Firing Arrows Like a Mongolian Warrior

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Great content,definitely worth a watch

👍︎︎ 1 👤︎︎ u/Rayraykronk 📅︎︎ Jan 27 2018 🗫︎ replies
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>> This episode of the Modern Rogue brought to you by Squarespace. >> Go to squarespace.com/rogue to start your free trial and get 10% off your first purchase. >> And most importantly, stick around for the end of the episode because we have a huge announcement about our website, themodernrogue.com. So post nuclear holocaust. >> Oh, I knew it. [chuckles] >> I mean, I'm just hypothetically, not that we're expecting one any minute. Like, all the way back to the stone age. Like "Canticle for Leibowitz." Like, nothing but rocks, stones and animals. >> Tabula rasa. >> If you could bring with you only the knowledge, what is the most advanced military technology you could wield in that space? >> Probably like the Millwall brick. [chuckles] >> There you are. [laughing] The nunchucks, no that's magazines. [laughing] All of my weapons require some sort of print. >> All paper based or PVC. >> Yes. >> You're pretty much screwed. [hooves clattering] >> Well, hold on. [hooves thumping] [air whooshing] [arrow thumping] [hooves thumping] Right, right? >> Should I reset the injury counter now? >> [laughing] It's going to be great. ♪ 'Cause I'm a Modern Rogue ♪ >> ROBOT VOICE: The modern rogue can let loose an arrow. >> Here we are with The Hun. He is going to teach us about mounted archery. Now my big question is, what makes mounted archery so potent of a battlefield technique? >> You have to remember that cultures like the Mongols, basically took over Europe with nothing more than horses, bows and arrows. >> That's amazing. >> They controlled an empire twice the size of the Roman empire, just with those things. >> Okay, what's different about mounted archery than your traditional archery? >> Usually the bows are much smaller, easier to use. So you look at the bow, like a longbow. About six feet long, compare it to, say, a small Turkish bow. >> Oh wow. >> Now, it seems like this would be a lot more powerful and can shoot further, but what's the advantage of this one being smaller? >> Actually, distance record in the world right now is set with one of these. >> What? >> Yes. >> Why does anyone have one of these then? >> Size doesn't matter, baby. [laughing] >> All right, been saying that for years. >> But again, why even bother with one of these then? >> Tradition, there's a lot of traditional shooters that we are a country that's mostly England, France, Scotland. That's the traditional bow that came from those countries, and that's typically what America's made of. >> Okay, so tell us about mounted archery bows. >> Okay, back to that one. You see it's just one large piece of wood. >> Yup. >> All right, what makes a mounted archery bow special? Besides being small, these little pieces on the end. So they sometimes they're large, sometimes they're small. But that reflex, that curve. >> Can I grab one? >> Absolutely. So the end piece, we call a siyah, S-I-Y-A-H. And that is what provides leverage. So if you look at the way a bow bends. You notice? >> Yup. >> You get a lot more bend, because these little levers provide a lot more leverage against the bow itself. Longbows just use size, length. Sheer length, rather than actually being short and compact. >> Okay. >> So if you had a bow that didn't have these, and it was just that long, it wouldn't be nearly as strong. >> And when you've got something this short, it makes a lot more sense that you're going to be on a horse? >> Actually that was a by-product. Funny enough, the construction of one of these bows is far different. So, instead of being made of solid wood, most of the time they're what we call a composite. And the composite is sinew on the front, horn on the back. >> Oh, wow. >> And the materials work against each other. So you can make a bow that's smaller. And, if you don't have a wood to build a long bow, you can make one without wood, if you need to. >> What kind of horn? >> Water buffalo, Ibex, there's a lot of the long, the pronghorns, the big long, thick horns. >> Because these come from the steppes, and so there aren't as many trees. