A brief learning day with archery

I did say, I'd post stuff I learned and recorded with my sketchbook about malay traditional archery last week so here are stuff that I've experienced (sadly I couldn't remember it all, just what I drew);

Since it was a simple class about introduction for traditional archery, we've been taught of the basics first. How to pull and release the arrow, finding your anchor point, shooting polysterene plates and my personal favourite, facing back from the target, turn and shoot.

What got my attention was how certain people were taught different techniques in order to overcome their problems. For example, on the top left of the sketch shows how a really tall person with very long arms tries to overcome the problem of pulling too far back to the point where the arrow no longer touches the bow, making him difficult to release the arrow. The solution is to bend the arm in such a way that it will help him pull the arrow just as much effort without the problem of the arrow falling off from the bow.

After learning the basics, we then moved on to the second phase, which was my favourite part - Firing while moving. While walking at a constant speed, past the cones and release as many bows as you can before reaching the last cone.

Another thing that caught my eye are girls and aunties shooting arrows. Some of them if not wearing the usual sportswear, would be wearing very casual clothes that I find rather unfitting yet at the same time interesting to see. It's not unfitting that "OH NO YOU SHOULDN'T WEAR THAT", it was just unexpectedly interesting. It's just looks new to me that someone like that aunty on the lower left sketch was wearing a silky, large dress to use the bow. Nevertheless, she did very well in the range.

Lastly, we were taught how to string the bow. It was a very interesting sight as I did not imagine it would be THAT complicated. By the captured gestures in the above sketch shows a part of how the bow was strung. Using the right leg and hips to hold and push the bow to bend, while using your left hand to push the other arm of the bow to position to insert the string.

There were careful notes on how sensititve a bow can break very easily - first is that both the right hip and the left hand that are holding both arms of the bow must push with EQUAL force and at the SAME direction. Otherwise, the bow will twist and it will ruin the bow, causing it to no longer work properly.
The string also must be properly waxed and kept straight during the whole process of stringing the bow. If the string is twisted, everytime the bow releases the arrow, it will ruin it as well.

Through the whole course, I've only been only an observer though (lol) BUT still it was plenty fun. I've learned a lot from the teacher who I've been wanting to meet for such a long time. Learning archery itself suddenly also became an interest and I've been thinking of joining the university's archery club to just learn maybe a thing or two every once a week. Hopefully it could become a commitment because I've been choosing either martial arts or traditional archery as a training of self-discipline.

Speaking of which, guess where I've been today;

(Should've added something there but didn't draw as much at that time.)

I've manage to go to a local event on bit of youth sports and stuff and there were scramblers.. SCRAMBLERS EVERYWHERE... Gotta love that engine noise... At that time, they were doing stunts and it was fun to watch. The riders look pretty excited themselves, you can see them through their helmets as they pass by you and I almost felt it was like, "HEY DUDE, YOU'RE SKETCHING THIS?!BRUUUUMMMMM"

I even tried walk-in archery they set up there. Ten bucks for ten arrows. Tried it anyway, might as well since I'm already there.

>pull back
>aim target
>release
>arrow goes OVER and behind the target
>the spectators went wild

"WHOAHOHO NICE SHOT, BRO"

SHUT IT >:'C

ALTHOUGHT it was still great... for the first three shots.. Three as in the only worth noting shots. Others are either outside the rings or complete misses.

I forgot how exhausting it was to even pull the bow. Found out later it was a 26 pound bow. Shouldn't be a problem as I was taught that it was actually a beginner's bow. Still, I don't mind getting back for more, especially after learning the right ways to do it.