Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Philip · 25th May 2010, 07:33 AM

Thomas,
John L. Boots, in his monograph KOREAN WEAPONS AND ARMOUR (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch, 1934), mentions that of all the martial arts, archery was the most esteemed in pre-modern Korea. I find it interesting to note that this particular affection for the bow and arrow is also a defining characteristic of the martial cultures of the Manchus, Mongols, and Turks -- peoples, who along with the Koreans are members of the Ural-Altaic linguistic family. Put a Korean composite-recurved bow next to an Ottoman one and you'll see weapons of almost identical proportions (distinct from Manchu, Sino-Tibetan, and Indian bows) and performance characteristics. The Korean and Turkish weapons are known for their ability to shoot very light arrows at velocities and over distances unmatched by the bows of other nations. Our colleague Peter Dekker is a wealth of info on this subject and I suggest that you contact him if you have further interest.

25th May 2010, 07:33 AM	#11
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	Korean reverence for archery Thomas, John L. Boots, in his monograph KOREAN WEAPONS AND ARMOUR (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch, 1934), mentions that of all the martial arts, archery was the most esteemed in pre-modern Korea. I find it interesting to note that this particular affection for the bow and arrow is also a defining characteristic of the martial cultures of the Manchus, Mongols, and Turks -- peoples, who along with the Koreans are members of the Ural-Altaic linguistic family. Put a Korean composite-recurved bow next to an Ottoman one and you'll see weapons of almost identical proportions (distinct from Manchu, Sino-Tibetan, and Indian bows) and performance characteristics. The Korean and Turkish weapons are known for their ability to shoot very light arrows at velocities and over distances unmatched by the bows of other nations. Our colleague Peter Dekker is a wealth of info on this subject and I suggest that you contact him if you have further interest.