International Archery Day, Second Saturday in May

Saturday, May 2nd 2020.

Today is the first Saturday in May. Next week, the Saturday, will be International Archery Day.

International Archery Day (also known as "National Archery Day" in the USA) is observed annually on the second Saturday in May. The date was chosen because it is usually fairly good weather and it doesn't interfere with any popular holidays or events (eg. Mother's Day).

One of the oldest sports still in existence, archery has been around for tens of thousands of years, with some of the oldest bows ever found dating back to 8,000 to 9,000 BC. The oldest bow thus far found is an elm Holmegaard bow dated to 9,000 BC and was found in Denmark.

Cave drawings, other artifacts and similar stone age depictions are dated much further back, suggesting that archery is significantly older. At least 65,000 years old.

When celebrating International Archery Day it is traditional to invite a friend to try archery out for the first time. So get out there, invite a friend to try archery (or learn archery yourself) and enjoy one of the oldest sports known to mankind.

International Archery Day falls on the following dates in upcoming years:

• May 9, 2020
• May 8, 2021
• May 14, 2022
• May 13, 2023
• May 11, 2024
• May 10, 2025
• May 9, 2026
• May 8, 2027
• May 13, 2028
• May 12, 2029

 Happy Shooting!

How to Practice Archery while Social Distancing

#1. Practice archery in your basement.

#2. Practice archery in your attic or garage.

#3. Practice archery in your home.

While it is not generally recommended, some people have been known to set up a mini archery range in their living room, a hallway, or other location. You will need to make an effort to avoid damaging the floors, walls, furniture, etc.

#4. Practice archery in your backyard.

You will need to make efforts to make the space you are using SAFE as you don't want neighbours getting injured or complaining about the lack of safety precautions. If they call the police then the cops will want to check to see what efforts you have made in order to ensure safety.

If you have lots of spare time currently to build things you could even convert your backyard into an archery dojo.

#5. Build an archery range in the countryside.

Find a place in the countryside which you can periodically visit and practice your archery skills. Helps if you already own land in the countryside.

If you have friends or family who live in the countryside then you could ask them if you could build a small 3D archery range / walking trail on their property. No social interactions necessary beyond phone calls and emails. You could give even gift them with alcohol/chocolate/etc to show your appreciation.

If you don't have friends or family who own land in the countryside you could potentially rent a wooded area on a section of farmland. All you need to do is find a farmer who has wooded areas of their property that are unused and is willing to rent that property to you for a small monthly fee.

Then you build some homemade archery targets and set them up on a walking trail within the wooded area.

I don't recommend going out and purchasing a big 3D target because there is certainly the chance it could get stolen.

Lesson Plan for Compound Archery

The lesson plan for Compound Archery differs dramatically compared to that of traditional recurve, Olympic recurve and other archery styles. This is because Compound Bows are so fundamentally different in their structure and design that it necessitates teaching it in a different way.

There are some things which are similar or the same when compared to the other lessons, but much of what a compound shooter learns will be focused on issues and aspects that are unique to compound bows. 

Lesson One

• Safety Lecture
• Eye Dominance Test, Optional (Honestly, this should have been done in the store before you purchased your bow. It would be an issue if the store failed to do this and sold you the wrong bow.)
• Lecture on Proper Form
• Tuning the Sights at 20 Yards

Lesson Two

• Fine Tuning Sights at 20 Yards
• Stabilizers and Form
  
• Arrowhead Lecture
• Tuning Sights at 30 Yards

Lesson Three

• Warm Up at 20 Yards
• Fine Tuning Sights at 30 Yards
• Arrow Spine Lecture
  
• Tuning Sights at 50 Yards
  

Lesson Four

• Warm Up at 20 Yards
• Variant Distances / Field Archery (Useful skill for hunting as the prey is rarely exactly at 20 yards.)
  

Lesson Five & Beyond

Varies upon the needs of the archer. Might include topics like shooting at moving targets, shooting long distances, shooting while sitting or kneeling, etc.

Sometimes archery lessons may include other topics like equipment maintenance, installing new equipment, answering the student's questions, issues related to bowhunting, etc.

Lessons can vary from student to student and are often modified to meet the needs of students.

The Bear Cruzer Vs the Diamond Infinite Edge, Two Excellent Beginner Compounds

What Should You Buy If You're New To Compounds???

Let's say you're new to archery (or new to compound shooting) and you don't know what you should buy.

