Despite its venerated history, Chinese archery is mostly overlooked by the Chinese martial arts world. This is not so for other Asian martial arts. Japan still has its traditional archery in the zen practice of Kyudo. Korea dominates archery at the Olympics. Archery became an Olympic event in 1900, then after four Games went on hiatus for over half a century. It returned at the 1972 Munich Games, and women’s archery was added at the 1988 Seoul Games along with Taekwondo. Since then, South Korea has won 39 Olympic medals including 23 golds. In the last few decades, China has risen to capture some Olympic medals in archery, mostly silvers and bronzes behind the Koreans, except for a lone gold for Zhang Juanjuan (张娟娟) in the 2008 Beijing Games. However, that is world competitive archery with compound bows and all the trappings of the modern day, not traditional bow and arrow like the ancients used. Now there's a growing movement to reclaim China's illustrious heritage of Traditional Archery and it has come to America.

In our May+June 2018 issue, I published "The Way of Archery: China’s Most Venerated and Overlooked Martial Art," based on interviews with Justin Ma, one of the authors of The Way of Archery: A 1637 Chinese Military Training Manual (co-authored with Jie Tian). It has already sold over a thousand copies and continues to sell to archery enthusiasts of all styles, as well as anyone interested in martial arts research. The book is reminiscent of Miyamoto Musashi's classic, The Book of Five Rings. It's a utilitarian treatise focused on practical combat applications and book-ended with insightful commentary by Gao on the very nature of practice, discipline and the martial way. Just like readers don't need to practice sword to learn something from Musashi, they don't need to be archers to appreciate Gao's sagely advice.

Justin provided way more material than I could squeeze into that print article, so I'm pleased to offer some of the source interview material here as an exclusive KungFuMagazine.com extra. For Part One of this interview, see "Justin Ma on Chinese Archery" by Gene Ching.

GC: Where, aside from the SF Bay Area, can people learn Chinese Archery?

JM: In the US, we will be hosting our 6th annual Chinese Archery Program in March 2018 [Note that this interview took place in January and February 2018]. The program takes place at Jaap & Kay Koppedrayer’s bamboo farm in rural Georgia, which provides a scenic backdrop for this intensive archery training retreat. All skill levels are welcome, the technical training is thorough, and we always have a slate of insightful lectures, including bow and arrow making demonstrations. We also have friendly contests meant to sharpen your concentration and build camaraderie, such as a simplified Archery Ritual (She Li 射禮) --- a solemn ceremony where you have to synchronize your shots to a drum beat in order to score, and where the winner serves drink to the loser --- as well as a separate heckling match --- where teams hoot and holler in an attempt to distract opposing archers.

Outside of the program, we can recommend introductory lessons in traditional Chinese archery from fellow Shedao practitioners who are either alumni of the Chinese Archery Program or direct students of ours. These archers are located throughout the US (Los Angeles, Orange County, Seattle, Dallas, Boston, and New York City), Canada (Toronto and Vancouver), Australia, Thailand, and Europe.

If there is no thumb draw instructor near you, then as a backup option I recommend enrolling in a Western archery class at first (bonus if it has a traditional or barebow focus). You will still gain essential lessons in safety and etiquette, and you get a feel for how to draw a bow and release an arrow. Once you’ve become comfortable with that technique, then you can start to transition to Chinese archery: for example, by studying Gao Ying’s technique from our The Way of Archery book, and by paying a visit to an established program or instructor.

If you’re located in the San Francisco Bay Area where I am currently based, you’re welcome to join our Bay Area Asian Archery (BAAA) group. BAAA members regularly get together for practice at a rotating set of local archery ranges, and we also provide introductory lessons for new archers who reach out to us. BAAA has also started hosting a new annual event called the North American Chinese Archery Tournament, a half-day event providing introductory lessons for beginners and competitive matches for experienced archers including a team match using Qing dynasty military exam targets.

Overall, it’s best if you can find an instructor to introduce you to Chinese archery. Doing so will allow you to spend less effort agonizing over simple details and save you a lot of time. Of course, if you’re rational and persistent, you might be able to figure it out on your own – it will just take a lot more time. Trust me on this one.

GC: About how much does it cost to get started (basic bow, ring, arrows, range fees)?

JM: Here is an overview of the approximate costs of getting started.

Basic bow: $100–$450.

Set of 6 arrows: $48–$72 (about $8–$12/arrow).

Thumb ring: $15 for a plastic ring. $35–$45 for a metal ring.

Hip quiver: $15–$30 for a basic modern quiver. $150 and up for a basic Asiatic quiver.

Public outdoor range fees: $0–$5, depending on the range.

Bows:

Because of the long history and wide geographic span of China, Chinese bow designs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These days, we classify Chinese bows into a few broad categories:

(1) Xiaoshao-changbi (“small tip, long limb” 小稍长臂). Designed for speed. A lot of Ming bows have this design, and you can find depictions of these shapes in select Han dynasty (and earlier) artwork.

(2) Dashao-duanbi (“big tip, short limb” 大稍短臂). Designed for stability. You find variations of this design from late Han through Ming dynasty (though the exact shape of the tips/ears of the bow may differ).

(3) Dashao-changbi (“big tip, long limb” 大稍长臂). Designed for delivering a heavy arrow. The canonical examples are the large Qing dynasty bows.

Aside from bow shape, you’ll want to pick a bow that (a) fits your draw length and (b) has a draw weight that isn’t too heavy.

