Training a Medieval Bowman
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2023
- In this video, discover what it took to become a bowman of England. Kevin Hicks, longtime professional bowman himself, explores the training young men had to undertake by law and how they kept up their skills.
A big thanks Arjen at Kielstra Holsteins farm for allowing us to shoot on location there. It was a great pleasure to meet Jan, Arjen's son. You might want to check out Jan's UA-cam channel, @saskdutchkid to see what it really takes to upkeep a farm. Jeremy Clarkson eat your heart out 😜
If you'd like to support the channel more and help us continue making fun, fascinating videos, please check out our PATREON page for perks. / thehistorysquad
OTHER LINKS:
Website: historysquad.ca
Facebook: / historysquad
Twitter: / history_hicks
The kind of history education we wanted, but didn't get.
I wish my history teacher had been able to just walk into the class in full regalia with an English longbow and kit, then taken us out to the field for a demo.
Famous last words of public schools
My history teacher taught us about crop rotation and arable farming or jethro tulls seed drill 😢yawn
Love learning about history now I’m older 👍🏻
one of my HS history teacher came to school dressed as a Roman soldier
My wife went as a Viking and was allowed to give the children some mead ! .
Mind you that was forty years ago ! .
I started shooting warbow about 10 years ago when I saw one of your videos. I'd shot traditional recurves with shelves and modern bows for 20 years prior to that, switching over to shooting off the hand with a warbow was challenging but very rewarding and the instinctive shooting is just more fun and natural. Good to see you at it still!
That’s great to hear, I’m so glad you’re enjoying it.
The sound those arrows make must have been terrifying when there were hundreds flying your way
A few years ago I nearly got taken out by a crossbow (I know it's not the same!) while hanging out the washing of all things. My neighbours who were what I'd call traditional bikers had won a crossbow at a MAG Raleigh (Motorcycle Action Group), & decided to try it out by firing it at our dividing fence. They had no idea I was there until I yelled out in shock. You've never heard people run so fast in your life, as when they came to check on me & saw me sat on the grass, mouth open staring at the bolt, which had impaled itself in a fence post across the garden. We worked out it had passed no more than a foot in front of me. Bless their hearts, they were more upset than I was, & when I asked a week later, they had got rid of it saying "we nearly ****ing killed you, we thought we HAD killed you, are you surprised! I wasn't actually, they were lovely (to me anyway) & they'd bought me some gorgeous flowers as an apology.
I was a member of MAG years ago😂😂 ....er....it wasn't me with the crossbow though I do own a few!!
Dave.
Oh, how lovely, what a great story - you're so lucky you can recount it!
Props for being understanding
The downside of suburbs how many times I wanted to go shooting but couldnt
@@jackbloomer1334 Yes, I feel the same!
Dave.
What I have always found remarkable about Longbowmen, aside from their skill with a bow, is the rate of fire they could achieve in unison on the volley. Longbowmen could shoot accurate, sustained volleys of up to 10 to 12 arrows per man, per minute under controlled battlefield conditions. At the battle of Crecy, for example, there were some 6,500 Longbowmen, 4,500 English, and 2,000 Welsh. At a release rate of 10 to 12, the Longbowmen could rein upon their foes between 65 to 78 thousand arrows a minute, every minute, a truly astonishing rate of fire. To put that into a little more perspective, the Longbowmen at Crecy at their highest end could shoot at a rate of fire per minute equal to that of 43 German MG42 Machine Guns. Truly Longbowmen were the machine gunners of their day.
Great to see you again Mr Hicks, even if it is through UA-cam, used to watch you shoot as a lad during your shows at Warrick Castle, glad you are well. 👍
Oh wow, thanks I'm glad you found the channel. As you say, that release of fire really is remarkable 👍🏻
He is the best
Absolutely!
he truly is
@@MrKrips Yes, he's amazing!!
Dave.
He is indeed.
@@finolaomurchu8217 And I'm famous now as he mentioned me in the video😂😂😂 .....fellow Archer Dave Sheppard.
A ‘Shire -reeve’……you learn something new every day….outstanding!
Many years ago I was a member of the Exeter Archery Club who practiced during the summer in the grounds of Powderham Castle. I’ve still got a medal that I won during a competition.
Great sport and stunningly beautiful setting 🏹🥳👍
What privilege it is to watch Kev shoot the bow some more :)
I remember being given a Bullworker in my teens. I could barely compress it, yet after a month I could fully compress it with ease. I suppose building the strength to work a bow is a similar process.
its technique and muscle memory sure it did things to the bones like the men on the queen mary with their bent forearms but its a matter of technique the strenght comes as you do it.