The answer is that you want to buy a good beginner compound, something that is:

• Reasonably priced.
• Good value for money.
• Offers you a range of draw weights / draw distances.
• Easy to change the weight/draw settings without a bow press.

The answer is that there are two compound bows on the market which fulfill these requirements:

• The Bear Cruzer (and variants of it)
• The Diamond Infinite Edge (and variants of it)

Both of these bows from competing manufacturers offer everything a beginner compound shooter is looking for, and if they take good care of it then it will serve them well. There is only one downside, each of these bows top out at approx. 310 fps for arrow speed. Which is still plenty fast, but you're not going to breaking any speed records compared to more expensive compounds offering fps speeds of 330 to 380.

In contrast most traditional recurves top out at about 200 fps, and people still hunt with them. So having a fast compound is not a necessity.

It is more important that you learn how to shoot properly and accurately, and buying the wrong bow which doesn't suit the user would be a step in the wrong direction.

Got an archery question about compound bows? Just ask! Email cardiotrek@gmail.com.

See Also

• Archery Lesson Plan + How many lessons should you get?
• Lesson Plan for Horseback Archery
• Lesson Plan for Olympic Archery
  

4 Ways to Improve Your Archery Form

Want to improve your archery form and accuracy? Pay attention to these 4 tips that will help to improve your form/accuracy.

1. Fix your Feet First

Regardless of whether you are on flat terrain or shooting on a steep slope / hill then you should always fix your feet first so that you are either doing relaxed stance or square stance. It is possible to shoot using other stances, but if you're a beginner trying to get more accuracy then you really want to improve your footing before doing anything else.

2. Brace the Bow / Center your Hand

If you're not holding the bow in your hand properly it is going to effect where the arrow is going to go, often randomly. To improve consistency (and accuracy) you want to brace the bow's handle on the meaty part of your palm closest to your wrist.

If you don't put enough meat on your handle you will often torque the bow to the side. Likewise if you put too much meat on the handle you can torque the bow in the other direction and the bowstring will hit you in the forearm between the elbow and roughly halfway down the forearm.

What you want is the "Goldilocks" amount of meat on the handle. Centered.

3. Relax your Hand

You want your bow hand to be relaxed, and positioned like you are giving a very limp handshake. Keeping your hand centered and relaxed improves your accuracy. There is no need to squeeze the bow with your hand. You aren't going to drop it. After you shoot you will immediately grip the bow so that you don't drop it. (Some archers add an archery wrist strap on their bow so they can leave their bow hand completely relaxed the whole time.)

4. Pre-Aim before Drawing

When you pre-aim at a target you align your forearm and elbow with the arrow, and thus when you pull back the bowstring the arrow and your forearm end up being better aligned.

If you skip this step and just draw the bow and then aim, your elbow will often be too high or too low, which means your forearm will be out of alignment, resulting in increased chances of plucking your release, and you will be more likely to be shaking a bit if you are straining your forearm to hold the bow steady.

Pre-aiming only takes an extra moment to do, but it makes a big difference to accuracy if it makes you steadier and reduces the chances of plucking.

Bonus Tip

Also doesn't hurt to get archery lessons. Get archery lessons in Toronto from Cardio Trek.

Temporarily Closed For Business

Due to the Coronavirus Outbreak my archery lessons are temporarily unavailable.

I am going to be using this break to spend time with family, work on some writing, read a few books (currently I am reading the Witcher series and also a series of books by British writer Anthony Ryan, which I totally recommend people check out), and perhaps do some woodworking/bowmaking.

I will also be working on writing a new magazine article for Archery Focus magazine.

Whenever the virus outbreak gets sorted out I will be resuming my normal routine of archery lessons, but for now I suppose I am on an "extended vacation".

So for now my bows are just going to hang for a bit until they are ready to be used again. (Asides from me getting some personal practice, of course.)

7+ Frequently Asked Archery Questions

Where can I do archery? Is it safe and legal to do it in my backyard?  Is there a designated place to do archery in my city?

In Toronto the best place to do archery is at the Toronto Archery Range, located in E. T. Seton Park (near the Ontario Science Centre).

Visit archerytoronto.ca/Toronto-Archery-Range.html to see maps and parking info.

The legality of doing archery in your backyard depends upon how safe you are doing it. If a neighbour complains about your lack of safety precautions and police investigate they could charge you with reckless endangerment with a firearm. Since Toronto has a public archery range however it is generally accepted that you should really be practicing archery at the archery range.

What is the cost of equipment?  Do I have to shell out big bucks or can I do it on a budget?

