39:51 Man, watching the Japanese archers here is just amazing. I really wish this clip was longer. The formation they follow, with the dual, interweved lines of archers who are alternating-one line firing while the other is reloading-and how the archers who are reloading actually get super low to the ground in order to become smaller targets. The way they advance toward their targets, step by step. This traditional Japanese archery is impressive enough just considering the fact that it's not merely "aim and fire," but there's multiple aspects of your form that are very specific and need to be very precise in order to master this weapon, but on top of that, these archers must maintain aspects of that form while simultaneously controlling how far they raise their arms, for instance, to prevent exposing their abdomen underneath the arm. The precision in their physical movements alone is unreal. Just imagine the dedication. These people aren't simply engaging in a hobby, they're taking up a lifestyle that demands a very high degree of exactotude. I could only ever hope to approach in my life, a fraction of the discipline and near-perfection they achieve repeatedly. There's a very spiritual aspect to the amount of work they put in, and the degree of precision they achieve, in this practice. It must be just incredibly rewarding.
That is Koshiya, a form based on the traditional Heki Ryu style of shooting. You can watch a full set at this site: kzclip.org/video/tJVC6ExVUi4/бейне.html.
Very educational. I love how they showcase both styles with respect. I prefer a more Japanese method as I place my arrow on the right as well as being right handed, and draw with thumb and index. Beautifully done.
It's a common mistake for foreigners to base their samurai bows on current day Yumi, which are ceremonial bows (30-50 draw weight only). War Yumi for battle has 3 layers of wood for much more power, up to 150 draw weight similar to the English Longbow. There are japanese manuals on the construction and usage of these bows, going into specifics about the layers and the amount of men required to string it.
While in the Navy in 1968 my submarine pulled into Yokosuka, Japan for 9 days. A number of us made several train trips to Kamakura. While there one time a teenage boy offered to be a guide. He wanted to practice his English. After a while he suddenly asked us to wait and he ran into a building. We were getting impatient but he suddenly showed up and waved for us to follow him. We entered the building and we were met by a older Japanese man who told us in no uncertain way to follow him and do exactly as he said. And no pictures. We were let into a long gallery, almost identical to the one shown in this video. We were to told to sit on the floor against the wall and don't speak. We were there about an hour watching Japanese bowmen practicing with these very same incredibly long bows. The marksmanship was almost perfect. When we left we were told it was one of the oldest Archery schools in Japan and rarely were guests allowed. I've never forgotten that afternoon in Japan.
@Tak Kick Wonderful. The school was someplace near the grounds where the huge Buddha is located. After all these years I can not say where though. All I remember is the archers, the bows and the school were very impressive to see and watch.
Thank you for your story. I grow up in Kamakura and now live in Yokosuka, waiting for my visa to get approved to wok and travel in Canada. I used to practice Kyudo for 3 years, hopefully I learn horse riding so then I can learn to do Yabusame. Back when I was traveling in Tasmania, I had a western recurve bow and that’s when I learnt that the Japanese bow is perfect on horseback, becauase the arrow comes right side of the bow
I find it interesting that in ancient Japan the armor of warriors favored maneuverability over protection (@38:10) . Centuries later this same philosophy manifested itself in the form of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the IJN premier fighter plane that sacrificed armor over maneuverability...and came close to securing victory in the Great Pacific War 1941-45.
A fine piece of work right here folks. Craftsmanship at the highest level. This takes discipline to another level and I wish my eyes were opened sooner.
I'm a Japanese, but I have never seen such an informative video like this before. Thank you for uploading. I am now reading "Yoshitsune" ( a 12th century samurai, Yoritomo's brother) by Ryotaro Shiba depicting Yoshitsune's triumph and tragedy, so this video is so timely!
konnichiwa! i have a question.I looked up ushiwakamara from the anime Fate/Grand Order and Yoshitsune popped up.was that something he was called? Arigato!
Having been to battle I have a great respect for such beautiful and respectful forms of violence. Keeping calm and functioning in chaos takes conditioning and the Samurai had it down to a science. But also experiencing chaos can be unnerving and this form of meditation and focus can also be healing. Thanks for the video.
I am an American target archer. One of my friends who is not Japanese and is over 80, has a Yumi she purchased about 8 years ago. She is interested in Kyudo but not a practitioner. She is also a target archer. I was fortunate to see a Kyudo exhibition in Weirsdale, Florida in about 2018. Amazing! I have only been to Japan once and that was in 1970. I do really appreciate Kyudo. Thanks for sharing about the Samurai history and the equestrian archery and bow making there in Japan these days. A true Martial Art and full of ritual.
Recent investigation of English long bows from Tudor times (Mary Rose examples in excellent condition) have shown draw weights of up to an astounding 90 kg and an effective range of over 300 metres. I guess the bows here are more ceremonial than anything used in earnest. I would dearly like to see a comparison of the real weapons.
It is difficult to compare the Mongol Bow to the Turkic Bow. One was a little more powerful but the other fired more quickly. Certainly in battles between the Mongols and Mamelukes casualties were always high and the outcome never certain. If anything the Mamelukes more than held their ground against what many had previously thought to be an invincible enemy. I wouldn't honestly put the Japanese bow in the same league as either in a mounted battle not allowing for exceptional skill by particular samurai. However, it should be noted that the Turkish fleet was still heavily dependent on the bow until some time after the siege of Malta 1565 even though they had firearms and Christian armour was getting thicker. Deadly against the many lightly attired oarsmen too I guess.
25:50 - Could the real reason the grip is lower be because it was easier to fire from horseback, moving the bow from one side of the horse to the other. The way the bows are curved during construction is brilliant.
