← Arsenal

WABUKAN Arsenal · Bows and throwing · Japan

Yumi

The Japanese longbow, over two metres long and asymmetric: the grip sits below the centre. It is still made of bamboo and wood by master bowmakers.

Also known as

弓 · daikyū; hankyū (short bow)

Origin and history

The Japanese bow is shown on bronze-age artefacts and was the samurai’s chief weapon for centuries; the early warrior code was called “the way of horse and bow” (kyūba no michi). Today it is used in kyūdō and in mounted archery (yabusame) at shrines.

Martial arts that use it

Kyudo

Construction

An asymmetric longbow over 2 m long, with the grip about one third from the bottom, traditionally laminated from bamboo and wood glued together. Arrows (ya) are bamboo with feather fletching; the archer wears a glove (yugake).

Basic techniques

• ashibumi
• dōzukuri
• yugamae
• uchiokoshi
• hikiwake
• kai
• hanare
• zanshin (hassetsu)

Training

Ranged weapons are trained on a range with a safe backstop: stance, grip, release and breathing are repeated until the movement is identical every time. Distance increases only after the form is stable.

Safety

Only shoot or throw on a supervised range with a safe backstop, never towards anything you would not want to hit, and never retrieve while others are shooting or throwing.

Legality (general information)

Bows, throwing blades and similar weapons are often legal to own but may only be used on approved ranges or under club rules; some throwing weapons (such as shuriken or throwing stars) are banned outright in several countries. This is general information, not legal advice: check local law and your federation’s rules.

Did you know?

Because of the asymmetry and the twist of the wrist on release (tenouchi), the bow rotates in the hand after the shot so the string ends outside the arm.

More weapons

Shuriken Gakgung Chakram

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

1. Wikipedia — Yumi
2. Wikipedia — Kyūdō