Japanese longbow. Japanese weapons and their types Relation to the bow

The entire past of ancient and feudal Japan is endless battles. The main difference from the battles on the continent is that the wars broke out among the Japanese, in other words, within the same nationality and culture. The warring parties used the same weapon and

similar strategies and tricks of warfare. In such a situation, the skill of samurai weapons and the individual tactical qualities of military leaders were of great importance.

Types of Japanese edged weapons

There are three defining eras in Japan's martial past: the era of the bow, the era of the spear, and the era of the sword.

Luke period

The bow (yumi) is the oldest weapon in Japan. Bows have been used as weapons since ancient times. Archery was divided into two forms - how necessary part Shinto ceremonies kyudo (Way of the bow) and as a martial skill kyujitsu (Navigation of archery). Kyudo was usually practiced by the nobility; kyujitsu was practiced by samurai.

A Japanese bow with an asymmetrical shape, the upper part of which is approximately twice as long as the lower part. The bow is two meters long. Generally, the parts of the bow are made of composites, in other words, the outside of the bow is made of wood and the inside is made of bamboo. Because of this, the arrow almost never moves in a straight path, with the result that accurate shooting becomes possible only after gaining a lot of experience. The average distance of a well-aimed arrow is approximately 60 meters, for a professional it is twice as far.

Japanese bow yumi photo

Often, arrowheads were made empty so that during flight they emitted a whistle, which, according to beliefs, drove away evil demons.

In the old days, Japanese bows were sometimes used, which had to be pulled not by one person, but by several warriors (for example, bows that required the strength of seven archers to pull!). Such bows were used not only for shooting infantry, but also in naval battles for sinking enemy boats.

In addition to regular archery, a special skill was bakujitsu - horseback shooting.

Age of the Spear

In the 16th century, muskets were brought to the Japanese state from Portugal. They almost completely replaced bows. At the same time, the importance of the spear (yari) increased. Because of this, the era of civil strife is called the Age of the Spear.

Spear of Yari photo

Mostly spears were used to knock riders off their horses. After the fall, such a fighter found himself unprotected. As a rule, infantry used spears. The Yari spear was 5 meters long, and to use it, one had to have great strength and endurance. Various samurai clans used spears different lengths and tip configuration.

Age of the Sword

With the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, the importance of military prowess as the skill of “victory at any cost” faded into history. It has become an independent technique of self-improvement and competition. Thanks to this, the physical power of spear professionals was replaced by kenjutsu - the art of wielding a sword.

It was during this era that the samurai sword began to be called the “soul of the samurai.” The samurai sword was sharpened with an edge convex outward, and the other edge is a kind of “shield” during battle. The sword, made using special multi-layer forging methods, is surprisingly durable and sharp. Its production takes a long time and requires enormous labor costs, so a new samurai sword has always had a huge cost. An ancient sword made by a famous master cost a fortune. In the samurai's will, a special section always indicated the distribution of swords between the offspring.

Types of samurai swords:

Tsurugi is an ancient straight sword sharpened on both sides, used until the 10th century.

Tsurugi photo

Thirty-centimeter dagger.

Tanto photo

A samurai sword worn on the belt with the tip up, paired with a wakizashi. Length – 60-75 cm. Only samurai were allowed to wear a katana

Katana photo

Wakizashi, (Shoto, Kodachi) - a short sword (30 - 60 cm), worn on the belt with the tip up and, together with the katana, made up the samurai daisho set (long, short).

Tati is a large long curved sword (from 61 cm in blade), which was worn with the tip down, used, as a rule, by horsemen.

Nodachi (Odachi) is a type of tachi, a very long sword (from one to one and a half meters), which was worn on the back.

The training used Shinai swords made of bamboo and bokken - swords made of wood.

Commoners could only wield small swords or knives - to protect themselves from bandits and robbers. Samurai carried two swords - long and short. At the same time, they fought with a long sword, a katana, although there were also schools of wielding two swords at once. A professional was defined by his ability to defeat an enemy with a minimum number of sword swings. The art of killing an enemy by quickly drawing a sword from its sheath with one swing (iaijutsu technique) was considered a special skill.

Auxiliary types of Japanese weapons:

Bo - military pole. There are a large number of species of different lengths (30 cm - 3 m) and thickness.

Jitte is a fork-shaped weapon with two teeth, made of iron. It was used by the police of the Tokugawa period to intercept the sword of an enraged (usually drunk) samurai, and also as a fighting club.

