More Japanese archery, this one via Ronin Dave over on his blog. Apparently: “on August 4th, a Japanese archery meet is held on the shores of Lake Chuzenji near Nikko, two hours north of Tokyo. Archers gather to shoot at folding fan targets attached to small boat masts. Ogi no Mato comes from a legendary archery incident over 800 years ago when a samurai archer shot a fan off of a boat mast in response to a challenge from his enemies.” LOVE the mega-weird mannequin.
There’s embedded English commentary. Watch and learn:
He also shares a shot of a dragonfly sitting on the tip of a bow. That’s got to be lucky, right?
These photos show the archery hall (more specifically, kyūdo hall) built by FT Architects for Kogakuin University at their campus in west Tokyo last year. The brief was to build a inspiring venue with 100m² of uninterrupted, column-free floor space, using locally sourced timber.
The roof is constructed of Japanese cyprus, a timber latticework with straight mortise and tenon joints using furniture-grade wood in a meticulous arrangement. According to the architects:
We have salvaged the purity of standard Japanese timber composition, just made up of horizontals and verticals, which has been somewhat disregarded ever considering that the advent of modernism in Japan.
(although *really* traditional Japanese woodworking doesn’t use any nuts and bolts at all, as I understand)
The very light but strong design seems particularly appropriate to the intended use. Whether by accident or design. the ends of the vertical and diagonal beams are split in a manner reminiscent of arrow nocks. If that was the intention, this wouldn’t be the first purpose-built archery building to do this; the Sydney Olympic Archery Centre has nock motifs on the upper end of the roof beams:
The same firm also built a boxing hall on the same campus, using similar materials but in an appropriately more brutal, weighty style:
It’s very rare that archers in the west – or any sportspeople, frankly – get to train in such inspiring purpose-built spaces like these. Yeah, I’m jealous.
(Pics and information via http://www.archivitamins.com/)
Crispin Duenas at official practice for World Cup Wroclaw 2014. Photo: WELLS/WORLD ARCHERY
On the eve of the final World Cup stage of the year in Wroclaw, Crispin Duenas of Canada took some time out from official practice to answer my questions. Thanks Crispin!
I’m feeling confident that I can still make it to the final. I have made it to the medal matches in world competition before so this is no different than any of those previous situations.
What does official practice day for a World Cup event look like for you?
It just consists of getting used to where my target is, making sure that all of my equipment is good to go, meeting my target-mates and finding out what colour nocks they are shooting; I don’t want to have any confusion with arrows that have the same fletching and nock colour in the target.
What is the most satisfying part of the sport to get right?
The most satisfying thing is consistently executing a nice relaxed but strong shot. When everything is relaxed, my arrows never miss the centre of the target.
Do you have any ideas as to how to raise archery’s profile?
I think the proper steps to raising archery’s profile are already being taken. Aside from the movies in Hollywood, World Archery has made the viewing of World Cups and World Championships extremely easy for anyone with a computer. Our eliminations are easy for anyone to understand, as well.
Can you give us a practical archery tip that you follow yourself?
There’s a time for experimenting and a time for performance. Know when you’re supposed to do each and stick to your plan.
Is there a piece of advice you wish you’d given to yourself ten years ago?
Always keep a calm head. Temper tantrums really get you nowhere on the archery field.
What sacrifices have you made for archery?
The biggest sacrifice I’ve made for archery is the amount of time I spend at home. I don’t get to see my family all the often, and usually there will be family events where I can’t go because I’m away at a tournament or training.
How do you deal with frustration?
I deal with frustration by just reminding myself that archery is a game of precision and being frustrated or tense will not help my shooting. It’s just better to stay calm and relaxed when things aren’t going my way.
Do you believe in luck?
I believe there is some extent of luck on the shooting field. A great example of this is in set play; an archer with a lower overall raw score can still win a match in terms of set points.
What’s your earliest memory of archery?
My earliest memory of someone shooting a bow was from when I watched Robin Hood on TV. Other than that, I really didn’t see real archers until I started archery lessons at the age of 13.
What’s your favourite sport apart from archery and why?
My favourite sport outside of archery (that I practice) is road biking. For me it’s a great workout, but it’s peaceful when I’m cycling alone and just keeping my pace up. On the other hand, I love watching all the sports during the Olympics, both summer and winter. Seeing athletes push themselves to be the best motivates me to be better.
You’re a musician, aren’t you? Tell me about that.
