Why do we use Mongolian and Mediterranean styles in archery?

These two shooting methods are developed according to the characteristics of different bows and different usage environments.

First of all, the earliest bow drawing method is the pinching arrow method, that is, pinching the tail of the arrow with the thumb and index finger. This shooting method is suitable for primitive bows with very low pounds, such as the primitive Indian bow. At that time, the Indians used the pinching arrow method. The advantage is that it is easy to learn and has little interference when releasing. It is suitable for hunting small prey such as rabbits, squirrels, etc.

Then, with the advancement of processing technology, the weight of bows increased day by day, and their functions changed from hunting to war. Take the British longbow as an example. It weighs hundreds of pounds, so it is definitely impossible to use the pinching arrow method. Therefore, the three-finger method of the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger was naturally developed. The three fingers have enough strength to open a heavy bow, but releasing the bow will inevitably cause greater disturbance to the string. Therefore, some people with extraordinary finger strength have developed a variation that only uses the index finger and middle finger to reduce the disturbance of the string. The three-finger bow opening method is very versatile. Basically, all bows can use this method. There is no obvious disadvantage. The only disadvantage is horseback shooting. After all, the three-finger arrow shaft cannot be fixed, and the arrow cannot be supported by the horse's bouncing, let alone opening the bow. If you want to shoot, you can only stop the horse and shoot.

Then, with the advancement of technology, the bow is no longer a single material, but has evolved into a composite structure of tendons, horns, glue and wood or bamboo. The bow can be made shorter, lighter and more efficient. However, after the bow is shortened, people found a problem, that is, the bowstring will form a very small acute angle after the short bow is pulled open, which squeezes the index finger and ring finger, which is very inconvenient, so the thumb shooting method came into being. Since the thumb style only uses one finger to hook the string, theoretically, it has less impact on the release and higher accuracy, but after all, it is only one finger. Although it is the thumb with the greatest power, it is certainly not as strong as three fingers, and the poundage that can be opened will not be too large. However, the thumb style solves the problem of arrow shaft stability, so it shines in horseback shooting.

In summary, the thumb style and the three-finger style are actually the products of history, which were developed to match the weapons in hand.

Tips: It is inappropriate to say that the compound bow is an evolution of the single bow. The single bow and the compound bow developed at the same time, and there is no obvious difference between the advantages and disadvantages.