Illustration of Spanning the Crossbow

Treatise on Armament Technology, Volume 87

Military Formation System: Training

Crossbow Arts, Part II

For crossbows with a weaker draw weight, use the knee to assist in the drawing process; this is also considered a form of pedal-drawing pedal-drawing (jué zhāng): a traditional method of spanning a crossbow using the strength of the legs and the momentum of the body rather than relying solely on the arms..

To perform this, bend the right knee upward and loop the spanning strap over the knee. With the left foot planted firmly on the ground, grasp the string with both hands, keeping them pressed tightly against the tiller original: "弩身" (nǔ shēn), the wooden stock or main body of the crossbow.. If the hands are held too far apart or away from the tiller, your leverage will be insufficient.

Furthermore, you must not lower your head to look at the trigger mechanism original: "機" (jī). Looking down breaks the required physical tension and takes the soldier's eyes off the enemy.. Instead, drop the right knee into a kneeling position while jerking your body backward in one coordinated motion. When the string reaches the trigger slot, the catch will automatically rise and lock the string in place. If you lower your head to watch the mechanism while loading, you will fail to complete the draw.

However, because the soldier stands only on the left foot during this maneuver, there is a risk of losing balance in the heat of battle. One should employ the foot-strap original: "脚索" (jiǎo suǒ), likely a stirrup-like cord or loop that allows the foot to help stabilize the weapon during the draw. to eliminate t... The text cuts off here; based on the context of the previous sentence, it likely concludes by explaining how the strap eliminates the instability or risk of falling.