tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63799558395542328992024-03-19T01:19:25.837-07:00Poetics of ArcheryThis blog hopes to capture the lessons learned along my path in competitive archery. The Zen Archers of ancient Japan knew that archery was not about the arrow and the target but about the archer and his spiritual pursuits. While my own experience may not be that lofty, sometimes I find it coming close.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-67278711665263143462009-12-03T11:39:00.000-08:002009-12-03T11:40:13.327-08:00Mommy Wants Vodka Contest<a href="http://www.mommywantsvodka.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm61/badassgeek/MWV/aba_button.jpg" alt="Mommy Wants Vodka" /></a>Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-8888302450719999892009-11-04T10:27:00.000-08:002009-11-04T10:31:45.153-08:00The World Is AmazingToday, I am avoiding practicing by working on my dissertation. The last few days it has become clear that I am putting too much stress and tension into my shot. So, I am here at the computer and not in the range. And then I read this compliments of an interview with Phillip Pullman:<br /><br /><p align="justify"> <span helvetica="" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Q:</b> When you were talking about grace, it reminded me of <i>Star Wars</i> and Luke Skywalker learning how to use the light saber. His mentor was saying to him, "Stop trying so hard, just let it flow through your arm." </span></p><p align="justify"> <span helvetica="" style="font-family:arial;"><b>PP:</b> Well, this is basically the same, isn't it? If you read <i>Zen and the Art of Archery,</i> the same thing is true in that. You become the bow and the arrow and the target, and once you are all three, then you stop thinking about it. If you are a cook, you don't just inhabit your body, you inhabit the saucepan and the eggs and the heat and the spoon. You are all of these things. Once you've sensed them all together, the sauce won't curdle.<br /></span></p><br /><p align="justify">What else can I say?<br /></p><p align="justify"><br /></p>Parsons, Wendy, and Nicholson, Catriona. "Talking to Philip Pullman: An Interview." The Lion and the Unicorn 23.1 (1999): 116-134. Print.<br /><p align="justify"><span helvetica="" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p>Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-59201706107709896892009-09-13T18:00:00.000-07:002009-09-13T18:01:22.567-07:00Pictures....When I see pictures of me in my archery gear, I think yeah, that's me instead of ugh, it's me....Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-28184886501638673112009-08-26T18:42:00.001-07:002009-08-26T18:45:59.060-07:00Go with your GutOkay--this is a fairly common lesson. But after getting my new stabilizer all set up and working great, it dawned on me that my grip on the bow slipped. Still, I did nothing. I thought about it. Then thought about it some more. Finally, I said, to myself--do something. And low and behold, the doing something really helped. I had the nirvana experience of shooting "easy" today. I didn't struggle with the bow or the grip or my stance. It was "point and shoot." <br /><br />I realize though that going with your gut sometimes isn't the best way to go, so maybe I am advocating a split on this one. Listen to your gut, think about it, (really think about--assess options, etc) then act. I wouldn't want to veer too far in the other direction of knee-jerk reaction either. But we really should listen to the our voice, not the one we speak with but the one inside.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-40678511433911462002009-08-19T10:44:00.000-07:002009-08-19T10:50:31.781-07:00Outdoor Season Ended....Sort Of<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Hmmm</span>..it has been awhile since archery has lead me to any great <em>epiphanies as of late aside from all the ones I probably learned and lost just as quickly. <br /><br />Though perhaps that isn't true. Being at Nationals really helped me to appreciate friendship and sportsmanship. <br /><br />I learned to trust my gut on who works with me and who might work against me. <br /><br />I learned that spreading a little kindness never hurts, even if you aren't too sure about who you are spreading it to. <br /><br />I learned to listen to some elders--which I suspect just may make me a better archer. <br /><br />Hopefully, most of all, I have learned to lighten up some. I did about 85% of what I set out to do last year. Sometimes, we need to take pleasure in that. Things don't have to be 100% to be celebrated. You can celebrate every step along the way. Enjoy it or why do it?<br /><br /><br /></em>Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-17852512785847689382009-05-31T06:50:00.000-07:002009-05-31T06:53:47.068-07:00Lessons Learned From TrialsThings I need to do:<br /><br />A.) Chart my arrows--really know where I am going!<br />B.) Slow down and really check myself before my shot--know thyself!<br />C.) Ignore noise--focus inside--OM!!!<br />D.) Embrace my own reasons for doing things--you don't need to be like everyone else to win; champions are unique.<br />E.) Cut myself some slack but work hard anyway--love yourself the way you would someone else.<br /><br />This should be pretty clear how this ties to real life. Now to put it into practice.