That was certainly a part of it. Yumis ARE long bows compared to other horse archery bows (huns, native Americans, etc). And as briefly mentioned here, Samurai were primarily calvary archers before taking up Bushido hundreds of years down the line (and even then they still practiced and extensively used bows, along with spears, clubs, and even guns).
This was very interesting to me. In December 2019 I was sent a Kyudo Yumi 4sunnobi 13kg " 翔 SHOU " by some of my Shinto friends. They wanted me to get into Kyudo while doing Ki (Chi to Westerners) meditation. I was never told the name of the maker, but it is suppose to have been made by a Master bow maker and was also given a name: Takao (Storm or Tempest). I have learned that is quite rare to happen. While it was on it's way here I had an accident January 2020 injuring my left arm, left shoulder and left side of neck. As of this comment I still have not been able to string it. This vid makes me want to get through PT and be able to use it as fast as possible. She is most beautiful!
Don't forget the draw length of the Japanese bow is 30 or 31 inches. The longbow is about 27 to 29 depending upon the archer. Design deferences also have impact. And the longbow arrows for war were 800 to a 1000 plus grains
@Hi Shot! I've never said Japanse bows are superior in any way, rather the very opposite. The longbow (whether Japasne or English) is inferior in terms of materials and technology compared to shorter composite bows made by Mongolians. I just answerd ur question why Japanse made longbows to begin with, and that is because they only had bamboo to make a bow at the time. Even with that humidity, they could not make any shorter bow with bamboo.
@GM Kusnov I don't think Japanese bow is particularly better than other bows in performance anyway. Bamboo bow have high resistance on humidity. Japanese island have high humidity. You can't use composite bows like horn bow because the glue is weak against humid. In addition, bamboo bow isn't unique to Japan.
You can tell no-one who made this thing (with the exception of Mike) knows anything about horses and the associated problems involved when you use a massive unwieldy item from the saddle. The yumi having the handle 1/3 of the way along its length makes absolute sense in this context - it means you don't foul your weapon in your horse's movement, or take your horse out by accident. Nothing to do with the energy release of shooting it. Talk to an Engineer sometime, recoil diffusion Doesn't Work Like That. "Lessening reverberation shockwaves" indeed!
In tradition, the ancient marksman, Samurai archer, prepare for the launch by starting at the target / victim form a distant until target is located to his fore left side ways then turn his head looking forwards away from the target a brief moments before the final launch, same process either on foot or on horse back. In other words he vision was not on target at moment of launch. Most ultimate and seasoned archers seldom aim at launch they let their instinct do the rest.
at least for Kamakura and earlier period samurai. later there was a shift towards polearms like the naginata instead. but regardless of that, swords (be it tachi or katana) were indeed secondary weapons/status symbols
Targets are of secondary importance in Western archery as well, at least in how I learned it in Germany, where emphasis was put on form and concentration and consistency of movement in its Ablauf.
I really liked watching this video. Just from watching this documentary I have learned a lot about the Samurai Bow. Coordination is fundamental as it enables the practitioner the ability to use different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently. Having balance and skill is also quite useful.
The difference is the actual draw weight and training. The long bow draw weight on average was noticeably higher than the Japanese bow due to the level and length of training that made the longbow men much stronger. This gave a noticeable edge to the long bow. This video was based on the draw weight being the same and as such the Japanese longbow came out on top. Samurai trained for skill and so normally were highly formidable in all weaponry. The training of all normal citizenry from birth meant the best were not only skilled but also stronger.
Given that the longbow was for use by the common people it seems a pretty decent weapon for the masses in comparison to that built for the elite class.
3:23 left handed kyudo? not possible! - 3:39 show-kyudo-girl - 25:50 Mori-san one of my kyudo teachers 26:45 tsunomi-technique -> no archers paradox like the english longbow!
First time hearing bow is a killing machine. They make a bow sounds like a missile. I like the bow, very special: one long arm and one short arm, can be used on horse back despite the length of the bow. However, don’t describe the bow as something mysterious in a documentary. I remember in the katana forging documentary, they actually described the katana as mysterious 😂🤣
It’s not a question of which one is best. The longbow gives us a baseline, as it is the one we are familiar with. Comparing it to the youmi is handy in that it give us an idea of how it would perform under similar conditions. They were both however the best and deadliest in their respective arenas.
Havent watched the video yet but i wanted to make this statement:I would love to see a western like hybrid samurai kungfu movie that takes place in the time of the Mongol invasions of Japan as its really one of the few times two great practitioners of archery would be able to face off in a manner like the old west. given that a lot of Japanese pirate activity have a Yojimbo/fist full of dollars esk movie with both epic feats of archery and great swordplay between these guys heck have the archer with no name be an English longbowmen who chose to go east instead of returning home from the ninth crusade.
I kinds of flicked through the video. Having used a 100lb longbow a few times myself I was amazed that the archer were was able to hold the bow at full draw and aim without any shaking. I thought he must be incredibly strong. Then I saw that they reduced the power of the bow. The power they tested it with was about the power they used to use for deer hunting. Deer hunting was generally close range around 30 mtrs max. So they compared a hunting bow to the Japanese mounted war bow. The English war bow was much more powerful although I wouldn't expect anybody to hold and aim. Pretty sure most war bow archers aim as they draw and release during the draw other wise you get the shakes and/or tire out very quickly.
