Archery Essay

Archery is one of the oldest sports and art forms dating back to more than 25,000 BC. A number of cultures such as the Africans, indigenous North American, and Chinese were skilled in archery. Archery began as a way of survival, warfare and for hunting. Although archery was used as a means of survival it later became a sport. Archery not only requires accuracy, but also requires physical and mental skills. A number people believe that archery is simple to perform because of how it is portrayed on the big screen; perhaps the sport is simple in its execution. But archery is not just about the “pull and release” technique seen on competitions and on the big screen, but more about the skilled techniques of patience, concentration, coordination, upper body strength, balance, and mental focus. Those are the main components of a skilled archer. (Brissee, 2000)

Archery became an Olympic sport in the 19th century, and since it has drawn the attention of “hunting” and “recreational” enthusiasts. The sport has not changed drastically since the medieval times; it has endured through the test of time. While, archery is for every able person the sport is physically demanding. In recent years people continue to demonstrate an interest in archery, and the demand for better quality and accurate bows has risen. Bows are an integral part of the sport. However, there are various types of bows used in competition for better accuracy. The most commonly used bows are the traditional Longbow, Recurve Olympic Freestyle and the compound. In addition, good bows are not the only necessary tools needed for practicing the sport, a number of physical and mental skills are required to be an excellent archer. (www.shrewsburybowmen.com, 2012)

Archery is...

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...ere’s a lot of anxiety and pressure from the crowd, and the judges—that’s why it is important for archers to condition their minds to all sorts of noise and distractions. These competitions measure and test your skill and abilities on focus, aiming and shooting the arrow into the target.

In conclusion, archery is a deceivingly challenging sport, and many underestimate it, perhaps because of its simple execution or maybe the lack of information on archery. Archery is a social sport, so whether you choose to practice it for fun, competition or for hunting; it is important to build on your skills and abilities. Archery helps improve self-confidence and most importantly, it teaches patience, focus, and coordination. Furthermore, archery is beneficial sport, which is a source for conditioning a person’s way of living, relatively inexpensive and full of enjoyment.