My Archery Journey - my Way of the Bow 

This story really touched my heart. I am nothing like you. I went to university, got a job, work long hours (6nights a week), and go home to eat and sleep. Only to do it all again the next night. I never got married because I always thought, "what if it doesn't work? What would a divorce do to me financially and emotionally?" You have followed your heart. I followed a safe paycheck, a pension, good health insurance. You followed your dreams. Now I am in my late 50s still dreaming of "someday." Your story, your journey is so inspiring. You have to live a life without regrets. That would be my message to young people. What a beautiful journey your life has been.

I'm a seventy year old new fan, plan on buying a Tatar bow after watching a review video by Armin.

Why would anyone dislike this?

I started Archery in the early 70's. I was just a kid living in the middle of Nowhere Texas. I went out to get the mail. I lived on a dirt road and there was a quiver full of wood arrows just laying in the road. I guess it fell out of someones car. My Dad helped me carve a bow out of Willow. It did not take me long to destroy or lose those arrows. I eventually got a Bear Takedown. It was the metal riser with the slide in limbs. I got a compound bow my Senior Year of High School. It was a Browning Batam. I fooled with compounds a couple of years then back to traditional. I am 56 now and have found my way to horse bows. I am afraid my longbow and recurve will be collecting dust.

I MISS FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY

I am only 16 but as an obsessed archer your story inspires me.

Wow, I would have died halfway through from stress, lol you are an interesting person my friend.

What a life story! I am new to archery and learning a lot from you. I am Korean, so I bought a Korean bow and use a thumb draw. Korea is lucky because the Korean archery tradition has never stopped and continued from generation to generation over a thousand years and many people participate even today. But they only shoot targets at a fixed distance of 145 metres. So seeing your free stye practical archery is absolutely stunning. I also love the fact that you stand up against the government oppression. Freedom is the true spirit of archery. Thank you Sir.

Awesome I am ready for my archery journey or adventures 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹

With or without the quiver your channel is still my favourite. I guess I'll never meet you in person in Malta, but maybe I will see you in Austria (my neighbouring country). Wherever you'll be, try to keep this channel alive because it is an inspiration to many of us.

Wherever you go,we, your loyal friends, will follow. If you happen to come to Ireland and set up shop, I'll be there every weekend 😁😁😁

For an 17yo archery nerd like myself who had no Idea what he wants to do with his life, this video is realy inspirational. Thank you for this, maybe someday we'll meet hopefully.

A great and interesting story, I am proud to have been a small part of it. All the best for your future path.

We’ve had similar pasts. I started archery with the purchase of my first bow, a Bear Grizzly recurve in 1976. I was 15. Mostly self taught but eventually met some older archers and stumped with them as they helped me learn the art. Living in a northern Ontario small town there were no archery clubs but I didn’t care. As long as I could walk the trails, summer, fall, winter and spring I was happy. Later I went away to school and joined a fencing club and eventually became an instructor. While getting my engineering degree I joined the military and life and work took me away from archery. I left the military for the police and eventually retired from forensics. I began writing books but after a bit I had trouble concentrating and I began to worry. My doctor suggested I take up something from my youth and I rediscovered my love for archery. You had a big hand in helping me get back into it so I’m forever grateful, Armin. Now I’m making archery videos of my own. Maybe someday I’ll have a few subscribers too. I found out that because of past head injuries and my health I now suffer from retinopathy. Things are okay for now, and after a few surgeries my eyesight is pretty good but at sometime in the future I’ll have to give up my bow, but for now, as long as I can see even the blurriest of blob for a target, I’ll keep shooting. Great video, Armin. Cheers and good shooting. 👍😎🇨🇦🏹

Dear Armin, the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary, I wish you the best!

Thank you sir. I seriously picked up archery almost 3 years ago, and any time I had try archery before that I would shoot from the “wrong side” of the bow. It felt natural to me but the instructors always took offense to it, so I never stuck with archery. Then I found out your channel and I saw you shoot with a thumb draw, and I was like “that’s it, it’s not the wrong way to shoot”. So I literally got into archery because of you. You saved me so much time in research with your videos. I very honestly thank you for what you did for me even though you are not aware of it. Keep living your dream.

Thank you for sharing Mr. Hirmer. My first bow was a branch from an oak tree with kite string and my arrows were the straitest little branches i could find from anything lol. One of my brothers was a boyscout and he showed me how to make. My arrows were unfletched. I was only about 8 years old. Eventually my Mom got me two little long bows from a garage sale for just a few dollars.