@Reginaldesq - agreed - trying to compare draw-strength/-weight between Japanese yumi and English Longbow on a one-to-one basis is meaningless and unrealistic - even though someone may be able to do a straight- biceps-curl with a 50# dumbbell does not mean they can also lift a 50# medicine ball with a stretched-out arm -
They were both handicapped to 20kg draw weight. Back in the day the drawstrength was quantified by how many men it took to string the bow. A 5 man bow for example would be about 75-80kg
Pretty cool how they train to be horse archers mostly without horses. Also the 24 hours shooting competition is pretty badass. Although i not sure kyudo being a martial arts. Reasons being they do not use warbows and thier movements are rather slow which would not be conducive on a battlefield. However the fact they are teaching instinctive aiming is the most useful part of kyudo in my opinion.
Excellent Video! Stark difference between the 'long bow' and the 'samurai bow'. Where the long bow has its place in history the 'samurai bow' still has a place in the Japanese History as well as Traditional competitions carried forth till today. Both formidable weapons in their own right. However despite actual draw weights of the time the Japanese Samurai practiced "everyday" compared to just the Sunday stints of the English long bow? I'd give it to the Japanese in an actual engagement. And when you consider the craftsmanship that the Japanese inherently sport with everything they deem a challenge in the world of manufacturing I would give the "samurai bow" the edge. It's like this, I would always choose a Toyota over anything made & designed by the English when my life is the item at stake.
The Mongol bow, having similar draw weights to the European longbows, would have curb stomped the Yumi, and probably outperformed the longbow by a decent amount because of the mechanical advantage that recurves have
Another thing to consider was that these bow would be far different to their modern replicas. The Yumi had far more power and poundage compared to it’s modern counterpart.
I heard an english longbow's average draw weight during medieval times is 160 lbs and can go even higher to 200 lbs damn that's insane... You need your whole upper body to draw one of those. I feel like doing comparisons between the two bows with their historical accurate highest draw weight makes it more fair? Then again the two bows are used differently the yumi can be used both on horseback and on foot while the longbow is mainly used on foot. I think it's impossible to draw a longbow while in horseback with that insane draw weight xD
i always say the same thing when the whole"katana vs longsword"comparison comes up. 1 is made to be worn 24/7 and slash, the other is pure war tool and is (dependng on the design) a jack of all trades with a modern focus on thrusting. hey i have this apple lets see if it makes a good batch of orrange juice
To train a longbowman start with his grandfather... Also the longbow was primary used as a volly weapon and fired at 45° at a area with hundreds of other longbowmen. That way you didn't need any real accuresy so you could up the strainght allot and the fact that the training was mandatory for every male and started at a young age it actually changed thear skeletal structure.
The archers are practicing instinctive reflexive shooting. This is also a firearms technique. Muscle memory and hand-eye coordination work best when you don't think about what you are doing.
Yumi seems to have longer draw length by about 3 tp 5 or more inches. Fair evaluation requires identical or at least similar arrows, draw at same distance, and arrow tip for equal weignt. The Yumi arrow would be likely stiffer. A six-foot bow made of yew wood, the English longbow had a draw weight of between 80 and 150 pounds, an effective range of up to 350 yards. While few measurements, the Yumi seems to have been about the same range. Truthfully it would seem the bows are about equal but differences in draw weight, arrow weight, seem to invalidate this comparison.
Amazing documentary. Crazy how KZclip - and this channel in particular - has usurped the throne of historical documentaries that was History Channel (even though HC's YT channel has a fairly decent amount of historical content besides their usual Ancient Aliens stuff).
The longbows arrow was thicker than the Yumis arrow..that makes quite a difference in penetration..also who's arm is longer..and stronger..the tall guy with the Yumi looked taller therefore has a longer draw.
I notice that both these bows , the user utilizes an over head style of draw. Interesting. Other videos archery , it seems the archer draws on a more horizontal plane.
That's around 1 arrow every 5 or so seconds, for 24 hours straight, and landing close to 2/3!?!? That's crazy! No peeing, no coffee, no dinner, no picking yer nose even!?!? That's kinda badass!...
The main problem I see, is the 50lbs draw longbow. The weakest military longbow had a 75lbs draw. The average draw on a longbow was 140lbs, almost 3 times the power of the bow used in this test.
Interesting doco about Japanese archery, culture, and "Samirai". That pronounciation hit me right in that spot where you have to say something. They said it correctly at times, so I don't know why "Samirai" kept being used throughout the film. It's right there in the spelling of the word unless I've been saying it wrong
If you compare bows with the same draw weight of course the yumi bow is better, but 23 kg is ridiculous for a longbow... Longbows used in war had draw weights between 80 and 130 pounds (36kg - 59 kg)
Alot of people just think of a samurai being a sword warrior.. but in reality the bow was far more apart of Japanese warfare and samurai culture in Japan.
Both bows had its advantages and disadvantages, but what the yumi had over the longbow in my opinion is that its a longbow for the cavalry. Maybe that is why its design is not symmetrical, so you can draw it efficiently on a horse.
they should've had the same guy use both bows to measure the speed... not a short guy and then a tall guy with different wing spans/reach, and strength. Important variable in this experiment
It's like let's make a comparison on horseback, don't think if this is even possible with a longbow. This is where the Yumi shines. To compare these is inaccurate in itself because of the difference in usage
@boahkeinbockmehr this is a reasonable take. Why couldn't the analysis have been along these lines? Or just do an exploration of the history, design and virtues of the yumi in its own context.
u will easily think of "katana" when u hear the word "samurai". samurai is usually associated with sword for sure. however, they were also very good at handling missiles such as muskets or archery. indeed, 揮刀如神 ("the marvelous sword-wielding") says like this: "japanese soldiers are adept at sword-wielding, but they use missiles as aptly as our musketeers. they skillfully use bows and arrows, and can stand up to our troops in archery fighting, too. certainly, they are equal to our soldiers in the use of archery in battle. they are match for us on the point that they can handle every weapon in a skilled way."
