Okay, so many years now I have been using the same design for Cardio Trek's Gift Vouchers with respect to archery lessons.
And it occurred to me recently that perhaps it was time to make a new design.
So here are the old designs. First up the Regular design:
And the Valentines Day version.
I still like the concept of the gift box in the image, but I felt it was time for something new. Plus I wanted to use the same font used for the Cardio Trek logo.
Voila!
Now immediately I know some people are going to prefer the old versions... But whatever. It doesn't matter which version people want to use. What really matters is the Gift Voucher Number when people contact me to book their archery lessons in Toronto.
Want to give a friend, loved one or coworker a gift? Why not archery lessons?! Just contact me via cardiotrek@gmail.com to get started.
Well, not exactly. There's a lot more things you need. See my Archery Equipment Checklist. But I don't go into a lot of details on that Checklist, but today I am going to do so. Here's what you really need... and Why!
Traditional Recurve Archery Equipment Guide
Recurve Bow
You want to start with a bow with a fairly low poundage so that you can focus on form first and build strength gradually over time. Generally someone new to archery should start with a 20 to 25 lb bow, depending upon their strength and size. Even people who are very strong should start with a maximum of 25 lbs and then as they progress they can purchase higher poundage limbs or more powerful bows.
This is similar to a person at the gym doing weightlifting: You don't start with the 50 lb dumbbells and start doing bicep curls. You start with the 15s or 20s and work your way up gradually. Someone who starts with a bow that is too powerful will get tired very quickly and their form will suffer as a result, causing a lot of inaccuracy.
Right: Samick Sage Recurve Bow.
There are many different brands and models of Traditional Recurve Bows to choose from. A very popular model is the Samick Sage (which my wife uses), but there are lots to choose from. When buying your first bow however try to get one that is the desired poundage. Don't worry so much about brand and model, poundage is much more important. You can always get a fancy bow later after your skill has improved significantly.
12 Arrows
So... Funny thing. Beginners have a tendency to lose arrows or break arrows quite often. So if you start with 6 arrows, you're probably going to lose/break half of them during the first month. This is why I recommend starting with 12, because if you break/lose 3 of them then you still have 9 left.
You also want to make certain that the arrows you purchase are spined correctly for the bow you are shooting. If they're too stiff then it reduces accuracy, but if they're too weak then it increases the chances of the arrows spontaneously breaking (and possibly hurting the archer).
A fairly simple device used for stringing your bow easily and without damaging the bow. If you string a recurve bow using the leg method (or the knee method) then you void the warranty. So you really want to string it properly using a bowstringer.
If you are getting archery lessons then your instructor can show you how to use a bowstringer properly, otherwise you can also ask someone in an archery store to demonstrate how to use it. Failing that there are also YouTube videos on how to use a bowstringer.
During a student's first archery lesson I often tell a story during the demonstration of how to use a bowstringer. The story is about Ulysses (Odysseus) and his return to Ithaca and how he strung his bow after being gone for 20 years and returning to Ithaca an old man. Or you can watch the 1954 version starring Kirk Douglas.
Archery Glove or Tab or Thumbring
Protects your fingers. Traditionally archers wore leather gloves of various styles to protect their fingers while shooting. If you shoot regularly without protection it will hurt your fingers and damage the nerve endings.
In the image on the right you can see the character Bran (from A Game of Thrones) wearing an archery glove. The glove in question is actually just a Neet Archery Glove that has had the label removed and the image has been tinted so it appears to be darker.
I saw someone about a decade ago shooting with zero protection. He was insisting on "doing it the traditional way", even though people traditionally used some kind of hand protection. His fingers during the summer turned black and blue because of all the damage he did to the nerve endings. We never saw him again after that summer. I am guessing his fingers had to be amputated. So yes, definitely wear protection. Wearing a glove, tab or thumbring is very traditional.
Below: An example of someone using a thumb draw with a thumbring. Thumbrings are usually used by people shooting horsebows (shortbows), but I have also experimented with using them to shoot longbows and flatbows.
Arrow Rest
Most bows (unless you buy a kit) don't come with an arrow rest. My biggest piece of advice on this topic is: DO NOT BUY THE CHEAP PLASTIC ARROW RESTS.
