ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO THE METHOD OF ARCHERY
MOUNTED ARCHERY
Written by Liu Chi (Liu Qi) 1722 C.E.
©Translated to English by Marek aquila 2020
©Translated to English by Marek aquila 2020
INSTRUCTIONS FOR HORSEBACK ARCHERYSince ancient times, horseback archery has lacked any supporting literature. All that is said is that, "the rider and his horse must practice together". Even if you look at the literature of general horsemanship all you find is "six reins in the hand", "like a dance troupe" and so on.
"The rider and his horse must practice together" means that the rider must understand the horse's habits and the horse must understand the rider's intentions. The two should not be where one is driving and the other is resisting. "Like a troupe dancing together" just means that the rider must make all his movements fluid and harmonious; fast and slow pace should be carried out properly, not broken and sporadic. These two phrases sum up the whole thing and you can use them as a basis for follow-up. The core of the matter is the skill of galloping, isn't that true? Those who have this skill are "those who know" and those who do not are "outsiders". Isn't it true that people who can't shoot from horseback are just those who lack skill in galloping? Those who are afraid panic and make mistakes in panic. Frightened men dare not gallop. How can they practice with horses? Panicked people are not in control; so how can they make their actions fluid and harmonious? Who has ever heard of a capable horse archer who suffers from these disabilities? As the saying goes: "The people of the South go by boat, the people of the North go on horseback. Now the Manchu and Han people are called upon to become close together; however, the Han people do not meet the Manchu standards. Why? Because the Manchu practice their method from an early age. From childhood, horse and man naturally become one. How can they but be alone in extending the abilities of their nature? In addition, they are used to regular visits to the camps of their princes. They travel over a very wide area. As they interact with their peers, they are increasingly absorbing traditional knowledge. This is actually no more than two words, "practice together" and "dancing like a troupe", and is completely different from "fear and panic". It has almost become a constant rule. Therefore, I will describe horse archery so that my generation can shake off this weakness. If we can get rid of this weakness, everyone will be greatly encouraged and will persevere in the task. Besides, who would be worried about the imperfections of their horsebow techniques? Therefore, I propose the following twelve explanations in order to complete my account of horse back and infantry archery. Riding is not difficult: it's just a matter of getting used to it. Of course, there are some special skills involved. In this volume, I think nervousness is the main source of error. There are centuries of ironclad evidence to support this. THE ORGANIZATION OF THIS BOOKThis work has twelve parts. The main premise is that the horse must be well-trained. If the horse is well trained, the body's movements will be fluid. It's not hard to practice horse-back archery! So I start with riding method, then shooting. This is similar to the idea of moving from a difficult subject to an easier one.
CHOOSING YOUR HORSEHorses must have inherent qualities to ride. A stubborn or incompetent horse has no place in battle: even less would you want such a horse to display your ability? Any horse with inherent quality does not necessarily need to be a champion. It just has to respond correctly to the rider's intentions, start and stop, go fast or slow. Of course, if you can get the qualities of a champion, that's not bad.
TRAINING YOUR HORSEThe world's good horses are more numerous than bad horses. But how can people care for them only when it suits them? The key to everything is to avoid irregular feeding and watering. More important is systematic training and practice. Whatever sights the horse has not yet seen, it must be exposed to often; whatever sounds the horse has not yet heard, it must be exposed to often.
It must be put into close contact with things that will often be around it and kept away from what will normally not be present. The best training starts with training its nature, and then training its strength. This way, every horse will be good. RIDING A HORSEOnce you get on the horse, your attention must never deviate from the horse. You must coordinate the use of the reins and the crop. Whether you move fast or slow, you must keep it simple, without using force.
When you have the horse gallop, apply equal pressure with both knees. If you relax the pressure on one side, the horse will turn towards that side. If you have the reins in your hands, you use them to guide the horse; and if you have to let go, you guide with your knees. This is the general practice. With a strange horse, you need to estimate how hard his mouth is before you start riding it. MOUNTING A HORSEQuickly and lightly mount the horse. Try to always mount from the block. If not available, hold the reins and the mane with your left hand and grip the pommel with the right, place your left foot into the stirrups near to the saddle. The special skill is to find the right stirrups when you are on the saddle. With lots of practice, you'll be light on your feet and fast. Besides, it looks orderly and dignified.
BODY POSITIONThe rider's main goal in his physical position should be to maximize the strength of his hips. Second, you want your crotch to be firmly settled around the saddle. If your crotch is firmly fixed around the saddle, your waist will naturally be straight and firm. The most important remaining skill is to avoid bouncing around.
