Rolf Devinci

Having sold some of my surplus cycling gear and parts I decided to complete my traditional archery collection with the purchase of an English longbow. Traditional archery, especially in a historical context, has always been a favorite subject and nothing speaks history like the venerable longbow. As an "off the knuckle" archer I had acquired an American flatbow, Hungarian and Mongolian horsebows but was missing a traditional D shaped longbow. Traditionally the best bows were crafted from Yew but it is now a rare and expensive wood. Modern bowyer techniques can reproduce the special qualities of yew through the use of lamination. They still adhere to the rules of the English Longbow Society but are built using modern methods and materials. Opted to pick up a tri laminated "68" inch longbow from Ebay seller Archery Bowman, an American based bowyer with excellent feedback... The description is as follows..... "This bow is made with a touch of recurve...

To say it has been a challenging summer is an understatement to say the least. That said I think I have things sorted out for the most part. Pollen season has ended in Nova Scotia and is it a coincidence that I am feeling much better? Sinuses, upper chest, ears and throat finally feel normal. Not sure why I would develop a late life allergy to pollen but it sure looks like it happened? Ragweed season usually begins in September so lets hope for the best come Fall. I`ve been having stomach issues but think it might be two actual problems causing some confusion. My symptoms have been bloating, discomfort, aches and just weird "feelings" in my belly.  I suspect I actually may have a abdominal/oblique strain from pushing some heavy weight at the gym of late. Located in the upper right quadrant near the bottom of the ribcage. That would explain post cycling/lifting pain and a deep ache in the area radiating down the right oblique muscle. Cycling i...

Had an opportunity to take the 40# horse bow out on a Monday afternoon opting to take some vacation time on a nice summer`s day. I originally picked up the Mongolian bow when I was having some hockey related shoulder issues so rarely do I shoot it anymore. That said whenever I do I usually attempt the thumb release technique as the lower poundage is forgiving and perfect for practice. The thumb release you ask? Many traditional Asian archery traditions used the thumb release as opposed to the three finger styles used in the West. Among them were the Mongols, Koreans, Chinese and Turks. It was used in conjunction with a thumb ring, usually made out of horn or bone. "It defines a pull-and-release technique where the major work is done by the thumb and the other fingers of the hand are involved in reinforcing the hold...." Made famous by the horse archers of Asia and the Middle East the thumb draw was ...