These bows usually cost less than three hundred dollars and are practically indestructible given normal use. Lacquered yumi , are special-made by only a few bowmakers today. As a result, they are extremely expensive, often costing two or three thousand dollars or more. Consequently, they are generally used only for special ceremonies, and then only by the most advanced of practitioners. Yumi are available in a variety of lengths and pull strengths.
Most beginners start with a yumi that has a pull of ten or twelve kilograms.
After a year or more of practice they will then move up to bow with a higher pull strength. On average, an experienced female practitioner will use a yumi of fourteen to sixteen kilograms, while a male practitioner will use a yumi with a slightly greater pull strength, around eighteen to twenty kilograms. All this, of course, depends on experience and body type. A good bamboo yumi seems almost alive. When new, it is strong and full of energy, and must be watched over carefully and gently corrected to keep it in proper shape.