Creating a Yumi Bow Inspired by Japanese Kyudo Archery

Hi, I’m Thomas. During the 11-Day Bamboo Build and Design course, I created a Yumi Bow for Japanese Kyudo archery. I learnt about Japanese Kyudo philosophy in Japan and took a course on archery. Traditionally, the bow is made from bamboo and is large and slender. I wanted to buy it, but since I was traveling, it was tricky to bring with me. As part of the course, I had the opportunity to create my own.

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To craft the bow, I used laminated bamboo made from bamboo splits. I started by creating the template to laminate the splits into a bow. I began by drawing the shape of the bow in a plywood. Then, I hammered nails along the shape to create the curvature needed for the bow.

Then it was time to laminate the bamboo. I layered epoxy and 6 splits of bamboo. To fasten them together, I did so with small nails. I also added a second line of nails within the template to compress the laminated spilts and make sure the bow held its shape.

In between, I had to wait a day to let the epoxy dry. It was then that I sanded everything, and repeated the same process again but with a very thin block of splits on the outside. Finally, I glued the wood pieces at both extremes and put 2 bamboo pins in each, to finalize the form of the bow.

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After spending the last few days of the course at the design and carpentry station, there were many takeaways from the experience. Firstly, I learned how fun the process is! I also really appreciate how flexible yet strong the material is, so much so you can create almost everything with bamboo. You don’t need to be an expert, just take the time to try it!

Want to try out your own experiments with bamboo or craft your own projects? Our 11-Day Course is the where to start! You’ll learn the fundamentals, get hands-on, and bring your concepts to life!

Click HERE to sign up!