Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: mcginnis6010 on March 16, 2012, 11:54:31 pm
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I seen a video of a yumi being made in the traditional method. But I don't know the pros or cons and I don't really know a whole lot about this bow, but it does have me interested.
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Haha, thats probably not a simple answer. But I have also been very intrigued with the japanese yumi. I have always really really wanted to shoot one. Some day I will buy myself one. But then I would have to figure out how to string the thing...
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The video I saw he put the bow on a form of some sort to string it.
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One of the local kyudo senseis brings his students out to the range where I practice. This does not make me an expert on kyudo, or yumis, but I have had oportunities to shoot a the practice version of a yumi. I also get to see the sensei's bow in action.
Yumi's long leangth provides for an incredibly smooth draw. The bows are made for a long draw and even a 25# bow produces a very flat trajectory ( when drawn to ~ 35"). The bamboo yumis are quite beautiful, but reportedly very sensitive to misuse. I certainly would not want to buy one without expert training first.
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The bows are made for a long draw and even a 25# bow produces a very flat trajectory ( when drawn to ~ 35").
Is there more to a flat trajectory than raw arrow speed? my impression that the flatness of trajectory is purely a function of speed. If we are talking arrow speed, is it your impression that yumi's produce a faster arrow speed than other bows of the same draw weight? I don't know much about them so I'm curious how their performance compares to the bows that we are used to.
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Weylin, Flat trajectory is pretty much equal to arrow speed, though there's a friction factor in there too. I believe the usual explanation is that a longer draw stores more energy, so there is more energy to impart to the arrow. I suspect it's a little more complicated than that, but that should do for a simple explanation. Comparing performance between bows gets hairy in a big hurry. Ron
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While I am not an expert, and have only shot yumis during first shot training this past January, you have to keep in mind that kyudo is not about hitting the target. That is probably the hardest concept to understand and incorporate into shooting a yumi. They are also very low poundage bows compared to what Western archers are used to. The draw is very, very smooth, and they are incredibly fun to shoot. I got closest to a slight realization in that you can actually feel the energy of the arrow and how it flows out of you as when you finally release. Facinating stuff, and I highly recommend taking first shot training if you can. The bows are incredibly beautiful, and don;t feel at all cumbersome, despite the length of them.
Dane
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...I wonder when that guy started calling himself a bowyer........(the guy in the video)
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You guys have given me some very interesting info and of course built up my interest in this bow now I definitely want to shoot one.
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Look up a member by the name of "bhenders". He knows quite a bit about them.