Either. Nobody is forcing you to spend a lot of money. A typical beginners budget for equipment is about $350 CDN to buy bow, arrows, arrowheads, arrowrest, shooting glove or tab, bowstringer, etc. Alternatively you could just make your own equipment if you are skilled at woodworking and want to try your hand at bowmaking / fletching arrows.

What kind of equipment do I need to start out?  Should I just get a bow and some arrows or is there anything else I need?

Yes. You will want:

• Arrowheads
• Arrowrest
• Shooting glove or tab
• Bowstringer
• A bag or box for carrying your equipment to and from the archery range.
• Various optional items like a quiver, arm guard/bracer, arrow nock bead, paper targets, portable targets, 3D targets, and a variety of other accessories.

Do I need archery lessons?  Can I just go and shoot or do I need to be instructed on technique, safety, best practices, etc...?

No, you absolutely do not need lessons, but it is definitely helpful to have archery lessons and you should definitely pay attention and abide by all the safety bylaws as they are for your own protection and to protect others.

What types of bows are there?  I have seen some complicated contraptions and more Robin Hood looking bows, but what is the difference and which should I choose?

The most common styles of bows are:

• Recurve Bows
• Longbows / Flatbows
• Horsebows / Shortbows
• Olympic Recurve Bows
• Compound Bows

Recurve Bows are the easiest to learn how to use. Longbows/Flatbows and Horsebows/Shortbows are stylistically similar, but have a more difficult learning curve. Olympic Recurves are more specialized and use gadgets to help the archery increase archery. Compound Bows are typically decked out with every gadget you can find. The biggest difference between the styles is how much the individual archer wants to embrace specific traditions or whether they prefer to use gadgets to get extra accuracy.

How long will it take me to be good?  Is it a long process or will I pick it up quickly?

It varies significantly upon a number of factors.

• Whether or not you get archery lessons.
• How many archery lessons you get.
• Whether or not you buy/read any archery books or read websites about improving your archery form.
• How good is your posture.
• How often your practice.
• What your definition of "good" is.

It takes years to get really good at archery. It isn't something that happens overnight. Getting archery lessons / reading a good book on the subject really speeds up the process.

What types of arrows are there?  What do you call the feathers at the end?  What is the best arrow I can buy?

There are many types of arrows, usually made from wood, bamboo, carbon fibre, aluminum or fibreglass. The feathers are called fletching. The "best arrow" depends on what you are using it for. An expensive arrow doesn't necessarily mean it is better at a specific task. Eg. A lightweight arrow would be better for long distance (flight archery), but a heavier arrow can often be better for hunting purposes. So it really depends.

Historically "footed shaft" arrows were considered to be the best of both worlds because they were heavier on the front and lighter on the back, which improved accuracy.

More Frequently Asked Archery Questions

• 3 Frequently Asked Archery Questions
• How to Oil a Wooden Longbow or Flatbow
• Which Broadhead is Best for Hunting?
• How to do Archery in the Wind and Rain, Part 1
• How to do Archery in the Wind and Rain, Part 2
• How to do an Archery Trick Shot
• Where can I get archery lessons in Toronto?

Competing Against Yourself and Records

ARCHERY LESSONS TORONTO

One of the things I have done over the years of teaching archery is that I have started keeping records of how well my students do.

For example during the first lesson, which involves Field Archery Practice at target balls, I keep track of which students have managed to hit the target ball at the furthest distance.

During the first lesson the student starts shooting at a target ball at a distance of 10 yards. If they hit the ball I move it back 1 pace (roughly 1 yard). If they hit it twice in the same round, I move it back 2 paces.

Five times? Clearly that distance is too easy. Move it back 5 paces.

By the end of the lesson most students are shooting at the target balls at a distance of 21 to 25 yards. However some students have been quite good at this and manage to hit the ball enough times to get the ball out to an impressive distance.

The record for a beginner student during their first lesson is 37 yards (111 feet).

Recently one of my archery students managed to tie that record, and I got it on video. So now there are two students who managed to hit the target ball at 37 yards during their first lesson.




Competing Against Yourself

Keeping track of your personal record at various distances is handy and fun to do. It lets you know how much you have improved. For example I know my personal record at 20 yards when shooting at a 40cm FITA archery target is a perfect 50 out of 50, but I also know I only managed to get that score on a day when:

• I was well rested and well fed.
• I was mentally focused and not distracted.
• There was almost no wind.
• I was using a particular bow I had been shooting with for years.
• I was using brand new arrows.
• I had been trying to get a perfect score for almost a month.

