II.
THE MEDIEVAL WEAPONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          The two expressions « Bách Bộ  Xuyên Dương »  (Bai Bu Chuan Yang 百 步 穿 楊) (To shoot an arrow through a willow leaf at a hundred feet) and « Bách Phát Bách Trúng » (Bai Fa Bai Zhong 百 發 百 中) (A Hundred shots, a Hundred bull’s eyes) that originated from this story of archery tournament between Phan-Hổ (Pan Hu 潘 虎) and Dưỡng Do Cơ (Yang Youji 養 由 基) at the Period of « Spring-Autumn - 春 秋 時 代» (722-481 BC), make « shooting at willow » (Xạ Liễu - sheliu) synonymous with « striving constantly to improve skills ».

           Later, the « Shoot an Arrow through a Willow Leaf - Xạ Liễu - on foot » from the Period of Spring-Autumn (722-481 BC) was changed to the « Shoot an Arrow through a Willow Leaf - Xạ Liễu - on horseback », called « Bách Bộ Xuyên Dương Xạ Liễu ».

           The target comprised two rows of peeled willow twigs hung on a pole stuck in the ground and tied at the top with a kerchief. Each of the contestants aimed a flightless arrow at one of the twigs as they rode past. The point was to split it and catch the topmost half before it hit the ground. Archers that accomplished both feats scored highest, followed by those that hit their twig but failed to catch the severed half.        

 

1 - Đại-Việt Equestrian Archery :

        The « Shoot an Arrow through a Willow Leaf - Xạ Liễu on horseback », called « Bách Bộ Xuyên Dương Xạ Liễu » is an extremly difficult archery exercise, having been developed in the LÝ Dynasty period (1010~1225 AD) for training Đại-Việt Cavalry Troops, and that the SONG inspired, due to the report made by Thái-Diên-Khánh (Cài Yán Qìng - 蔡 筵 磬) - the chinese Prefet of Hoạt-Châu (Huo Zhou - 活 州), country bordering Ðại-Việt - to emperor Tống-Thần-Tông (宋 真 宗 - Song Zhen Zong, 1068~1085 AD) from SONG Dynasty.

         In TRẦN Dynasty (1225~1413 AD) period and in following Dynasties times, an another archery exercise was put in place, called « Bách-Bộ Xạ Kim-Tiền - To Shoot a Golden Piece of Monney on a Hundred Feet Path », relatively more easier than the « Bách Bộ Xuyên Dương Xạ Liễu » from LÝ Dynasty Period (1010~1225 AD).
         The target was designed under the shape of a Golden Piece of Monney with a square hole. The rule was to raise three targets, the one distant a hundred steps from the another ; the candidate had to gallop with his horse and shoot three arrows in the square hole of the monney piece : to hit three targets given him the title of Champion, to hit two targets given him the excellent note, one targent, the inferior note.
       That deserves to remark is after the Equestrian Archery Event, Đại-Việt's Cavalryman had to make the demonstration of Cavalry Vouge wielding (Siêu-Pháp), or Sword wielding (Kiếm-Pháp), or Spear wielding (Thương-Pháp), or Pertuisane wielding (Mâu-Pháp), on horseback, in accordance with the Tests from Medieval Military Examination.

   

2 - The Shooting Range (Xạ Trường - 射 場) :

       This is an enclosure of more 3 x 73m = 219 m long, and more 20m large, decorated with flags and where are put up three Targets 100 feet away. The Shooting Range still comprises an Awaiting Shoot Area and a Public Stand constituted of nine seats rised from 2,50 m to 3 m above the ground : one rised seat for Emperor and eight rised seats for eight Mandarins Judges.

       Nowadays, In the reality, our Shooting Range is an enclosure of 100m long, and 45m large, decorated with flags, having three Paths, marked out with stakes linked up by a rope :
              1. Knights Path, of 9m large and 80m long, used for Medieval Weapons wIelding ;
              2. Champions Path, of 3m large and 95 + 45 + 95 + 45 m = 280m long, used for Target shooting ;
              3. Return Path, leading to the Awaiting Shoot Area ;
       In addition, our Shooting Range comprises also a Public Stand including a rised seat 3 m above the ground, decorated with parasol and flag, traditonally reserved for Emperor.

