The Way of The Bow: Tao of Weapons

[silent thunder]

I've always held deep reverence for the Bow. The process of drawing, nocking, aiming and releasing is an elegant expression of Tao to me, indeed much of my spiritual process mimics this very process.

 

This guy's devotion and insight to the bow is awe inspiring.

 

Holding his arrows in his draw hand, and nocking his arrow on his draw side, not crossing it... his speed is incredible, but his accuracy with his speed, while in motion and firing at moving targets just stuns me.

 

What a subtle and powerful shift, approaching the bow from a perspective of constant motion.

 

 

edit: to fix link

Edited January 24, 2015 by silent thunder

[thelerner]

Wow, that clip is almost unbelievable. I just watched the last Hobbit film and was thought they were giving short thrift (of necessity) to the archers. Like when 2 dwarfs are unfazed having to battle 100 goblins, they're like no problem. Whereas why didn't a couple of goblins have bows (or even throw rocks?).

warning rant ahead

When the hobbit threw rocks it was one throw, one kill. I don't understand why the dwarves weren't shot by a dozen elven archers as soon as they said 'We're keeping all the gold'. Why didn't the elves use there bows instead of rushing at there enemies? Why was there so much slow motion? Why did the head dwarf keep walking on top of his under ice super enemy when he could have just stopped and waived goodbye to him?

Edited January 25, 2015 by thelerner

[Nungali]

Martial arts become rather interesting ..... in real life application ... real warfare .... and ones daily existence depends on one's skill, with the weapon, psychology , environment .... 'do or die'.

 

 

 

 

 

@ 2:40 !

Edited January 25, 2015 by Nungali

[Astral Monk]

Bows are so versitile--as weapons and as spiritual exercise. Not to mention that they can be fashioned in the wild, unlike firearms.

 

That video is awesome and inspiring. Makes me want to get abow, butt, and arrows and start jumping around and firing sans quiver.

 

8)

[Marblehead]

Martial arts become rather interesting ..... in real life application ... real warfare .... and ones daily existence depends on one's skill, with the weapon, psychology , environment .... 'do or die'.

Nice to see the revival of that art there. The Mongols never stopped. They still have their annual events.

[rene]

Holy shit. Awesome vid, silent thunder, thanks for sharing it.

 

Lars may have been practicing/doing this for years, but he also yields to the connection. <--that will only make sense to those who also do this and already understand what I mean. I dont jump off walls to shoot heads off things, lol, but hitting the center of the center of the center comes naturally ~ when the center is not separate. (-:

 

warm regards

[GrandmasterP]

Bhutan's the place for archery.

It's their national sport.

Nearest to the target wins.

Edited January 25, 2015 by GrandmasterP

[Marblehead]

Just don't be aiming at the judges.

[GrandmasterP]

Mrs GMP and I used to go to an archery club held in a local school sports hall.

They had all the kit and you could borrow it to use for a certain number of weeks.

After that you were expected to buy your own bow and suchlike.

We stopped going at that point as we weren't interested enough to spend a fair whack of money on the equipment needed.

They were a mixed group some used modern bows and others traditional long bows.

 

[GrandmasterP]

Duplicate post

Edited January 26, 2015 by GrandmasterP

[Marblehead]

I have always admired the skill but was never drawn to practice it.

[Silent Answers]

Double Post

Edited January 26, 2015 by Silent Answers

[Silent Answers]

One of the first things I did since starting this journey, was learn to use a bow. I haven't practiced for a while, actually....but since you've planted the seed...

[GrandmasterP]

We did have a go at Zen archery , one of the instructors at the club went in for that and gave us a demo and some hands-on.

It's a special type of bow, very long arrow too.

Not as hard to draw as tye long bow but much harder than the modern bows which have pulleys to ease the weight of the draw to your hand.

Quite a ritualised 'draw' technique in Zen archery, almost QiGong-like.

Edited January 26, 2015 by GrandmasterP

[Nungali]

Just don't be aiming at the judges.

 

on 0:20 at 11 o'clock

 

Edited January 26, 2015 by Nungali

[Marblehead]

I told him but he just wouldn't listen.

[Andrei]

GMP, you could build yourself a bow out of PVC pipe, the total cost of materials is about 10$. Check this guy's channel, it is brilliant:

 

Edited January 27, 2015 by Andrei

[silent thunder]

GMP, you could build yourself a bow out of PVC pipe, the total cost of materials is about 10$. Check this guy's channel, it is brilliant:

 

dang... and I thought making a didgeridoo out of pvc was cool.

 

This guy rocks.

[Nungali]

It amazes me how much a human CAN do if the approach is right.

 

I used to think my teacher was nuts saying I could hit a moving target, with my second extended knuckle of my ring finger, in the midst of a 'foray' and hit exactly on that little nerve centre area. Pffft!

 

But eventually it became easy, automatic even, now its seems like a 'magnetic attraction'.

 

Remember in 'The Last Samurai' ? ; (sitting at table inside) "When you entered my garden there were two posts, either side of the path - pick one."

 

"The left one. "

 

He picks up his bow and fires at the paper wall, the arrow goes through. The other goes outside and sees the arrow in the post.

 

yeah ... movie BS ... but is it ?

 

The official historical documents here show that soldiers sent out into the bush to hunt down aboriginals were more often killed by spear hits to the top of head or the inside shoulder near the neck, slicing the jugular. They never saw the aboriginals. The would be off in the bush, and by hearing alone would launch a spear up, over the vegetation and down ... by listening ... very carefully !

[silent thunder]

Holy shit. Awesome vid, silent thunder, thanks for sharing it.

 

Lars may have been practicing/doing this for years, but he also yields to the connection. <--that will only make sense to those who also do this and already understand what I mean. I dont jump off walls to shoot heads off things, lol, but hitting the center of the center of the center comes naturally ~ when the center is not separate. (-:

 

warm regards

yields to the connection...

there is so much depth and presence in that.

[flowing hands]

When I started learning martial art the name of the art was 'Gong Jian Quan' (Bow and Arrow Fist). After some years of practice I took up the making and practice of using bows. It became a natural extension and I became reasonably good at it. I wrote an article once for a magazine entitled 'Gong Do' (the way of the bow), I would recommend anyone who practices martial arts to try shooting a bow, a really excellent way to focus your energy.