Traditional bow archery techniques

Calm down

Before shooting, the shooter must concentrate and try to eliminate distracting thoughts in his mind. On the basis of quiet thoughts and concentrated intentions, he should be clear-headed, keep his mind focused, and feel relaxed and comfortable.

The ancients said: "Be upright inside, straight outside, hold the bow and arrow firmly, then you can hit the target, and then you can see virtue. Virtue is to get it. If you can get it in your heart, your hands will respond to it, and you have to respond."

Standing

Here is the most basic standing posture: parallel style (side standing style). Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider than your shoulders, stand on both sides of the shooting line, with your feet slightly outward or slightly inward, your toes close to the center line of the target, and your body and shoulders in a natural straight line with the target.

The "Qing Dynasty Archery Collection" says: "The footwork and bodywork are connected, which is the first principle of archery. Beginners must strictly follow the footwork so that the basic strength is sufficient and the whole body is in control. Otherwise, it will gradually become sloppy and it will be impossible to improve the archery."

Arrowing

Insert the tail of the arrow into the arrow nest of the bowstring. Now put the arrow shaft on the thumb of the right hand holding the bow, hold it steady with the index finger, and then insert the tail groove into the arrow mouth of the bowstring.

Note: When nodding the arrow, be sure to check the integrity of the whole arrow, including the tail, feathers, and arrowhead, to avoid unnecessary losses. In addition, be sure to make the main feather perpendicular to the right side of the bow body. At the same time, ensure that the middle position of the body posture does not change.

Holding the bow

When holding the bow, the position of the bow hand should feel natural and comfortable. While continuing to exert force until the release action is completed, the archer should feel and maintain the comfort and stability of the bow arm and shoulder joints.

The traditional bow is a bare bow and must be held. However, the bow should be held with pushing as the main method and holding as the auxiliary method. It should be held without being rigid.

Hooking the string

Here is the thumb hooking string method. The first joint of the thumb is bent to hook the bowstring, and the index finger presses the thumb to form a lock. At the same time, the side of the second joint of the index finger contacts the arrow shaft, which can apply a lateral force.

The thumb hooking string method is the biggest feature of traditional Chinese shooting. It can adapt to different shooting environments. Whether it is standing static shooting or moving shooting, or even shooting on a galloping horse or a bumpy car, every arrow can be shot perfectly.

Turning the head and raising the bow

Hold the bow with the left hand, hook the string with the right hand, turn the head naturally to the target surface, and look straight ahead; raise both arms, and the height is generally appropriate to make the forearm of the bow above the eyebrow. After raising the bow, the plane of the shoulders and the body must be in a straight line with the target, and the balance of the two feet and the overall posture of the body when standing should be maintained.

Turning the head and raising the bow are preparatory movements before drawing the bow. This movement must be fixed from the completion of the movement to the pause stage. Not only the position of the head but also the eyes cannot change.