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-72874400252985274302009-05-31T06:48:00.000-07:002009-05-31T06:50:10.551-07:00Celebrate SuccessesI realize I posted for Arizona, but not Texas and Gold Cup--for shame! When we do well, we should process this and celebrate it as much as anything else. So yeah me! So there.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-63405882796431604352009-04-09T21:06:00.000-07:002009-04-09T21:11:08.919-07:00One Bad Apple<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoY1YisCx-_4oT6JA7frfH0I2Y1w7d3ZW3TNkvo0b3nwfm7e7pDa_1LH5rCmxaW-hDERIN0Vmp2cPLkPcNMM6LqHb6JNJXs0_gcCiCSiRaWor-eN5xLRz2H55bpGBrTjt5w7NqmzvJqZ4i/s1600-h/arizon+cup+2009+005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoY1YisCx-_4oT6JA7frfH0I2Y1w7d3ZW3TNkvo0b3nwfm7e7pDa_1LH5rCmxaW-hDERIN0Vmp2cPLkPcNMM6LqHb6JNJXs0_gcCiCSiRaWor-eN5xLRz2H55bpGBrTjt5w7NqmzvJqZ4i/s200/arizon+cup+2009+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322910237911641042" border="0" /></a><br />Arizona Cup 2009: Lessons Learned Day 1<br /><br />You can recover from a bad arrow. One bad arrow doesn't mean you suck at shooting. It doesn't mean the rest can't be good. It means you need to practice recovering from it and moving on. Why dwell on something you cannot change? Why beat yourself up about anything that doesn't involving harming yourself or others? Why not be your own hero? We are so quick in life to support others; when something difficult happens, stop doing to yourself what you would never do to someone else. Let it go and get back to doing what you know you can do--shoot well.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-4200446914305086062009-02-24T08:02:00.001-08:002009-02-24T08:08:37.795-08:00Don't Count Your ChickensI hate the phrase don't count your chickens until they hatch. I hate most phrases like this. They are cliche and often hook back to superstition. But in this case, I can see the benefit of this concept.<br /><br />When shooting, we can do only one thing really well at a time. If we focus too much on score, we lose sight of what we are really doing which is shooting and aiming with perfect form. Lesson learned: let go of the outcome and be a part of the process. Stop counting the damn chickens. They will be there at the end of the game no matter what. And if you stop counting this there very well may be more of them to count at the end.<br /><br />For regular, non-shooting life, well this could be like focusing on the journey that is life. Live each moment instead of looking to the end of the line.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-74621568993220031632009-01-27T13:55:00.001-08:002009-01-27T13:57:43.760-08:00Training Body and MindTo further strengthen my resolve, I have turned to a resource for tuning up my mind: With Winning in Mind by Lanny Bassham, a shooting Gold Medalist. Some tidbits I have gleaned so far include to reinforce what goes well. In the past, when I had a bad shot, I would say, damn, I knew that was going to happen. Now, let's turn that negativity on its head. When I have a good shot, I am going to say, that is exactly what I expected. I'll let you know how it goes.... <br /><br />Ignore the bad, celebrate the good--this might result in a total attitude turn around.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-24411738351544726532009-01-02T14:38:00.000-08:002009-01-02T14:40:17.884-08:00RelaxThis is a short lesson: relax. Bottom line: relax. The time to be careful is in the preparation. To execute, you must do so with eagerness not fear. The connection between archery and real life doesn't need to be spelled out here.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-82636741963372406342008-12-29T08:42:00.000-08:002008-12-29T08:59:37.903-08:00The Bane of the Easter DressEaster dresses and archery? Some many question the connection between the two, but any former little girls out there blessed with ample upper body strength may remember the stinging pinch of elastic from the brand new, short-sleeved Easter dress.<br /><br />Through the modern miracle of online shopping, the explosion of stores in my local area, and the act of supporting a friend on Weight Watchers, my upper arms and I held a sort of truce. They would let me fit into most things, barring the occasional punjabi dress with short, tight sleeves. But I even managed to get a few of those punjabi dresses in my collection after forays on Oak Tree Road in Edison.<br /><br />But then came archery. My arms and I we still worked together, enjoying a new hobby. Then the hobby became serious, and the coach said push-ups. Yes, push-ups. I didn't balk--my coach seems to know everything, and I respect him for it. So I started the push-ups. Ten a day coupled with my regular hundred arrow practice rounds. Then I realized I could do sets of push-ups. Three sets of ten. My arm muscles formerly toned but not tough said hell yeah and decided to "get physical." Those punjabi dresses, tried on in November for our annual Diwali Party, were a no go. Cute sweaters bought last year--nope. Black wool, Calvin Klein dress coat--nope.<br /><br />My first thought, as with most women, is ohmigod, you are fat. So I checked in the "skinny jeans." You know that pair--they make you look your best but only if you can get into them. Well, they still fit. Red, sexy dress with a tank top style--also fit. I officially wasn't fat. I was butch as an archery buddy called it. Admonishing me, he said, "just don't cut your hair."