10 arrows in less than 5 seconds: reinventing forgotten archery

Lars Andersen became fascinated with ancient archery skills; through paintings and books, we know that many ancient and medieval cultures used bows as effective weapons. Much of the knowledge of the old techniques has been lost, but a few books and tales have documented historical successes and facts. For example, legend said Chief Hiawatha (In Chapter 4 of The Song of Hiawatha (free Kindle edition)) shot off 10 arrows before the first hit the ground:

Swift of foot was Hiawatha ;
He could shoot an arrow from him,
And run forward with such fleetness,
That the arrow fell behind him !
Strong of arm was Hiawatha ;
He could shoot ten arrows upward,
Shoot them with such strength and swiftness,
That the tenth had left the bow-string
Ere the first to earth had fallen.

Andersen: “I discovered historical texts that [described] Saracens who fought with the Crusaders had a series of tests which had been preserved. For example, one test required, at a 60-bow distance, to shoot three arrows so quickly that the last shall be in the air before the first has hit,” added Lars. “That is three arrows in one-and-a-half seconds. That motivated me to accomplish it.”

Fast forward several years later with heavy training under his belt, Andersen has now achieved an impressive shooting technique. Both fast and accurate, he accomplished what many thought was simply legend or folklore.

Text-to-speech narration is a bit strange, but it works:



World Record: 11 Arrows Shot Into the Air Before the First Arrow Reaches the Ground:

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More information here.

via Geekpress.