Yes exactly. And the longbow went out of military use not because it was no longer effective, but because it was no longer possible to recruit enough men who had trained since childhood with ever heavier bows until they could handle the draw weight of an effective war bow. Early firearms came to be preferred simply because a man of average strength could use one with minimal training.
@@paulhicks6667same with crossbows.
Easy to learn.
@@manga12*The Mary Rose, not the Queen Mary.
I like the noise the arrow makes when released. I don't hear that often on documentaries, interesting. Thanks great video.
Yes Kevin is the best.
The church in the next village over from me (incidentally, the church is ~300 ft from the welsh border) has grooves in the stonework at roughly thigh level. The story goes that they used the stonework of the church to sharpen arrows. The original archway of the church dates to something around 1080, so definitely before the weekly archery was mandated.
Yes that's right I believe they did 👍🏻
I can imagine there were some men who practiced so often or were just so naturally talented that they could pull off shooting accurately with their visor down.
is a possibility
@@MajSolo Basically like the Michael Jordan of archery.
The circumstances under which a skill is learned can affect how that skill is performed. Train with visor down, and you become proficient with the visor down. A scientific study proved that skills learned while drunk are often performed better... drunk. =^[.]^=
Hi Kev!!
Another great video mate and thankyou sooo much for mentioning me at the end. You are without doubt the best Archer I have ever watched. Not just because of your great accuracy but also your relaxed style. I shoot with this relaxed style but haven't got your accuracy but sometimes I get six arrows tight together in the centre of the target just by being relaxed, focusing on my tiny red dot that is my focal point (one and a quarter inch dot) and just shooting. If I concentrate too much, I'm not as good! I have noticed also that your bow is so long that it bends very little when drawn, obviously saving strain on the bow. My 7 foot longbow is the same, plus the length makes it smoother to draw with a faster release. I will never be as good as you but will shoot at a cane next time. My very best wishes to you and Julie,
Dave.
If I get time Dave, when we’re back in England, next year, maybe we could have a shoot together but you’d have to loan me a bow 😜
@@thehistorysquad Of course Kev!! I don't mind being outshot with my own bows!! Cos that's what would happen!! 😂😂😂. You could shoot my 52# Ravenbeak "Solent". About time it was shot properly!! 😂😂🤔🤔. Or my new 7 foot Bickerstaffe. I am now a Prince on your site instead of just a Baron.
Take care mate,
Dave.
You genuinely are one of the most entertaining blokes you’re voice always keeps me interested so happy I found this channel,
-Great info always
-best sense or humour,
- field knowledge
please do more videos on the Roman’s or medieval doctors/ surgeons 💚💚
Yeah! Ain't he just the best?!!!
Cheers Chug - it's all on the cards 👍🏻
Thank you for another wonderful video, neighbour. And yes, I told my kids that everyone should know how to shoot something, and archery is a great way to instill confidence and build strength, and fun as well, and you can hunt silently with a bow. Unfortunately the kids are not really into it, and I myself only was able to start at about 14..... but at 50, still so very thankful that I took it up, great for the back after back injury, built up the muscles to support spine, best thing I ever took up.
Great job 👍
Always love watching your archery skills and the whistling arrows were really neat! Thank you for another educational and entertaining video.
My pleasure!
2 questions, Master Hicks: 1) what makes those arrows "whistle"? Is it the way they are fletched? 2) how did a bowman cart around his bow? I'm agog at how long your bow is, so I wonder how did those bowmen of yore carry around their bows when on the march to the battlefield?
1. It is a whistle arrow head. It has hole to make sound.
2. They can just carry it. Cart is for spare bows and arrows.
Yes, as @nguy said. Easy, they just have a different head on them which has a hole through it. When the wind passes through it makes that sound. I actually show a whistling arrow in a video that’ll be coming out in November about repairing arrows. They also protected their bow by carrying it in a bow bag, over their shoulder 👍
In recent times I started hanging a tennis ball in front of my target. I have found it gives me something to look at and aid my concentration. Cheap tennis balls don’t survive very long before being demolished. The better Slazenger ball will last a bit longer before it succumbs. Thumbs up for your videos.
Haha, a great way to concentrate your aim.
Wish you could’ve been one of my history teachers, you seem like a real fun guy to learn history from
Really cool. I loved the whistling sound of the arrows. I bet that was nerve wrecking to the enemy, hearing them fly buy.
I've enjoyed archery most of my life! Not every Sunday but always returning to it. Love this Kevin, all the history, the outside activity etc.
