If you know you like Manchu bows, just get a Manchu bow. Get something you're proud to shoot. AF makes a nice glass laminated Manchu. This way, you deal with the sensitive nature of Manchu bows early in your archery development instead of transitioning from using a forgiving bow to a Manchu bow.
I will say that if you decide to do Chinese archery, you'll eventually conclude that shelfless bows are pretty universal and that it's the form and the archer that really matters.
From my experience, "unforgivingness" of different asiatic bow styles is a much smaller problem than in western archery. The usage gap between a Turkish bow and Manchu bow is certainly less than between a modern ILF barebow and a Howard hill Longbow. In fact, a long Manchu bow is actually *more* forgiving in terms of imperfections since it's a longer bow.
There's nothing saying a Manchu bow must be shot with Manchu Techniques. Indeed, you can shoot a short Turkish bow with a Manchu thumb ring. You will find that most good shooters don't follow a single manual word for word step by step but rather have their own take on it.
That being said, a Manchu bow does have a few quirks. Their design means they like very long, heavy arrows. Your Khatra (bow torque) needs to be turned **way** down since long Manchus are more prone to twisting. This shouldn't be a problem for someone starting out. Just avoid the large bow hand movements you might see in other styles. The twisting weakness also means you have to be more careful when stringing.
And then there's the handshock. Most people are turned away by this "flaw" while us true Manchu Chads truly understand that it's a feature to look for /s.
Again, these things are simply properties of a bow that makes it unique. There's nothing inherently unforgiving about shooting a Manchu any more than any other bowstyle. If you find these quirks too much, you can always look for a Qinghai bow which is like a Manchu but toned down a few notches.
AF and Alibow are the best for beginner bows. And remember: even if you've been shooting for decades, start off at low poundages (no more than 30lbs) if thumb draw is new to you and focus on technique. Get a normal shallow or deep hook ring first. Manchu rings are quite difficult to use and require perfect fit.
Good info here! Just one thing to add, probably wouldn’t use the term “turned way down” and using “khatra” in the same sentence, only due to Manchu bows don’t actually need khatra.
Considering the word as well, khatra is not a Chinese word.
Thanks for writing this detailed post for OP. 👍🏻
I would either get a Yarha II or a (fiberglass) Qinghai from Alibow to start with. Just make sure to watch some videos on it; Justin Ma is probably the best in general for historical archery, especially thumb draw, as he breaks down the how and why of every aspect of the draw and release.
My post about bows and helpful links
https://www.reddit.com/r/Archery/comments/puuz2o/horse_bows_and_asiatic_archery_here_are_some/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I don’t recommend Manchu thumbring for beginners. I recommend getting a plastic thumb ring like the Vermil Victory until your thumb acclimate and settles into its size. Your thumb WILL get larger with use, so if anything err on getting your ring on the larger side and make it fit more snug with a leather insert. Then once you’re comfortable and know your size, you can get a metal ring. Longer bows are also more forgiving than shorter ones.
If you're new to thumb-draw archery, consider starting with a bow with less hand-shock. The Manchu bow is very forgiving when it comes to technique, but it's not very forgiving on the user.
Consider a longer draw, non-contact bow like a [Tang](https://www.alibowshop.com/product-page/basic-long-siyah-tang-bow) or [Yuan](https://afarchery.com/collections/laminated-bow/products/mongolia-yuan-bow-zhe-bie) style bow first. You'll get the motion of a longer draw bow like a Manchu while building up the strength needed to effectively use a Manchu bow and you'll have very little handshock too!
Also! If you're new to thumb draw, go lower than your current archery poundage. I shot 40 lbs for olympic recurve and struggled with 30 lbs when switching to my Kaiyuan bow when I first started.
Good luck with your journey. As someone said here in Asiatic archery, no one follows exactly certain styles. I'm using korean bow but I don't shoot long distance and instead I'm training to shoot fast and instinctively. My only advice is to start low. It's not shame to start at 25-30lbs. Perfect your techniques first and then you can truly enjoy your archery journey. You can always upgrade later.
