page_title: Gakgung
section_title: Transition to recreational sport
hierarchical_section_title: Gakgung / Transition to recreational sport
context_page_description: The 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. 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 Turkish Thumb Ring, 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, while the female thumb ring simply covers the front joint of the thumb as protection from getting blisters. Also, the arrow is laid on the right side of the bow, unlike the western bow, where the arrow is laid on the left side of the bow.
  Gungsul, Korean: 궁술, hanja: 弓術, sometimes also romanized as goong sool, literally means "techniques of the bow" or "skill with the bow." It is also referred to as Korean traditional archery. Gungdo, Korean: 궁도, hanja: 弓道, is another epithet for traditional Korean archery, as used by Koreans.
context_section_description: In 1899, the visiting Prince Heinrich of Prussia expressed his astonishment to Emperor Gojong at a traditional archery demonstration. The Prince, hailing from a militarized Prussian culture, sought out demonstrations of Korean martial arts, and Archery was the most impressive among the arts demonstrated. He was familiar with Turkish and Hungarian Archery of Europe, which were similar to Korean Archery. Prince Heinrich suggested making the art into a national sport.  The emperor, convinced by the Prince, decreed "let people enjoy archery to develop their physical strength" and established an archery club. In the subsequent standardization of Korean archery, the nature of the bow and the arrow was standardized, as was the range of the targets. Korean traditional archery now uses one specific type of composite bow, bamboo arrows, and a standard target at a standard distance of 120 bo (about 145 m or 160 yards).  Korean Archery as a sport developed under the Japanese Occupation, its textbook, "Joseon eui Goongdo" being published in 1920.
  Tradition says that a noted general of the Joseon Dynasty settled in Yeocheon City about 300 years ago, and handed down his expertise and knowledge. "Today, it is estimated that bowyers from Yecheon and its environs produce approximately 70% of Korea's traditional horn composite bows ...Yecheon has produced numerous Olympic medalists and world champion archers". The city has the Jinho International Archery Field.
caption: Standard gungdo target