I'm fairly sure that the British war-longbows were of about twice or 3 times the draw weight compared to the one used in the trial. Up to 120 pounds. Not sure if the Japanese one was downscaled too though. (No expert for sure)
Most of the martial arts now created to protect the culture in the east, they take on a more spiritual form then when it was employed in the earlier wars. Even the weight of draw of the yumi (bow) would be far different from the past. "After the war, all martial arts were banned from schools. In 1951, Kyudo was permitted to be practiced at schools again. In 1967, Kyudo was adopted as a regular high school curriculum. The educational and athletic aspect of Kyudo was recognized and revaluated. Modern Kyudo launched thereafter as part of schools' physical education. The mission of modern Kyudo is to pursue how Kyudo can contribute educationally under the new spiritual concept by taking any possible scientific approach available and to spread the art."
no bow of the time penetrates plate armor. still one of the best weapons across all cultures besides the spear. basically against armor you are forced to use maces or wrestling or guns.
It's funny the English long bow is actually the Welsh longbow. English armies would hire in Welsh archers to do the artillery bit. They reckon some of the bows were in excess of 200 lb pull. My mate found a beautiful example in his barn ( in a museum now) he bought it down the pub No way could it be bent then. ,600 years old they estimate
@karl williams None of the Mary Rose bows had draw weights anywhere near 285 lbs. Subtract 100 lbs and you're in the right neighbourhood. The heaviest drawing bows were probably around 200 lbs, and most war archers were probably drawing bows in the 120-160 lb range.
I think you are correct. It's very impressive in fact. I often wonder if the real life Robin Hood was actually Welsh. Robin Hood what's supposed to be around during King Edward. Which King Edward you might ask we don't know. King Edward the first conquered Wales. So my bet is that Robin Hood was alive at the time of King Edward the first
found some on the mary rose of 285lbs pull draw and some in wales as well,of 280lbs pull so not uncommon draw pull well,said welshman artillary the machine gun of the age cross small field stopper
Methodically,the comparison is acceptable, where the variable tuned to be in the same as posible, but it cant be used to make a conclusion that yomi is better, because historically the longbow have more draw weight than yomi.
I think documentary, despite it's hype for the Yumi, does a lot to show how excellent the english longbow is. The Yumi was a rarity, needing rare parts, with rare skill to make and use. And the common English longbow, with it's common materials, used by commoners is still able to compare.
39:51 Man, watching the Japanese archers here is just amazing. I really wish this clip was longer. The formation they follow, with the dual, interweved lines of archers who are alternating-one line firing while the other is reloading-and how the archers who are reloading actually get super low to the ground in order to become smaller targets. The way they advance toward their targets, step by step.
This traditional Japanese archery is impressive enough just considering the fact that it's not merely "aim and fire," but there's multiple aspects of your form that are very specific and need to be very precise in order to master this weapon, but on top of that, these archers must maintain aspects of that form while simultaneously controlling how far they raise their arms, for instance, to prevent exposing their abdomen underneath the arm. The precision in their physical movements alone is unreal.
Just imagine the dedication. These people aren't simply engaging in a hobby, they're taking up a lifestyle that demands a very high degree of exactotude. I could only ever hope to approach in my life, a fraction of the discipline and near-perfection they achieve repeatedly.
There's a very spiritual aspect to the amount of work they put in, and the degree of precision they achieve, in this practice. It must be just incredibly rewarding.
That is Koshiya, a form based on the traditional Heki Ryu style of shooting. You can watch a full set at this site: kzclip.org/video/tJVC6ExVUi4/бейне.html.
Very educational. I love how they showcase both styles with respect. I prefer a more Japanese method as I place my arrow on the right as well as being right handed, and draw with thumb and index. Beautifully done.
Read sanskrit text of India named dhanurvedam on this topic.
You can use arrows on the right with English longbow as well
English longbow man also drew arrows on the right as-well using Mediterranean draw.
It's a common mistake for foreigners to base their samurai bows on current day Yumi, which are ceremonial bows (30-50 draw weight only). War Yumi for battle has 3 layers of wood for much more power, up to 150 draw weight similar to the English Longbow. There are japanese manuals on the construction and usage of these bows, going into specifics about the layers and the amount of men required to string it.
Id like to see that 150lb draw weight proven. I have 50lb compound bow. After 30-50 arrows you are done for the day.
While in the Navy in 1968 my submarine pulled into Yokosuka, Japan for 9 days. A number of us made several train trips to Kamakura. While there one time a teenage boy offered to be a guide. He wanted to practice his English. After a while he suddenly asked us to wait and he ran into a building. We were getting impatient but he suddenly showed up and waved for us to follow him. We entered the building and we were met by a older Japanese man who told us in no uncertain way to follow him and do exactly as he said. And no pictures. We were let into a long gallery, almost identical to the one shown in this video. We were to told to sit on the floor against the wall and don't speak. We were there about an hour watching Japanese bowmen practicing with these very same incredibly long bows. The marksmanship was almost perfect. When we left we were told it was one of the oldest Archery schools in Japan and rarely were guests allowed. I've never forgotten that afternoon in Japan.
@Tak Kick Wonderful. The school was someplace near the grounds where the huge Buddha is located. After all these years I can not say where though. All I remember is the archers, the bows and the school were very impressive to see and watch.