They break very easily.
Instead I recommend getting a steel or fur arrow rest. See my older post Five Styles of Arrow Rests for more on that topic.
For beginners what I generally ask is: Do you want something more traditional or more modern?
If the new archer says traditional I point them at the fur arrow rest (which isn't made of real fur), which you can see to the right.
And if they want something more modern then I point them at either a Flipper style arrow rest or a spring loaded arrow rest. I particularly like the QuikTune by NAP and I use it when teaching beginners because the arrow doesn't fall off easily when they cant the bow to the left. Beginner archers have a habit of canting the bow left and right and then the arrow slides off the arrow rest.
Nock Bead
The nock bead is a tiny brass bead that goes on the bowstring and acts as a guide for wear to nock the arrow on the bowstring, and prevents the arrow from sliding around on the bowstring.
Some archers will even put two nock beads on there, one above the arrow and below it, so it is even less likely to slide around.
Arrowheads
So yeah... Arrows don't usually come with arrowheads. Some do, but not all.
Also there are many different kinds of arrowheads, and they're measured in grains. (There are 7000 grains in 1 lb.)
I generally recommend that beginners start with 125 grain field point arrowheads, and if they want to shoot longer distances they can get 100 grain field points for shooting medium distances (30 to 50 yards) and 75 grain field points for shooting long distances (60 yards or further). You swap out the arrowheads for shooting longer distances so you can save on weight/increase arrow speed, but at medium or close distances you want a heavier arrowhead because it increases accuracy.
If the arrow itself is heavier than normal then you might even want a heavier arrowhead in order to change the FOC balancing point of the arrow. See my old article on the subject: What the eff is FOC Weight?
So yes...
That is everything that you "NEED".
You may have noticed that having an arm guard (arm bracer) or a quiver isn't actually a necessity. Those are really more optional. Below is a list of Optional Archery Equipment or you can browse Optional Archery Equipment for more details.
Arm guard or Bracer - arguably a necessity for some people, but not everyone needs one.
A spare bowstring. (In case the first one breaks.)
Spare Parts for Arrows - spare nocks, spare fletching, fletching
glue, spare arrowheads, spare inserts. This is in case you ever need to
repair arrows.
A quiver of some kind - possibly a back quiver, side quiver, hip quiver, ground quiver - or you can just make your own.
Dampeners - puffy balls that make your bowstring quieter.
Archery Backpack - to carry your gear in.
Bow Sock - for storing a longbow or one-piece recurve in.
3D Targets - for shooting at fake rabbits and such.
Portable Archery Targets - for when you don't have anything else to shoot at.
Stabilizer - a gadget to help prevent people from canting the bow.
Decorative Limbs Skins - purely for decoration.
Wrist Strap - so you don't accidentally drop your bow.
Bow Racks / Bow Stands - for storing your bow when you are not shooting it.
Strange Arrowheads - Whistling arrowheads, Tibetan howling arrowheads,
blunt arrowheads, glass arrowheads, flint, obsidian - there are quite a
variety available.
Below are two examples of some whistling arrowheads.
Is it possible to become an Experienced Archer in just 10 Weeks?
Well, yes, but it depends upon how you define "Experienced".
Experienced doesn't necessarily mean that are good at something. You can be experienced at rowing a canoe, but that doesn't mean you are very good at it.
Using that definition a toddler could be "experienced at archery", but that doesn't mean they're good at it. [Photo on the right is my son Arthur, who is 11 months old in this picture. It is going to be many years before he is an "experienced archer". My older son Richard (currently 5) meanwhile can shoot moving bubbles in the backyard while barely trying.]
But for the purpose of exploring hypotheticals, how do you go from just starting archery as a complete beginner to becoming an experienced archer in just 10 weeks?
Well, it is certainly possible to do it with a lot of practice, but I believe it is easiest when you have an archery instructor. Becoming "good" at archery is many times slower if a person is trying to do it by being self-taught, but you speed the process up significantly by having an instructor who can help you avoid common mistakes that many beginners get stuck on and they don't know what they're doing wrong.
