Skip to main content

Hitting the bulls then and now

(Google Image)
On traditional bamboo bows and arrows, hitting the gorthig (bull’s eye) is a big thing, but now with the coming of Yangphel archery tournaments, the concept of hitting the bull has changed slightly in a sense that now the probability of the bull escaping is far less. On traditional targets the bulls are depicted small; in fact they are hardly visible if one moves away a few yards from them. Yangphel’s bull on the other hand is 25 cm wide diametrically while the target is 31 cm wide. 

Statistically, the top 20 players (from three league rounds of the ongoing Yangphel archery tournament) hit 607 kareys of which 136 were hit on the gorthig and only 31 sakareys. This means the probability of hitting the coveted bull is 22.37% while that of sakarey’s is 5.01%.  Technically speaking, it is more difficult to hit sakarey than it is to hit the bull. And the highest number of bulls hit is 11 while the lowest stands at 2 in the league rounds.    

Of course the rules have changed. Three teams compete in a match in Yangphel style tournament while traditional archeries were played between two teams, mostly two villages. Tournaments were held for days each team consisting of 11 players while it is reduced to 15 rounds with 5 players each now.

(Photo: Yangphel)
The concept of hitting and the equipment with which to hit the bulls may have changed, but we love our national game. And that's we love Yangphel people!

Comments

  1. Nice analysis Ngawang.Though the Actual size of the bull has not changed much, the size of the eye has really changed. it has become easy for every hunter to HIT the eye now.....

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with KY, nice analysis. This Archery with new bow is not our national game...not at all, but if anyone claims it is then we have to consider lots of other issues...like half kira being our national dress, and so on...
    By the way, I appreciate the Yangfel people for the brave new idea. But I am wondering why can't archers hit enough with such expensive bows on such big target.

    ReplyDelete
  3. great analysis. I think you have learned working in the research department to come up with such analysis

    ReplyDelete
  4. I won't say the probability of hitting the bull's eye is more than sakarey, since, the aim itself is to hit the bull's eye. This itself makes the probability bend more towards the former.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

So what do you think?

Popular posts from this blog

Utpal Academy - Bhutan's first All-girls High School

Academic Block Welcome to Bhutan’s first all-girls school. Isn’t that wonderful news to all our parents? Certainly, as a parent of a one-year old daughter I am excited about the coming of a school exclusively dedicated to the needs of girls. Our girls need special treatment, which we can for sure entrust the responsibility to Utal Academy, Paro. Dinning Hall I really like the name – Utpal – in Buddhist world, Utpal is another name for lotus flower, which is believed to grow from mud and yet blossoms into a beautiful and majestic flower. It stands for purity and many deities are depicted holding flower Utpal, more prominently Jestusn Dolma, the Goddess Tara. Symbolically, it also stands for the transformation of our girls. What an apt name for the school! Hostel Room The Principal’s message posted on the academy’s website promises providing our young women an “opportunity to participate fully in a wide range of extracurricular activities to develop skills and qualities that

System Thinking

System is a collection of interrelated elements that create one complete and unified whole. All components within it constantly interact with each other to achieve a specific purpose.  For example, a car is a highly sophisticated form of a system. Hundreds of different parts work together to make it move in the desired direction, and even if a small part is missing, the car will fail to run.  From the system, I learnt that system thinking is a perspective of things around us, which makes us see how everything is connected to other things. In the above example, it is not just the motor that creates the motion in the car but combined work of all the parts in the vehicle. For example, even if everything works, without an accelerator, the car will not move in the desired speed that we want it to run.    Therefore, system thinking forces us to think about the relationships between things and how they influence the overall system. It makes us see the bigger picture. For example, when we buy

Fighting RCSCE-phobia

Now that the orientation is over, graduates all over Bhutan would be hunting for information and scratching through all our history books. And in absence of readily available information, it is going to be so frustrating for many. There are are aspirants like Tashi.P Ganzin who are already seeking divine intervention- whether to appear or not to.  This is the biggest moment in a graduate’s life – it’s time to learn and relearn so many things about the home and the world. And they need good attention from their parents and relatives, guidance and advice from elders. I am sure all 1300 graduates who attended the NGOP may not appear RCSC Common examination, but we need to inspire and encourage those that brave the odds. Many of my friends are waiting to take the exam of their life – their future will either be made or broken when RCSC declares the results. And my full prayers and support are with them. They are terribly afraid of it to say the least. I heard while there are no prob