 Getting to that perfect score out of 50 was very hard. I got a lot of 47s, 48s and 49s. I could get four 10s fairly easily, but getting a fifth was proving to be extremely difficult.

Getting that perfect score basically required everything to be alignment (like the moon and stars, etc) and I only ever did it once.

Once I did do it however I moved on to other things, like seeing what was the best score I could get at 33 yards (30 meters / 99 feet), also on a 40cm FITA target. I don't think I will ever get a perfect 50 at that distance on a target that small. (The 10 point circle only has a diameter of roughly 4 cm.)


Competing Against The Record

Find a record set by someone else that you think you could potentially beat.

For example the most amazing shot I have ever seen done by any of my students was last year when I was teaching one of my older students Clout Archery.

Clout Archery involves shooting at a flag pole at very large distances. So far away you need something like a flagpole so you can see what you are trying to hit.

One of my students hit the flagpole, right on the flag where it was attached to the pole, the middle point of it - and hit it so hard the flagpole fell over.

The distance was 85 yards (77.7 meters). For reference Olympic archers shoot at 70 meters.

In the video below you can hear me grumbling about how I need to come up with more difficult challenges for this particular student, who after so many years of lessons continues to amaze me with his ability to beat a challenge.

Warm Weather is Here / Archery Season in Toronto!

The 14 day weather forecast shows there being a slight dip in temperatures starting Wednesday until Saturday of this week, and then it getting a lot warmer in a hurry on March 1st.

By March 4th it will be 5 degrees outside and sunny.

For Toronto's Archery Community this means a return to shooting outdoors regularly, and seeing friends many of us haven't seen since October or November. (Sadly archery is very much a seasonal sport, even for private indoor locations the sport is largely seasonal.)

Speaking for myself I have been missing archery during the Winter so it is going to be a joy to be shooting again very soon.

The Toronto Archery Range on a Cloudy Day

Browse my archery lessons page to learn more about rates / discounts.

Read my archery lesson plan so you understand what you could be learning. Eg. Want to learn how to shoot long distances? Sign up for at least 3 lessons.

Lesson 1 - Short Distance Field Archery.
Lesson 2 - 20 Yard Target Archery.
Lesson 3 - Long Distance Field Archery.
Lesson 4 - Moving Targets.

Want to learn more about what is involved? Just email cardiotrek@gmail.com with any questions.

Happy Shooting!

Archery Products on Etsy

The best places to buy archery products are typically in a bricks and mortar store, followed by the various archery websites which ship such products (including both Amazon and eBay), and then there is one website that few archers ever discuss.

Etsy.

So the problem with Etsy is that the products on there are made by 3rd parties who may have wildly different standards for what they are making and selling.

A quick search on Etsy for "archery" garnered 24,067 results as of January 31st 2020.

By the time this post goes live on February 4th 2020 there will probably be more than that. 24,100? Maybe.

The first thing I did after doing that search was click the option to Sort By Top Customer Reviews.

This way I could see what products are super popular and people really like them.

One of the first items I saw was a two-in-one armguard with bow glove, designed for use with longbows or horsebows (shown below) with 717 reviews. It is not the most highly rated item on there, but I can see why it is ranked so high. And it comes with a bonus shooting tab.

Downside: It was $83 CDN.

 Now you may recall I purchased a similar two-in-one armguard and bow glove last year and did a post about it. I got it off Amazon.ca for a mere $19.99 CDN.

No shooting tab that came with it, but I have been very happy using it and very happy with the quality.

This one looks nice with the black and brown leather layers, but colour is just about aesthetics. I don't see anything that makes it functionally better or worse than the one I purchased from Amazon.

I also saw the following things on Etsy worthy of mention:

• A bow rack / arrow rack for $300 with 90 reviews.
• Bow gloves.
• Finger gloves.
• Tabs.
• Quivers
• Thumbrings for horsebows.
• Replacement nocks.
• Overpriced longbows with a dubious number of 5 star reviews.
• LARP arrows.
• A variety of archery themed shirts with varying numbers of reviews.
• Jewelry.
• Pants.
• An annoying number of ads for firearm holsters, decorative hunting knives, slingshots and other things that are off topic for what I searched for...

By the end I was getting the impression that all of these products have an annoying number of 5 star reviews that they must be faking it. No product ever gets that many 5 star reviews.