A good book on the subject can also help, but a book cannot spot your errors when you make them and if you don't know what errors you are making then it cannot teach you how to avoid those bad habits while reinforcing good habits.
One of the biggest factors, in my opinion, is how serious the student is about learning archery. A child who is more interested in staring at their phone isn't going to get as much out of 10 archery lessons than a similar child who pays attention and is excited/enthusiastic about learning archery. Same goes with an adult who is similarly addicted to their phone versus an adult who really wants to learn archery. This isn't so much an age issue as it is a maturity issue.
Speaking on behalf of myself and my archery lessons you can learn quite a bit in 10 lessons, however just because I offer 10 lessons doesn't necesssarily mean that you cannot learn more. I have had some students who keep coming back for more lessons. 20? 50? More than that?
It happens. One of my students (Adam) just keeps coming back for more lessons every year. He was a teenager when he started, now he's in his 20s.
Some archers just want to be challenged constantly and they yearn to learn more things as they progress, possibly learning other styles of archery, other techniques, and more obscure topics that aren't covered in my normal block of 10 lessons.
If you haven't done archery in a long time and you are worried you've forgotten a few things, or perhaps you've been doing it regularly, but you feel the need to improve on a few things that you feel you are having difficulty with, well then there's nothing wrong with getting a refresher course.
And judging by the pleasant sunny weather outside, spring is coming early.
So to all my former archery students, welcome back! Come get a refresher course. Refresh your memory and pick up some new archery skills too. Plus I thought it would be nice to see some of my old students from a decade ago.
Happy Shooting!
Sincerely, Charles M. CardioTrek.ca
PS. Below is a needlessly cute of my son Arthur that I took this morning after changing his diaper and getting him dressed for the day. I gave him one of Richard's old plastic bows and snapped a photo of Arthur plucking the bowstring.
I spoke to my mother yesterday (who lives up north) and she saw a black and orange caterpillar two days ago, a sure sign of spring.
Almost all the snow is melted in my front yard and back yard.
The forecast for today is a high of 8 Celsius (46.4 Fahrenheit). So that isn't exactly warm, but it isn't freezing either.
Supposed to go up to 13 Celsius on Wednesday (and rain), but otherwise it is going to be unseasonably warm and mild for mid February. (Usually we should be expecting a big snowstorm around this time of year.)
Spring is Coming.
We can thank Global Warming, I suppose. I see this as a silver lining. In the future I may be able to teach archery more often in February and November, and perhaps take a few weeks off in July/August to enjoy a vacation when it is too hot.
Which means I can book archery lessons for 2023 for anyone who isn't afraid of a little cold.
Or you can prebook for March, April or May. Whatever weather suits your fancy.
If you have never done archery (or have very little experience) there are essentially three ways to get into the sport.
#1. Get Archery Lessons
Obviously this is me tooting my own horn, but if you're looking for archery lessons in Toronto then I invite you to contact me to book archery lessons. Archery lessons are the fastest and easiest way to learn the sport, but they are more expensive and thus geared towards people who are more serious about wanting to learn archery in a hurry and want to excel at it.
If you have a friend who does archery they can also try to teach you, but this is often a test of patience on their part as they may not have a lot of experience teaching archery (or anything else). So when getting archery lessons I do recommend hiring someone with a lot of experience teaching archery and know what they're doing.
Speaking for myself: I have been teaching archery since 2009, and I have been doing archery since 1989.
#2. Buy an Archery How To Book
The book I currently recommend is by my colleagues Steve Ruis and Claudia Stevenson: "Precision Archery".
You can try to find the book at your local bookstore, and if they don't have it then you can order it from the store using the ISBN number... Or order it online.
ISBN 9780736046343
And if you want to go a step further you can also get yourself a subscription to Archery Focus Magazine, which gives you access to their back catalogue of magazine PDFs.
Which coincidentally also gives you access to various articles that I wrote for Archery Focus Magazine:
"Marketing Strategies for Archery Coaches", July 2017.
"A Lesson in Adaptive Archery", July 2018.
"Teaching Archery Through Narratives", November 2018.
"Rinehart Target Balls (and Alternatives)", January 2020.
