Ikigai and the Archer

About one year ago my colleague Steve Ruis wrote a blog post called "The Ikigai of Archery".

Ikagai is a Japanese word which means "live reason" or "reason to live".

Basically Ikagi is when you have something that helps you get out of bed in the morning and provides a purpose or meaning in your life is certainly helpful.

Can archery be a reason to live?

I believe so.

Sometimes we just don't want to get up in the morning, but we force ourselves to do so because we have to get to work - often to a job we dislike.

I am fortunate that I have a job I really enjoy and love to do. There are many people out there who wish they could quit their regular jobs and just do what they love to do.

Even so there are definitely days when I am excited to teach archery and do some personal practice, and then there are other days when I have to go to work and I would rather stay home if I had the choice.

I find the quality of sleep I got the night before is a factor.

Same thing goes with my students. I can tell based upon their focus and the quality of their shooting whether they didn't sleep well the night before - or worse, if they're hungover, distracted by something, stressed or upset, hungry, etc.

And yet they still got up and they came to their archery practice because it was something they wanted to do, because they deemed it important, and quite possibly they were excited about it.

Thus in this case I think Ikigai is an excellent word, and an apt word. If archery can be the crutch that helps people get up in the morning - and in some cases to strive and find purpose in their lives - then so be it. Sometimes people need a crutch to help them to keep on surviving so they can find other reasons to live.

I believe people can have multiple reasons to live, including an important one: Family. Speaking for myself then my wife and my son are two of my biggest reasons to live, but archery is another. As is writing. I have many reasons to live.

For my students who are curious about the more spiritual sides of archery I usually recommend two books:

1. Zen Bow, Zen Arrow
2. The Unfettered Mind

The 2nd book isn't actually about archery. It is about Zen Buddhism and swordsmanship, but also about being a good person who learns to manage their thoughts and emotions. So while it is primarily about swordsmanship, the principles described in the book also apply to archery.

Years ago I even published my own book of poetry on the subject, a book called "Dreaming of Zen Archery". (The ebook version is $2.99 if you're curious about it.)

So yes, I believe archery can be an Ikigai - a reason to live.

It doesn't have to be your sole reason to live however, but it can be the crutch that keeps you moving forward until you find other reasons.

Accepting New Archery Students for 2022

Hello Toronto!

Do you want to learn archery? Of course you do, you're here reading this aren't you?

Well, the good news is that I am accepting new students for the 2022 archery season.

Contact cardiotrek@gmail.com to book your archery lesson(s) today. When in doubt I recommend starting for 3 lessons for $200. See my archery lessons page for more details / discount rates / etc.

So what's so special about my archery lessons?

#1. I make them fun and informative. So you're learning, but you get to have fun while doing so.

#2. I have been teaching archery so far for 13 years (and doing archery for 33 years). Suffice to say I have been doing this for a long time and have learned some of the best ways

#3. I have published articles over the years in "Archery Focus Magazine", which recently released their final issue in November 2021. (My article "Gap Shooting: Aiming for Versatility" was included in the final issue.)

#4. Browse my Archery Lessons Plan to learn more about the how each lesson is different.

#5. One on one lessons. No group lessons. You get personalized attention from an archery coach and I tailor the lessons to meet my individual students needs.

#6. I also teach people with adaptive archery needs. So if you're in a wheel chair or have other difficulties, not to worry, you can still do archery. Just email me to discuss your situation.

#7. People over 65 get a 10% Seniors Discount and people from Canada's armed forces get a 10% Veterans Discount.

Merry Christmas from CardioTrek 2021

 Merry Christmas from CardioTrek 2021!

 And have a Happy New Year in 2022!

 

Jogging 30 Day Challenge: What Happened?

You may recall that earlier this year I embarked upon a "Jogging 30 Day Challenge" and then it suddenly stopped?

Well, I was about 20 days into it and injured my foot. I am not even certain HOW I injured my foot. I woke up one morning and my right foot was suddenly in a lot of pain, similar to a "Charley Horse" in terms of the amount of pain I was in.

But unlike a Charley Horse / foot cramps, it didn't go away after a few minutes.

It took months for my foot to start feeling like normal again, and even now I sometimes experience pain in my right foot.

So that's why my "Jogging 30 Day Challenge" ended unexpectedly.

I am hopeful to resume jogging sometime, but in the meantime I want to be fully healed before I do so.

I don't recommend anyone jogging when you have a sports injury in your feet or legs. Same with any other sports injury. If you have an injury it is your body telling you it is time to take a break.

Archery Student Pierces String on Moving Target

 

Above is a photo of one of my archery students after she successfully pierced the string on a moving target. It was her 6th lesson.

I usually start teaching how to shoot at moving targets on the 4th lesson or later, but actually splitting or piercing the string on a moving target is very rare. More rare than "Robin Hooding an arrow", which is when you pierce your own arrow in the end of the nock.

How to make a Moving Target

I find one of the easiest ways to make a moving target is to use an empty water bottle and dangle it from a string. The water bottle blows in the wind fairly easily, but not so easily that it is impossible to hit if you're good at it.

When dangling the bottle from the string you want to offset it from the target. A broken arrow or a stick inserted into the target works well. If you do not offset the moving target then it will rub against the target and the friction will reduce how much the bottle moves about.

How to make it easier...

If you want less of a challenge you also use a larger bottle. Eg. A 2 liter Coca-Cola bottle is a great size if you want something less challenging. If you want to make it even easier pick a day to shoot when there is very little wind.

How to make it harder...

Cut the bottle in half. Or only use just the bottle cap. The moving bottle cap makes for a very difficult target to hit. If you want to make it even harder try to do it on a windy day.

But not impossible.

I did it twice in one day (back in 2015) when I brought a tripod and a camera to the archery range. The first time however the camera stopped recording so I didn't actually manage to record it. The second time however the camera did record it properly. Thankfully it wasn't too windy that day.

Anyone wishing to book archery lessons in Toronto for 2022 should feel free to contact me. Better to contact me sooner to start booking your lessons.