Well I wouldn’t really call myself a musician. I do, however, like playing my instruments in my spare time. The two that I mainly play now are the guitar and piano. I also play the flute, trumpet, and drums. It’s pretty much another form of relaxation for me.
I can cook several different dishes (my girlfriend loves it when I cook omelettes, so she tells me 😉 ) but I think the best food I cook is steaks on a charcoal BBQ. My parents really trust my cooking of a steak and will always hand that duty off to me.
Well, you learn something new everyday. Belomancy is the art of divination (predicting the future) with arrows – from the Greek word belos, meaning arrow or dart. From Wikipedia:
Belomancy was anciently practised at least by Babylonians, Greeks, Arabs and Scythians…. The arrows were typically marked with occult symbols and had to have feathers for every method. In one method, different possible answers to a given question were written and tied to each arrow. For example, three arrows would be marked with the phrases, God orders it me, God forbids it me, and the third would be blank. The arrow that flew the furthest indicated the answer. Another method involves the same thing, but without shooting the arrows. They would simply be shuffled in the quiver, worn preferably on the back, and the first arrow to be drawn indicated the answer. If a blank arrow was drawn, they would redraw.
Righty ho. I can’t do clout-y distance shooting here in London, but in the spirit of experiment, I gave the second method a go. First, I put my quiver on. I marked three of my arrows with tags: ‘Yes’, ‘No’ and ‘Maybe’, and asked the gods: “Should I go and buy an ice-cream?”.
I turned away, shuffled them out of sight, dramatically drew one from the quiver, and…
Picture via http://austenettegallery.files.wordpress.com/
Just been reading the Rules & Regulations of Thirsk Bowmen*, an archery club in Yorkshire, England, published in 1845. Thirsk Bowmen exists today, but the current club apparently has no direct connection with the 19th century club. The committee structure, voting in, and roles and responsibilities are entirely familiar to any member of a sports or social club today. But there were some interesting sections:
1) The official ‘season’ was outdoor only and ran from the first Tuesday in May to the last Tuesday in September. Only gentlemen were allowed, and the cost per year was ten shillings and sixpence – approximate cost relative to wages in 2014: around £400. No word about indoor shooting.
2) Shooting was permitted on Tuesdays and Fridays starting at 5 o’clock. All arrows had to be marked with their owners initials or they did not score – a rule that persists in the UK and worldwide.
3) Every Tuesday archers shot nine dozen arrows – four dozen at 100 yards, three dozen at 80 yards, and two dozen at 60 yards. (A similar imperial round called a St. George, which has three dozen at each distance, is still shot in the UK). Maximum score using five zone scoring would be 972. Archers shot three arrow ends. Given that sunset in May in Yorkshire is around 8pm, they would have to get moving pretty quickly to get the round in before dusk.
4) The highest score each week would be made ‘captain of the target’, and get to hold a silver medal for the week. To encourage all archers, a handicap system existed – if you had won once in a season, you got four points removed from your score for the next and all subsequent weeks – twice in a season, eight points removed; three times, sixteen points and so on.
5) These Tuesday shoots were compulsory – unless you could prove you were at least ten miles outside of Thirsk, you were fined sixpence (relatively, about £20) for every shoot you missed! Swearing incurred a similar penalty. Turning up without all your equipment incurred a stiffer fine of a shilling (about £40).
6) Every year in September there was a ‘Grand Annual Meeting’. The highest score of the day would receive a silver bugle and the title ‘Captain Of The Year’, the best gold (nearest the centre) would receive a silver arrow and the title ‘Lieutenant Of The Year’ – and the last place finisher would receive a ‘Wooden Spoon’ and the title ‘Master Of The Green’. Yes, that’s right – archery puns haven’t improved much in the past 170 years.
7) Gambling on results was clearly a problem – the rules go into some detail about not letting betting corrupt the ‘manly amusement’, and a rule existed that any wagers discovered would have to be forfeited to club funds – although sweepstakes of up to five shillings (about £200) were allowed with prior permission of the Secretary.
Ki Bo Bae news! Her Gwangju City Hall pro team won the first “Olympic commemorative’ 31st Hoejanggi College archery competition” a couple of weeks ago, with the team racking up 4126 points in qualifying. Ki Bo Bae shot a 1391 FITA in qualifying, beating the tournament record. No one in Europe or America has ever shot that score, if I have checked correctly.
1391 and not in the national team anymore. Only in Korea. Still, good to see that comeback is still on…
Alejandra Valencia, 19, has been part of the Mexican recurve team since 2011. She won two gold medals (team and individual) at the Pan American Games in 2011, and qualified for the World Cup Final in Paris last year. She is currently in Legnica in Poland shooting at the World University Championships. In English y Español (véase más abajo).