"Archery Trick Shooting", September 2020.
"Gap Shooting: Aiming for Versatility", November 2021.
Oh and I am working on my own nonfiction Archery How To Book. So stayed for that to be released.
Note - Reading a book about how to do archery isn't perfect. Ideally you want an archery instructor, but if you don't have one then a book is the next best thing. There are other books on the subject, but "Precision Archery" is the best book currently available in my opinion.
#3. Teach Yourself / Watch YouTube Videos
I have a low opinion on the subject of YouTube videos teaching archery and while there is the potential for someone to learn that way, I firmly believe it is a bit like "the blind leading the blind" because often the people making such videos are beginners themselves.
Or if they are experienced archers they're not necessarily good at teaching it or explaining it properly.
And then there's the YouTube feuds...
For example, there are two specific YouTubers I am thinking of who argue back and forth in their videos about the proper way to do something. Just two men (and their egos) arguing.
Honestly, rather than watch YouTube videos you might be better off just being completely self taught, assuming you cannot find a book on the subject or cannot find an archery instructor.
Being self-taught really comes down to practicing regularly and socializing with other archers, because you will learn so much about the sport by talking to your fellow archers and observing them while they shoot to see what they are doing correctly, but also what they are doing wrong. If you can learn from their mistakes and triumphs it will speed up the process of teaching yourself. (Of course, you would learn even faster if you had an instructor to teach you what to be looking for.)
Conclusions
A combination of options #1 and #2 above is arguably the best you can do. Getting both an instructor and the aforementioned book on the subject, so you get the best of both worlds.
Or options #1 and #2 and buy a whole library of archery books (which is what I have on my bookshelves). In some cases I even have multiple copies of the same book, the result of people gifting me books that I already have copies of.
"Hey, there's an archery book! I should get that for Charles!"
And unfortunately I have copies of almost every archery book in the English language. Plus I am such an archery dork that I write nonfiction (and fiction) on the subject.
And I have 5 different books just on the subject of bowmaking and arrow making.
So yes, if you want to get really good at archery... Just copy everything I've done. Get archery lessons, buy ALL the books (even the bowmaking books), practice multiple days per week, get really good at it, learn multiple styles of archery, become an archery instructor, and of course publish articles on the subject... And start writing a How To Book on archery.
Whatever.
I think the point I am trying to make (again and again) is that you should either get archery lessons or buy a book like "Precision Archery". Or both.
One of my archery students back in July sent me this GIF of their arrow hitting a bottle and then catapulting backwards. Seen in a loop it creates the impression that the arrow is hitting the bottle and just bouncing back and forth, while the lid goes flying each time.
Enjoy!
Photography Credit: Robin Kuniski / www.robinkuniski.com
Look closely and you'll spot the arrows close to the flag pole shown in the photos on the right.
So what's the big deal?
Well, the flag is approx. 70 yards (210 feet) away from where the archery student was standing... And this was only their 5th archery lesson.
Oh and it was a tad windy that day.
That's why such results are worth taking photos of.
So what is Clout Archery?
Clout Archery is a long distance sport wherein archers compete to see who can get their arrows closest to the flag pole, which is generally placed really far away.
Usually 140 to 180 yards away, which are the competitive distances for Clout Archery.
However since the Toronto Archery Range is only 140 yards long (and lots of trees behind that) we have to use a shorter distance which is still challenging for a beginner, but also surprisingly a lot of fun.
Getting a cluster of arrows to land near the flag pole is also very challenging, even for experienced archers who are used to getting their arrows in clusters at shorter distances.
If you look closely at the photos on the right you will note that some of the arrows are touching or almost touching. That is some very good consistency for a beginner archer.
This isn't unheard of for my archery students however. I have periodically had students hit the flag pole or the flag itself at distances of 80 yards, 90 yards or more.
Getting to the point that you can do Clout Archery with this degree of accuracy isn't for beginners really. I generally only teach this to my archery students who sign up for 5 or more archery lessons.
When students sign up for 5 archery lessons they generally (I will sometimes customize the lessons for the needs of the student) get the following:
Lesson 1: Safety Lecture, Eye Test, Lecture on How to Aim Traditionally, Lecture on Proper Form, Field Archery Practice.
