Korean Bow question

[Lost Arra]

Looking thru my new P.A. magazine I noticed in the photos that some right handed Korean and Japanese archers shoot off the right side of their bow, so they are shooting off their thumb knuckle. Is the arrow "rest" location on a bow a cultural thing or is there a specific difference in their bows or just their shooting style?

For reference: Pages 27, 28 (this one is questionable), 45, 47

[Pat B]

Generally when someone(right handed) is shooting off of the right side of the bow they are using a thumb ring. With the Mediterranean release, a right handed person grips the string with the 3 middle fingers of the right hand. When they release the string slips off the fingers to the left. With a thumb ring the string slips off the thumb to the right. For proper arrow clearance the arrow should be on the side of the bow that the released string is traveling on release.  Did that confuse you?
   I think that the arrow rest is probably a modern convenience although some ancient bows had arrow rests.     Pat

[Bowclan]

I have read that Eastern (Asia) Archers shoot on the side of the bow they are strong handed right/right.

Western (us folks) shoot opposite side of our strong hand. Culture thing.

[costicaldad]

if you try to shoot on the left with a thumb ring your arrow veers way left

[Justin Snyder]

Generally when someone(right handed) is shooting off of the right side of the bow they are using a thumb ring. With the Mediterranean release, a right handed person grips the string with the 3 middle fingers of the right hand. When they release the string slips off the fingers to the left. With a thumb ring the string slips off the thumb to the right. For proper arrow clearance the arrow should be on the side of the bow that the released string is traveling on release.  Did that confuse you?
   I think that the arrow rest is probably a modern convenience although some ancient bows had arrow rests.     Pat

What Pat said.  If you release with your right hand using finders the string must travel left to get off the fingers so the arrow goes on the left of the bow.  If using your right hand and a thumb ring the string travels right so the arrow goes on the right of the bow.  You will also notice that Ishi using his pinch grip with a prominant thumb presence shot off the right side of his bow.  I'm sure shooting off the other side of your bow would make the paradox problem worse.  Justin

[Dane]

I have just started learning to use a thumbring, and have a long ways to go before I can call myself proficient, but....I just love it. I hadn't shot all winter, and after about 1/2 hour, was shooting decent groups at 100 feet. I still tend to shoot to far to the right, but that will go away with practice and concentration.

It is indeed strange to shoot off the right side of the bow (and right thumb as I gripped the bow). The rule of thumb (pun not intended) is draw with the fingers at draw, shoot off the finger, and draw with the thumb, shoot off the thumb. As for where to anchor the draw, that is up to the archer, and the ring doesnt care where you anchor.

One other observation - because of the lock you make with your right hand, the top of your hand is facing up toward the sky, whicy faciliates a very long draw. To shoot, you simply open your hand.

When I got the ring (3 Rivers), I also bought the Kay's Thumbring Book, which I highly recommend. She points out that when someone is proficient with the ring, you can shoot of either side of the bow. But until then, stick to the right side. Not having to worry about a shooting glove or a arm brace is nice. The bow torques to the right with the ring, so the string won't scrap your forearm. A perfect release will not cause any torquing.

She also brings up some interesting sociology and history in the book, and different styles of thumb devices from Africa and other places and cultures.

I tried the ring with a flat bow and a "horsebow" and it seems to be fine with both types of bows. Not sure yet about how much wear on the string the ring will cause, but that is part of the learning process.

Dane