1 Topic by geoarcher (edited by geoarcher 2020-09-30 00:34:26)

  • Registered: 2012-06-12
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Topic: Korean Archery Treatsies and Translation

This question/concern is mostly geared towards bluelake but also anyone else who may have similar knowledge or be able to comment.

So, I've noticed it's at times very difficult to stay focused discussing Korean traditional archery and relevant techniques on this forum.  While I don't think comparative analysis of varying Asiatic archery traditions are unwarranted due to inherent similarities stemming from a shared history of somewhat similar techniques and equipment, I feel it can potentially overshadow more specific discussions on Korean traditional archery.  I partly attribute this to a lack of availability of historical Korean traditional archery treatises translated for western consumption akin to what was done in 'Saracen Archery'.  I was wondering if such treatises though even still exist or were written in historical times during the Joseon era or even prior to and, if there were, are there any current attempts to consolidate and translate them?

I know bluelake has done a great job of writing modern primers on Korean traditional archery but I have a feeling there may be  older information out there.  Given the current rise in interest of Asiatic archery traditions and recent translations of Persian, and Chinese archery treatises in addition to the old translations on Arab and Indian archery, isn't it time for the Korean archery treatises of old to be given similar exposure?

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2 Reply by ShinLa (edited by ShinLa 2020-10-02 03:46:09)

  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2018-06-22
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Re: Korean Archery Treatsies and Translation

First let me say that I am not an expert nor do I hold any advanced rank in any of the Asian martial arts.
That said, my somewhat limited experience in the martial arts is that they are taught by example and repetition as opposed to study of written materials.  The existence of written materials is a relatively recent thing in the span of time that martial arts have existed.
Without finding a teacher who has been taught by more senior practitioners and they by others more senior than them and so on, it is very hard to progress.
At least that has been my experience in Okinawan Karate and Korean Taekwando.  I guessing it is the same with Asian archery forms.

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  • Registered: 2012-06-12
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Re: Korean Archery Treatsies and Translation

ShinLa wrote:

First let me say that I am not an expert nor do I hold any advanced rank in any of the Asian martial arts.
That said, my somewhat limited experience in the martial arts is that they are taught by example and repetition as opposed to study of written materials.  The existence of written materials is a relatively recent thing in the span of time that martial arts have existed.
Without finding a teacher who has been taught by more senior practitioners and they by others more senior than them and so on, it is very hard to progress.
At least that has been my experience in Okinawan Karate and Korean Taekwando.  I guessing it is the same with Asian archery forms.

Yes martial arts like almost anything else are often taught and learned from an actual teacher.  As far as written materials being a relatively recent thing for some of these arts like archery, that is not true.  There are plenty of ancient texts that exist in various other Asiatic traditions which I have discussed and brought up in other discussions here.  I even asked someone from Japan at my dojo if there were older texts from the feudal era discussing archery and the person confirmed there was and that they have never been translated.

I'd imagine the same would be possible for Korean archery.  Maybe bluelake could clear some of this up.

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  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2018-06-22
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Re: Korean Archery Treatsies and Translation

Yes, a text from feudal times can't be called a recent one.  But, I was speaking to the relative age of a text as compared to the entire age of the subject the text is concerned with.

I my example I meant to imply that the archery methods described by even feudal texts may predate the text by several decades if not centuries.

That said, any written account would go a long way toward forming a basis for discussion that we lack today.

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  • Registered: 2012-06-12
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Re: Korean Archery Treatsies and Translation

ShinLa wrote:

Yes, a text from feudal times can't be called a recent one.  But, I was speaking to the relative age of a text as compared to the entire age of the subject the text is concerned with.

I my example I meant to imply that the archery methods described by even feudal texts may predate the text by several decades if not centuries.

That said, any written account would go a long way toward forming a basis for discussion that we lack today.

We could use more translated texts from older periods of Korean archery.  They would help us discuss Korean archery on this forum better.  That's basically the name of the game here and I was hoping this thread may help generate interest and or awareness of such. 

I'd hope in a few years, something comparable to what Dr. Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani did for Persian archery comes out for Korean archery, but at the some time I sense no urgency for something like that to appear.  It certainly would be very useful and much appreciated.

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  • From: NH
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Re: Korean Archery Treatsies and Translation

My guess is that it will be a daunting translation.  The earliest written texts were probably from China written in Chinese hanja going over to Korean/Chinese hanja around 400bce.  The modern Hangul style coming in around 1400.  I can barely manage Romanized Korean on a menu.

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  • Registered: 2012-06-12
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Re: Korean Archery Treatsies and Translation

ShinLa wrote:

My guess is that it will be a daunting translation.  The earliest written texts were probably from China written in Chinese hanja going over to Korean/Chinese hanja around 400bce.  The modern Hangul style coming in around 1400.  I can barely manage Romanized Korean on a menu.

That's kinda what I was afraid of.  Going from the Chinese based scripts in almost any east Asian language from any time period to English I hear is super challenging.  Compound that with the time frame of the script being a more archaic version and you have in front of yourself a task that requires some serious ability.  I'd imagine there are few experts here in this field who can translate the old scripts into English.  Let alone those willing especially just for an archery treatsie.  Such narrow, esoteric information likely requires a lot of work and very little pay out in the end.

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  • Registered: 2010-10-15
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Re: Korean Archery Treatsies and Translation

Sorry I've been absent for so long, guys. Regarding your question, there have been some papers on historical Korean archery; most are in Korean, but a few are in English. Look for papers by Kim Ki-hoon. He is a good friend of mine and he's written several such papers in English.

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  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2018-06-22
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Re: Korean Archery Treatsies and Translation

bluelake wrote:

Sorry I've been absent for so long, guys. Regarding your question, there have been some papers on historical Korean archery; most are in Korean, but a few are in English. Look for papers by Kim Ki-hoon. He is a good friend of mine and he's written several such papers in English.

Thanks Bluelake for the reference to Kim Ki-hoon.

Preserving information in current forms and languages is a big task.  Not only must we do the translation but we must also select what to preserve and when.  The immense amount of info out there forces us to be selective and to do it while adequate knowledge of the old and new media still exists.

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