Lesson 2: Target Archery Practice, Lecture on Arrowheads.
Lesson 3: Long Distance Field Archery Practice, Lecture on Arrow Spine.
Lesson 4: Target Archery Practice, Lecture on How to Aim using Gap Shooting, Moving Target Practice.
Lesson 5: Clout Archery or Gap Shooting Field Archery (varies on the student).
Thus it really depends upon the student. Some students are more into learning Gap Shooting and others are more interested in long distance shooting.
Note - When someone signs up for 10 or more lessons I don't really have to choose so much. I will just teach them both, but I will still be customizing the lessons to the student's needs or interests.
Clout Archery Tips
Because the archer will usually have to aim at the sky in order to get their arrows to go that far you need to come up with a system for how to aim at the same spot on the sky.
Don't aim at clouds. They move. Instead you need to measure on the sky where you want to aim. I teach several different techniques for how to measure and aim at the sky so that students can choose which method works best for them.
Proper Form! If you don't know how to properly perform a shot then you should either get archery lessons or buy a book on the subject (I recommend "Precision Archery" by Steve Ruis & Claudia Stevenson).
And if you're in Toronto or the GTA you have no excuse not to get archery lessons from a dedicated professional like myself who teaches multiple different styles of archery and different archery sports like Clout Archery.
Browse the links below to learn more. Happy Shooting!
Today I had a bonding experience with a fellow archery instructor during which the topic of "students who don't listen" came up. For me this experience of commiserating with a fellow archery instructor was cathartic.
What is the point of getting archery lessons (or any other kind of lesson) if you're not going to listen to the instructor?
There
is nothing more annoying to an instructor than trying to teach someone
who refuses to listen. I have, historically, refunded lessons to people
who didn't listen and I didn't want to bother teaching them.
Especially
if I considered them to be a danger to themselves and others. It would
be irresponsible, in my opinion, to teach someone I consider to be
dangerously ignorant and refuses to correct their mistakes or listen to
the instructor.
This is one of the reasons why I rarely teach
children any more. There is a measure of responsibility and maturity on
the part of the student that needs to be there before I even agree to
teach archery to a child... And if they later turn out to be the type of
person who doesn't listen then guess who is getting the remainder of
their lessons canceled and refunded*...?
* Partly because of
liability issues in which I don't want to be legally responsible for a
child (or adult) who is a danger to themselves and others. So this isn't
really a choice for me. It is basically a legal requirement on my part
to be responsible about who I choose to teach.
As noted by my
colleague and myself, this problem of students who don't listen is
mostly an issue of children who lack maturity. It is rare to meet an
adult with this particular problem, although not unheard of. I sometimes
come across an adult or even a senior who has become set in their ways
and doesn't want to listen, even when they know it is in their best
interest to do so.
The problem I find often stems from students
thinking that they know more than the instructor because they have been
watching too much television/movies, did archery at summer camp with
someone who didn't know how to teach archery, or they've bought into
misinformation about the sport they learned from other sources
(fictional books, YouTube, Facebook, etc). This is why, in my opinion, it is
often better to teach a student who is a blank slate. The less
misinformation they have previously received the better.
Just
because you saw a cartoon character doing archery a certain way doesn't
mean that you know more than the archery instructor. You don't. Get over
it.
Trying
to teach someone like that also makes me want to pull my hair out in
frustration. I don't need the added stress. My knee jerk reaction to
meeting a student who doesn't want to listen is to cancel the lessons
and refund the money. The liability and the stress just isn't worth it.
Plus why take lessons in something that you don't want to learn???
I
get it when parents sign up their kids for ice skating lessons or
swimming lessons... And the child would rather be looking at their
cellphone than paying attention to the lesson. But if the parent knows
that their child isn't actually interested then you should just find
them a different activity that does interest them. Not every child wants
to swim, do ice skating or archery. Find them something else they
actually want to do. Tae kwon do lessons perhaps. Rock climbing. Krav
maga. Golf. Violin. Ballet. Parkour.
Don't force them to do a sport they're clearly not interested in.