So I have to conclude that the reviews must be fake. Completely bogus.

So that armguard above, did it really get 717 reviews? I admit it seems like an awfully big number, but if they are all faking it then perhaps it is really easy for people to fake the reviews.

And then I found out a fault in the reviews system...

The number being shown wasn't for the product. It was for SELLER. The seller had a total of 717 reviews. It isn't for the individual product at all.

When I went back and checked the armguard a second time I saw there was only 53 reviews for that specific armguard.

And everyone, for whatever reason, only seems give a 5 star review.

So it might as well just be a Thumbs Up/Down system.

So now I am skeptical about the whole idea of buying anything off Etsy with respect to archery equipment. I cannot trust the review system whatsoever.

To say nothing of the puffed up prices.

Amazon and eBay both have their faults too, but I think my preference will continue to be to shop at brick and mortar stores. I would have to see something truly special on Etsy to want to buy anything on there. And I don't see anything particularly spectacular.

Toronto Archery Lessons, 2020

My 50 lb horsebow balanced on three arrows.

February 1st 2020.

Spring is coming and I am looking forward to teaching archery again soon. March is almost here, but first we need to get over the "cold weather hump" that is February.

In the meantime I have been taking archery lesson bookings for Spring and Summer 2020.

If you are looking for archery lessons during the 2020 season I recommend booking now so you can get the best time slots before I become fully booked on certain days / specific months.

To book archery lessons in Toronto start by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com and state whether you prefer weekday or weekend lessons, and how many you are looking for. Browse www.cardiotrek.ca/p/archery-lessons.html for my rates and discount packages.

Whoops, hit the nock on this one shot on the left. Cannot complain about the accuracy.

Availability will be limited as I am still a stay-at-home dad while my wife works on her law career.

However on the plus side, with my son getting older I am hoping to be spending more personal time at the Toronto Archery Range so my son can do more archery.

During the winter I have been teaching him how to use a toy crossbow in the comfort of our living room, but I look forward to warmer weather when we can get outside and he can try the real thing with a children's recurve bow I have waiting for him.

In unrelated news I saw the following archery themed wall hook at Michael's recently and took a photo. Unfortunately I have no use for such a thing currently, but maybe if the wife and I purchase a home someday we can buy six of them for storing coats on.

You know you are true archery fanatic when you start decorating your home with archery themed items.

This is the true danger of learning archery and falling in love with the sport. You start buying archery things and obsessing about anything connected to the sport.

Get your True Love an Archery Lesson for Valentines

For a limited time, between now and February 14th 2019, I am offering a discount on people purchasing a single archery lesson for 1 or 2 people.

Weekday Rates

• 1 Student, $55 for 90 minutes
• 2 Students, $75 for 90 minutes

Weekend Rates

• 1 Student, $82.50 for 90 mins
• 2 Students, $112.50 for 90 mins 

The archery lesson in question does not take place on Valentines Day (like many people I am busy that day).

You or your Valentine can schedule the archery lesson any time before its expiry on August 31st 2021. The person receiving it has approximately 18.5 months to redeem it.

Simply print out the Valentines Gift Voucher shown below, fill out the appropriate names and add the Gift Voucher Number. Email cardiotrek@gmail.com to purchase a Gift Voucher Number.

If you want more than just 1 archery lesson check out my discount rates for people wanting 3 or more archery lessons in Toronto.

Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Archery Hindsight 2020

(Also my face when I see someone making a mistake.)

You know the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20"?

It means that after you do something you can look back on what you did and determine your mistakes. Assuming that you witnessed what you did wrong in the first place.

With respect to archery hindsight is something you do after every shot, but there is a few tricks to it.

#1. You have to know what to look for.

#2. You have to know how to fix your mistakes before doing the next shot.

#3. Knowing what mistakes you are doing and how to fix them is very difficult without an archery instructor (or possibly an archery how to book).

#4. How to spot your good habits that you should keep doing.

A person who is trying to teach themselves archery has several main areas they are going to struggle with. Whenever they make a mistake (or multiple mistakes at once) they don't immediately know what they did wrong. Yes, they will recognize they missed the target, but they won't know WHY they missed the target. Or the multiple whys they missed the target if they did multiple things wrong. Having an archery instructor is a bit like having a spotter while weightlifting. They can spot when you are doing something wrong and can immediately help you.

Thus having an archery instructor is incredibly valuable because they can watch and spot your mistakes while you are doing them and (hopefully) correct the mistakes before they happen. Then by practicing and perfecting proper archery form the new archer gets better and eventually becomes an intermediate archer ready for new challenges.