Thank you for your story. I grow up in Kamakura and now live in Yokosuka, waiting for my visa to get approved to wok and travel in Canada. I used to practice Kyudo for 3 years, hopefully I learn horse riding so then I can learn to do Yabusame. Back when I was traveling in Tasmania, I had a western recurve bow and that’s when I learnt that the Japanese bow is perfect on horseback, becauase the arrow comes right side of the bow
Thank you for sharing :) sometimes the comment section is just as interesting.
@John Edwards You're Welcome!
I find it interesting that in ancient Japan the armor of warriors favored maneuverability over protection (@38:10) . Centuries later this same philosophy manifested itself in the form of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the IJN premier fighter plane that sacrificed armor over maneuverability...and came close to securing victory in the Great Pacific War 1941-45.
i have huge respect for japanese people and their skills, craftsmanship, pride and traditions. live long
A fine piece of work right here folks. Craftsmanship at the highest level. This takes discipline to another level and I wish my eyes were opened sooner.
So beautiful and peaceful to watch. Love Japanese culture. Respect.
I like how European and Japanese feudalism not only have many similarities but bows also played a huge role in both of their societies.
It crazy to see the bow maker work, as well as see the time and skill it takes to make the bows is amazing
Glad to see tradition being preserved.
I love archery! I’m a archer and this has taught me so much thank you
I'm a Japanese, but I have never seen such an informative video like this before. Thank you for uploading. I am now reading "Yoshitsune" ( a 12th century samurai, Yoritomo's brother) by Ryotaro Shiba depicting Yoshitsune's triumph and tragedy, so this video is so timely!
Read, Sword of No Sword by Master warrior, Yamaoka, Tesshū. Its life changing....
Wh
konnichiwa! i have a question.I looked up ushiwakamara from the anime Fate/Grand Order and Yoshitsune popped up.was that something he was called? Arigato!
Yoshitsune senbonzakura
Having been to battle I have a great respect for such beautiful and respectful forms of violence. Keeping calm and functioning in chaos takes conditioning and the Samurai had it down to a science. But also experiencing chaos can be unnerving and this form of meditation and focus can also be healing. Thanks for the video.
you haven't been to battle zogbot, you sat behind a tank and called in airstrikes on goat-people
Beautifully said.
I am an American target archer. One of my friends who is not Japanese and is over 80, has a Yumi she purchased about 8 years ago. She is interested in Kyudo but not a practitioner. She is also a target archer. I was fortunate to see a Kyudo exhibition in Weirsdale, Florida in about 2018. Amazing! I have only been to Japan once and that was in 1970. I do really appreciate Kyudo. Thanks for sharing about the Samurai history and the equestrian archery and bow making there in Japan these days. A true Martial Art and full of ritual.
It would be incredible to see a comparison between longbow, yumi and also Mongolian bow.
This was way more interesting than I anticipated. Japanese do things with such dedication this couldn't have been about a mere tool of war.
Recent investigation of English long bows from Tudor times (Mary Rose examples in excellent condition) have shown draw weights of up to an astounding 90 kg and an effective range of over 300 metres. I guess the bows here are more ceremonial than anything used in earnest. I would dearly like to see a comparison of the real weapons.
It is difficult to compare the Mongol Bow to the Turkic Bow. One was a little more powerful but the other fired more quickly. Certainly in battles between the Mongols and Mamelukes casualties were always high and the outcome never certain. If anything the Mamelukes more than held their ground against what many had previously thought to be an invincible enemy. I wouldn't honestly put the Japanese bow in the same league as either in a mounted battle not allowing for exceptional skill by particular samurai. However, it should be noted that the Turkish fleet was still heavily dependent on the bow until some time after the siege of Malta 1565 even though they had firearms and Christian armour was getting thicker. Deadly against the many lightly attired oarsmen too I guess.
25:50 - Could the real reason the grip is lower be because it was easier to fire from horseback, moving the bow from one side of the horse to the other. The way the bows are curved during construction is brilliant.
They could also work behind cover. Like a samurai would be entirely protected behind a tate when kneeling and firing at full force.
That was certainly a part of it. Yumis ARE long bows compared to other horse archery bows (huns, native Americans, etc). And as briefly mentioned here, Samurai were primarily calvary archers before taking up Bushido hundreds of years down the line (and even then they still practiced and extensively used bows, along with spears, clubs, and even guns).
This was very interesting to me. In December 2019 I was sent a Kyudo Yumi 4sunnobi 13kg " 翔 SHOU " by some of my Shinto friends. They wanted me to get into Kyudo while doing Ki (Chi to Westerners) meditation. I was never told the name of the maker, but it is suppose to have been made by a Master bow maker and was also given a name: Takao (Storm or Tempest). I have learned that is quite rare to happen. While it was on it's way here I had an accident January 2020 injuring my left arm, left shoulder and left side of neck. As of this comment I still have not been able to string it. This vid makes me want to get through PT and be able to use it as fast as possible. She is most beautiful!
Don't forget the draw length of the Japanese bow is 30 or 31 inches. The longbow is about 27 to 29 depending upon the archer. Design deferences also have impact. And the longbow arrows for war were 800 to a 1000 plus grains
@GM Kusnov Yes you are correct.
@Hi Shot! I've never said Japanse bows are superior in any way, rather the very opposite. The longbow (whether Japasne or English) is inferior in terms of materials and technology compared to shorter composite bows made by Mongolians. I just answerd ur question why Japanse made longbows to begin with, and that is because they only had bamboo to make a bow at the time. Even with that humidity, they could not make any shorter bow with bamboo.
@GM Kusnov I don't think Japanese bow is particularly better than other bows in performance anyway.