Yoroi-doshi - “dagger of mercy”, which was used to finish off the wounded.

Kaiken is a women's fighting dagger. It was used by women of an aristocratic family as a suicide knife when their honor was violated.

Kozuka is a military knife. Often used on the farm.

Naginata is a Japanese halberd. A pole with an attached blade. Initially used by infantry to injure enemy horses. In the 17th century, it began to be used by girls from the samurai family for defense. The standard length of a naginata was approximately 2 m.

photo Naginata

Tessen is a military fan with steel spokes. Used by generals. Sometimes used as a small shield.

photo of Tessen battle fan

Antique Japanese weapon(single-shot arquebuses) - became popular during the period of civil strife. After the accession of the shogunate, the Tokugawa ceased to be used, as it was considered “unworthy of a true warrior.”

Japanese weapons video

Interesting video about katana and wakizashi.

Form

Arrow carrier

Yumi is an asymmetrical bow, with the handle located approximately one-third of the length of the bow from the bottom. There are several hypotheses for the origin of this form. The main hypothesis is that this shape is necessary for shooting from a horse with the ability to freely aim in any direction. According to another hypothesis, this form is needed for shooting from a sitting position. There is also a hypothesis that this form arose in times before the invention of the composite bow to compensate for differences in the properties of wood at a distance from the root. Without a string, the bow bends in the opposite direction

Bowstring

Tsuru (Japanese 弦, "string") The yumi is traditionally made from hemp, but most modern archers use a synthetic bowstring made from materials such as Kevlar due to its greater durability. Usually the bowstring is not changed until it breaks. The point of contact with the arrow is reinforced with additional thread and glue, which helps protect the string and hold the arrow more securely.

Attitude to onions

Those who seriously practice kyudo treat the bow with respect as an object of great power; they say that the bow contains part of the soul of the person who made it. A student should never step over a bow lying on the ground, which would be considered disrespectful. Typically, onions are treated the way you would like to be treated, such as keeping them away from heat or cold, in a place that is dry but not too dry. It is also considered disrespectful to touch a bow without the owner's permission.

Care

Bamboo onions require careful care. Without this, the bow may lose its shape and become useless. The shape of the bow may change for the worse, and correction may require applying pressure through special blanks, or leaving it with the string drawn or, conversely, without the string for a while. If the bow has taken on an approximately flat shape, then it is left without a string. If the bow is overbent, the bow is left with the string attached. With good care, an onion can last for many generations, otherwise its life will be short.

Bow length

The choice of bow depends on the height of the owner.

Story

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Good luck, beaver to the house! Today you will read about another deadly samurai weapon. We will also find out the difference between Japanese and English bows. Let's get started!

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Definition

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The Japanese longbow, or daikyu (large bow), or simply yumi (bow), is a bow more than two meters long, differing from others in its convexity, handle and arrows. Yumi can be used for kneeling, standing, and horseback shooting, which makes it different from other types.

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Daikyu is inextricably linked with the history of Japan - it has been used on the battlefield for thousands of years, and even now it is an important attribute of Japanese culture. It was the bow that was the main weapon of the samurai until it was replaced by the katana and firearms. But even after this, the bow was popular. Yumi can still be seen in Japanese ceremonies and religious rituals to this day.

Creation

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Japanese bows are usually made from the best materials, and the price of such weapons is not small. Therefore, there are cheaper analogues made of glass and carbon fiber. Leather, bamboo and wood are used to make expensive yume, and the technology itself has not changed for centuries. In winter, when bamboo is driest, the yumi maker searches the bamboo grove for the perfect tree. Even in a grove full of dead trees, it is very difficult to find a suitable one. Only one bow can be made from one bamboo, but the distance between the nodes must be correct and there must be no scratches or other damage on it. Afterwards it is cut into strips and taken to dry in a special smoking chamber. The bamboo will stay there for 6 months.

After drying, since all the pieces are different, the master needs to calculate what their thickness will be for the required flexibility. Every millimeter matters. After the three parts are ready, the future bow is glued and tied with a rope and small pieces of bamboo are inserted under it - they will hold the yume when bending.

