Written by Barış Demirtaş The Head Coach of Mamluk Academy Türkiye
Archery was not only a vital skill on the battlefield and in hunting but also a science that required the most efficient use of the human body and its abilities. The Mamluk archery school did not merely teach the use of bows and arrows; it also aimed to develop shooting techniques best suited to the anatomy of the archer. In this historical archery discipline, each archer's abilities and body structure were meticulously evaluated by their supervising master. They practiced techniques that aligned with their anatomy, following the methods of master archers who represented different body types.
In 1942, William Herbert Sheldon published a thesis titled The Varieties of Temperament (New York; London: Harper & Brothers), which categorized people based on their physical structures for the first time in modern science. However, his study focused on the impact of physical characteristics on temperament, which led to limited attention at the time. Nonetheless, the physical classification he introduced later became widely used in sports and body research. As a result of his study, the human body was categorized into three primary types: mesomorph, ectomorph, and endomorph.
● Ectomorphs are tall, lean, and have long limbs with low body fat.
● Mesomorphs have a medium build, proportionate limbs, and a naturally muscular physique.
● Endomorphs tend to be shorter, stockier, with shorter limbs and a predisposition to gain weight.
Although this classification emerged in modern science in 1942, a similar approach had already been applied for centuries within the Mamluk archery tradition. Rather than imposing a single technique on all students, masters analyzed each archer’s body type and taught them a technique accordingly. This analytical process involved careful observation of various physical traits, including the archer’s height, hand structure, back width, and even the shape of their neck.
In this research paper, we will examine these historical body types and provide references from key sources to clarify this complex subject. Additionally, we will present a table illustrating differences in aspects such as stance, draw alignment, grip, aiming, release, and follow-through based on body type.
● Abu Hashim, the founder of one school, had a tall, a long neck, long hands, and long arms, closely resembling the ectomorph type in modern theory.
● Ishaq was of medium height, with a medium-length neck and a broad chest, making him a typical mesomorph example.
● Tahir was short, stocky, and had a thick body with short limbs, representing the endomorph type.
Of course, not every archer matched these masters exactly. Instead of rigid classifications, techniques were adapted based on specific physical traits. For example, an archer might be short and stocky like Tahir but have a long neck like Hashim. In this case, their stance might follow the Tahir school, while their draw alignment could be based on Hashim’s technique. We encourage you to analyze the following table with this perspective in mind.
Although hundreds of books have been written on archery since Imam al-Tabari’s Kitab al-Wadih in the 9th century, we have selected three primary sources for this study. Our main reason for choosing these books is that their authors were not merely scribes but also the greatest archery masters of their time. This ensures that the knowledge they passed down was not just theoretical but also practical. Additionally, these books span different centuries, proving that their teachings were tested and refined over many years.
Before presenting our table, it is beneficial to introduce these valuable sources:
1. Bugyet-ül Meram Gayet-ül Garam, a 16th-century translation of Gunyat al-Tullab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ramy bi al-Nushshab, originally written in Cairo in the 13th century. The author, Taybugha al-Ashrafi al-Yunani, was a master archer and Chief of Staff during the Bahri Mamluk era. His work had a significant influence on Ottoman archers and remained a key reference for centuries.
2. Kavaidü’r-Ramy by Abdullah al-Katib, an archer famous for setting a long-distance shooting record, with a stone marker commemorating his achievement personally attended by the Sultan. In the late 17th century, he was the director of Okmeydanı (the Ottoman archery field) and held the title of Meydan Shaykh (Master of the Field).
3. Nu‘ut al-Qaws, a 15th-century work translated by Yunus al-Darwazi, written in the same tradition as the previous sources.
| Abu Hashim | Ishak | Tahir |
Height | Tall | Medium | Short |
Neck
| Tall | Medium | Short
|
Hand | Wide | Medium | Narrow |
Fingers | Long | Medium | Short |
Chest | Wide/Flat | Wide | Wide |
Posture | Upper body leans forward towards target[2] | Upper body leans forward towards target[3] | |
Target Stance | Full side stance to the target. Left shoulder towards the target, feet parallel.[4] | Left eye and left chest on target. Left foot on target. Right heel on the inside of the left foot, one span apart, 45 degrees diagonal to the target. [5] | The target is between the eyes. Stance towards the target. Toes are the target and a span apart.[6] |
Grasping | Murabba grasping. Little finger, middle finger and ring finger are very tight. Thumb and index finger are loose. The back of the grip is at the middle joint (flexion point) of the little finger, middle finger and ring finger.[7] | Murabba/ Diagonal grasping. Little, middle and ring fingers are very tight. Thumb and index finger are loose. Cross grip in the middle of the back of the grip, at the middle joint of the middle finger and the last joint of the little finger (the knuckle on the palm side).[8] | Münharif grasping. Little, middle and ring fingers are very tight. Thumb and index finger are loose. The back of the grip is on the knuckle of the little, ring and middle fingers on the palm side.[9] |
Aim to target | Nazar_ı Ahval Both eyes look at the target from outside (left) of the bow.[10] | The left eye looks at the target from the outside and the right eye looks at the target from the inside.[11] | Both eyes look at the target from the inside (right).[12] |
Drawing Length | Up to the ear. The middle knuckle of the index finger of the right hand is aligned with the earlobe.[13] | Draws it on the earlobe / where the beard ends.[14] | On the earlobe[15] |
Drawing line | The arrow passes through the mouth and reaches the right shoulder level/Under the chin.[16] | The arrow passes by the nose and comes at the level of the mouth.[17] | The arrow passes through the eyebrow level and reaches the ear level.[18] |
Nocking | Turkish nocking. Holds the arrow with the thumb and index finger, the other fingers are closed.[19] | Turkish nocking but holds the arrow with the thumb, index finger and middle finger. The other fingers are closed.[20] | Turkish nocking but holds the arrow with the thumb, index finger and middle finger. The other fingers are closed.[21] |
Khatra | Full khatra- the head of the bow comes out from under the left armpit.[22] | Half khatra[23] | None[24] |
Ferke | Half | Half[25] | Full[26] |
İflat | Full[27] | Full[28] | Full[29]
|
[1] Kavaid’ür Ramy - 53a, Bugyet-ül Meram - 62a, Nu‘ut al-Qaws – 82a
[2] Kavaid’ür Ramy - 34a, Bugyet-ül Meram - 46b
[3] Kavaid’ür Ramy - 34a, Bugyet-ül Meram - 46b
[4] Bugyet-ül Meram - 66a, Nu‘ut al-Qaws – 82a
[5] Bugyet-ül Meram - 45b, Nu‘ut al-Qaws – 82a
[6] Bugyet-ül Meram - 45a - 58b
[7] Kavaid’ür Ramy - 28a, Nu‘ut al-Qaws - 82a, Bugyet-ül Meram - 66a
[8] Kavaid’ür Ramy - 28a, Nu‘ut al-Qaws - 82a, Bugyet-ül Meram - 66a
[9] Bugyet-ül Meram – 66b, Nu‘ut al-Qaws - 84b
[10] Nu‘ut al-Qaws - 82a, Bugyet-ül Meram – 43a
[11] Bugyet-ül Meram - 66a, Nu‘ut al-Qaws – 82a
[12] Bugyet-ül Meram - 63a, Nu‘ut al-Qaws – 84b
[13] Kavaid’ür Ramy - 53a, Bugyet-ül Meram – 66b
[14] Kavaid’ür Ramy - 53a, Bugyet-ül Meram – 66a
[15] Kavaid’ür Ramy - 53a, Nu‘ut al-Qaws – 84b
[16] Nu‘ut al-Qaws - 82a, Kavaid’ür Ramy - 53a, Bugyet-ül Meram – 66a
[17] Kavaid’ür Ramy - 53a, Bugyet-ül Meram – 66a, Nu‘ut al-Qaws – 83b
[18] Kavaid’ür Ramy - 53a, Nu‘ut al-Qaws – 84b
[19] Bugyet-ül Meram – 62a
[20] Bugyet-ül Meram – 38b
[21] Bugyet-ül Meram – 38a-38b
[22] Nu‘ut al-Qaws - 81a, Bugyet-ül Meram – 62b
[23] Bugyet-ül Meram – 66a, Kavaid’ür Ramy - 50a
[24] Bugyet-ül Meram – 66b, Nu‘ut al-Qaws - 81a
[25] Bugyet-ül Meram – 66a, Kavaid’ür Ramy - 50a
[26] Nu‘ut al-Qaws - 81a
[27] Bugyet-ül Meram – 49a-62b-63a
[28] Bugyet-ül Meram – 49a-62b-63a
[29] Bugyet-ül Meram – 49a-62b-63a
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Excellent!!!