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Korean Traditional Archery
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Hi!
I've only used modern one. I just can't afford time and attention that is needed to maintain traditional hornbow.
I've seen people using hornbow in the club and they spend 30min stringing and correcting limbs. I've heard that it doesn't need that much attention if it's used often but still, if it's not aligned carefully or if the khatra is too harsh, bow can always flip and destroy itself. It is rare occasion but that's probably because most people spent 30min untwisting and balancing limbs every single time.
There's big hype about hornbow in Korea especially among old people but the truth is carbon made Korean bow is actually faster and more efficient than horn bow and the actual advantage of horn bow is that it looks cool, it can take much longer draw length, better at dampening shock. But old people tend to compare it to performance of glass fiber laminated one.
There's some "meeting in the middle" approaches such as horn and sinew but with modern glue but they often are less durable.
Foggerty wrote:No, seriously 
In an interview with Bede Dwyer, he was showing pictures from one of his (many) archery books, and one of the pictures was of someone holding an egg in their draw-hand. I'm asking here because I THINK it was in a book about traditional Korean archery.
For those who don't know who Bede is, he's a historian (and archer), and basically a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the history of archery. Here is is talking about traditional Korean archery, and about the bow making techniques:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihxUPgm9-Xw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5e9dbhVuXw
He's also done talks on Chinese, Mamluk, African etc traditions, all worth checking out if you're a) a history nerd and b) an archery nerd 
Re the egg, I'm guessing it's a technique to make sure you have a firm, but relaxed grip: firm enough to hold onto the bow, but relaxed enough not to crush the egg. I've tried it BTW, up to 45# and no broken eggs. That said, I haven't tried loosing an arrow yet. I'll need to try that at the club. Preferably when most people have left.
Well, it's an old post but here's what I know.
Many ching bow (Manchurian) have heavy siah and don't like string khatra. The Chinese archery that bede dwyer is probably referring to, therefore, often use very light khatra. It's rare to see ching or ming bow swung around like Turkish or Korean bow.
So maybe... That's why?
Or probably egg is quite strong on even pressure and that it's emphasis on putting even pressure through our grip.
Or more of emphasis of where fingers go and direction of grip per finger if you know what I mean. That aligns with what I was tought, at least.
2 cent from Korean Archer here.
Hello!
New member joining from Sweden, geographically.
I'm Korean living in Sweden.
Learnt and trained Korean trad archery from Korea but had a break after moving abroad.
Now I'm doing it again but this time, also training olympic style too. It's very interesting to compare difference in style and figure out why.
Had 52# @31 hmg(modern material), it gave up with my shooting habit after 4yrs and died (I used to give lots of tillering(mitjang))
Now I have a 60# custom product from a horn bow craftman but in modern material. Still alive.
Joined to learn more about Korean bow in technical aspect because Korean forums about Korean trad archery trends to be very holistic and unscientific.
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