |
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Szabi, you're right about the bow ! I found also it had an odd shape but didn't see why...
That manual looks great, thanks.
Bruno
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