What is Instinctive Archery?
Instinctive archery was already used in the Middle Ages for hunting: hunters would stalk deer and wild boar, either on horseback or on foot, and when they were at a considerable distance from the target, they would shoot.
The bow and arrow have always been essential tools for human survival, and a key part of this was the instinct of the human being.
When we talk about the history of archery, and to get an idea of its importance, we must consider that the bow was probably the first machine built by humans. The bow is considered by historians to be one of the three great inventions of humanity, alongside fire and language, as its use turned humans into the most perfect hunters in all of nature and marked a major step in our evolution.
Like everything in life, it has its progress and great advances, but today, many archers continue practicing the oldest of sports, which is undoubtedly Instinctive Archery.
Let’s start with the definitions of each term, which will help you understand much of it:
· Instinctive, an innate and unconscious behavior that is genetically transmitted between living beings of the same species, making them respond in the same way to certain stimuli.
1. Something that is the work, effect, or result of instinct, rather than judgment or reflection.
2. An innate ability someone has to do something.
· Aiming, this refers to what a person does when directing a weapon toward the target they intend to hit. The concept refers both to the action and to the direction in which the weapon is aimed and the subject’s ability to hit the target.
1. The action of aiming a throwing or firearm weapon.
2. The direction of the aimed weapon.
3. The skill of the shooter to hit the target. To understand this better, we can look at other sports, such as basketball, where the player needs great aiming ability to score from a long distance into a specific point. Or a football player who must also direct their shot towards the goal (target).
How to Practice with a Barebow
Instinctive archery is a modality that, while it may seem easy, is more complex than one might think, as you do not have any “aid” elements like you might have in other modalities, such as sights, stabilizers, and other materials that help the archer hit the target.
This practice requires many hours to develop precision and improve visual acuity. As a fellow archer told me years ago, there will always be time to put on a sight, but achieving the satisfaction, skill, and agility that only you, with the bow and arrow, can achieve—no one else can. If we stop to think about it, we are essentially reflecting our ancestors.
The mechanism of instinctive shooting is mainly based on our motor coordination with vision and memory. Let me explain…
How do we use motor coordination and vision? When we point at any object with our finger, quickly and naturally, the same thing happens when we try to aim with our arrow at the target. And memory? When we throw a stone or ball towards a specific point with our hands, how it moves through the air and how we throw it at the target, our brain remembers the force used, the weight, and the trajectory of our projectile. That’s why Instinctive Archery requires a lot of practice. As we repeat the same shot over and over, our projectile will surely get closer to the target until, after practicing enough, we achieve our perfect target.
“Instinctive Archery is the archer’s gaze, deeply focused on the target.”
Today, there are open field routes, always under the safety and control of specialized clubs, where you can practice this type of “Instinctive Shooting” and, most importantly, be surrounded by others with the same passion as you.
One day, you’ll realize that there is such complicity between you and your bow that when you shoot, you won’t need to look at the tip of the arrow—you’ll simply see your target, shoot, and hit it.
If you’ve just discovered this type of practice and would like to learn more about other types of shooting within this modality, you might enjoy reading about the Japanese Art of Kyudo.