AHS Bogensport – the courses

It might be a bit confusing, but we have 3 courses over 2 different course sites with 4 different possibilites to register… well, sorry for this confusion. I try to clear the whole confusion right away.

If you can handle it, here is a little decision tree for the courses, else just read the texts here.

The 4 different possibilities you can register for:

Information evening

This is not a course per se, it is an evening intended to explain what to expect of this course, Anyone who is interested to join the “Recurve for Beginners” course must attend this online meeting.

Unfortunately, due to the situational circumstances, we only have a limited number of places for participants, so only seriously interested people should come to the information evening in the first place. Unfortunately, we can only determine at this information evening who and how many can participate – if there are more participants than places, we will have to draw lots.

The information evening will be online. The link will be sent only to registered participants on the same day. If for some reason the course is fully booked (with previous semsters participants and from the waiting list) it is possible, there will be no information evening!

You will find the registration on this site: https://anmeldung.hochschulsport.uni-stuttgart.de/angebote/aktueller_zeitraum/_Bogensport.html

Recurve for Beginners

This course is intended for any archer either without any experience in archery or archers, who come from other ways of archery and want to learn archery with a recurve bow. Password needed (handed out all participants of previous semesters and to the winners at the “information evening”)

– The 3 beginners course dates are compulsory dates  (exact dates at the information evening) where every participant must be present. We will teach you the basics of safety and technique that are necessary and that everyone must know in order to be able to participate in regular free shooting. If you already know that you will not be able to participate in each of these dates, you unfortunately do not need to come to the information evening (maybe it will work out next semester) – the three dates in summer semester are usually beginning or mid May, in winter semester usually beginning or mid November, and are always on saturdays 12-15.

– Equipment (Bows, arm guards and finger tabs) will be provided for the course by the university. Own bows can only be used after consultation and approval by the course instructor.

– Unfortunately, arrows have to be bought by the participants themselves, as they are consumables – more on this at the information evening. These must also be approved by the course instructor.

– Please refrain from buying your own bow or any arrows before the information evening, otherwise you will very quickly buy unsuitable equipment. If you already own something, just bring it to the first time for inspection – but be aware, that in case of unsuitable equipment you might not have usable equipment für the first time!

You will find the registration on this site: https://anmeldung.hochschulsport.uni-stuttgart.de/angebote/aktueller_zeitraum/_Bogensport.html

Horsebow for Beginners

This course is intended for any archer either without any experience in archery or archers, who come from other ways of archery and want to learn archery with a horsebow. (since we do not have to do a lottery system here, you can register directly, first come first serve -and you do also not come to the information evening)

Learn the powerful and elegant thumb technique used by mounted archers! In this workshop, you will learn the basics of shooting with a horsebow – a historical and incredibly efficient shooting technique.

What to expect:
Introduction to history and culture
        Learning the authentic thumb technique (with thumb ring)
        Developing a stable shooting stance
        Practical training at short range
        All equipment included; you are also welcome to use your own equipment after a material check
Max. 7-8 people for intensive instruction.

Only in SummerSemester.

You will find the registration on this site: https://anmeldung.hochschulsport.uni-stuttgart.de/angebote/aktueller_zeitraum/Reiterbogen-_mit_Daumentechnik.html

Archery for Advanced

This course is intended for any archer with experience (horsebow, compound, recurve, longbow,…), who does not need or want to take part in any of the two beginners courses. Password needed (handed out all participants of previous semesters and to experienced archers contacting the course instructor)

– Anyone who has simply held a bow before does not count as an experienced archer and must participate in the compulsory sessions.
– Archers who can prove that they have been active in clubs (or similar) for many years can participate with their own equipment after a short safety briefing. You are welcome to take part in the beginners course (of your known bow) to freshen up.
– However, as we only have a limited number for participants, experienced archers must contact the course instructor, and if there are open spots, you get the password to register directly (This changed from the past: Experienced Archers do NOT have to come to the information evening anymore – except if you want to take the Recurve Beginners Course, than you HAVE to come to the information evening like every other Recurve Beginners).
– Experienced archers must bring their own equipment.

You will find the registration on this site: https://anmeldung.hochschulsport.uni-stuttgart.de/angebote/aktueller_zeitraum/_Bogensport.html

More Details to Archery for Advanced and Recurve for Beginners

Archery, like many martial arts, is primarily a sport today, but it also has a meditative component. So you can find your inner peace with the bow as a balance to stressful everyday life, just as you can prepare for competitions.

 In this course, we will mainly teach traditional “instinctive” archery with the recurve bow, i.e. without sight and modern technology, only with bow and arrow. However, as you progress we will also show you other options, such as the WorldArchery (formerly) FITA format, which you may know from the Olympic  Games and is also used in university championships (DHM), or plastic 3D targets, which are used in hunting-style tournaments.

