Dear fellow TradGangers,
I have a question, once again. Yumi bows. What is the deal with these strange, yet seemingly effective bows?
Bump
Call Jaap @ Yumi Bows (912-586-6636)
Oh! I geuess that would be a long distance call for you.
A very unique bow used in Japan for art and war.
very long top limb and a shorter bottom limb. made with many special lams of bamboo and hard woods. Steve Thompson may happen along soon. he is a maker of Yumi bows, from Canada.
Chuck
Hey Chuck,
Izzy also advised me to call Jaap, but - as you stated - it IS quite costly...
I'd like to know why they're built like they are, and... well, whatever is good to know about these bows. I might get one some day for the fun of it. So it would be good to know if they're much different from "normal" bows :)
The were built like the are with the shorter bottom limb so they could be shot off of horse back and also kneeling. The Samuri held their bows straight up and down when shooting. The materials available to make a bow out of also plays a part in their design.
Yep, like Joseph said. They are asymetrical for the fact that they are used for YABUSAME. Which is mounted archery associated with the Samurai.
The yumi bows are most impressive to watch the way they throw an arrow. Very powerful.
But to answer your last question, They shoot an arrow but they are quite different than the bows most are used to shooting and seeing. They are very radical in deflex/reflex.
Here is Japp's e-mail. kkoppedr@cyg.net You should ask him your questions.A good book to get is"Kyudo
the Essence and Practice of Japanese Archery" by
Onuma and DeProspero.The Yumi is like no other bow in the way it is built and the way it is shot.These bows have evolved over centuries and even today there are several variations in the orientation of the core laminations and the position of the curvatures along the limbs.These features would only be noticed by the bowyer and experienced archer.Like Jaap, I have integrated the principles of the way a Yumi is constructed into my own bows.This way a western archer can get the "feel"of a Japanese bow in something easier to shoot.By "feel" I mean the smoothness of draw and the power from the special core.I'm going to visit Jaap in 10 days, and we will be harvesting our bamboo for arrows and bows for next year.Can't wait to get there. Steve T.
I have a Yumi with a cane arrow quiver and three bamboo arrows. It was a gift from a friend of mine. It was shipped to America from Japan through "United Van Lines". Best we can tell it is over a hundred years old. Really cool, but wish I had detailed info about it's origins.
Boy Steve, I am not the jealous type but I would love to see Jaap and Kay and you again, and to harvest some Boo. Yup, I am a little green.
I hope you all have a great time and set aside some good stuff for me. Tell Jaap and Kay we said Hi, and we will see them in MARCH.
Best of times to you on your trip.
Chuck
Actually, such proportions Japanese bow got before horses appeared in Japan.
But the main difference is not shape, but draw. Right hand holds the string about 10cm from right ear, face is looking straight to the target so ear is almost on the center line of body. Arrow touches the cheek on the level of mouth. To draw yumi you need special glove, three- or four-fingered, with edge on the inner side of thumb to hold the string, thumb of such glove is hard as a wood.
Thank you for the responses, everyone! I'm sucking it all in :goldtooth:
I will e-mail Japp with further questions. Thanks Steve.
One last question, though... I've heard that a yumi does not need a particularly high draw weight to be quite powerful. Is this true?
In my opinion that is true.
Yumi i use is just 12kg(26 pounds), but it's more than enough to shoot for 28m(91ft) with 107cm(42in) aluminum arrows Easton xx75 2014 and it still can go through wood about 2 fingers thick
Only 26 pounds, and still that powerful? Wow!
Maybe depends on fingers, about 2.5cm(1in) to be exact.
Well, it depends on many things, like that wood was dry