Archery: My First Date With The Bow & Arrow

Dear readers,

Peace be upon you.


As I was surfing the internet trying to find more information on archery, I stumbled upon something.

Sagittarius is the latin term for archer.

Oh, I never knew that.

I'm a Sagittarius according to the horoscope. And I'm also an archer. Err...a newbie.

As far as I now know, horoscope is prohibited in Islam. I try to remove the thought regarding the horoscope thing.


Introducing Archery

How should I introduce archery to you?
Hmm...let me see.

Perhaps the story of how I first get to know the sport will be a good appetizer.

When I was in my first semester in UTM, I'd already realize that my body was getting weaker and weaker, compared to my high school days. I was an athlete for long distance track events back then, a lousy one.

As I didn't know much, I decided to switch from track event to archery, thinking that archery would demand less stamina while performing at the field.

What was I expecting?

The archer only stands for several seconds, pull the string, and zuppp.....shoot the arrow.

It looked really simple and easy to me.
I won't be stressed out with this sport, I was telling myself.

So, when the college was calling for new players to compete in the inter-college annual tournament, I suggested to my fellow course mates for us to try out in the player selection.

'Why not?' they replied.

We went to the field right after class as we didn't have time to go back to our room and change our outfit. Sandals and baju kurung.

Everyone else was wearing sport attires.

We were lucky the senior students who were running the selection said nothing to us concerning our elegant attires on the field. I was actually feeling very embarrassed for the outstanding ignorance we exhibited in the public. We were indeed freshies.

What were we thinking? Duh...we were very simple-minded back then.


The Bow & Arrow

"Have you ever held a bow before?"

"Nope"

"Really? So this is your first time holding and looking at a bow?" he asked more.

"Yeah".
He nodded at that. His hand adjusted his glasses.

He taught us the name of the equipments we were looking at. The parts of it, the functions, safety guides and so on. Later, he showed us how to shoot.

Each of us took our turn and shoot.

I was amazed at the sight of the curvy thing. It looked small in the television screen. Yet, in reality, it stood almost as tall as I am.

I thought the arrow would be wooden type with some kind of colourful art stuff at the back. Like those in the movies. The sagittarius would handsomely aim at his target and released the eye-catching, deadly arrow. Killing with style. Awesome.

It wasn't.
It was metal without any creative craft. Dull grey colour with funny, blunt tip.

Can this thing really, at least, get stuck in the thick, hard target in front of me?
I was doubtful.

As I was taking the position to shoot and my hand muscles were starting to draw back, I soon realized that the string didn't move even an inch, even after I'd fully exercise my full strength on the white thread.

The string was as strong as a metal wire.

It didn't move. It was still and frozen at the same position no matter how hard I tried to pull it backward. I even changed the position of my fingers. Instead of using the three middle fingers only, I use my whole hand to withdraw the string.

Not even a tiny difference.

The female senior student looked at me. She reached out her hand, offering to show me again.

Upon holding the bow, she easily pull the string backward and gave me another look, in a this-is-how-it-works manner.

In that brief moment, I knew, I had greatly mistaken this ancient, killing weapon.

A newbie like me has a mountain of lessons to learn, practice and master before he or she can be a good archer.


Welcome to the world of archery, Nisa!