History, Rules and Safety Archery History, Rules and Safety

What is Archery? Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. Archery has historically been used in hunting and combat and has now become a precision sport.

Through history… First used as a weapon for hunting in 8000 BC in Europe Most ancient civilizations used the bow and arrow for hunting and warfare. The advent of firearms rendered bows obsolete in warfare. Archery became an official Olympic event in 1972.

Famous archers… Attila the Hun William Tell Robin Hood Hercules… legend states he founded the Olympic games. Justin Huish… won gold in Atlanta and brought Archery new respect in the US.

Equipment… Bow Arrows Target Arm Guard Quiver

Types of bows… A longbow is a type of bow that is tall (roughly equal to or greater than the height of a person), is not significantly recurved and has relatively narrow limbs, that are circular or D-shaped in cross section. Longbows have been used for hunting and warfare, by many cultures around the world, a famous example being the English longbow, during the Middle Ages.

A shortbow is a smaller version of the longbow. Types of bows… A shortbow is a smaller version of the longbow. While it is lighter and more maneuverable, it can be drawn less far, therefore stores less energy and hence has a shorter maximum range. Short bows were used for hunting by, among others, many West Coast American tribes.

Types of bows… A recurve bow has ends of the limbs curve forwards slightly, which increases the power gained from the bow and smoothens the draw. The only class of bow that is shot at the Olympic Games.

Types of bows… A compound bow is a modern bow that uses a levering system of cables and usually cams and pulleys to draw the limbs back. In the United States, the compound is the dominant form of bow.

Types of bows… A crossbow is a variation on the general bow design. Instead of the limbs being held vertically, they are mounted horizontally on a stock much like that of a rifle. Crossbows are used in modern archery for target shooting.

Arrows… A normal arrow consists of shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.

Arrows… Fletchings are found at the back of the arrow and provide a small amount of drag used to stabilize the flight of the arrow. Shafts are usually made of solid wood, fiberglass, aluminum alloy, or carbon fiber. The nock serves to keep the arrow in place on the string as the bow is being drawn.

Arm Guard… protects the inside of the bow arm Other equipment… Arm Guard… protects the inside of the bow arm Quiver… used to hold arrows (we use pretty orange safety cones) Target… something to aim at, can be a hay bale, Styrofoam target, animal model…

Types of Archery… Hunting… for the purpose of killing an animal for food and sport Target Archery…involves shooting arrows at a target for accuracy from a set distance or distances. Field Archery… involves shooting at targets of varying (and sometimes unmarked) distance, often in rough terrain.

Technique… The bow is held in the hand opposite to the archer's dominant eye. This hand is referred to as the bow hand and its arm the bow arm. The opposite hand is called the drawing hand or string hand. The body should be perpendicular to the target and the shooting line, with the feet placed shoulder-width apart.

Technique… To load, the bow is pointed toward the ground and the shaft of the arrow is placed on an arrow rest on the outside of the bow. The back of the arrow is attached to the bowstring with the 'nock' . Arrows with three fletchings should be oriented such that a single fletching is pointing away from the bow string.

Technique… The bowstring and arrow are held with three fingers. The bow is then raised and drawn. The string hand is drawn towards the face; the thumb should nearly meet the cheek. The bow arm is held outwards toward the target. Be sure not to hyper extend this arm!

Technique…

Technique… The bow should always remain vertical. The arrow is typically released by relaxing the fingers of the drawing hand in a steady motion. The arrow hits the bulls eye! Wahoo!

Safety!!!!!!! First off… any misbehavior will result in exclusion for the day or possibly the unit. There will be NO warnings. An arrow pointed at anything but a target will be considered a weapon and you will be sent to the office immediately.

Safety!!!!!!! Follow all commands given immediately. The commands will be consistent and easy to understand. When loading the bow, always keep the arrow pointed to the ground. Do not go past the quivers, or cement line, until instructed by the teacher.

Safety!!!!!!! Do not talk to the archers when they are nocking or shooting an arrow. Never point an arrow at anyone or anything but the target. Do not joke about shooting anything but the target.

Safety!!!!!!! Respect the fact that the bow and arrow are a weapon when not used properly.

Vocabulary… Arm Guard: protects the bow arm from the slap and recoil of the bowstring, worn on the forearm and wrist area End: a group of arrows being shot in one round, we shoot 3 in an end Fletching: the feathers on an arrow, used to stabilize the arrow in flight

Nock: the groove on the end of an arrow where the string fits, also, the act of loading the arrow into the bow Quiver: A place to hold the arrows, in our case, an orange traffic cone Weight: the number of pounds pull required to pull a bow the correct arrow length (we use 20-40 pound bows)

Toxophilite: a person who loves, studies and practices archery (didn’t know that did ya?)