 For training please bring clothing appropriate for the weather. We will be shooting outside in all weather conditions – even in rain and snow. So remember to bring appropriately warm or rainproof clothing or sun protection and especially in summertime also enough to drink. 

For all:

  • With the start of the semester, we also start with the regular open range (for beginners after the compulsory dates)
    • In the wintersemester open range is Saturday 12:00 to 15:00* hrs
    • In the summersemester open range is Saturday 12:00 to 15:00 hrs and Wednesday 18:00 to 21:00* hrs
    • *max. until sundown, because then the outdoor area closes
    • Even in lecture-free times.
  • Visiting a Parcours. Depending on the interest we might visit a nearby Archeryparcours to test the newly aquired skills in practice. More Information and discussion during the course.

FAQ

There are a lot of questions I get every semester anew, even if most of them are already described above. Here the most frequently asked questions and answers:

Returning Participants can register when the registration opens until the morning of the information evening. You get the password at the end of the previous semester.

New Recurve beginners (even if you know other ways of archery) needs to register and participate in the Information Evening, where winners of the lottery will get the password to register to the recurve beginners course.

New Advanced and experienced can contact the course instructor and explain there experience, if sufficient you get the password to register.

If you cannot register for the information eveing, than most likely (about 99.9%) the reason is, that it is already booked fully (or the registration did not open yet). Even if it is only 15 minutes after registration opened, it is possible it might be already fully booked. But it pays to take a look from time to time, people also often unregister again and you can slip in.

The Information evening is meant as a one-time information evening. So, no. All interested future archers do not need to register for (nor come to) an information evening a second time if you are already on my lottery waiting list. The lottery for the waiting list will take place before the information evening and I will inform all winners. It might happen, that we do not have any more open spots left, so in that case, no information evening will happen this semester.

I was thinking about the process over and over again, but this is in the end my best result for the goal to not have open spots at the beginners course and give as many new beginners a chance as I can. Beginners need to buy arrows, they need time for that. I only have so many left hand and so many right hand bows for the beginners, so we need to test for that. And to avoid empty spots and people just not showing up at the beginners course as much as possible, this proved to be the best way. It is complicated, and I will think about the process every time again, but until I find a better way, it needs to be done this way.

All participants from previous semesters have the possibility to pre-register first. All open spots at the time of the information evening will be in the lottery. Please do not come to the information evening again – it is for NEW interested participants. You already get the possibility to simply register before anybody else.

The lottery-system is not complicated although it sounds like it. I have a certain number of lefthand and a certain number of righthand bows for beginners. So, we will first make the eyedominance test and after I see, how many left and right dominant eyes we have present, we get to the lottery. An Example might help: let’s say I have 4 lefthand bows, and I have only 4 lefteyedominant people present, all four get a spot, without a lottery. But then we have 8 righthand bows, and we have 12 righteyedominant people, then I will have to roll a random dice to pick 8 winners out of the 12. The rest can write me an email, to be put on the waiting list.

Winners have to register within 2 days. If they did not register, I will pick a new random winner from the waiting list. Then they have 2 days to register,… and so on.

Take note: the waiting list from the button on the website is not the same as the waiting list for the lottery.

You get on the lottery waiting list only IF you are at the information evening AND are registered for it AND are still in the call during lottery AND write me an email directly afterwards that you want to be on the lottery waiting list. Why so complicated? Because people seem to just want to be put on the waiting list, and then they never reply or never are seen again.

At the end of the previous semester I will draw random winners from the waiting list if it too long – so far, everybody on the waiting list automatically won the next semester. You might be lucky enough, that another winner steps back and you get a win for this semester.
If you win the waiting list lottery, I will send an eMail. If you do not respond in time I will remove you from the waiting list and draw new (I have to assume you are not interested anymore or the emailadress might not exist anymore).
You will be on the lottery waiting list for maximum 2 semesters. After that I have to assume you are not interested anymore or maybe even left the university.

Do you want to participate in the Recurve Beginners course, because you only know another archery way? Then you also have to register for the information evening and be there, like everybody else, because you will take part in the lottery as well.

If you want to come to the open range only, and not take part in the Recurve Beginners bow? Then contact the course instructor, tell him, why you are advanced, and if sufficient, you will get the password to register to “Archery for Advanced”.

You already have attended in a previous semesters beginners course and came fairly regularly. If you never showed up after the three beginners course dates, you are neither advanced not have gathered enough experience and I don’t like you to take up anothers new beginners spot, so you are out.
You attended an archery clubs beginners course and have some decent amount of practice (e.g. half a year regular attendance) you can register as advanced archer, but I still have to take a look at your shooting technique and you must show, you know the safety rules. You can listen to the beginners course if you want to freshen up or hear it from anothers trainers viewpoint.
You only shot in your yard a few arrows? You went to a team event and shot for three hours? You went to a medieval market and shot 5 arrows? No, sorry, you are NOT experienced. You will need to get into the beginners course.