<br /><br />The memory of those Easter dresses came flying back at me, but this time, instead of embracing the mythology of one size is all that pervades the American female mind, I decided to let it go and keep doing the damn push-ups. I can hold a shot longer and steadier. I feel stronger and love the feeling of tight muscles under skin. I look forward to doing my exercises, and if I don't complete as many sets, my first thought is that I owe myself one more. I owe myself. For the first time, being fit isn't about fitting in--fitting in to a beauty standard, fitting in a certain size blouse--it is about fitting into my goals for myself.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-79506471766094445752008-12-28T15:19:00.000-08:002008-12-28T15:27:07.053-08:00Trust YourselfThis lesson is at once scary and liberating and seemingly hard to remember. In the beginning, archers are warned not to change their sight (the tool that lets them aim) until they can shoot a meaningful group. In the beginning, this meant you could shoot twenty, thirty, forty arrows before you could know enough about your shoot pattern to move your sight. Then you get better and learn more and guess what--you shoot groups in a lot fewer arrows. Then you move your sight after ten or so. But then you get to the next level, where I found myself today.<br /><br />In preparation for the World Indoor Team Trials, I had to practice shooting at the vertical 40CM face. That means three circles in a row. I shot at the bottom circle--the arrow is low and to the right. I shoot at the middle circle--again low and to the right. I move my sight. I shoot at the top circle--right in the middle. <br /><br />How many times did I not move my sight until that last circle today? Too many to count! What I did I learn? Stop second guessing myself. If I shoot a good arrow, if everything felt in place, trust it and move the damn sight right then and there.<br /><br />Sometimes when we grow or change it is tough to let go of who we used to be or what we used to do. Part of making change permanent is to accept it--allow yourself the privilege of letting the past go. This week I am going to trust myself and give myself permission to succeed. I can do this. We can all do this.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-36845329045318813502008-12-26T07:26:00.001-08:002008-12-26T07:32:30.323-08:00Make New Friends but Keep the Old....One is silver and the other gold. Okay, this lesson was driven home for me as I struggled with setting my fingers on the string accurately and effective. Twice, I forgot lessons that I learned earlier, only to have to relearn them this week. The boring details: finish with the finger placement you started with. In my case, if my thumb and pinkie are touching at the beginning, they damn well better be touching at the end of the shot. B.) Don't pull the string until you raise the bow. The is no way to calibrate how much you pulled it; you can't do it the same each time, so don't even try. Waiting to pull the entire string in one movement, for me, results in tighter groups. I feel foolish for forgetting these hard earned lessons.<br /><br />Well how does this extrapolate to life? Well, like most people I can get fascinated by the new: new people, new places, new things to do. But sometimes new is not better. Sometimes an old friend with their understanding and knowing really, truly is better than a person you may not really know at all. Maybe I'll get up enough guts to talk about exact how this applies to my own life, but that will take some time. All I know is this: we must count our blessings---and remember them.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379955839554232899.post-2935830474815892912008-12-24T05:51:00.000-08:002008-12-24T06:01:45.194-08:00First LessonWhile it is tough to think back two and half years ago to the first lesson I learned in archery, aside from the basics of shooting safety, what comes to mind is the pleasure we can find if we follow our children's hearts.<br /><br />My then six year old "Blessing" decided she wanted to be in a Renaissance Faire or the Olympics. Santa knowingly left a rudimentary bow and arrow for her under the tree. With only three arrows, the shooting was a tad boring. Shoot three, pick them up. Shoot three, pick them up. So off we went to that archery store we had seen, X-Ring Archery in Lambertville, New Jersey.<br /><br />Jon Bach, the great guy that runs the store and school, was thrilled to see a newcomer looking to buy arrows, but he was even more adamant that my six year old take classes to learn how to shoot properly. Somehow he used his talents of persuasion and myself and my brother equivalent found ourselves enrolled alongside Blessing for archery school.<br /><br />When we began class in September 2006, we never imagined that archery would be a glue to join us together as a family and lead us to making so many friends. My husband soon joined us in shooting, and now, we travel everywhere we can to take part in competitions, looking forward to seeing new friends from many places along the way.<br /><br />Archery took its place in my heart as one of my biggest passions. It inspires me to take better care of myself, lets me share an activity with my pre-tween, and motivates me to try harder and learn more. Through this sport, I have learned so much more than how to stick an arrow in a target. I look forward to sharing those lessons here. And it all began because I followed my daughter--sometimes we do need to let the children lead the way.Brandi Manthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16444817453724561029noreply@blogger.com0