Catching an arrow

[Ray Pina]

I saw someone catch arrows at Madison Square Garden when I was a kid, my father took my to see some kick boxing matches and there was a demo.

No matter the power of the bow, the $hit is moving fast. And as someone pointed out, it's not intercepting it this way ----> <-----, it takes timing.

Actually though, I'm more impressed by the paintball not exploding. Not only timing and speed, but also sensativity and absoption.

For paintball players: if you catch the ball and it does not explode and paint you, are you still alive?

[MasterKiller]

Originally posted by EvolutionFist
For paintball players: if you catch the ball and it does not explode and paint you, are you still alive?

Yes. The ball has to explode on you to count.

[Ford Prefect]

"to catch a baseball or hit a tennis ball with a raquet you need to be infront of the target (ball) to catch an arrow you need to time you hand to meet the side of the moving arrow."

Didn't play many sports, eh?

[Ray Pina]

He's kind of right though Ford. Back handing a ground ball is different than intercepting an arrow. You need timing for both, no doubt. But you get the mit in front of the ball.... you can get there early. Do that with an arrow ... see what happens.

[tug]

I once saw Kwai Chang Kain catch an arrow on tv.

[norther practitioner]

what is the learning curve for this skill.....lol




I guess you just learn not to stand in the way.

[Mr Punch]

How fast was it moving? Head on/side on? WhoTF cares?!!! BLINDFOLD!!!

BTW, often a tennis player will slice/topspin, neither of which involve hitting the ball head-on.

The samurai also practised arrow-cutting. I never have, but my father-in-law used to train old-school kendo in the sticks in Shimane Prefecture, and one of the exercises involved catching a live katana blade coming for you head. If it were anybody else I would call BS, but what can you do eh!?

Also BTW, the Australian cricket team used to practise catching the ball by lining their hands up in front of their foreheads, so if they missed it would hit them in the head. My cricket coach told me to do the same thing... went home with a seam indented in my forehead many times, but learnt how to catch a ball!!!

[GeneChing]

One of the first masters to make a big splach arrow catching is a local here - Jim Mather. I remember there used to be this wonderful interlude on local PBS the featured slow motion film of him doing arrow catches - it was absolutely beautiful. He used to do arrow breaks too, where he'd chop the arrows in half. That was supposed to be harder, but it sounds easier to me, but then again, I'm a crummy catcher.

FWIW, I once tried parrying arrows with a fencing foil. They were coming off a simple 30 lb bow - one of those cheap high school PE bows - at about 30-40 feet. We took turns standing behind the hay bale target, reaching over and trying to knock them down as they came. It was pretty easy, really. There would be no chance against a serious compound bow or a traditional kyudo bow, but with a light bow, it's not too hard.
Do not try this at home

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

Originally posted by GeneChing
They were coming off a simple 30 lb bow - one of those cheap high school PE bows - at about 30-40 feet.

thats exactly what we used.

we also had blunt arrow heads.

[Ford Prefect]

"He's kind of right though Ford. Back handing a ground ball is different than intercepting an arrow. You need timing for both, no doubt. But you get the mit in front of the ball.... you can get there early. Do that with an arrow ... see what happens."

Yes and no. To hit a tennis ball, you can't be in front of the target. The same can be said for hitting a baseball, but I agree it's possible while catching. Most hard hit balls you don't have a chance to get in front of either.

Either way I'll take a guy who hits a round ball travelling 132'/sec from only 60.5' away with a round bat, and hits that ball 400+' as a more spectacular example of timing and coordination, than a guy who can time catching an arrow moving an unspecified speed from an unspecified distance. It's take timing and coordination for sure, but it doesn't impress me as much. It only seems more spectacular because of the perceived mortal threat. Let's not even get into cutters, split fingers, and sliders...

[GeneChing]

A ball won't skewer you if you miss. You got to take that potential of injury into account with any stunt.

And we used those typical target arrowheads, not blunt, but certainly not those razor blade hunting arrowheads.

[PaiLumDreamer]

The bow was a compound bow, im pretty sure. The distance was about 30-40 feet? Something like that. Maybe less, actually...it was in a studio-type-room.

The guy was using the same type of arrow Gene was talking about (I think), it was a metal-tipped roundish arrowhead. Best way I know how to explain from my limited knowledge about bow+arrow information.

I just thought it was interesting none the less. I was curious to what everyone else would say "Fraud/cool/I can do that/who cares" :P Thats why I posted.

[Ford Prefect]

"A ball won't skewer you if you miss. You got to take that potential of injury into account with any stunt."

Right. The percieved mortal threat. If I felt confident that I had an accurate shooter, I guarantee I could start catching arrows pretty quickly with consistency. It would be a lot harder to pick up a bat and start hitting 90mph sliders, cutters, and split fingers (only moderately fast for MLB) or 85 mph curve balls. If it was easier, then why don't all you arrow catchers hop into the majors for a few seasons to make millions of dollars that you can retire with?

Let's not forget that many pro ball players have had their careers ended and/or lives changed from being hit with baseballs.

[GeneChing]

THREADS
Catching an arrow
Martial Arts World Records and Stunts