Clout Archery is a sport in which archers compete at shooting a "clout of arrows" as close to a target flag pole as possible, often at really long distances such as 140 or 180 yards away.
For people new to clout archery (or when the field is shorter than desirable) you may want to use shorter distances such as 60, 70, 80 yards, etc. Or if you have a really large field available, you could even try shooting longer distances like 200 yards or more.
The image below shows the results of 1 round of shooting with one of my archery students recently on June 4th 2022, shooting at a distance of 60 yards (180 feet). She got two clusters near the flag pole as you can see, nearly hitting the flag pole despite windy conditions that day.
Which brings me to the topic of what makes Clout Archery something that is useful to learn:
#1. Clout Archery is really good for archers learning how to adjust for wind conditions.
#2. Clout Archery is very good at teaching people how to shoot long distances accurately, with the distances often being more than that used by Olympic archers (70 meters).
#3. Because shooting long distances magnifies any mistakes the archer makes it forces the archer to be more of a perfectionist than shooting short distances in comparison.
BONUS THOUGHTS
Shooting such long distances can also be quite fun as there is a level of joy in watching an arrow fly so far and yet manage to land near the flag pole (or on rare occasions, even hit the flag pole).
For extra fun you can also use whistling arrowheads.
To make it easier to find your arrows (depending on the distance) you can also use wingnuts behind your screwed on field points so that when they hit the ground they dig in like an anchor and are easier to find. Alternatively, you can also use large (flu flu) fletching on your arrows.
Clout Archery Lessons?
Anyone wanting to learn archery (and specifically Clout Archery) can sign up for archery lessons in Toronto and mention that you want to learn Clout Archery.
As time goes by eventually your archery targets will get holey (or fall down) in which case you either need to replace the material or repair it in some manner.
Repairing Natural Tentest Targets
In the case of Natural Tentest targets, like those at the Toronto Archery Range located at E. T. Seton Park shown above, one way to repair the big gaping holes is to wait until one of the target butts collapses and falls down - often due to heavy rain and/or wind - and then you can use the broken fallen pieces of Natural Tentest to stuff the holes in the other targets.
And for fun, you can also add a large water container to the target butt which collapsed so that people can still potentially shoot at something until that target's tentest is replaced.
Repairing 3D Targets
In the case of 3D targets (deer, raccoons, etc) that are popular with hunters one of the best ways to repair them is with foam, like in the video below. What brand or style of foam you use doesn't really matter, what is really important is that you don't overfill the holes you are repairing because otherwise excess material will leak out (as demonstrated in the video below). A "less is better" approach is best for that scenario.
Repairing DIY Cardboard Targets
The beauty of cardboard targets is that they're super easy to repair and cost effective. Just make a habit of saving any large pieces of cardboard from your home and/or workplace and you can easily just rip out any damaged pieces of cardboard from your DIY targets and replace with new cardboard.
Best of all, the old cardboard is still recyclable so it has simply been reused before eventually reaching the recycling bin.
Your cardboard archery target doesn't need to be fancy either (like the one in the image below). It simply could be a cardboard box which is filled with cardboard. Having a wooden frame is really unnecessary for most people's purposes. But once you have a cardboard target they're very easy to repair.
About one year ago my colleague Steve Ruis wrote a blog post called "The Ikigai of Archery".
Ikagai is a Japanese word which means "live reason" or "reason to live".
Basically Ikagi is when you have something that helps you get out of bed in the morning and provides a purpose or meaning in your life is certainly helpful.
Can archery be a reason to live?
I believe so.
Sometimes we just don't want to get up in the morning, but we force ourselves to do so because we have to get to work - often to a job we dislike.
I am fortunate that I have a job I really enjoy and love to do. There are many people out there who wish they could quit their regular jobs and just do what they love to do.
Even so there are definitely days when I am excited to teach archery and do some personal practice, and then there are other days when I have to go to work and I would rather stay home if I had the choice.
I find the quality of sleep I got the night before is a factor.
Same thing goes with my students. I can tell based upon their focus and the quality of their shooting whether they didn't sleep well the night before - or worse, if they're hungover, distracted by something, stressed or upset, hungry, etc.