Absolutely 👍
Excellent video, as always, Kevin. I think it's an interesting point that, as well as nobleman also learning to shoot (a question I was asked about this year at Alnwick Castle!), one of the great strengths of English armies at the time was that they used equipment that was already familiar to their men. Everyone knew how to use a bow, the same with a billhook (used as an hedging tool, and can still be bought for that today), all you had to do was to train them to use them as a military unit, under orders. No bells, no whistles, just tools that men were already very familiar with, which must have given a great advantage. Great shooting, by the way!
Cheers Andrew, a great comment thanks 👍
Greetings once again from nova Scotia, that was great, I admire the dedication to learning the art of the long bow. You sir, are an artist, you are as cool and slick as whale poop on an ice flow. What a fun video, you make it look effortless, and that takes, great skill. Thanks again, be well, and as always best regards, Arthur
Hello fellow scotian, his channel seems to be popular here
Cheers Arthur, I love the metaphor 😜
There is something so captivating about living history. You are definitely making history captivating, Kevin, and keeping the honour of archery ancestors alive.
Thank you!
Absolutely brilliant - I would love to get into archery. Always fantastic videos 👌🏼
Then get into it then!! You won't regret it!! I am Dave Sheppard as mentioned at the end of this video. I love shooting my longbows......when I can. I have 7 Longbows and love all of them. It doesn't really bother me that I'm not really great. I get better each time I shoot but as long as they go in the target it doesn't matter. It is the joy of shooting that is fun. I try to emulate Kev's style, relaxed and just doing it. Until you start shooting yourself you don't realise just how good he is!! It's so much just instinctive with Kev. A great guy and a great Archer!!
Dave.
just buy a good starting bow (around 200 € or more beucause you don't want to get cheapest bow on market cause it will ruin your experience) / ask guy in the store to choose corrent draw weight and draw lenght of your bow so you can shoot comfortable - then you will choose arrows. Weight of arrows should be around 10 - 12 GRAINS/ POUND of draw weight for traditional bows (wooden /biocomposite... don't know about modern type of bows) ... I really recommend carbon fiber arrows because they are very durable and more stable in flight (wooden arrows are expensive and will break very fast). (you can orded good arrows from many online shops.. even from china (but from stores focusing on archery) which was big surprise for me that they were better quality / cost that in my country...
Then visit either archery range or build your own range at home (atleast 35metres with 15 metres behind target, because arows will sometimes pass even through backstop net. If you have more questions, just ask :)
@@GameOver-fn2og I agree that you don't buy a cheap bow I usually pay around £800-£1,000. But I would always use wooden arrows with an English longbow. A decent quality bow will take heavier arrows. In my 52# Yew selfbow I use 60# arrows. The bow is too lively with lighter arrows. Bickerstaffe bows love heavy arrows and Pip recommends them.
Dave.
Thanks 👍
Start shooting. I shoot around 15 shots almost everyday.
That is some great longbow shooting Kevin. I do like the War of The Roses gear, and the little history of archer training story as well. Cheers from Texas.
My pleasure Dave, it was great to be out there.
Coolest Bowman in the world!!!!
Love from germany :D
Wow, thanks!
Really enjoyed seeing you back with a bow in your hand Kev, good shooting 🤘🏹
Cheers Mick!
Nice! I like watching the rapid repeat shooting! You can tell you are very comfortable shooting.
I like the history of when they were expected to practice. That is something I had never heard before
🏹It's such a good video. It shot an arrow straight into my heart ❤
😜
6:24 Instant replay for a epic moment!
I watched a while ago a programme on the battle of Towton a while ago, and they compared one of those poor fellows' skeletal developments with a chap who loves to shoot war bows today . The similarities were extremely similar. It opened my eyes as to how well trained and how much they valued this skill and especially the men who learnt and honed them. A big massive cheers Kevin for keeping this alive for the modern viewer. 👍👍
You are a credit to history sir .
Hi Kev,
I watched this again before I shot my latest 7 foot bow today. Really nice to get back at it. It's 52# but loves 60# arrows!! I had a good accurate shoot today! I hope your trip is going well. My best to you and Julie.
Dave. 👍👍
Now a senior in my 70s all the kids (male )in my neighborhood in Canada had bows and we shot at birds ,kites in air etc
We also had air rifles,22 rifles but none is allowed.
We never had any problems.
I shouted out loud " Yayyyy !" when you got the feather. Loved this movie Kevin, it was brilliant.
Thanks!
Honestly, the method of teaching everyone to shoot bow back in the day of course was good for having a constantly trained bow militia. But also on the civil level, I can imagine it was a fun way to have people get together and compete with each other, or even use as a time for a civilian to see and train along side friends after working the farm, mill or smith shop all week long.