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Not as many straight trees. >> Exactly. >> Is what you're talking about. >> Ah, wait, is that a true story I heard, like there wasn't enough wood, so you couldn't rely on a campfire, so they would tenderize their meat by riding on them on a horseback? >> Yes. >> Really? >> Yes. >> That's a real thing? >> And they also did the same thing with fermented mare's milk. They put it in a bag that they wore on the ride, so that it would constantly churn it. >> Be churning, yeah. >> And agitating it. >> Hang on, I got to write down an episode idea real quick. [laughing] >> Fermented mare's milk. >> I'm not looking forward to it. >> Oh no. >> But we got to do it, with you. >> All right, so airag. >> What are the differences between these bows, are these all different styles? >> Yes. So we have about six different cultures. Turkish, so the Turkish bows are quite short. >> It just looks adorable. I mean it'll kill you. >> Right, oh, they all will. This is another Turkish, this is a little simpler one. This is one of the oldest bows; this is a Scythian style. This goes back to about 600 BC. The deeply recurved tips were one of the things that this bow was known for. Then going a little bigger. This is a Manchu style bow. This is one of the Chinese foot bows, so you notice it's actually pretty tall. >> It's pretty long, yeah. >> Not so good on a horse. Mostly it was footmen that used this bow, but I've seen a few people use shorter versions of this bow. It's characterized by these blocks on the end that they took from the Mongols. >> Got it. >> So makes a few differences. This is a Bulgarian avar bow and then the end is a Saluki bow which is based on a Crimean Tartar and it's a very short very, curvy steppes bow. >> Really wish I had paid attention during world history right now. [laughing] >> Now I noticed that we have an assortment of terrifying looking types of arrows. Are there particular arrows that are uniquely good for mounted archery, or just all of them are gnarly? >> So any archer would have probably a few of these in their quiver. This is actually so there's a few of them that are the most common. So you have something we call a Bodkin, it's for armor. >> Oh got these are armor piercing rounds. >> Yes armor piercing rounds, then you have the broad head which you know any deer hunter or anyone that's seen that knows what that's for. >> And then this is to pierce skin and get stuck inside. >> They stick in they don't come back out. And then they have some tribal tips. This is actually based on one of the tips of an actual horseback archery culture that is the Magyars. That's the Hungarian. >> So what's the thinking? I see that we have a blade on each side. Is it just meant to poke a bigger hole than one of these other guys? >> So fun thing, if you're shooting at other horseback archers, if it sticks in them, that's great. But if it works itself back out... >> Ooh, that's awful, then you, you poked a balloon and now you're just bleeding out. >> Drain plug. >> Ugh. >> Do you have any that's like a boxing glove on the end? >> Or maybe some with a firecracker like an episode of Dukes of Hazard. >> Hold on, wait wait, but I do. >> Whoa. >> Wait why is there a hole in this one? What is that for? >> THE HUN: Whistling arrow; signaling. >> What? >> Oh that's great. >> I'll shoot for you that later. >> Yes. >> That'd be amazing. Well so speaking of which, I know that there's something different about the standard archery lesson, okay, I don't want to think about those. Those aren't helpful. >> No that's for like, you've been pulling scams in the village, and they're going to hang you, but I'm off to the side and I got this, and the noose drops, and I cut through the rope and then you're fine. >> God, I wish. [chuckles] Nope, nope. >> I still hope that works at all. >> Birds. >> Of course, because you don't need to really pierce it, you just need to hit him. >> Exactly. >> So it's just really wide, okay. >> My story's better. >> I am a fan. >> And then they got, here you go. >> Oh my gosh. >> What is this? Just to destroy somebody? >> Well, you have to imagine too, you're in battlefields with horses, lots of men. You want something that's going to be heavy and be able to actually pierce and stay in because the more you ride around or the more your horse runs, it just sits inside and grinds out a hole this big around inside the meat and the muscle. [Brian exclaims disgustedly] >> Everything seemed so elegant until we got to this. Walk us through the technique if you don't mind. >> All right, different from American archery or Western archery, in the horseback field, end up using our thumbs for drawing. Normally use three fingers, we call it the