And yet they still got up and they came to their archery practice because it was something they wanted to do, because they deemed it important, and quite possibly they were excited about it.
Thus in this case I think Ikigai is an excellent word, and an apt word. If archery can be the crutch that helps people get up in the morning - and in some cases to strive and find purpose in their lives - then so be it. Sometimes people need a crutch to help them to keep on surviving so they can find other reasons to live.
I believe people can have multiple reasons to live, including
an important one: Family. Speaking for myself then my wife and my son are two of my biggest
reasons to live, but archery is another. As is writing. I have many reasons to live.
For my students who are curious about the more spiritual sides of archery I usually recommend two books:
1. Zen Bow, Zen Arrow 2. The Unfettered Mind
The 2nd book isn't actually about archery. It is about Zen Buddhism and swordsmanship, but also about being a good person who learns to manage their thoughts and emotions. So while it is primarily about swordsmanship, the principles described in the book also apply to archery.
Years ago I even published my own book of poetry on the subject, a book called "Dreaming of Zen Archery". (The ebook version is $2.99 if you're curious about it.)
So yes, I believe archery can be an Ikigai - a reason to live.
It doesn't have to be your sole reason to live however, but it can be the crutch that keeps you moving forward until you find other reasons.
Do you want to learn archery? Of course you do, you're here reading this aren't you?
Well, the good news is that I am accepting new students for the 2022 archery season.
Contact cardiotrek@gmail.com to book your archery lesson(s) today. When in doubt I recommend starting for 3 lessons for $200. See my archery lessons page for more details / discount rates / etc.
So what's so special about my archery lessons?
#1. I make them fun and informative. So you're learning, but you get to have fun while doing so.
#2. I have been teaching archery so far for 13 years (and doing archery for 33 years). Suffice to say I have been doing this for a long time and have learned some of the best ways
#3. I have published articles over the years in "Archery Focus Magazine", which recently released their final issue in November 2021. (My article "Gap Shooting: Aiming for Versatility" was included in the final issue.)
#4. Browse my Archery Lessons Plan to learn more about the how each lesson is different.
#5. One on one lessons. No group lessons. You get personalized attention from an archery coach and I tailor the lessons to meet my individual students needs.
#6. I also teach people with adaptive archery needs. So if you're in a wheel chair or have other difficulties, not to worry, you can still do archery. Just email me to discuss your situation.
#7. People over 65 get a 10% Seniors Discount and people from Canada's armed forces get a 10% Veterans Discount.
Above is a photo of one of my archery students after she successfully pierced the string on a moving target. It was her 6th lesson.
I usually start teaching how to shoot at moving targets on the 4th lesson or later, but actually splitting or piercing the string on a moving target is very rare. More rare than "Robin Hooding an arrow", which is when you pierce your own arrow in the end of the nock.
How to make a Moving Target
I find one of the easiest ways to make a moving target is to use an empty water bottle and dangle it from a string. The water bottle blows in the wind fairly easily, but not so easily that it is impossible to hit if you're good at it.
When dangling the bottle from the string you want to offset it from the target. A broken arrow or a stick inserted into the target works well. If you do not offset the moving target then it will rub against the target and the friction will reduce how much the bottle moves about.
How to make it easier...
If you want less of a challenge you also use a larger bottle. Eg. A 2 liter Coca-Cola bottle is a great size if you want something less challenging. If you want to make it even easier pick a day to shoot when there is very little wind.
How to make it harder...
Cut the bottle in half. Or only use just the bottle cap. The moving bottle cap makes for a very difficult target to hit. If you want to make it even harder try to do it on a windy day.
But not impossible.
I did it twice in one day (back in 2015) when I brought a tripod and a camera to the archery range. The first time however the camera stopped recording so I didn't actually manage to record it. The second time however the camera did record it properly. Thankfully it wasn't too windy that day.
Anyone wishing to book archery lessons in Toronto for 2022 should feel free to contact me. Better to contact me sooner to start booking your lessons.
The good news is I have another article that is being published in "Archery Focus Magazine". It will be coming out in the November-December 2021 issue.