My husband and I visited the Mary Rose exhibition and tried the bows there, jeez those guys had some strength 💪
This channel is brilliant, wish I had you teaching me history at school
Nick Hook (the protagonist of Cornwell’s “Azincourt” - I forget why he spelled it liked that instead of Agincourt). A hero for the everyman and a Nick myself. Thank you, Mrs. Hicks, for the camerawork.
Hey Kevin, a couple of weeks ago I was thinking about how long the English bowman would have practiced.
Well as life has it, your video appeared and my question is answered, Thanks and kind regards from the Netherlands!
That’s cool 👍
Another great video Kevin! 👏 interesting and informative as are all of your videos, I love the fact your wear the attire from the day, it was lovely to see you shooting your arrows, which I know you make yourself , you are such an interesting and lovely guy, hope you are well xxx
How lovely of you Natalie, thank you.
6:20 that was perfect!! The timing after you said that too! 😅 👏 👏
😜
The whistle of the arrow is hypnotizing
What a great video, thanks Kevin. I cheered ,when you got the feather. Makes me think about the little bows we would make as kids, with poplar branches, and heavy test fishing line. Lol. Fun summers.
Happy Days !
As a Welsh man and a keen historical bowyer it really hurts how much I love your channel 😂😂
Thanks!
I wish I had a field to do archery in!
Sunday after Church - archery practice . . . First thing Monday morning - looking for mushrooms & lost arrows? So 'England' : )
What a great storyteller you are! In the Netherlands we have "de Doelen". The places were bowmen and crossbowmen used to practice. Later gunmen practiced there sometimes aswell.
I grew up shooting guns much like you described as a young Southerner.
Great as always!
Another great video kev!
Fantastic shooting, glad I was behind the camera 😄
😜
Another great one, Kev!
great video once again kev.
Strangely the best of the Yew came from the Mediterranean which also made the English Archer's almost invincible
It's sad how very few UA-cam channels are educational such as this. I've been binging your videos ever since I found this channel and applying it to my own worldbuilding.
Wow, thank you & welcome!
Have you watched Kevin's 100 years war series? They are really good. Although everything kev does is good. Another favourite of mine is Margaret Clitheroe who was pressed to death. Barbaric, but fascinating!!
Dave.
Amazing!
Awesome! Thank you !!
So enjoy your channel!
"If you can get close to that wand, fast shooting with a heavy bow, you're gonna put one in amongst the enemy easy."
_Immediately, casually shoots the feathers off_
Absolutely brilliant 👌👌👌
😜 Cheers buddy
great shot!
Awesome video Kevin thank you.
Excellent video. Was always interested in Agincourt and the role of the English longbow in the war.
Very nice video, thank you
As a marksman of modern arms, I can really appreciate your dedication to a crucial art. It could save you just as well today. (A little secret)-they still make people much as they did before so the apparatus of stopping them still applies. Excellent channel, I subscribed from the first video.
Wow, that's really kind of you, thanks 👍🏻
Can't believe we get to watch this stuff for free
😜 my pleasure.
Thank you for the lesson
Oh man awesome shot. Thanks for the video Kevin!
Your bowman outfit brings me back to the time period you're speaking of, well done. I can imagine shooting with the helmet down is more practical when the target is a large group of men instead of a feather.
That's for sure 👍🏻
Great video and great shooting!
Very cool, thank you Kevin for this very informative and epic video.
Few people who do quality historical archery videos on youtube these days, keep it up!
Good job sir!
Great shooting!
Saved your video to watch as a treat.
Wonderful video! Thank you :)
Another superb vid Mate!
Glad you enjoyed it, cheers 👍🏻
Awesome 🙂 thank you
Absolutely brilliant living history Kevin. Thankyou
Great shooting Kevin and thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!!
Brilliant great videos
I thoroughly enjoyed watching you shoot
Outstanding
Super living history Kevin.
Very enjoyable.
Well done mate
Great shooting and great video :)
Well struck, sir! Cheers
I’ve been watching your videos for a long time and always enjoy your content. Thanks
I appreciate that! 👍🏻
Great shot Kevin! Lovely costume too.
Great shooting Kevin!!! Awesome video, love it!!
Cheers Derek 👍🏻
Great vid Kev thanks. I love the sound of those arrows
So do I, especially those whistlers 👍
Great video, as always. I love to see the dress of the day and have it explained. What a great shot you are too! XXX
Gteat style of teaching and informing. Thank you.
What a shot Kev!
Thank you for this demonstration of real Archery skill. Loved it.🏴🏴
A short and sweet video that I absolutely loved. Kevin is always so charming and such a good story teller!!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks 👍🏻
Again, your great.