Mediterranean draw, draw back there, release. This, you actually form like an L, like that. You bend it inwards, the string sits on the backside of the ring, we actually have rings, it'll fit you. So the string sits just on the inside like so. I take that pointer finger, put it right on the thumbnail, straight back and when you release, just let those two fingers go. >> Why is it different? >> So when you're riding, if say you were going to be riding and shooting Mediterranean, some people do this and some people are quite good at it. So you would have to use this finger to stabilize that arrow to keep it from going anywhere. >> So normally you would just rely on gravity to leave it in the groove but while you're jostling around-- >> If you're standing you don't have to worry about it, but when you're bouncing and riding you have to worry about it. So traditionally what they would do is instead of being on the knuckle side, they would be on the thumb side. And what that does is when your fingers are locked in, pushes up against the side of the arrow. Now I don't have to touch the arrow at all. >> Now you had called it Mediterranean style with the grip. >> Correct. >> What is this? >> It's Eastern draw, thumb draw. >> Eastern draw or thumb draw, okay. >> Let's get going, can you show us some stuff? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. >> All right, what are we looking at here? >> Horse bow, arrows, easy. So the way we load on horseback front of the face, arrow up. So the problem is, don't want it pointed down, might hit your horse in the back of the head. So you want to load up, extend both out. [Brian whistles appreciatively] >> Okay. [laughing] >> Is this an appropriate distance that you'd be firing from a horse usually or? >> It's a little short, but just for what we're doing here I'm good with that. >> You mentioned that you hook with the thumb. We've got these crazy rings on, talk me through what we're doing here. >> All right, so with the ring the string sits on the backside of the ring. When you hook it onto the string, you make an L, right? Hook it onto the bottom of the string. Now you'll feel the ring finds kind of a natural place for itself to sit. To set a balance. >> Yeah like it fits right in the middle. Balanced is a good way to put it. >> JASON: It catches that bottom lip right there just perfectly. >> So make an L, close these fingers in like this okay. Hook your finger, the tip of your pointer finger. Put it on your thumbnail. >> On the thumbnail, just square on there. >> And then rotate your hands slightly around and then we just draw straight back. >> I'm afraid I'm going to hurt myself or the ring's going to go flying, but I guess not. >> We'll try it a couple of times. >> Oh geez. >> ROBOT VOICE: for the love of me do not dry fire a bow. [laughing] >> Nope, no dry firing my bows. >> Oh sorry. [laughing] I did a no-no. Dry firing is bad? >> Dry firing is a no no. >> Oh gosh I did I messed up the thing, I pissed off a Hun. That's not a good place to be. >> It's fine. >> Okay all right good. >> No they're durable, student-minded bows. [laughing] All right so on horseback you'd be sitting astride like so, resting on your heels. All right, so the tips of your toes off the ground. Nock upwards straight back. [Brian whistles appreciatively] I'll run you through it. >> BRIAN: This is dangerous, I'm glad I'm on this side. >> No it'll be fine. >> You'll be fine. >> Now if I can teach seven year olds I can teach you two. >> Well yeah let's not get ahead of ourselves. >> JASON: Slow down there Mr Hun. >> Shoulder width apart, you don't play for the 49ers so tighten it up a little bit, knees bent. Rock back on your heels just a bit. Feel a little unstable? >> Yep. >> Good. [Jason chuckles] Now arrow goes thumb side so bow here, bring the arrow up it goes under the bead. >> The bead is the red thing? >> Correct. So you always want the white feather outwards. >> Oh okay, why is that? >> Because that's what we call the cock feather, we don't want it to strike the side of the bow. So that this little gap on the back side corresponds with where the hole is in the nock. >> I gotcha. >> All right, so ring goes underneath. You've got it? [Jason exclaims] [chuckles] What went wrong there is you're holding on to this and then you pulled the string back and it pulled the arrow off the string. So just put this thumb about there. >> Ah, okay Just put your thumb out. >> Now straight back all the way, more, more. [Brian exclaims] >> JASON: Look, I scared him. >> Again. >> Warning shot. Put it below the bead. You're going to nock it. >> Use that thumb. >> Use the thumb, yeah. >> Okay. >> It's clumsy. >> JASON: Yes it is, I'm clumsy. >> In my mind there's a war on happening. >> I know. >> Everybody's going nuts, he's like "Hold on guys, hold on, whoa." >> There you go, bring that knuckle up, there you go. >> BRIAN: Ah, worse than last time. So am I aiming this right down the arrow? >> No, you can't do that because it's on the wrong side. >> BRIAN: Oh, that's right. >> Now here's where we're going to get really weird. Try it again. Draw back; I want you to feel the front of the bow twisting in your hand. I want you to twist the bow slightly to the left and when you release, just let your wrist go to the side. >> This wrist? >> THE HUN: Yes, while holding the bow, so it's going to do this. Just break to the side when you release; try it. >> That's going to prevent the chances of the string slapping you, right? >> Also, so there's the thing, you might've known this from college, called the archer's paradox. >> Yeah I see, I don't remember anything because it was seven in the morning so I usually skipped it. Oh God, this is ridiculous. >> Imagine doing this on a moving horse. >> That's not going to happen, Hun. [laughing] [Brian exclaims] [laughing] >> The archer's paradox is what? >> So as the arrow leaves the side of the bow, it actually pushes into the side of the bow and then goes and whips down the field and the fletching on the back of the arrow is what straightens the arrow's path. Kind of like the rifling in the barrel of a gun. >> BRIAN: Got it. >> THE HUN: Slightly twist, and when you release... like that. >> Wow, much better. >> Closer! Just a little twist to the left. >> We call that khatra. >> Khatra. >> Isn't that how they got Spock back from the dead? He just khatra? No, no? >> THE HUN: shoot again. [laughing] >> Okay, up? >> Yep. Not stabbing your horse in the back of the head. So it becomes almost second nature. We practice this all the time. Get that thumb down in the front. There you go. Like that. >> Very good. >> Okay. >> Not bad. >> You want to try? >> I got to try. >> All right. >> Oh man. >> Okay, here you go. >> And what's the story with this awesome... >> As tough as we like to be, those arrows will give your hands hell. I have a spot on the back of this knuckle where there was no skin for a while. >> BRIAN: Oh God. So you're saying this is yet another opportunity for me to injure my hands. >> Oh, of course. >> Up? >> Just bend it right there. >> And then you get this >> Use this thumb. >> Nocked >> Right below this. Loop around on the bottom, there we go. >> THE HUN: Close these fingers. [laughing] >> Make sure it's like this, close these fingers. >> Oh got it. >> We only want these two being used. >> Got it, so use the L, loop it, oh man. >> THE HUN: It's because you're holding up here. >> Got it. >> As soon as you touch that string, just balance it on there. >> Balance it on your thumb. >> All right, here we go. Oh there we go, so it's more like you're just holding a pencil? >> Right, so just... [laughing] >> Whoa, I feel better. >> I know. >> So if you're picking zombie apocalypse survival teams, you might want to take note. >> Yeah, find a Hun. Okay, so this down, this guy here. >> THE HUN: Take the pressure. >> Oh and go up, hey. >> There we go >> Nope. We don't draw upwards. Arrows come back down. >> Got it. [Jason laughs] >> All right, ah. >> There you go, all right, hold. Bring this up to your face. Up, up, up there you go. >> Got it. >> JASON: Remember your khatra, Brushwood. >> And then kind of wrist open to the left, right? Hey! >> All right so it seems like all of us are aiming a little bit high, are we just believing it's going to fall more than it will? >> Most people shoot high the first time around. >> This is going to be for all the money in the world. >> We're totally going to be able to do this on horseback. >> Oh My God, it would be a breeze. We have to learn how to pimp ride horses. >> First we have to learn how to ride horses. >> So this guy goes in. >> So remember just use it like a pivot so just angle it up. This side of the fingers >> Oh got it. >> is touching the side of the arrow. >> Oh that's great, so it feels like I'm pinching it. >> They you go. Now bring this up to your eye. Further, closer. >> There you go. >> Oh my gosh. >> JASON: There you go. >> BRIAN: Dangerous, I'm going to aim lower. >> THE HUN: Slight twist. >> I hit the