The bad news is that the November-December 2021 issue will also be the final issue, the farewell issue, of the magazine.
It saddens me that the final issue is coming so soon. I am aware that many magazines thrive and survive based on subscriptions, and that if those subscriptions eventually falter that the magazine may be unsustainable. Many print media magazines and newspapers have ended during the past 20 years, and digital magazines are similarly vulnerable due to the subscription format.
Between 2017 and 2020 I contributed five articles to the magazine in the following issues:
2017, July-August (Marketing Strategies for Archery Coaches)
2018, July-August (Adaptive Archery)
2018, November-December (Teaching via Narrative Storytelling)
I regret not writing more articles. Contributing 1 or 2 articles per year was one of the highlights of teaching the sport, but I could have written more. I have been very busy doing other things like teaching, raising my son, and writing multiple series of fantasy books... But I could have contributed another article or two. Sadly, we writers have to learn to live with our regrets, just like archers have to learn to live with their botched shooting.
I have also been writing my own "how to book" with respect to archery, so perhaps I will devote more time in the near future towards finishing and publishing that book. Or I might solve my thirst to publish more articles by contributing to magazines like Traditional Bowhunter or TradArchers' World. We shall just have to see what happens.
One last bit of good news...
While the magazine is ending, the back issues will continue to be available. You can visit archeryfocusmagazine.com and get any of the back issues of the magazine dating back to the first issue from 1997. You can get unlimited access to 25 years worth of the magazine's back issues for $160 USD.
Bad news if you wanted to book archery lessons in Toronto for August, September or October of 2021. I am already fully booked and am no longer accepting new students for this year.
I am currently accepting new students for 2022. If you want to book for 2022 you should contact me now (if you know what your schedule will be like in the coming year), or if you're not sure what your schedule will be
like in 2022, then I recommend contacting me in February or early
March if you want to get your preferred time slots (before things start
booking up).
I am expecting 2022 to be a very busy year for me.
Due to COVID I am going to be restricting how many students / time slots I teach this year during August, September and October. It isn't a matter of time constraints, I am available, but I am putting a limit on the total number of archery lessons I am willing to teach this year.
So my advice is that if you want archery lessons between now and the end of the season you need to contact me sooner rather than later and hope that there is still time slots available and I haven't reached my "quota" for the year.
Basically the point I am trying to make is that this year, due to COVID, I am setting a quota for the maximum number of lessons I am willing to teach. So if you want archery lessons in Toronto then you should email me today and start booking.
If you wait too long you might have to prebook for 2022.
My Writing Career
In related news, my book sales during 2021 are expected to triple my 2020 book sales, which tripled my book sales from 2019, which in turn dectupled my 2018 book sales... So if you can do math that means my book sales are up by a factor of 90 in the past 3 years.
If my book sales continue to triple annually I will be able to quit my day job (teaching archery) and focus on writing books sometime in 2025.
Now don't get me wrong, I love teaching archery. Absolutely love it. But there are days when I would love to just sleep in, spend more time with my wife/son, and focus on writing instead.
Teaching archery, and being good at it / able to make a living doing it, has given me the freedom to pursue my writing career during the cold winter months when very few people in Toronto ask for archery lessons.
Becoming a full time professional writer is the dream of pretty much every writer. I love archery and I love teaching it, but I foresee a time when I will just jack up my prices and only teach on 1 or 2 days per week so that I can focus my energy on writing.
Or quit teaching archery entirely and focus solely on writing. In addition to getting an annual tripling in book sales I keep getting 4 and 5 star reviews, so that's always a nice feeling to know people really like my writing. Cannot complain about that.
And what is the content of my writing? I mostly write heroic fantasy featuring, you guessed it, archery.
You can find my books, available in trade paperback and ebook formats, at amazon.com/author/moffat. I expect to be releasing audiobook versions in 2026 if my book sales continue to go up at the current rate. Hardcover versions of the novels are also expected sometime. If you have the paperback ISBN numbers you can order my books from your local bookstore.
Looking to sign up for archery lessons, boxing lessons, swimming lessons, ice skating lessons or personal training sessions? Start by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com and lets talk fitness!