Bamboo bow have high resistance on humidity. Japanese island have high humidity. You can't use composite bows like horn bow because the glue is weak against humid.
In addition, bamboo bow isn't unique to Japan.
@GM Kusnov Bamboo is usable when in high humidity condition.
You can tell no-one who made this thing (with the exception of Mike) knows anything about horses and the associated problems involved when you use a massive unwieldy item from the saddle. The yumi having the handle 1/3 of the way along its length makes absolute sense in this context - it means you don't foul your weapon in your horse's movement, or take your horse out by accident. Nothing to do with the energy release of shooting it. Talk to an Engineer sometime, recoil diffusion Doesn't Work Like That. "Lessening reverberation shockwaves" indeed!
In tradition, the ancient marksman, Samurai archer, prepare for the launch by starting at the target / victim form a distant until target is located to his fore left side ways then turn his head looking forwards away from the target a brief moments before the final launch, same process either on foot or on horse back. In other words he vision was not on target at moment of launch.
Most ultimate and seasoned archers seldom aim at launch they let their instinct do the rest.
For those who don't know, the bow was the primary weapon of the Samurai, yes the bow.
Katanas were simply symbols of status.
Why though? I thought katana could cut the fabric of space and time itself.
at least for Kamakura and earlier period samurai. later there was a shift towards polearms like the naginata instead. but regardless of that, swords (be it tachi or katana) were indeed secondary weapons/status symbols
No matter how many times i watch this i never get sick of IT LOVE! IT! :)
Targets are of secondary importance in Western archery as well, at least in how I learned it in Germany, where emphasis was put on form and concentration and consistency of movement in its Ablauf.
I really liked watching this video. Just from watching this documentary I have learned a lot about the Samurai Bow. Coordination is fundamental as it enables the practitioner the ability to use different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently. Having balance and skill is also quite useful.
I’ve been doing archery for like 7 years for a sport, it’s really fun, but I still want to learn how to do archery in Japan.
The difference is the actual draw weight and training. The long bow draw weight on average was noticeably higher than the Japanese bow due to the level and length of training that made the longbow men much stronger. This gave a noticeable edge to the long bow.
This video was based on the draw weight being the same and as such the Japanese longbow came out on top. Samurai trained for skill and so normally were highly formidable in all weaponry. The training of all normal citizenry from birth meant the best were not only skilled but also stronger.
Given that the longbow was for use by the common people it seems a pretty decent weapon for the masses in comparison to that built for the elite class.
Beautiful. All archery is a wonderful tradition.
3:23 left handed kyudo? not possible! - 3:39 show-kyudo-girl - 25:50 Mori-san one of my kyudo teachers 26:45 tsunomi-technique -> no archers paradox like the english longbow!
First time hearing bow is a killing machine.
They make a bow sounds like a missile.
I like the bow, very special: one long arm and one short arm, can be used on horse back despite the length of the bow.
However, don’t describe the bow as something mysterious in a documentary. I remember in the katana forging documentary, they actually described the katana as mysterious 😂🤣
This is awesome. I've always wanted to go to Japan. Hopefully before my time is up.
I❤Japan.. master craftsmen & women. Over the years Japanese art & craft has inspired me to be better at attaining perfection in my craft🙏🙏🙌
Thank you for this channel!
So many fascinating worthwhile subjects to watch and learn!
It’s not a question of which one is best. The longbow gives us a baseline, as it is the one we are familiar with. Comparing it to the youmi is handy in that it give us an idea of how it would perform under similar conditions. They were both however the best and deadliest in their respective arenas.
Havent watched the video yet but i wanted to make this statement:I would love to see a western like hybrid samurai kungfu movie that takes place in the time of the Mongol invasions of Japan as its really one of the few times two great practitioners of archery would be able to face off in a manner like the old west. given that a lot of Japanese pirate activity have a Yojimbo/fist full of dollars esk movie with both epic feats of archery and great swordplay between these guys heck have the archer with no name be an English longbowmen who chose to go east instead of returning home from the ninth crusade.
I think you'll enjoy the movie "War of Arrows".
That arrow is a thing of great beauty
I would have never imagined you could make a bow out of bamboo!
I kinds of flicked through the video. Having used a 100lb longbow a few times myself I was amazed that the archer were was able to hold the bow at full draw and aim without any shaking. I thought he must be incredibly strong. Then I saw that they reduced the power of the bow. The power they tested it with was about the power they used to use for deer hunting. Deer hunting was generally close range around 30 mtrs max. So they compared a hunting bow to the Japanese mounted war bow. The English war bow was much more powerful although I wouldn't expect anybody to hold and aim. Pretty sure most war bow archers aim as they draw and release during the draw other wise you get the shakes and/or tire out very quickly.
@Reginaldesq - agreed - trying to compare draw-strength/-weight between Japanese yumi and English Longbow on a one-to-one basis is meaningless and unrealistic - even though someone may be able to do a straight- biceps-curl with a 50# dumbbell does not mean they can also lift a 50# medicine ball with a stretched-out arm -
@peter quenter Realistically one simply can not draw a warbow in the same manner as the yumi because nobody is strong enough to do that.
@Gai Might That sounds odd to me. Do you have a source for that?
They were both handicapped to 20kg draw weight. Back in the day the drawstrength was quantified by how many men it took to string the bow. A 5 man bow for example would be about 75-80kg
It's because they handicapped the longbow with a low draw weight bow.
My two favorite bows. I hope to own an English longbow someday. I doubt I can ever afford a Japanese bow.
Sarmat archery in the Ukraine do some modestly priced yumi bows.