target! >> Well done. >> I winged him! >> Well done. You win a furry hat. >> Or the Chiclets. >> There you go. Now you got to be careful with the front finger. >> BRIAN: Okay, holding it like a pencil. >> Just barely. >> BRIAN: Fingers down, L hooked around back. >> And then rotate this in and you'll feel the pressure against the side of the arrow. >> And you pinch it. >> There you go. >> All the way up to the eye. >> Close your front hand. >> There you go. >> THE HUN: Bring your thumb down. >> There we go, and then rotate the wrist. >> Nice! >> That's a solid hit I'm calling it. >> Call it. >> We're champions now. >> Good, I think so. >> Good job! >> Holy cow Hun, that was amazing. >> Honorary Huns maybe? >> No. >> No not yet. >> Number one fan club, Hun fan club. >> JASON: Hun fan club that's us. >> Number One Hunter? No? [laughing] >> Hunny bunnies maybe, I don't know. >> We're going to get back to you on this. >> JASON: The Hun-isher. [laughing] >> He's going to say, he's like, "You got 10 seconds, run." [laughing] >> The greatest game is man. [laughing] >> Do you want to tell them or can I tell them? >> I think you should tell them. >> I'm pretty excited. Dude, themodernrogue.com is going to have daily brand new content starting every weekday. Right now there are five articles waiting for you because we're finally expanding the site beyond our little show. >> We have always wanted to do this, but there's only so many videos that we can do per day. We're a small team. >> And there's times that you can't be watching videos. Sometimes you want to read articles. We wanted the Modern Rogue to flesh out and have a bunch of awesome thought-provoking stuff that will make you the most interesting person in the room, that is funny and fun to read, and it turns out one of my favorite websites just fired everyone. Just fired everyone. >> Almost everyone. >> I was just like, man, I think we got to do this. >> You pounced. >> I pounced. We've got a team writing articles at themodernrogue.com and it's all done through our friends over at Squarespace. >> Yes, when we first started, the website was just a landing page to tell people to go watch the show on YouTube. >> BRIAN: Yeah, everybody watched us make it. >> Yes, now it's a destination with all sorts of thought-provoking, interesting content that's coming up from some of the Internet's biggest creators. >> Yes, the finest authors. I could not be more excited about it. My favorite part about this whole thing is our editor-in-chief had never used Squarespace before. At the other website he was working on, he had to do a bunch of hand coding and stuff and so when he experienced Squarespace he was like "Holy crap, this is amazingly simple. "You mean I just drag this over?" and so it's like I'm constantly giving them notes like, hey, what would this look like if it was up or down or left or right? Normally that's when a web developer tells you "Well you can't really do that," and instead he's just like "There, take a look." >> His response was along the lines of someone who had been opening packages with their teeth their entire life. [laughing] And then we said, here, use this knife. >> Yes, and because this is a brand new venture, we don't know how quickly this is going to blow up. We're in it for the long haul. I think it's going to be a premiere destination website but with other web providers, might explode, You might get crippled with bandwidth problems or it's too expensive; because it's Squarespace, everything scales, I don't have to worry about none of that. >> So go to themodernrogue.com right now, I think you're going to be surprised. >> All of a sudden this talent was just available, and I'm sure everybody was wondering where they were going to go. I was like I've got a place, you can come to my place. >> And just use Squarespace and make this amazing thing. >> Yeah, squarespace.com/rogue, get 10% off, keep us in business and check out the site. >> Yeah. >> Site's amazing. [machine engine whirring] [gentle lounge music]
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Channel: The Modern Rogue
Views: 2,124,459
Rating: 4.815176 out of 5
Keywords: the modern rogue, brian brushwood, jason murphy, mounted archery, horseback archery, archery, learning, history, theory, practice, bows and arrows, squarespace, website launch
Id: 6lf9q6OQse0
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 20min 15sec (1215 seconds)
Published: Fri Jan 26 2018
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