Even by some chance an archer who is teaching themselves realizes what mistake they are doing they don't necessarily know the best way to fix the mistake so they can replace their bad habits with good habits. Thus the archery instructor, or at very least an archery how to book, becomes very useful.

This goes double for also spotting your good habits. Beginner archers will have a tough time recognizing their bad habits, but they also won't know what things they are doing correctly either. Imagine for a moment fixing one bad habit, but then stopping a good habit and replacing it with a different bad habit. An archery instructor will notice this sudden change. eg. Lets say the student is very good at placing their feet in the proper position and reaching full draw, but they suffer from plucking the bow string during releases. Imagine they fix the plucking problem, but then become sloppy about their footing and full draws. They would just start making brand new mistakes and not know why they suddenly became worse at archery. This is where an archery instructor becomes a benefit because they will spot the change immediately and work to fix the student's footing and make sure they are full drawing the bow.

With respect to archery how to books they can make an excellent starting point for a new archer - provided you actually read it. Preferably from cover to cover, at least twice.

But even so a book is never going to be able to compete with the abundance of hands on teaching ability that an instructor can provide. Especially an experienced instructor who knows what they are teaching and how to teach it properly.

In April 2020 I will have been teaching archery for 11 years and practicing the sport for 31 years. I am frankly surprised that I turned archery into a career. Looking back with hindsight now I wish I had taken the sport more seriously when I was a teenager and during my 20s. I wish I had not waited until 2009 before I started taking it seriously.

So the lesson, the primary lesson for you the reader, is to take your activities seriously. Even if you just think it is a hobby for now, take a moment and consider what the future might hold. You might have a skill that you can hone over decades and become highly paid for. A skill you enjoy doing and would love to have it become a major part of your life.

Archery has become a major part of my life. A central part. Not just for me alone, but for my wife and son too. Archery has become a family activity for us. It is something I am very thankful for.

Which is part of hindsight too, I believe. To look back and not just recognize your mistakes, but also your blessings.

Anita Ekberg, Archer and Actress, 1960

DISCLAIMER

Please do not do what Anita Ekberg did in 1960. You probably will not get away with it like she did.

I probably should not be promoting this idea, but I did find it funny.

In a slightly related idea, since this is Canada and Prince Harry + Duchess Meghan Markle are soon to be living here, I would be somewhat amused if someone shot one of the paparazzi that follows them everywhere with an arrow.

Not that it would ever happen, I am just speculating on something that would be ironic in terms of history repeating itself. Do not take this as an endorsement of a course of action.

Also seeing as how the paparazzi killed Princess Diana I would see this as karmic against the profession of paparazzi.

Should archers believe in karma? Or luck?

Perhaps they should.

I find I shoot best when I have clear conscience and I am feeling good about the world. An archer who is stressed, angry, upset, hungry, distracted, etc is typically going to be shooting poorly that day. An archer who behaves badly will often reap the rewards of their misbehaviour on the archery range because they did something which upset themselves and ultimately leads to distraction.

Likewise paparazzi should probably learn to just mind their own business and find a different way to make money that doesn't involve following people like a bunch of creepy psychopaths. That cannot be good for their personal karma.

My 4th article in Archery Focus Magazine

My 4th article in 'Archery Focus Magazine' is now available as of today.

 

The article in question focuses on portable archery targets, Reinhart Target Balls in particular, and alternative methods of making portable targets. The article also covers the types of activities target balls can be used for and a few tips.

For those people interested 1 year and 2 year subscriptions to Archery Focus Magazine are $32 / $54 USD respectively and include digital access to all previous magazines dating back all the way to 1997.

My previous articles in Archery Focus Magazine include:

• "Marketing Strategies for Archery Coaches", Archery Focus Magazine, July 2017.
• "A Lesson in Adaptive Archery", Archery Focus Magazine, July 2018.
• "Teaching Archery Through Narratives", Archery Focus Magazine, November 2018.

 

People looking for archery lessons in Toronto starting in Spring or Summer 2020 are welcome to contact me to book lessons. My availability is limited so it is recommended people contact me sooner to get their desired time slots.

Happy New Year! Is 2020 the year you will start doing Archery?

Happy New Year!

I am scheduling this post to go live at 12:01 AM on January 1st 2020.

While I am writing this on December 31st 2019 it is technically already 2020 in Tokyo Japan, so I guess 2020 has already started.