Very interesting and educational. Japan is so unique and powerful.
Just for your information that longbow is of a much lower power then normal. the basically compared a hunting bow to a war bow...
Its pure art, Japaneses and their stuff, oustanding!
Very nice. But it doesn't surpass the beautiful simplicity of the English/Welsh longbow.
Pretty cool how they train to be horse archers mostly without horses. Also the 24 hours shooting competition is pretty badass. Although i not sure kyudo being a martial arts. Reasons being they do not use warbows and thier movements are rather slow which would not be conducive on a battlefield. However the fact they are teaching instinctive aiming is the most useful part of kyudo in my opinion.
Excellent Video! Stark difference between the 'long bow' and the 'samurai bow'. Where the long bow has its place in history the 'samurai bow' still has a place in the Japanese History as well as Traditional competitions carried forth till today. Both formidable weapons in their own right. However despite actual draw weights of the time the Japanese Samurai practiced "everyday" compared to just the Sunday stints of the English long bow? I'd give it to the Japanese in an actual engagement. And when you consider the craftsmanship that the Japanese inherently sport with everything they deem a challenge in the world of manufacturing I would give the "samurai bow" the edge. It's like this, I would always choose a Toyota over anything made & designed by the English when my life is the item at stake.
Professional English longbowmen didn't just train on Sundays! Why do these programmes always have to do these stupid comparisons?
Great documentary. Really enjoyed.
I've seen a Yabusame display and it was incredible. I have wonder how a Mongal bow would fair compared with these two bows.
The Mongol bow, having similar draw weights to the European longbows, would have curb stomped the Yumi, and probably outperformed the longbow by a decent amount because of the mechanical advantage that recurves have
With everyone chanting while shooting their bow, I can only imagine how loud it must of been on the battlefield. Wow. This is truly remarkable.
Another thing to consider was that these bow would be far different to their modern replicas. The Yumi had far more power and poundage compared to it’s modern counterpart.
I heard an english longbow's average draw weight during medieval times is 160 lbs and can go even higher to 200 lbs damn that's insane... You need your whole upper body to draw one of those. I feel like doing comparisons between the two bows with their historical accurate highest draw weight makes it more fair? Then again the two bows are used differently the yumi can be used both on horseback and on foot while the longbow is mainly used on foot. I think it's impossible to draw a longbow while in horseback with that insane draw weight xD
Excellent documentary!
My God. That bow is gorgeous.
Ceremony and turn into a spiritual discipline, eh? Something that was transformed for peaceful period. Pure genius.
i always say the same thing when the whole"katana vs longsword"comparison comes up. 1 is made to be worn 24/7 and slash, the other is pure war tool and is (dependng on the design) a jack of all trades with a modern focus on thrusting. hey i have this apple lets see if it makes a good batch of orrange juice
To train a longbowman start with his grandfather...
Also the longbow was primary used as a volly weapon and fired at 45° at a area with hundreds of other longbowmen.
That way you didn't need any real accuresy so you could up the strainght allot and the fact that the training was mandatory for every male and started at a young age it actually changed thear skeletal structure.
The archers are practicing instinctive reflexive shooting. This is also a firearms technique. Muscle memory and hand-eye coordination work best when you don't think about what you are doing.
The Japanese developed and used "fire and advance" techniques with bows. Pretty amazing.
Thank you for such a great documentary. The Japanese are such a graceful and cultured people. I appreciated this, and learned a lot.
All bows are a killing machine. All weapons are a work of art.
This is the first documentary I've seen that actually uses riveted mail over GAMBESON no less. That's quite impressive
Yumi seems to have longer draw length by about 3 tp 5 or more inches. Fair evaluation requires identical or at least similar arrows, draw at same distance, and arrow tip for equal weignt. The Yumi arrow would be likely stiffer.
A six-foot bow made of yew wood, the English longbow had a draw weight of between 80 and 150 pounds, an effective range of up to 350 yards. While few measurements, the Yumi seems to have been about the same range.
Truthfully it would seem the bows are about equal but differences in draw weight, arrow weight, seem to invalidate this comparison.
Amazing documentary. Crazy how KZclip - and this channel in particular - has usurped the throne of historical documentaries that was History Channel (even though HC's YT channel has a fairly decent amount of historical content besides their usual Ancient Aliens stuff).
Absolutely cool I love bows and arrows
I didn't know this was going to be a feud between long bow and samurai bow i just want to know about the samurai bow
The longbows arrow was thicker than the Yumis arrow..that makes quite a difference in penetration..also who's arm is longer..and stronger..the tall guy with the Yumi looked taller therefore has a longer draw.
I notice that both these bows , the user utilizes an over head style of draw. Interesting. Other videos archery , it seems the archer draws on a more horizontal plane.
The Bow and the Katana so beautiful.
That's around 1 arrow every 5 or so seconds, for 24 hours straight, and landing close to 2/3!?!? That's crazy! No peeing, no coffee, no dinner, no picking yer nose even!?!?
That's kinda badass!...
The main problem I see, is the 50lbs draw longbow. The weakest military longbow had a 75lbs draw. The average draw on a longbow was 140lbs, almost 3 times the power of the bow used in this test.
@ggerely no
@ggerely
You don't remember correctly lol
50lb draw was a very heavy Yumi
So were japanese war bows iirc..
現代の日本人にとっても、薄れゆく伝統を伝えていただき感謝いたします。
Interesting doco about Japanese archery, culture, and "Samirai". That pronounciation hit me right in that spot where you have to say something. They said it correctly at times, so I don't know why "Samirai" kept being used throughout the film. It's right there in the spelling of the word unless I've been saying it wrong
Espectacular!!