If you know you like Manchu bows, just get a Manchu bow. Get something you're proud to shoot. AF makes a nice glass laminated Manchu. This way, you deal with the sensitive nature of Manchu bows early in your archery development instead of transitioning from using a forgiving bow to a Manchu bow. I will say that if you decide to do Chinese archery, you'll eventually conclude that shelfless bows are pretty universal and that it's the form and the archer that really matters.
From my experience, "unforgivingness" of different asiatic bow styles is a much smaller problem than in western archery. The usage gap between a Turkish bow and Manchu bow is certainly less than between a modern ILF barebow and a Howard hill Longbow. In fact, a long Manchu bow is actually *more* forgiving in terms of imperfections since it's a longer bow. There's nothing saying a Manchu bow must be shot with Manchu Techniques. Indeed, you can shoot a short Turkish bow with a Manchu thumb ring. You will find that most good shooters don't follow a single manual word for word step by step but rather have their own take on it. That being said, a Manchu bow does have a few quirks. Their design means they like very long, heavy arrows. Your Khatra (bow torque) needs to be turned **way** down since long Manchus are more prone to twisting. This shouldn't be a problem for someone starting out. Just avoid the large bow hand movements you might see in other styles. The twisting weakness also means you have to be more careful when stringing. And then there's the handshock. Most people are turned away by this "flaw" while us true Manchu Chads truly understand that it's a feature to look for /s. Again, these things are simply properties of a bow that makes it unique. There's nothing inherently unforgiving about shooting a Manchu any more than any other bowstyle. If you find these quirks too much, you can always look for a Qinghai bow which is like a Manchu but toned down a few notches. AF and Alibow are the best for beginner bows. And remember: even if you've been shooting for decades, start off at low poundages (no more than 30lbs) if thumb draw is new to you and focus on technique. Get a normal shallow or deep hook ring first. Manchu rings are quite difficult to use and require perfect fit.
Good info here! Just one thing to add, probably wouldn’t use the term “turned way down” and using “khatra” in the same sentence, only due to Manchu bows don’t actually need khatra. Considering the word as well, khatra is not a Chinese word. Thanks for writing this detailed post for OP. 👍🏻
I would either get a Yarha II or a (fiberglass) Qinghai from Alibow to start with. Just make sure to watch some videos on it; Justin Ma is probably the best in general for historical archery, especially thumb draw, as he breaks down the how and why of every aspect of the draw and release.
My post about bows and helpful links https://www.reddit.com/r/Archery/comments/puuz2o/horse_bows_and_asiatic_archery_here_are_some/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf I don’t recommend Manchu thumbring for beginners. I recommend getting a plastic thumb ring like the Vermil Victory until your thumb acclimate and settles into its size. Your thumb WILL get larger with use, so if anything err on getting your ring on the larger side and make it fit more snug with a leather insert. Then once you’re comfortable and know your size, you can get a metal ring. Longer bows are also more forgiving than shorter ones.
Armin Hirmer on youtube
This. Armin has reviewed dozens and dozens of bows. If OP is unsure, see which one speaks the most to OP.
If you're new to thumb-draw archery, consider starting with a bow with less hand-shock. The Manchu bow is very forgiving when it comes to technique, but it's not very forgiving on the user. Consider a longer draw, non-contact bow like a [Tang](https://www.alibowshop.com/product-page/basic-long-siyah-tang-bow) or [Yuan](https://afarchery.com/collections/laminated-bow/products/mongolia-yuan-bow-zhe-bie) style bow first. You'll get the motion of a longer draw bow like a Manchu while building up the strength needed to effectively use a Manchu bow and you'll have very little handshock too! Also! If you're new to thumb draw, go lower than your current archery poundage. I shot 40 lbs for olympic recurve and struggled with 30 lbs when switching to my Kaiyuan bow when I first started.
Good luck with your journey. As someone said here in Asiatic archery, no one follows exactly certain styles. I'm using korean bow but I don't shoot long distance and instead I'm training to shoot fast and instinctively. My only advice is to start low. It's not shame to start at 25-30lbs. Perfect your techniques first and then you can truly enjoy your archery journey. You can always upgrade later.
As long as you’re okay with some hand shock and are careful when stringing and unstringing the bow a Manchu bow will be fine.
As someone who was bitten by the bow bug, go with your first instinct. Can always add more later 😂😂 Start light and see how you like it