COLLECTION AND EXPLANATION OF SEVEN MILITARY CLASSICS
MOUNTED ARCHERY

Written by ​Ching Hsi Chu Yung (Qingxi Zhuyong) - Ch'ing Dynasty
© Translated to English by Marek Aquila 2020

MOUNTED ARCHERY METHOD

Mounted archery is different from dismounted archery. The most important part is the horses training before the examination.

Before the exam, start with a slow walk and then advance to a trot. After a degree of practice you should become completely familiar with riding and no longer have to think of the technicalities.

Shooting on horseback, the archer should be still, rather than moving about, and should value taking things easy instead of rushing them.

At full gallop, the flexibility of the archer's body means he will move, but if his movements are unstable, then the method is not correct. That is what "stillness" means. The speed of the horse and the repeated firing of arrows must be very fast. However, if the archer is fast, but not relaxed, then that is still a mistake. That is why one speaks of "taking things easy." 

The essence is: stability within movement, and ease within speed. This is where students need to focus their intent.

URGING THE HORSE ON

When urging the horse, the archer needs to settle down on the saddle instead of standing in the stirrups. Sitting in the saddle is stable, while standing in the stirrups is weak. You have to hold the front of the saddle firmly with your knees, or you can grab the lower part of the horse's belly. Then you will be stable and make no mistakes. If you make the mistake of pushing down on the stirrups, you will fail.
 
At a canter, you need to lean forward a little: don't sit upright completely. If you lean slightly forward, you will be able to resist the force of the wind. If you sit completely upright, the wind will disturb you, and you can't put your strength into use. 

In addition, you should have your left (shooting) side of your body and your left foot forward: don't let your body and feet be completely level. With your left side and your left foot forward, you have more freedom of movement. If you keep them level, you will lose mobility.

When your horse breaks into a canter, you need to let your movements follow your horse’s movements. If you lean forward first and then wait for the horse to enter a canter, there is a risk that your body will fall forward and your position will become unstable. You can use your crop to get your horse to canter; but whatever you do, don't raise your hand high, or you'll find yourself in trouble.
 
Once the horse is cantering in the circular part of the course, you can take up and gently nock an arrow. You shouldn't rush your hand down to your bow, or else slap your crop down sharply on the left, or you'll make the mistake of entangling an arrow in the horse's mane, or hitting your thigh with the crop.

Don't let go of the reins too early or you risk the horse not going straight, or not being under control. You only release the reins when drawing your bow, and only if your horse can be relied on. The reins should be short and not long. If the reins are too long, they will hang to one side and interfere with the horse's legs.
 
There is a walled arena in the examination grounds, so you can tuck the reins into your belt. You don't have to worry about the reins being too long because the fenced field keeps the horse running straight. But on open ground, you can't do the same thing, or when you draw, you run the risk of getting your reigns caught in your bow string.

When you rein in the horse, you must still keep your weight slightly forward; whatever you do, don’t lean back or stretch your legs out. If you stretch your legs forward, you are in danger of exerting too much force. Then the horse may be shy and your body position will be unsafe.

The best thing to reign in the horse is to pull the horse's head straight back, not to pull it aside. If the horse turns its head to one side, it may not be able to see it in front of it, and there may be an accident. Similarly, if you pull up the horse's head, it's hard for it to see what's on the ground. You need to use your hands close to mane and pull back the reins evenly.

There are differences between horses and the arm strength of different riders. There's a saying: 'It's wrong to let your body flop left and right when you’re riding a horse'. Another saying is that 'if you flop around (in the saddle), then you don't know how to ride properly.'
 
The rider's movements are determined by the horse's movements, although the rider bobs about he is not "flopping around". If you don't develop the right way to move, you'll always be very unstable: how can you manage it like this? As for spreading of the thighs, allowing the calves to pat or slouching in the saddle, these are to be avoided at all costs.

When nocking an arrow, don't do it high in the air. Keep your hands low and the bow canted. Nocking with the bow up high is not the right form, while low is the correct posture. You need to cant to bow because you can't keep it vertical without the risk of hitting something.
 
Draw your bow in stages, drawing it up and open toward the center of your chest. Draw gradually as you draw level with the [target] ball. Don't rush when you approach close to the target ball. If you're in a hurry, it is a flawed style, you'll find it hard to hit.

You must not look at the arrow when you nock. When you gallop on horseback your vision is not stable enough and you risk pulling the nock off the bow string. In addition, the archer must keep his attention to the front when he is in a gallop. How can he be allowed to look around?
 
The trick to hitting the target ball is in your posture as you canter forward. You can't release too far away or too close. You must canter not too far away from the target ball. Your body should bend slightly forward and always align with your target. This way, you'll never miss it. This is called "splitting the mane". 

Shooting an arrow towards the ground is not done this way.
 
Shooting an arrow toward the ground, you can't release the arrow unless the horse has broken into a canter. Less still can you draw your bow, because your strength is needed to bring the horse into a canter.

When the target ball is far away, the archer’s body can't turn to it, he can't hit the ball. Once his body can turn to it, he can make the arrow hit it, and his posture will be natural.

Whether you're too far away or if your bow has got snagged on something, you must not release of a wild shot. This is called "holding on for a second chance." "Take a second chance" is slang for horse-riding archers, and students should pay attention to it.

Shooting at a level target ball is different from shooting on foot. Dismounted, you aim carefully at your target; on horseback, it's all done in the blink of an eye. When you pass the mark, once your bow-hand passes the target ball and the arrow points to the base of the target, you can't be too soon or too late. If you are too early, you will be short. The hands must automatically follow the mind. It's not something you can describe in words.

Having said that, the way you shoot on horseback and dismounted shooting are not completely dissimilar at heart. There is no archer who is good on foot, who is not also good on horseback. If he's worse, it's only because of a lack of familiarity.

The way to achieve excellence can be summed up in one word: familiarity. Once you're familiar, you can develop a variety of skills.
 
Despite all our efforts, I fear that today there are educated people who see the skill with the bow and arrow as simple and unrefined things. However, our generation is immersed in it and has won honors.
 
Like the great classics, how can you recite them after a few glances? Can you allow yourself to confuse your first impression with deep insight, or take something easy to achieve for something hard to attain? If you take for granted that something will be easy, the day will never come when you can grasp it.

Only when you treat it as a difficult thing, will the time come when you do it naturally. That's why Confucius said, "If you face the difficulties first, ultimately you can achieve it." I submit this to my colleagues with my deepest regards.

ADDITIONAL ARCHERY TEXTS