If you compare bows with the same draw weight of course the yumi bow is better, but 23 kg is ridiculous for a longbow... Longbows used in war had draw weights between 80 and 130 pounds (36kg - 59 kg)
Alot of people just think of a samurai being a sword warrior.. but in reality the bow was far more apart of Japanese warfare and samurai culture in Japan.
I’m happy when a video game introduces me to a whole new history I overlooked.
Both bows had its advantages and disadvantages, but what the yumi had over the longbow in my opinion is that its a longbow for the cavalry. Maybe that is why its design is not symmetrical, so you can draw it efficiently on a horse.
I can't imagine during feudal japan that if you end up fighting against a samurai on horseback with that bow? I am dead. You can't dodge those.
Lovely documentary.
I vote for the Taqrtar and other steppe warriors and their combination bow that used bone and wood cemented together.
they should've had the same guy use both bows to measure the speed... not a short guy and then a tall guy with different wing spans/reach, and strength. Important variable in this experiment
If you are going to test bows, test them at their real strength, don't limit the longbow to the weight of the Samurai bow.
Which would win in a fight, a tiger or a fox?
*To make it a fair fight, we’re using a tiger the size of a fox*
@Richard Fendt Reliant never did fit a gun to the Fox
It's like let's make a comparison on horseback, don't think if this is even possible with a longbow.
This is where the Yumi shines.
To compare these is inaccurate in itself because of the difference in usage
They don't fight
@boahkeinbockmehr this is a reasonable take. Why couldn't the analysis have been along these lines? Or just do an exploration of the history, design and virtues of the yumi in its own context.
u will easily think of "katana" when u hear the word "samurai".
samurai is usually associated with sword for sure.
however, they were also very good at handling missiles such as muskets or archery.
indeed, 揮刀如神 ("the marvelous sword-wielding") says like this:
"japanese soldiers are adept at sword-wielding, but they use missiles as aptly as our musketeers.
they skillfully use bows and arrows, and can stand up to our troops in archery fighting, too.
certainly, they are equal to our soldiers in the use of archery in battle.
they are match for us on the point that they can handle every weapon in a skilled way."
Japan 🇯🇵 is Fantastic 👍👍
Todo es disciplina. Para todo. Dedicacion.
I'm fairly sure that the British war-longbows were of about twice or 3 times the draw weight compared to the one used in the trial. Up to 120 pounds. Not sure if the Japanese one was downscaled too though. (No expert for sure)
Warbows can go up to 200pounds. The 50pounds they use is something you’d use for hunting or recreation - definitely not warfare.
Most of the martial arts now created to protect the culture in the east, they take on a more spiritual form then when it was employed in the earlier wars. Even the weight of draw of the yumi (bow) would be far different from the past.
"After the war, all martial arts were banned from schools.
In 1951, Kyudo was permitted to be practiced at schools again. In 1967, Kyudo was adopted as a regular high school curriculum. The educational and athletic aspect of Kyudo was recognized and revaluated. Modern Kyudo launched thereafter as part of schools' physical education. The mission of modern Kyudo is to pursue how Kyudo can contribute educationally under the new spiritual concept by taking any possible scientific approach available and to spread the art."
Remember that, when testing equipment on a modern range, it is absolutely essential that it be done in the dark with smoke and dramatic lighting.
😂😂😂😂
no bow of the time penetrates plate armor. still one of the best weapons across all cultures besides the spear.
basically against armor you are forced to use maces or wrestling or guns.
a warbow will go thought thin plate amour at 30 to 60 yards
a rich man is a man that loves his work. great video
I love Kyudo, And Japan.
I think japan is the only country that kept all of its traditional martial arts alive and intact.
@anas 447 🤣🤩🤣
@Ironwood Livin then don’t, I don’t need you to agree with me.
Learn some more about other martial arts, I cant agree with your statment.
I love traditional bows of japanise samurai ,ancien japan
It's funny the English long bow is actually the Welsh longbow. English armies would hire in Welsh archers to do the artillery bit. They reckon some of the bows were in excess of 200 lb pull. My mate found a beautiful example in his barn ( in a museum now) he bought it down the pub No way could it be bent then. ,600 years old they estimate
@karl williams None of the Mary Rose bows had draw weights anywhere near 285 lbs. Subtract 100 lbs and you're in the right neighbourhood. The heaviest drawing bows were probably around 200 lbs, and most war archers were probably drawing bows in the 120-160 lb range.
I think you are correct. It's very impressive in fact. I often wonder if the real life Robin Hood was actually Welsh. Robin Hood what's supposed to be around during King Edward. Which King Edward you might ask we don't know. King Edward the first conquered Wales. So my bet is that Robin Hood was alive at the time of King Edward the first
They hired in Welsh archers to fill the ranks, yes, but the majority of archers by far in English armies were English
found some on the mary rose of 285lbs pull draw and some in wales as well,of 280lbs pull so not uncommon draw pull well,said welshman artillary the machine gun of the age cross small field stopper
Methodically,the comparison is acceptable, where the variable tuned to be in the same as posible, but it cant be used to make a conclusion that yomi is better, because historically the longbow have more draw weight than yomi.
I would have liked to hear how the European longbow fared against the Japanese horra.
I think documentary, despite it's hype for the Yumi, does a lot to show how excellent the english longbow is. The Yumi was a rarity, needing rare parts, with rare skill to make and use. And the common English longbow, with it's common materials, used by commoners is still able to compare.
That son was finishing a college degree while also participating in his father's school full-time-- talk about commitment and expectations...