Many people do New Years Resolutions, but personally I started my New Years Resolutions a few months ago.

After all, why wait for January 1st 2020 when you can start your new resolutions RIGHT NOW. Or in my case, back in November.

So what are my resolutions for 2020 (some of which I started doing early)?

#1. Do More Archery.

As a Toronto archery instructor it is a guarantee that I will be doing archery, but on a personal level what I really want is to do more personal practice. More time for me to do archery myself, or possibly while just hanging out with my son or my friends who are also archery fanatics.

For those people looking for archery lessons in Toronto I recommend prebooking your Spring or Summer archery lessons now to get the best time slots which suit your schedule. After all, if you don't get your ideal time slots that will interfere with your goal of "doing more archery".

For those people who have been procrastinating about starting archery, for whatever reason, now is your chance. I provide all of the archery equipment during lessons so you don't need to buy anything. Just book the lesson(s), show up, and be ready to shoot.

#2. Eat More Salads.

My wife and I started doing this one back in November.

What makes it easier is we having been buying lettuce, cleaning the lettuce leaves, and ripping it up into smaller pieces which we then store in ziplock bags in the fridge. Then whenever we want a salad it is very easy to just grab a handful of lettuce from the bag, toss it in a bowl, add salad dressing, croutons, etc and it is ready to eat.

Having the extra steps of having to clean lettuce leaves when you are trying to decide what to eat (and possibly feeling lazy) discourages a person from choosing the salad option. Since they are already cleaned and ripped it makes you more likely to choose the salad.

#3. Write More Magazine Articles.

Okay, this is more of a personal resolution for myself, but maybe some of you out there are also writers.

I regularly write and submit articles to Archery Focus Magazine. Sent a new one back at the beginning of December 2019, so this is another of the resolutions that I have already started.

However I don't want to limit myself to one magazine. I want to start submitting more articles to other magazines, both those about archery and other topics as well.

#4. Publish More Fiction and Non-Fiction.

Another personal resolution for myself. In 2019 I published three fantasy paperbacks. A novel, a novella and an anthology. My next book "The Blizzard's Daughter" is due out March 1st 2020 and is currently available for preorder.

I am hoping to publish four new fantasy books during 2020.

I have also been working on a work of non-fiction, about archery, which I hope to publish September 1st 2020.

#5. Go to the Beach More.

Going to the beach with my wife and son is a fun family activity. We get to build sandcastles, shoot stones into Lake Ontario using slingshots, throw frisbees around, and even swim.

#6. Go Bicycling More.

I own 8 bicycles and I would really like to use them more often. However in my case this means I may need to purchase some kind of trailer for towing my son around with me.

Bike trailers typically range in price from $160 to $800, with many of the mid-range trailers being about $300 to $500.

Now you might think "Gee, that is awfully expensive!" But when you consider a gym membership is about $900 to $1200 per year that it doesn't seem so bad, as this allows you to get outside and exercise with the toddler in tow. (I don't know any gyms that allow toddlers to come exercise with you.)

You can also find used bike trailers fairly easily as parents with toddlers eventually switch to bicycles and want to get rid of their old bike trailer, which is probably in decent condition if they barely used it. So if I could find one half price that is in decent condition that will satisfy our needs.

#7. Take my son Sledding.

In 2019 my wife purchased a red sled for our son to ride inside during the winter. So during January and February of 2020 I want to make use of the sled by taking him sledding. For me this is effectively exercise and an excuse to take photographs of my son.

Hopefully he has fond memories of sledding when he is older.

#8. Do More Chores.

I have a list of tasks I want done around the home.

#9. Take More Naps.

Do chores then take a nap. Sounds like a plan!

#10. Spend Quality Time with Friends and Family.

Something to do in the evenings? Better than staying home and watching Netflix and Disney+. (BTW, I am really disappointed with Disney+. It is very glitchy. It is so bad I would rather read a book when Disney+ starts glitching constantly.)

#11. Read More Books.

I have a stack of books waiting to be read, by a variety of authors.

#12. Work on my cooking skills.

One of the best ways to take control of your health is to learn how to make healthy food. I admit most of my cooking skills however lean towards foods that are fattening / high in cholesterol. In 2020 I would like to learn healthier recipes and learn how to control my intake of fat and cholesterol.

I am not getting any younger. I need to eat healthy.

And so should you. Many of us suffer from a lack of healthy cooking knowledge.

