Take Aim Beside Me!

I am sharing this again to urge anyone on the fence to sign up and join the tribe this October!  If you are even on the fence or nervous, grab up this workshop because it is a life changer. Now, I'm not saying I am a life changer, I'm saying becoming an archer is. You see the world different. You walk taller, you learn a discipline and an art that holds your head higher and allows a focus and meditation few sports can match. You can lose yourself in a run, you can ride a horse for therapy, but nothing compares to the feeling of the bow. Your mind is totally open and clear when an arrow is pulled back to your lips. It is heavenly. Also, take heart in knowing everyone coming is a complete beginner, so no worries about being worst or best. This is about learning to shoot traditionally and for yourself. Who knows? It may open your world to hunting, or competition, or the SCA like it did for me. So sign up for these two amaing days this coming Holy October. Take aim beside me.

I am happy to announce a new event here at Cold Antler Farm! Hopefully this will become a tradition like Fiddle Camp. Columbus Day Weekend, 2014, I would like to host an absolute beginner's archery event called Arrows Rising: October Light. It's two days of learning the skills, techniques, and equipment needed for traditional archery. That's right, traditional is what I said. We'll be using the longbow (not compound bows) and learning instinctive shooting. There will be no training wheels or sights, instead just wood, string, arrows, eyes, and targets. The event will include a wooden, artisan-crafted long bow at a poundage and length suitable for beginners. Yup, you get a bow!

This may be the event I am most qualified to teach here, too. As a professional archery instructor, a team member of a historic archery team, and a safety marshal for the Society of Creative Anachronism I have been teaching and educating beginning archers for some time now. You'll learn not how to pull and release but how to position your entire body, mind, breath, and heartbeat for the target. You'll be among other beginner's as well so no worries, please.

Day One will include an overview of safety, gear, types of bows and arrows. You'll get to know your bow and learn the basics of care and feeding, stringing it with a bow stringer, and how to measure yourself for arrows. You'll get to learn the safe way to shoot with others at a range environment. You'll get the basic lesson of instinctive shooting as well. The day will end with target practice (supervised) and a talk about important books and resources for the new traditional archer.

Day Two will be shorter, but include a group breakfast at the Burger Den followed by a fun tournament with prizes. We'll wrap up around noon or 2PM at the latest and you'll leave not only with your own bow but the knowledge to shoot well, shoot true, and all the skills you need to practice at home or your local archery range (you may not realize you even have a local public range!).

If you want to sign up I am only accepting two more people. I encourage total beginners to traditional archery who always wanted to take up the sport to attend, you really will enjoy it. If you are already an experienced archer, I suggest letting the folks who never touched a bow before take the first slots and you are welcome to attend the tournament Sunday or come and shadow at the talks and practice on Sunday.

Details!
SIGN UP BY MESSAGING ME ON FACEBOOK OR EMAILING 
Arrows Rising
Oct 11th and 12th, 2014
Jackson, NY
Cost: $350 (includes bow!)
No Camping On Site

NOTICE: Workshops are not refundable, regardless of date change, weather, or any other reason, but all sales of workshops are good for credit towards other events of similar value or less long as I am hosting events and farming! Understand this before you sign up, please.