Gakgung

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Gakgung
A Korean Bow (각궁, Gak-gung) that has not been strung
Korean name
Hangul	각궁
Hanja	角弓
Revised Romanization	Gakgung
McCune–Reischauer	Kakkung
alternative name
Hangul	국궁
Hanja	國弓
Revised Romanization	Guggung
McCune–Reischauer	Kukkung
Korean archery
Hangul	궁술
Hanja	弓術
Revised Romanization	Gungsul
McCune–Reischauer	Kungsul

The Korean Bow (Korean: 각궁, Gak-gung hanja: 角弓, or horn bow) is a water buffalo horn-based composite reflex bow, standardized centuries ago from a variety of similar weapons in earlier use.^[1] Due to its long use by Koreans, it is also known as Guk Gung (Korean: 국궁 hanja: 國弓, 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 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 (similar to a release aid), while the female thumb ring simply covers the front joint of the thumb as protection from getting blisters (pulling heavy bows repetitively with only the thumb can easily cause blisters to form on the pad of the thumb).^[2]

Gungsul, Korean: 궁술, hanja: 弓術, sometimes also romanized as goong sool, literally means "techniques of the bow", "way 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.