learn archery

because my aim was to learn…... need lots more practise, but that can be a seperate goal!

Yipee!

Wish I could set up a butt in my garden. But the cat wouldn’t like it :-)

Even though I now want to buy a modern bow and I DO NOT NEED ONE. Not with three (THREE) re-enactment bows propping up the wall at home.

The classes haven’t been what I expected, in that there was no actual instruction. Once they seemed reasonably confident we could aim in the right direction, they set up two targets in a designated area and let the newbies just figure it out.

This worked well, especially for some of the lads – old hunting gene kicked in pretty quickly! I would have liked a bit of advise at times though – I am sure I am doing a lot of things wrong, and wouldn’t mind at all being told.

I have brought my longbow along to the last few sessions, and used it for the last 20 minutes or so….. the first couple of times I hardly got a shot on it, the regular members were all intrigued and wanted to have a go….”wow, it’s just, like, a piece of wood and a string…..” They were very generous with offering me turns on their lovely high-tech bowes in exchange, but 35lbs is my limit, and most of them were 50lbs.. learned not to rush things when I woke up on a couple of Saturday mornings with aching shoulders…..

that is offering classes for adult beginners and the very nice man I have been in contact with finds the idea of a longbow interesting rather than irritating.

First class this Friday. I’m a bit nervous – been doing re-enactment archery for two years, and yet know nothing of the formal basics. Just hope I don’t have too many bad habits – must remember not to aim at people etc etc.

finding a traditional field archery club….. all the ones I have contacted do the modern version!

I have a name – Setanta (cool name) and a vague location (somewhere in County Wicklow) and a mission!!! Find a contact!