How do you keep calm just before you are going to shoot?
I breathe – and then I concentrate on what I am going to do. I just focus on my technique.
Do you have any particular warmups or rituals before going to the line?
No, I only do the normal sorts of warmups, and then I just get ready!
What would you do to raise archery’s profile for the public?
It would be good to have more broadcasting of the competitions, maybe give more exhibitions in places, things like that.
Is there a version of the sport that could attract new audiences?
Well, what is happening right now with the movies that are being released, recently there was that streak where almost all the movies had someone using a bow and arrow, that helped a lot for people to get to know archery – that is going to be the thing that helps people know the sport and get interested in it.
What is your favourite sport apart from archery and why?
I like all sports, really. I can’t choose anyone in particular. Sorry! :S
Alejandra Valencia at the World Cup finals, Paris, 2013.
What is your greatest strength?
My greatest strength, maybe, would be that I am very calm when I am doing things, so I don’t panic easily.
What does an ordinary day in your life look like when you are preparing for a tournament?
I go to university in the mornings and train in the afternoons, although sometimes I train in the mornings before going to school. That’s it.
What is the best advice you have given to someone else?
Hmmm… I would say “train as if you were competing and compete as if you were training.”
Do you believe in luck?
Maybe.
What is your favourite country you have visited through archery?
Hmmm…. I think that Holland is nice. I like Amsterdam very much, I’ve only really been there for four hours, but it’s very calm, very clean and very beautiful.
What is your idea of a perfect Sunday?
A perfect Sunday would be to sleep late, peacefully, no homework, no worries, and being with my family in the afternoon.
Why do you keep doing it?
Why do I continue doing archery? I don’t know – perhaps because I get a lot of fun out of it, and I never get bored!
and lastly,
What are you drawing next? (Alejandra was drawing a new picture on her Facebook page every day)
LOL… well, that was a challenge to draw something new every 30 days, but I lost it! But I’m always drawing something, every day. I love to draw.
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via http://www.sondeportes.com/
¿Como mantienes la calma cuando vas a tirar?
Respiro y me concentro en lo que voy a hacer, me enfoco en mi técnica.
¿Haces algún calentamiento? Kabala? Ritual?
No, solo hago el calentamiento normal y despues me alisto para tirar.
¿Qué harías para dar a conocer a dar a conocer a más personas el perfil de un arquero?
Tal vez teniendo mas difusión en cada competencia, dar exhibiciones en lugares o cosas así.
¿Hay alguna versión o algo diferente del tiro con arco que tú crees que pueda atraer a un nuevo público?
Lo que orita esta funcionando son las peliculas que estan saliendo, hace poco hubo una racha donde casi todas las peliculas tenian a alguien que usaba un arco y una flecha, eso ayudo mucho a que la gente conociera este deporte y se interesara por el.
¿Cuál es tu deporte favorito aparte del tiro con arco y por qué?
Todos los deportes me gustan, no podria elegir uno en especial :S
¿Cuál es tu mayor fortaleza?
Mi mayor fortaleza sea, tal vez, que soy muy tranquila en cuestion de hacer las cosas, no entro en pánico fácilmente
¿Cómo es un día común en tu vida cuando te estás preparando para un torneo?
Voy a la escuela en las mañanas y entreno en las tardes, a veces entreno en la mañana antes de ir a la escuela
¿Cuál es el mejor consejo que has dado?
Hmm…. yo creo que seria el de ”entrena como si compitieras y compite como si entrenaras”.
¿Crees en la suerte?
Tal vez, si.
Cuéntanos como es un Domingo perfecto para tí.
Un domingo perfecto seria dormir tranquilamente hasta tarde, sin tareas, ni preocupaciones y poder estar con mi familia en la tarde
Cuál es tu país favorito, en el que hayas estado, para tiro con arco, y por qué?
hmm… yo creo que holanda, me gusto mucho amsterdam y aunque solo estuvimos 4 horas la ciudad estaba muy bonita y tranquila, ademas de limpia
¿Qué te mantiene practicando el tiro con arco?
que me mantiene tirando? no se, tal vez sea porque me divierte hacerlo y no me aburre
¿Cuál será su dibujo mañana?
Jajaja… pues eso era un reto de dibujos de 30 días pero lo he perdido, pero yo siempre estoy dibujando algo nuevo cada día. Me gusta dibujar.
