The English Longbow

[Jonathan Randall]

Nice post and yes the Longbow of old was a great weapon and it is amazing the pull strength that these archers developed. I have a traditional Korean Horn Bow at 70 lbs and it is a bear to pull. Having worked with Japanese Yumi in the same range they are a bear to pull as well. The English Longbowmen must have been incredibly strong. These traditional bows are nothing at all like any of my compound bows which have great let off. (which I like by the way)

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com

Yes, and I remember that in Michael Crichton's book "Timeline", based in the 14th century, he debunked the idea of "modern man" being so much stronger than his ancestors as a result of modern nutrition, medicine, etc. These people, middle ages, were and HAD to be tough - or they didn't survive.

 

[Kensai]

Yes, and I remember that in Michael Crichton's book "Timeline", based in the 14th century, he debunked the idea of "modern man" being so much stronger than his ancestors as a result of modern nutrition, medicine, etc. These people, middle ages, were and HAD to be tough - or they didn't survive.

Absolutely, you see some of the ways these people lived, we went to Warwick Castle at the weekend, basically it's a perfectly preserved medieval castle, the original site has been there since 1068 and was a motte and bailey type ordered by William the Conquerer, you see the living conditions that these days we wouldn't keep animals in. Stuff living then. You were either a survivor and died young anyway, or you snuffed it early. Being tougher then in my view is a given. Poor food, no central heating in the winter, no modern synthetics to keep you warm, poor water supplies, constant threat of invasion, toiling all day in the fields for the local lord, military training, little or no rights, little if any pay. Make no mistake people in that bygone era were tough, and training for the bow would have been no different.