While the glue has not hardened, the master begins to bend the bow, not much at first, but then more and more firmly and confidently - this is how the bow takes on an asymmetrical shape. Top part The bow is twice as large as the lower one, which is why the yumi is kept at a distance of two-thirds from the top. The master makes the handle in the lower third of the bow, since the recoil after a shot is stronger in the middle. The position of the handle in the lower third enhances the power of the bow.

The master bends the future bow

After the daikyu has taken the desired shape and is ready to install the bowstring, the master threads the bow into a special machine and attaches a bowstring rope called “tsuru” to the ends. Immediately after this, the master takes the yumi in his hands, trying to understand whether the bow was a success. If between the top and bottom parts there is balance, then this good bow, if not, then it's bad.

Fighting technique

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The Japanese bow was used only by the samurai class. Not everyone could become a master of yumi shooting. Due to its unique shape, this weapon is more powerful than other bows, but even so, the samurai increased the power of the daikyu. Japanese archers have a technique called tsunome. When firing, the shooter's hand deflects at the last moment so that the arrow flies straight out of the bowstring. This gave the arrow speed and power, increased shooting accuracy, and also reduced vibrations.

The daikyu is drawn differently from other bows. The bowstring is pulled by the tip thumb towards or behind the ear. The arrow of a Japanese bow passes through the thumb right hand, this stabilizes and improves accuracy.

Yumi was used everywhere: in the defense of castles, in naval battles, and in attacks. This deadly weapon made it easy to shoot in different directions. Wealthy samurai were horse archers and could easily repel spearmen. To defeat the rider with the yumi, it was necessary to kill his horse. The poorer samurai were foot archers; in battle they formed two ranks - while one rank was reloading, the other was shooting, diverting attention to themselves. The Daikyuu could also be used as a spear or before battle by fearsome Japanese warriors.

Two samurai of equal status came out from two opposite sides, they shot arrows at each other. If one side became intimidated by the warrior's skill, then it could surrender.

Modern use

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In the twenty-first century, there are only two schools left in Japan that teach yumi shooting - the Ogasawara School and Kyudo. Ogsawara teaches in the traditions in which samurai once trained - in some training, students wear armor that weighs 20 kilograms. This school trains mainly for shooting from the saddle. In Kyudo, archery is more viewed as martial arts. This school does not teach how to hit a target, but concentration and control of movement. Students eventually understand when to release the bowstring to hit the target.

Temple cleansing ritual with Yumi's help

These schools hold ceremonies in which participants can show off their abilities. For example, Yabusame is a special ceremony that includes exorcism of evil spirits, fortune telling, religious rituals and horseback archery.

Horseman at Yabusame Festival

Comparison of Yumi and English Longbow

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These two bows are very different, let's compare them. Let's start with the differences. The most obvious ones are the shape of the bend, the shooting technique and the arrows. The yumi has an asymmetrical bend, while the longbow (see picture) has a classic bend. The English bow is pulled with three fingers - index, middle and ring - to the cheek or corner of the lips. The shooters were mostly peasants, since a bow could be made quite easily. Yumi stretched the tip of his thumb to his ear and further, and samurai used it.

English longbow

The speed of flight of an arrow at the same tension will be equal. The Yuma have longer arrows, so if the arrows were the same, the speed of an arrow fired from a longbow would be slower.

The penetration ability of the English bow is slightly better. Yuma arrows are not designed to pierce chain mail. When shooting at an iron plate, the result of both bows will be the same. But when shooting at ballistic gel, the density of which is equal to the density of the human body, the daikyu will be in the lead.

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When delivering by transport company, cash on delivery is not possible. All shipments are made upon payment of the order.

Payment for delivery can be made upon receipt of the goods.

Cost of delivery: 700 R

Japan appears extremely rarely in our articles - and pneumatics are not welcome there (except for Airsoft), and bows and crossbows historically were not the most common weapons, mainly due to natural and climatic features, although it seems that there was also a subjective factor .

Kyudo - traditional Japanese archery

Any Japanese knows that the respectable gentlemen in the picture were not gathered for fishing or, say, at the dacha to install a greenhouse frame. Their path lies to a special hall (kyudojo) or to a training ground for the martial art of Kyudo (“Way of the Bow”). Both the weapon itself and the weapon used are sharply out of line with the canons familiar to most countries.

We have repeatedly addressed the topic of so-called “Asian” bows, which are maximally adapted for shooting from a horse - powerful, short recurves, capable of almost being tied in a knot without destruction. They were based on wood, horn and veins. The Japanese, either due to certain historical conditions, or, more realistically, due to natural features, made their bows mainly from bamboo.