Mr Hirmer, I don't know where you are or what you are doing now, as always, I am late to the party... I have only just started watching your videos, but your expertise and instruction is timeless. I hope you are well. Thank you sir for all of the help you have given me, and I'm sure, countless others.

Lots of respect from your Chinese fan❤

I am 54 and just started with archery. Best thing I have ever done...

keep positive during the lockdowns dude! YouRE welcome back to the USA when you can make it and we can shoot some bows and arrows. I love the story!!

Very interesting story. What I learned from your life journey is nothing will go according to our initial plans. People who are fast to adapt normally are the one who will survive and thrive.

I lived in Malta in 2014, it's a shame we didn't meet. You inspired me to try traditional asiatic bows and thumb release and now I'm absolutely in love. Great story and good luck for the future.

Hallo Armin: I am starting the journey in my late 50’s. Your videos have been most helpful. Danke sehr fuer die grosse Hilfe!! Grusse von die V.S. :):)

Felt as if I was there , in person, listening to you share some of your story. Very personal. Thanks Armin. :)

armin deine videos sind richtig toll und einfach ein muss für jeden anfänger und erfahrenen bogenschützen

The beautiful thing about this video...chasing your dream/passion. It's more than just about archery but about life aspirations and achieving your goals. "One door closes and another will open." Keep knocking (see what I did there 😉)

Great story, thanks for sharing. My first bow was also a compound from Bear Archery. It was a Bear Legion, but this was 2012..😁

I think in Tanzania it's nice warm right now. Not much restrictions. But probebly there will be a coup in the next months...

And what an incredible journey you have embarked on! To elevate the "sport" of archery, to an art form. And beyond. To bring a lot of restless souls like myself, into the NOW. When someone can inspire people to control their egos, that's truly a gift. Where I live, this is terribly needed. Thank you for sharing.

As always Inspiring Armin 🙏🏹I hope your future is blessed and come from many successes and love👊😃

Yes, I would love to hear how you run an archery range, as I am also planning to set up an archery range near my small village

*Armin uploads a video* Me: Pulls up a seat. This is an awesome video, the throwback photos are great, and just in general this video, the idea of giving us a rundown on your begin to where you are now...is great. You inspired me, I was always into archery, it was always something I loved. But you inspired me to try different things with archery. Because of you and your videos, I wanted to learn thumb draw. So I'd watch you, mimic you to learn, bc I'm in the US and it's not that big a thing here, and when I found your channel the pandemic lockdown was in full effect, so couldn't go to a range. So unintentionally you were my teacher. I left behind recurves and Mediterranean draw to only shoot horsebows and thumb draw. You aren't just a great teacher, a great reviewer, a very charismatic guy, you are an inspiration.

I have to repeat: welcome to Vienna. I'm sure you'll be successful. Weatherwise it is not Malta, but it is not Sylt either. Only the next four months might become a little bleak in this regard - but March/April will be very nice again in Vienna. If you want any advice on things local -- you know where you can find me....

Being able to do what you truly love to do and make a living at it is no mean feat. O medito gozaimashita! I had a teacher of Kendo, Omoto Sensei. Bun bu ichi--pen and sword in accord...he taught me simple caligraphy...i once did a character Ji Hi. He said it means a great big feeling. I always think of how he managed to put that feeling into me, through kendo kata and teaching. So then, you are on the path--Gambate, as they say, and thanks a whole lot for sharing! rc

You are my inspiration to start with traditional archery

I'm new to this channel, I played around with archery a little. I watched your bow reviews and shooting them was a learning experience for me even at 70 years old. I'm a pretty good marksman with a firearm it's gotten too expensive for me with the price of ammo and going to the local range, plus the political environment. So, I have a good size yard so I will will purchase a bow and equipment based on your reviews. I will keep watching your videos & learning.

Thank you for the story. Best wishes on your next move. Whenever that maybe.

Awesome! I have learned the most about archery from you, Armin! And now I'm sharing what I've learned (still learning) with others! Many are quite freaked out by thumb release! haha! Danke!

The Archer! I smiled genuinely when you humbly mentioned "sure if you want to, write a book, I don't mind". ^^ So many lives touched and influenced, thank you for that.

I forgot my pocorn in the microwave, by the way i really enjoyed your post, keep it up and all the best in the futur. Cheers from Switzerland

looking forward to seeng you Wienna !

Thank you for sharing your history. It's amazing.

Thanks and respect !

