Gakgung

Common card · No. 434770

The gakgung (Korean: 각궁; Hanja: 角弓), also called Korean bow, is a water buffalo horn-based composite reflex bow, standardized centuries ago from a variety of similar weapons in earlier use. Due to its long use by Koreans, it is also known as Guk Gung (Korean: 국궁 hanja: 國弓, or national bow). The Korean bow utilizes a thumb draw and therefore employing the use of a thumb ring is quite common. The Korean thumb ring is somewhat different from the Manchu, Mongol, or the Turkic thumb rings, as it comes in two styles, male and female. Male thumb rings are shaped with a small protrusion that sticks out that the bowstring hooks behind (similar to a release aid), while the female thumb ring simply covers the front joint of the thumb as protection from getting blisters (pulling heavy bows repetitively with only the thumb can easily cause blisters to form on the pad of the thumb). Gungsul, Korean: 궁술, hanja: 弓術, sometimes also romanized as goong sool, literally means "techniques of the bow" or "skill...

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