One of the things I do is I am subscribed to a number of cooking channels on YouTube and they show up in my YouTube feed when I watching YouTube. Whenever I spot a recipe that looks interesting I watch it, and sometimes I end up trying the recipes.

Here are two cooking channels I recommend:

1. Food Wishes
2. Townsends

Food Wishes is all modern cooking, and includes a variety of healthy and non-healthy options. But learning both are potentially useful as you are still learning cooking skills.

Townends is likewise interesting as it focuses on traditional recipes from the 17th and 18th centuries, many of which are healthy options. Townsends isn't all cooking either. They also talk about other topics from those periods.

Looking for Archery Themed Christmas Gifts?

Hey Canada! Looking for Archery Themed Christmas Gifts?

Why not check out the following books by fantasy author / archery instructor Charles Moffat?

Each novel in The Adventures of Wrathgar features a different story in which barbarian warrior Wrathgar must use his archery and woodsman skills to overcome a variety of dangerous obstacles, including murderous assassins, bandits, bounty hunters, cultists, ogres and more.

Trade Paperbacks

The Assassin's Trail
Trade Paperback, $9.99
amazon.ca/gp/product/B086G11X8N/

The Blizzard's Daughter
Trade Paperback, $9.99
amazon.ca/gp/product/B0858TGRLF/

The Coven's Wolves
Trade Paperback, $15.99
Release Date: March 1st 2021

The Demon's Sacrifice
Trade Paperback, $15.99
amazon.ca/gp/product/1712963376/



Do You Prefer Ebooks?

The Assassin's Trail
Ebook, $5.99
amazon.ca/gp/product/B007L2LGTE/

The Blizzard's Daughter
Ebook, $5.99
amazon.ca/gp/product/B08267J1JZ/

The Coven's Wolves
Ebook, $8.99
Preorder @ amazon.ca/gp/product/B085WHT25J/

The Demon's Sacrifice
Ebook, $8.99
amazon.ca/gp/product/B081QVSMYL/

Links Updated July 2020 for Canadian Audience.

International Audience is encouraged to visit amazon.com/author/moffat 

 to browse books by Charles Moffat. 

How to Swear like an Archer

Would you like to know how to swear like an archer?

"Oh shoot!"

"Bloody wind!"

"What the fletch!" (Also fletch off, go fletch yourself, etc)

"Oh my glove!"

THE REAL REASON DINOSAURS WENT EXTINCT

 

Photography of the Toronto Archery Range, November 2019

The photos further below were taken on November 17th 2019.

Thanks to Toronto being relatively warm during the winter (in comparison to the rest of Canada) doing archery during the winter isn't necessarily a daunting task. My rule of thumb is if it is -5 C or warmer then it is warm enough to do archery.

At lower temperatures wooden bows/arrows become more brittle due to the increasing coldness. There is no one temperature at which wood becomes more brittle. It is a sliding scale of brittleness and more brittleness, thus I simply prefer -5 C or warmer. It just so happens that -5 C or warmer is also more comfortable for us humans too. :)

Archery inside the Eatons Centre, Toronto 1976

The following two photos were sent to me in 2019 from Sheila Brown (seen upclose in the 2nd photo further below), and are from a collection of photographs and news clippings that she kept from her illustrious Olympic archery career.

The photographs were taken by journalist Tibor Kelly in 1976 during the construction of the Eaton's Centre in downtown Toronto.

The photographs were taken as part of a photo shoot in which the archers at least pretended to aim down the length of the Eaton's Centre. It is unclear whether they actually shot any arrows or if they just posed for the camera a few times.

It is an odd piece of Toronto archery history and I am thankful to Sheila for sending me the photographs and news clippings.

Gap Shooting at Moving Targets

One of my archery students shot these back in September and I took a few photos.

At the time in September I wrote a post about Gap Shooting, which is a style of aiming which is handy for shooting at moving targets. I typically teach it to my more intermediate students (you have to sign up for at least 4 lessons to get to learn how to do gap shooting).

The lesson order of the first 4 lessons typically goes like this:

1 - Field Archery, Close Range.

2 - Target Archery, 20 Yards.

3 - Field Archery, Long Range.

4 - Gap Shooting at Moving Targets.

There are sometimes exceptions however. Sometimes I have to cater the lessons to the student's needs, so if a student for example had no interest in learning how to do long range archery we might bump Gap Shooting up to lesson 3.

For archery lessons in Toronto please browse my archery lessons page for rates and discounts and then email cardiotrek@gmail.com to book your archery lessons.