An easy way to estimate your draw length is to measure your arm length: with your arm outstretched to the side, measure from the deepest part of the arm’s armpit to the very tip of its middle finger. Take that measurement, add 1–3”, and you’ll want to make sure your bow can handle that draw length (and likewise, you’ll want to find arrows that are at least 1–3” longer than your arm length). For example, if your arm measures 28”, then you’ll be looking for bows that can safely handle a 29, 30, or 31” draw.

A typical beginner draw weight is 20–35#. The worst thing you can do for your archery development is starting with a bow that is too heavy, because you will develop bad habits that are extremely difficult to undo.

With respect to bow materials: in the old days, Chinese bows included self bows (made of a single wood such as Mulberry), wood/bamboo composite bows (made from multiple pieces or layers), sinew-backed wood/bamboo bows (a wood/bamboo bow with animal sinew layered over the “back” [outer face of the bow]), and horn composite bows (made from horn on the “belly” [inner face of the bow], wood/bamboo in the core, and sinew on the back).

Nowadays, you can find reproductions of those shapes made with modern materials for an affordable price. For example, bows made from fiberglass-reinforced nylon or solid fiberglass will cost around $100. Makers to look for include Alibow and E-Long. Also, if you’re looking for solid-glass bows that do a good job replicating the aggressive angles and long ears of Qing bows, you will want to look into the work of Jia Zhiwei, whose bows are available for $350.

Laminated bows contain layers of wood/bamboo at the core, and a layer of thin fiberglass on the back and belly. This design reduces mass to increase efficiency, giving you a more pleasant shooting experience compared to a solid-glass bow. You can find laminated Chinese bows in the $200–$450 range. Entry-level laminated bows include the Taurus bows (designed by Bamboo Archery), AF Archery, and Alibow. For higher-end laminated Chinese bows, look for Mariner and Laoqiang (Spearman) bows.

If you prefer the charm and intimacy of natural materials, wood-sinew bows based on historical Yuan dynasty designs are available from Medicine Bows (based in Switzerland) for about $400.

Something you can keep in mind for a (distant) future purchase is a horn composite bow, whose prices range from $1,000 to $3,500. Some of the pioneering masters of the modern horn bow making revival have made Chinese-style designs, including Jaap Koppedrayer of YUMI Bows (Georgia, USA), Lukas Novotny of Saluki Bow (Florida, USA), Jang Yuhua (Taiwan), and Gao Xiang (Heilongjiang, China). There is also an energetic new generation of horn bow makers joining the revival, including Seventy-Nine (七九), disciple of Gao Xiang from Zhejiang, China; Li Qingyang (李青阳) from Chongqing, China; Alex Wittenaar of Medicine Bows (Switzerland); and Jiri Koulak of Tengri Bows (Czech Republic).

 

Arrows:

Consistent arrows are a worthwhile investment because you don’t want an inconsistent batch (with a wide range of weights or spines [flexibility]) to muddy the waters, making it hard to diagnose whether bad arrow flight is the result of the equipment or your technique. You might be able to find cheap arrows on auction sites, but consistency may suffer.

Historical arrow shafts were made from wood or bamboo, and nowadays you can also get carbon and aluminum arrows for practicing Chinese archery. However, make sure you acquire arrows that have feather fletching; also make sure to sand the front tips of the feathers, or coat them with a soft/thick glue such as Duco Cement. Avoid plastic fletchings.

You’ll want to use target points or field points for target practice; most ranges do not allow people to practice with broadheads (sharp, triangular, used for hunting animals).

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll want to start with arrows that are at least 1–3” longer than your arm length. After you’ve practiced for a little while and have settled into your technique, you can cut your arrows down to suit your exact draw length. (In my case, I like to size my arrows to + 1”; that way I can use touch to determine that I’ve reached my full draw (and prevent overdrawing by using the tip of my thumb to touch the back of the arrowhead). Of course, your preferences may be different.

Expect to pay around $8–$12 per arrow for a basic set of arrows. Easton Gamegetters are an example of a decent aluminum arrow for Chinese archery.

Hip quiver:

You will need something to hold your arrows while you’re practicing at the range, and a hip quiver will make your range experience more convenient.

You can find less expensive options available at standard archery stores, such as the Neet N-613 tube quiver ($15) or the Vista Hombre Field Quiver ($30). You will want to orient the quiver so that the feathers face backward (which is the traditional direction). That way, when you pull the arrow from the quiver, the points will already be facing forward to allow for quicker nocking (loading).

Avoid back quivers. They are not historical, especially in the Asian sphere.

Thumb rings:

Rings can cost as little as $15 (such as the Vermil Archery thumb rings made of plastic), though you can also get more durable rings made of metal in the $35–45 (such as the Vermil metal thumb rings). There are two general shapes of rings you can look into –- the lipped rings and the cylindrical rings (primarily used during the Qing dynasty). Generally, it is easier to start Chinese archery with the lipped rings that have a “guard,” or a protrusion near that helps prevent the string from sliding into your thumb skin.

 

Practice ranges:

Indoor ranges allow you to practice all year round in any weather, though their fees are typically a little more expensive than outdoor ranges, and the distances are limited in comparison.

Public outdoor ranges are typically free (though donations are encouraged), or they have a small day-use fee (in the neighborhood of $5). The primary drawback is that they are at the mercy of the elements, so you should plan accordingly.

Often, outdoor ranges (whether public or private) have a field archery trail. This is essentially a hiking trail with a couple dozen targets placed at different distances and elevations to challenge your aiming ability. There is an old story about the Daoist monk Bohun Maoren shooting targets from the edge of a cliff. Although you won’t encounter anything that death-defying in a field archery trail, the angles and elevations will be quite challenging and give you an appreciation for the skills of the ancients.