Origin: Indonesia
Diameter: 3 cm
Height: 30 cm
Adaptation for T.A.I. Shooting Distance: 30 m 3 arrows are to shoot
Historical Background
The history of Jemparigan goes way back before the 17th century. In the years between 1755 till 1792 it was Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono I, the first king of Yogyakarta, who encouraged his followers to learn archery as a means of forming the character of a knight. The character of the knight in question is the four values ordered by Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono I to be used by the people of Yogyakarta, namely sawiji, greget, sengguh, and ora mingkuh.
“Sawiji” means concentration, “Greget” means enthusiasm, “Sengguh” means confidence, and “Ora Mingkuh” means having a sense of responsibility.
The target is called “Bandulan”, the lower section, known as the awak (body) is painted white, the top called “Sirah” (head). The yellow ring between head and body is called “Leher” (neck).
Initially, this game was only performed among the Mataram Kingdom family, and was made into a race among government soldiers. But over time, the art of archery is now increasingly popular and played by many people from among the common people.
Jemparingan is different from other archery which focuses on the archer’s ability to aim correctly at the target. Also, when archery is usually done standing up, Jemparingan is done cross-legged.
The archer does not aim with his eyes either, but positions the bow in front of his stomach so that the shot is directed according to the archer’s feeling. Nowadays archers are aiming at the target called „Bandulan“.