Okay, remember how I posted about Lars Anderson? He’s the archer whose video has been blowing up the interwebs for the last few days. I would be remiss if I didn’t now post an update, after hearing from the experts.
As I’ve mentioned before, I train swordplay in Academie Duello. I’ve also had the opportunity to pick up an archery class with Patricia Gonsalves of Lykopis Archery. And it was awesome! I was so stoked about it that I was already pricing up a bow of my own. Then Lars’ video came out, and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor – but. BUT. The first thing on my mind was “What do the experts think?”
I’m doubly glad that, if I need to know anything at all about medieval weaponry, I’m at most one conversation or Facebook post away from getting an informed opinion.
So here’s the deal, my friends – Lars is good, but he ain’t no wunderkind, and most of the stuff he says in the narration is… eh, not really accurate. Check out Jim McQuarrie over on Geek Dad talking about it. Patricia comments on the same article here. Here’s Anna Maltese, another traditional archer, talking about it. Here’s Mike Loades talking about it. These are not just random people – Patricia is a master archer, Mike is a military historian.
Guys, when the experts, who have spent a large chunk of their lives studying a subject, tell you that the stuff some guy says in a Youtube video isn’t really true, then you sit up and take notice of that. So read the links above, okay? Listen to what they say. I’m still getting a bow, by the way – I’m still super stoked to do archery. But I want to learn from the people who really know it.
The speed and trickshot stuff is still really, really impressive, but it’s no revolution.
Added by date 01/27/2015: And now Patricia has weighed in on the Lykopis blog. More required reading!