The new constructing Shooting Range and Martial Training Area,
owning a Public Stand including a rised Seat 3 m above the ground,
decorated with Parasol and Flag.

The new constructing Shooting Range and Martial Training Area
with orientation acccording to the Eight Trigrams. 

The new constructing Shooting Range and Martial Training Area
with orientation acccording to the Eight Trigrams.     

 

Martial Student LÊ-Phẩm was riding the War Horse « Hắc-Long » (Black Dragon) at the new constructing Shooting Range and Martial Training Area.

Martial Student Mỹ-Duyên was riding the War Horse « Thần-Phong » (Divine Wind) at the new constructing Shooting Range and Martial Training Area.

 

3 - Ways of Shooting in Equestrian Archery :

       The Equestrian Archery includes thirteen ways including in three essential techniques of shooting :

           a. - The Forward Shot : It may be shot in six ways, under six different angles ;

           b. - The Lateral Shot : It may be shot in three ways, under three different angles ;

           c. - The Backward Shot : It may be shot in four ways, under four different angles.

Equestrian Archery Diagram

 

Forward Shooting

Lateral Shooting

Backward Shooting

             Moreover, in nowadays the Equestrian Archery still applies these three essential techniques of shooting previously quoted in the Competitions of Equestrian archery, there are :

             1. - Single Shoot Đơn-Xạ (單射) : On a distance of 120m, one target is installed at 90m point used for the Lateral Shoot in 15 seconds (every 1 second of over time will be deducted of 1 score point ) ;

             b. - Fast Shoot Tốc-Xạ (速射) : On a distance of 120m, two targets are obliquely installed at 45° on 60m point from the start line used for the Forward Shoot and the Backward Shoot in 15 seconds (every 1 second of over time will be deducted of 1 score point) ;

             c. - Successive shoot Liên-Tốc-Xạ (連速射) : On a distance of 160m, five targets are installed at 30m point, 60m point, 90m point, 120m point and 150m point from the start line used for the Lateral Shoots in 20 seconds (every 1 second of over time will be deducted of 1 score point).

 

 

4 - The Training for Equestrian Archery :

           The Training for Equestrian Archery is ordinary made on Wooden Horse, or exceptionally on Mechanical Horse, in order to perfect the effective gesture, and then afterwards on War Horse for applying it in pragmatism.

 

Training on Wooden Horse - Equestrian Archery in Poland -

Training on Wooden Horse - Equestrian Archery (Yabusame) in Japan -

Training on Wooden Horse - Equestrian Archery in Việt-Nam -

Training on Wooden Horse - Equestrian Archery in UK -

Training on Mechanical Horse - Equestrian Archery in Korea -

Training on Wooden Horse - US Cavalry in 1917 -

Martial Student waiting the training for
the Đại-Việt Equestrian Archery (Kị-Xạ).

 

 

 

5 - Picking Up Arrows By Means of the Bow's Prow (Siyah) (Cung Sao Thiêu Tiển - 弓 稍 挑 箭 ) :

       There's a method of picking up Arrows on battle field by using the Bow's Prow without getting off one's horse.
       The reins are held in one's right hand and, holding the Bow in one's left hand, the Arrows stuck in the ground on the left are picked up by catching them between the String and the Bow's Prow (Siyah) so as to get them out the ground (and vice-versa for Arrows stuk in the ground on the right).

 Picking Up Arrows with the Bow's Prow
( Cung Sao Thiêu Tiển )
弓 稍 挑 箭

( Photo Credit : Stephen Selby )

 

        6 - The Competitions of Equestrian Archery :

           it exists currently Horseback Archery Competitions organized each year throughout the world by various Federations. However, the most important Competitions of Equestrian Archery are organized in Europe each year by the EOCHA (European Open Championship of Horseback Archers), whom the Head Office is at Usak in Turkey and by the WHAF (World Horseback Archery Federation)whom the Head Office is at at Sokcho in South-Korea.

 

       .The Horseback Archery Competitions

Committee of Martial Arts Masters VÕ-TRẬN-ĐẠI-VIỆT Bình-Định Sa-Long-Cương FRANCE TRỊNH Quang Thắng.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return to Page ARCHERY Pedestrian Archery	Return to Page PICTURES Teaching Section of Medieval Archery

 

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