#eastern archery

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Spotted in a local Thai restaurant.

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It is established in authentic tradition that the Prophet said, 'the angels attend no human sport save archery.'

-Taybughā l-Ashrafī l-Baklamishī l-Yūnānī, in a manuscript about archery

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There's been a lot of recurves in Bowblr lately, so I thought I'd repost my historical guide to 15th Century Saracen archery form:

Saracen Archery: The List of Thirty-Four Points

An archer does not merit the title and status of master until he is truly competent and has control over such parts of the body as should be tensed, relaxed, or still… In the various parts of the body there are thirty-four points to be considered.  —Of these, twenty are points of tension. -In the right arm there are eight. 1. The little finger;

2. The ring-finger;

3. The middle-finger;

4. The thumb;

5. The wrist;

6. The elbow;

7. The upper arm;

8. The muscle in the upper part of the forearm.  -In the left arm there are six:

1. The little finger;

2. The ring-finger;

3. The middle-finger; 

4. The wrist;

5. The elbow;

6. The muscle in the lower part of the forearm. -In the body there are six:

1. The right flank;

2. The right shoulder;

3 & 4. Each of the shoulder-blades;

5. The spinal column;

6. The belly.  —Eleven are points of relaxation: -In the right arm there are two:

1. The index finger;

2. The middle sinew of the forearm. -In the left arm there are three:

1. The index finger;

2. The thumb;

3. The head of the forearm (i.e. the carpal, or wrist, end of the radius). -In the body there are four:

1. The left shoulder;

2. The left side;

3. The waist;

4. The neck.  -In the head there are two:

1 & 2: The lips. —Three are points of stillness:

1. The heart;

2 & 3. The eyes.

- Ṭaybughā l-Ashrafī l-Baklamishī l-Yūnānī, a 15th Century Mamluk military writer. Translated and collected in Saracen Archery, by J. D. Latham, and Lt. Cdr. W. F. Paterson.

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Here’s a quick peek at my indoor archery target. It consists of a cheap blanket with a carpet behind it. My arrows have blunted tips, so they simply bounce off. This is a historical method that aimed to eliminate focus on where the arrow was hitting. Instead, the archer was able to concentrate solely on his stance and loose.