This ones due to my experience. Some archers show up with equipment, that is basically unsafe. Cheap or even lightly broken arrows, broken or bent limbs, a random buy of an attic find from ebay, tourist garbage that I wouldn’t hang on a wall. Believe me, I have seen some strange things. And archery is more than other sports really concerned about safety – yours and others. As range captain I feel responsible for the safety of the range and all archers on it, so I will not let you use dangerous equipment.

You can use any bow, that can be legally used in germany. Recurve bows (wood, carbon, aluminium, steel,…), horsebows, longbows, kyudo bows, … etc.; compound bows are allowed, but our targets might not be suitable if your bow is too strong. Up to 50lbs (with any bow) is ok.
For arrows: target tips only, no hunting tips, no medieval tips, that destroy the targets too much.

You can NOT use anything that is either not legal in germany, or needs a special permit for the archer, the range captain or the range. That includes: crossbows, any type of gun or weapon. And any bow over 50lbs will destroy our targets too much, and might even shoot through it.

It is up to the course instructor or the range captain if she/he might not allow your bow. We will not allow you to shoot any of the above mentioned illegal stuff, but we also have to intervene if the bow looks unsafe. The range captains or course instructors judgment on this is to be followed.

Unfortunately we do not have designated archery range at the moment. We are shooting in a designated area, but we always have to pay extra attention to safety.
What we can do at our range is shooting straight up to 50m and if all present want to, we can practice shooting uphill or downhill at short distances. We do not have enough space for 70m olympic recurve distance.
Also our targets are standard foam targets, so heavy bows over 50lbs can not shoot, because the targets will be destroyed or shot through. If you have a strong compound bow, even under 50lbs, you might not be able to shoot with it – depending on the destruction of our targets.

Yes. But not in the beginner course. Both beginner courses (recurve and horsebow) start with the instinctive approach. Not mainly because I would think this is the best way to start (which I do), but because I can only give one beginner course per semester (half year) and we simply do not have serious sights.


Once in the advanced course I will offer some dates with different contents, like Shooting with a sight, advanced archery technique, basic bow setup, tuning a bow or shooting with stringwalking to name a few examples.

First of, we are not a club. This is part of the university sports program, called AHS of the University Stuttgart. Therefore we do not have club-members. Anyone can register (explained above), students, staff and non-members of the university (so called externals, which basically means anybody).

This might be confusing to students from other countries, because in their university we might actually be called a club. But a club in germany usually means a (often) registered and (always) independant legal unity, and that we are not. You might say, we are a “university-club”.

By the way, not being and independant archery club also means, we are not member of the states archery federation (WSV 1850) – you need to become a member of any club, that is member at the WSV to be allowed to official championships, hosted by the WorldArchery members.

Since these courses are part of the AHS, part of the university, the prices get calculated at the AHS office. They are supposed to cover all costs, that are generated in the course – for archery that includes regular replacement of the targets, the targets faces, some replacement material for the beginners bows, and so on. AHS courses are regarded as company sports program, the courses are subsidized for students and staff (so the difference to external participants are paid by the university, as far as I understand it, but I might be wrong there). The prices for external participants also have to be in the range of comparable prices of public services, in this case archery clubs.

For all it is included: access to the open range at the opening times for the whole semester, usage of the targets and target faces, usage of the available tools. Me or a replacement will always be available if you have questions about your technique or if you need help with your equipment. Also included are the advanced courses, like stringwalking, shooting with a sight, advanced archery technique, and so on. Beginners are allowed to take part in those course, but it might not make too much sense.
For recurve beginners only: the use of the university bow for the whole semester, including use of a quiver, tab, armguard and bowstand.
For horsebow beginners only: the use of the university bow for the whole semester, including thumb protection. Arrows are provided at the beginning, but need to be bought after the first month.

No, never. You only ever need to register in one of the courses at a time. That does also imply, you do not get to do both beginners courses in one semester – because this does not make any sense whatsoever from a trainers view.

If you want to do either beginners course, you only register there, if you do want to do neither, you register at the advanced course. With any of the three registrations you are allowed to use the open range for the whole semester.

We do shoot outside all year round. That includes rain and snow. The only time we have to cancel is in extreme weather conditions: too strong winds will blow over our targets (and arrows might break), in too strong rain nobody has fun, and of course when there is a weather warning (like thunderstorms, heavy rains, etc.). But any other time, if I or any of the range captains do not say otherwise, the range will be open at the opening times.