Very inspiring story, thank you for sharing! And I'm so glad you pursued what you felt best and healthiest even when gov was pushing against you. Keep up the great work. Such a humble and real gentleman. There's a lot of popular entertainer RU-vidrs who care more about numbers and money (I know some personally, and makes me sick watching those, like goofy ads), but it's great to watch someone who talks in a normal voice and is really passionate about what they do. You've got a new subscriber and follower. God bless 🤟😁 🏹

Nice story. Proud to be a part of it and that you trusted me to continue the legacy of Malta Archery. You are truly a great teacher and archery master.

It's amazing. I taught Tai Chi for around 8 years,in the 1990's, archery around 6 years ago. Only basic recurve stuff, and trained to be a basic archery instructor for RAF Cadets. I've always been drawn to traditional archery more and found you. I've watched you often wondered, you look like a dude who had practiced tai chi, your movements of ' equal and opposites' obvious, the balance of those opposites and use of the spine, The Doctrine of the Elyxia and the internal alchemy. Hearing you talk about your connections makes so very much sense to me , and its within that approach I following that path, or 'Way' ! 😊

Bravo brate!

What a way! Amazing!

Does anyone else find this super relaxing

Beautiful and fascinating journey, thanks for sharing!

Hallo Armin, vielen Dank für diesen Einblick in Dein Leben. Ich hoffe mit Dir, dass das C- Thema bald der Vergangenheit angehört und wir wieder frei unserem Hobby, in Deinem Fall auch Beruf, nachgehen können. Gruß aus der Südpfalz, wo die Sonne auch oft scheint. Ich würde mich freuen, Dich einmal persönlich kennenzulernen.

Thanks for the interesting story... 🙏

Sorry to hear you may well be leaving Malta. Am glad we managed to visit. All the best for the future. Stewart & Jane.

Armin in Vienna would be great for me and my sloppy release

Fascinating. Enjoyed every moment. A friend of mine started her working life in Regensberg after the wall came down (she was a teenager in Chemnitz), my ears pricked up when I heard you speak about it! May you continue to be as successful as ever and continue to inspire others. Chapeau as we say in France.

Thank you very much!

Thank you for this.

Thank you for this background. The U.S. would be a major culture shock but if you could find the right business model I think you would make a fortune....I don’t believe that I’m alone in my interest in using a thumb ring...Perhaps finding a way into a large outdoor sporting show... I know there is a market here for your knowledge/skills.

By the way, really loved your Black Hunter Review.

I always wondered how you ended up on Malta... Interesting story indeed 😁 The feeling when you found out about thumb release was the exact same feeling I got as a kid when I first discovered that there were other ways of shooting, other than pinch grip. 😂 Btw, Im really glad you didnt get fined during lockdown 🙂

Thanks for sharing your journey 😎❤️

What an adventure, thank you for sharing. I remember stopping by the Embassy range a couple times per week when I worked in Valletta. First started learning thumb release there with Sean and Michele. It was a happy place, for me. Thank you!

Thank you Armin for this video. I found Asian/Eastern European style archery by chance about one year ago from listening to a few Indo-European podcasts, namely "Asha Logos" yt channel "Subverted History" series. From there learning some about the Scythians and their dedication to justice and honor, despising usury. To listening to the audiobook, "The Scythians" written by Barry Cunliffe. Thereafter, listening to the audiobook, "The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes" by Raoul Mc Laughlin. I learned the Scythians were amongst the first to use the short recurve bow whilst being master horsemen on the ancient battlefields. Then came the Persians, Parthenians, Turks, Mongols, Huns, etc, utilizing the same battle tactic, using a short recurve bow while riding a horse both very well. Being both a lover of history and Western style three finger instinctive archery, I found your yt channel and I discovered shooting short horse bows with thumb release is so much fun, gratifying and meditation type exercise in both mental focus and physical strength. Presently, I am really enjoying my AF Archery Turkish bow, upgraded verision, made with Bearpaw glass, using the "South Asian" thumb ring made by customthumbrings dot com. Drawing at #34 weight, with 30" length 600 grade carbon arrows tipped with 200gr points. This combination shoots arrows very straight in my hands. Thank you Armin for your videos, please continue your efforts.

Thank you so much for your story. I know with out what I've learned here I would probably be a different person than I am now! Sincerely thank you Armin for all you do for this community, and sharing archery the way you do!

Very nice to watch and listen to your Archery journey. Thanks

I just started getting into archery 6 wks ago - at 77 I really have to get back into shape - your videos helped me a lot to avoid injury (had 'frozen shoulders' 20 yrs ago) my range is still somewhat restricted :-( but I am working on it. Danke fuer deine Information und viel Glueck in Deutschland. I'm from Canada and came from Germany in 1960.