For example, you need to have your knees firmly squeezing the front of the saddle, your calves gripping the sides of the horse, and press your feet into the stirrups. However, you should not insert your feet too far into the stirrups. Your grip on the reins should be lively, not insensitive. Your butt shouldn't be pressed down on the horse's spine, and your heels shouldn't be clamped on the horse's stomach. In this way, your body position will be correct. Once you practice it, it is not difficult. GETTING INTO A GALLOPDon't try to get the horse to gallop while you're still in the starting circle. You should hold on to the reins and bridle and get the horse on the track first. Move your horse a few steps to get the hoof movement uniform, and then gently give the horse the bit. How many people know 'the rider at ease, the horse moving smoothly, with this the bow and arrow are controlled.”
REINING IN THE HORSEHow you rein in a horse depends on the horse's mouth; but it must not be done in a rush. Don't raise up the horse's head. You need to ensure that reins and bridle are evenly controlled: hold the reigns firmly on each side of the mane. Pull your arms back to your sides and apply even pressure through your arms, waist, knees, hands, and feet. Do not keep your limbs loose or move them around. Do not lean forward or backward. Be natural, firm, and without any unnecessary movement.
DISMOUNTING A HORSEYou should dismount effectively and conveniently. "Effective" means you should get your feet out of the stirrups as soon as possible. "Conveniently" means being able to quickly twist your body. The former should be done without getting stuck, and the latter without getting encumbered. From mounting to dismounting, every element of horsemanship has something you should get accustomed to, then shooting will be no problem.
NORMAL AND OFF-CENTER RIDINGNormal horse riding and riding off-center are two different things. In normal horse riding, the main force is on the crotch. This method is used when shooting level. When riding off-center, your bottom is slightly off center. This method is used when shooting to the ground. Use level shooting to shoot targets set on the arena walls. Use shooting at the ground for shooting the target ball on the ground.
TARGETS ON ARENA WALLWhen shooting at a target set on the arena wall, the left side of your ribcage should be sideways (to the target. Extend the upper left arm slightly outwards. This means you can easily draw the bow from your chest. This should be done with heroic action.
Each archer has his own instincts when it comes to aiming. On the one hand, you don't want to be inflexible; on the other hand, you don't want to put an arrow through your horse's leg! TARGETS ON THE GROUNDShooting at the ball to the ground, you should lean forward on your left knee, and extend your upper left arm slightly downwards. Then your back will be stretched and you will be firm in the saddle. Arrows should fire with sufficient force.
As for aiming, you should consider the speed of the horse. You should mainly rely on your instinct, but you want to avoid shooting directly down to the top of the ball. (Shooting to the top of the target ball would fail to knock it from its target rest) THINGS TO AVOID-With the horse galloping, when you let go of the reins, don't use the crop too much.Don’t use your feet in the stirrups to spur the horse’s sides.
-Don't stand in the Spurs when you're trying to continue facing the target. -Don’t feel around or look at the bow string or nock when nocking your arrows. -When drawing a bow and looking back at the target, don't let your chest or knees get in the way of the string. -Don’t release too early or too late when shooting level at the target. -When reining in your horse after shooting, do not hang your bow over your shoulder. -Don’t cant your bow when drawing. -Don't yank on the string when you release it. The previous twelve sections are all the things you need to pay attention to in your practice sessions. Internally, you can gain power, while externally you will look better. You must become truly familiar with all these things.
Once you are on your horse in the testing grounds, drawing the bow and releasing the arrow should be like a flash of lightning; as quick as a sudden storm. In addition, you should take these words from the 'Flying General' as the spirit of horse archery: “Iron nerves, a cautious heart, easy in your breathing, flexible in your strength, quick of eye and skilled of hand” Although the above eighteen characters a something a horse archers must know, I have saved them for last so if I have left anything out, they can make up for it. BRINGING THE HORSE ONTO THE COURSE
PRACTICE FOR LEVEL SHOOTING
In this example, note these points: how his hips are sideways to the target, his buttocks are not moving; he is extending his arms forward with his shoulders relaxed. When the bow is fully drawn, it is vertical. Once again, his weight is dispersed between his knees. You should look closely at this model.
SHOOTING TO THE GROUND
To learn it is easy; but don't let your right foot leave the stirrup, and don't relax your grip on the top of the saddle with your knees. This is an important approach.
BRINGING THE HORSE IN AFTER SHOOTING
In this example, notice how he calmly reins in the horse, both upper arms pressed into the ribs, his strength distributed throughout his body, neither leaning backward nor forward, driving forward with each step.
In addition to having a relaxed appearance, it keeps all four hooves regular, thus permanently avoiding the mistakes of shying or stumbling on the part of the horse. All four mounted archery positions are closely based on the style of the Royal Bodyguard. There is no doubt that they are extremely reliable and established. Starting with my generation, they were chosen as the best from all the candidates who took the Imperial Exam. The only thing you need is to be completely familiar and comfortable with your horse and bow. This you can develop for yourself: it does not need to be covered in this book.
ADDITIONAL ARCHERY TEXTS |
Ren-yan Year of Kang Xi (1722).