Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-08-25
THE BOW AND ARROW.
Archery IL a Recreation Of Great Phys
Ieal Value.

lCal NAlhes
In the choice of a mans recrea-
ton one should choose shat which
not only gives him sufficient mus
Cular exercise and full respiration,
but which will give him also as
large an amount of pleasure as pos
sible, for the pleasurableness of an
exercise is one test of its value.
During his period of recreation a
mans care and worry should be
completely submerged by the gush
of youthful enthusiasm. Only I'M
der these conditions does physical
exercise yield even its full physical
value. But there should be more
than the physical consideration en-
tering into the matter of recreation.
Ones recreation should possess
something Of an artistic and aes-
thetic value. 1t should be of such
a nature that through participating
in it and through love for it one will
become a more cultured gentleman.
All of these requirements are
ideally met in the most historic of
games, archery. AS to muscular e1-
ercise and respiration archery is
fully adequate, and especially SO be-
cause it can be followed to old age.
As the muscles strengthen the bow
can be adjusted to the increasing
strength. As old age approaches
and the muscles begin to tire under
the arduous work of the younger
man the bow can again be fitted to
the man, while the muscles them
selves and the eye need not lose
their cunning. Indeed, it is a note
worthy fact that many of the lead
ing archers of all times have been
men of advanced years. In fact,
the fascination of the long bow
seems to grow stronger in the faith
full archer as his years advance, even
as Robin Hood, through the lattice
of his chamber, shot his last arrow
to mark the spot of his grave.
But to illustrate the nature of the
physical exercise which is involved
in the pursuit of archery it might
be said that in shooting a single
York round, which is seventy-two
arrows at 100 yards, forty-eight ar
rows at eighty yards and twenty
four arrows at sixty yards, the arch
er must walk 1850 yards if he uses
two targets and twice that if he
has only one target. If he uses q
bow which pulls forty-fve pounds,
which is the ordinary weight for
men, he has drawn in all 6,4S0
pounds. This work has been done
by direct pull across the chest, an
exercise which puts all the muscles
Of the back and shoulders in most
perfect tonus and forces the most
perfect respiration. In fact, no
form of exercise could surpass arch
cry for the purpose of STRENGTHENING
up stopped shoulders and expanding
the collapsed chest and lungs. Moth
ing can take the place of archery
for the man who is confined over a
desk in his daily work.
But there are other important
features of archery from the pure
ly physical point Of view. To make
a successful shot with the bow one
must bring every muscle of the
body under most perfect control
and into rnost perfect coordination
with the eye. This factor itself is
of important educational signih-
cance-the factor of self control at
a trying moment. When the bow
is full drawn every muscle must be
in the highest tension, the body in
absolute equilibrium, the bow held
as if in wise and the point of the
arrow on the mark. Then the string
must bound from the fingers with
out waver or jerk. These are only
some of the elements Of archery,
and there is lifetime of study in
George Z. Coghill - |
Recreation.