It is characteristic that the bow (like the crossbow), due to the peculiar climate, was not particularly widespread on the islands, although every samurai was obliged to master the art of shooting from it. Including from a horse. The inventive Japanese have created their own unique version of the long throwing weapons, called wakyu (Japanese 和弓, “Japanese bow”), daikyu (Japanese 大弓, “big bow”), or even just yumi (Japanese 弓, “bow”). Its design is asymmetrical, the handle is not located in the center, but is shifted approximately two-thirds down. This is what made it possible, when shooting, not to catch the tip of the lower shoulder on the saddle, knees or the horse itself. Naturally, wakyu were also used on foot.

To this day, this amazing weapon, like Kyudo, is very popular in Japan. And not only there, as evidenced by the video below. The only thing is that it is difficult to say whether Europeans are able to fully understand the philosophy of the “Way of the Bow”, because this is not just shooting exercises, not so much a sports discipline, but rather a kind of ritual, and an extremely formalized one at that. It’s like comparing the Japanese “tea ceremony” with our traditional snack on the run and a cup of coffee drank in one gulp.

Samurai as they are, or rather, they were

These photographs were taken between 1860 and 1890. The fact is that just a few years earlier in Japan, the voluntary self-isolation known as Sakoku (Japanese 鎖国, literally “country on a chain”) ended. And new items of scientific and technological progress began to arrive there.

So the samurai - they seem to be such serious guys - did not stand aside and accepted the art of photography with childish delight. And who would refuse - even now Instagram is alive and well, and sometimes completely stupid selfies flood the Internet.

By the way, the pictures are lovingly hand-painted (yup, a prototype of the anime). Naturally, most of them are staged, well, where the heroes are in family armor, that’s 100 percent.

And now the main thing. In all the photos there are swords, here and there halberds (naginata, no?), and often yumi. But there are no crossbows on dozens of them, to be honest.

Why is that? Read about it below.

Japanese crossbows: stepchildren of the Land of the Rising Sun

So, any professional warrior was obliged to wield a bow one way or another, remember “A samurai without a yumi is like a samurai with a yumi, but only without a yumi...”. The crossbow found itself in a kind of corral, as evidenced by obvious and not so obvious facts.

Firstly, the number of modifications is extremely small. With the exception of the serf ballistas o-yumi (i.e., “big bow”), there is actually only one model - the teppo-yumi. And some oddities are noticeable in relation to her. Look, “teppo” in Japanese means “gun” (this is what the first arquebuses received from Europeans were called). That is, it turns out that the name itself arose after these not so long ago events, not earlier than the middle of the 16th century. At this time, Europe, not to mention geographically close China, had been using crossbows for hundreds and thousands of years.

Although there is evidence that crossbows came to the islands in the form of Chinese gifts back in 618 AD. t have been used quite actively for several centuries. However, the gradual stabilization of the state led to their almost complete oblivion. I couldn’t find a single sample of Japanese paintings, there are as many bows as you like! Therefore, based on historical realities, I will present an image of a Chinese serf easel crossbow (ballista), and a very unusual trumpet design. I don't think so Japanese options differed in something special from overseas prototypes.

Secondly, teppo-yumi are a rather primitive design, especially for this historical period:

Compare it with the authentic “death machines” of the last legionnaires of the Middle Ages - the Genoese mercenaries:

It seems that teppo-yumi with a stock and a shoulder span of approximately 60 centimeters did not have outstanding shooting characteristics and were not used very often on the battlefield. Maybe some ninjas worked among them for colleagues from hostile clans or unwary samurai. Yes and even then short distances from ambush.

Or maybe there was a subjective factor. If in Europe they have repeatedly tried to ban crossbows as “weapons of the devil,” then why shouldn’t a samurai consider them incompatible with the codes of bushido? That is why the islanders, who adopted so much from the Chinese, reacted to overseas crossbows without enthusiasm.

By the way, about borrowing. It is interesting that, albeit in tiny quantities, almost complete copies existed in Japan:

These store devices were called “dokyu”. In Russian, this is a kind of palindrome (the word is the opposite, like GROM - MORG) from “kyudo” (Way of the bow). Unfortunately, we do not know how the names of crossbows were written in hieroglyphs, otherwise we could speculate on this topic.

More about the history of weapons: