Medieval archery

thumb|upright=1.2|Archery competition in June 1983 at Mönchengladbach, [[West Germany]]

type of ranged weapon

thumb|upright|Japanese bows, arrows, and arrow-stand thumb|upright=1.3| bow names

The Korean Bow ( hanja: , or horn 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 ( hanja: , 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

1342 battle during the Hundred Years' War

thumb|Crossbowman cocking an arbalest using a [[cranequin]] The arbalest (also arblast), a variation of the crossbow, came into use in Europe around the 12th century. The arbalest was a large weapon with a steel prod, or bow assembly. Since the arbalest was much larger than earlier crossbows, and because of the greater tensile strength of steel, it had a greater force. The greater draw weight was offset by a shorter draw length, which limited the total potential energy that could be transferred into the crossbow bolt. A skilled arbalestier (arbalester) could loose two bolts per minute.

Area of the London Borough of Southwark

The francs-archers ("free archers") militia were the first attempt at the formation of regular infantry in France. They were created by the ordonnance of Montil-lès-Tours on 28 April 1448, which prescribed that in each parish an archer should be chosen from among the most apt in the use of arms; who was to be exempt from the taille and certain obligations, to practise shooting with the bow on Sundays and feast-days, and to hold himself ready to march fully equipped at the first signal. Under Charles VII the francs-archers distinguished themselves in numerous battles with the English, and assis