Nice! Thank you for sharing!

Hello Armin, I loved your Story! last year thanks to Covid I came to the Bow and totally fell in love with Archery. In fact so much, that I decided to make a living from Archery in the coming years. Since then I have watched nearly all your videos. You helped me a great deal, thank you so much for all the wisdom you have put on youtube. I wanted to come to your Workshop in Ravensburg to meet you, but it was of course canceled. Then I decided to come to Malta when we can travel again but it seems like you already moved on. I am certain I will manage to catch you up one day! A Big Fan, a big Thank you und herzliche Grüsse

An interesting story. I like this. If you want to share more videos about your life, I'd enjoy it. 😁 It's inspiring. I find it funny how you started your archery career with a compound bow 😁

Thank you for sharing. Great to hear your journey. Funny how things turn out. I'm an English man living in Bavaria.

It was a realy good idea to make a video like this, was realy interesting. Ever since i started archery and i found your channel, i learned a lot from your videos... well tbh almost everything i know comes from you, so therefor im truely gratefull.

I loved this video, very inspiring mr. Armin, ive loved traditional archery since i was a kid but i never had a club or an instructor in my city, fortunately i discovered the internet when i was 13 years old, and i learned everything i could, i did some wood bows, arrows, arrowheads, 2 years ago thanks to a friend from another state i started to try thumb draw and i felt inloved whit it, thanks to him, you and others awesome guys from facebook groups i learned the basics and llts of stuff about it, thanks for sharing your story and give us inspiration to the archers who live to feel a string in the thumb and to see the arrows flight🙏🏻

Thank you Mr Armin Hirmer for introducing me to horse bows and thumb draw. I always loved archery but you opened another door and as you said a more natural feeling style of archery. I started my thumb draw journey just recently. A few months ago I got the Alibow fiberglass horse bow at 30# and for it not to be the most fancy looking bow I feel like it's a performer. I just wanted to thank you again for introducing me to this awesome style of archery. Cheers from America friend and keep up the great reviews and hard work

I am so happy people like you exist who is public about the good and the bad choices they have made. I am ordering a bow next week, a scythian you reviewed. First time shooter but i feel i will avoid alot of mistakes that i would otherwise have to learn the hard way watching your videos. Much appreciation from Denmark brother, wish you the best .

Great story Armin ! Set your goals to came there...nothing is easy..nice personal story...thank you for sharing this with us...

Thanks for sharing your story, life is the journey as the destination is the same for all of us ,stay happy and sharing your gift to those who want to learn

I'm a newbie. Your video is very inspiring. I hope the archery could be a way of life for me and my kids. Thanks a lot Armin.

Inspiring and informative ... I saw this pop up a couple of weeks ago ... but I had to wait till I could give it my full attention.... thank you Sifu Armin.

Ich habe vor einem Jahr, als ich Rentner wurde, mit dem Bogenschießen angefangen und das allermeiste aus deinen Videos gelernt. Weiter so! 👍

You have quite the reputation and you also should not underestimate your influence on your viewers. Because of watching your videos I recently started getting into thumb release and just ordered a manchu bow from fairbow. In the time it takes to be build I work up to the drawweight with a Sarmat bow. When ordering both bows I mentioned that I came over from your videos so there is another closing circle. Love your videos, all the best for 21 to you and your family.

Such an amazing story. Very inspiring. Wherever you go after Malta, never give up this channel.....we’ll always watch your videos 🙏

At a loss for words except to say you’re great,hope when this plague abates you find continued success.

Armin is an archery monk

Yes, come to Vienna, I would definitely go to your course there, I am from South Moravia.

Wonderful story to share. Our dear Armin, thank you for sharing your skills and advice here. I hope to meet you someday. You are the single reason that I switched from three finger to thumb release and now I'm very deep down the rabbit hole and studying daily the asiatic archery styles. I have since bought many fine bows in my ownership now that you have recommended through your reviews and have my own outdoor range in the redwood trees. No doubt this is also a blessing to the fine bowyers and artisans in across the world to increase interest in their products. Practicing archery has truly helped bring me balance and focus and the martial arts spirit through this last crazy year of Covid isolation. Every evening after work I can go to the backyard and shoot 100 arrows and feel instantly inspired all over again and feel I am making great progress!

Thanks Mr. Armin. Great video! I'm glad you stayed the course.

🇩🇪 💜🇱🇧 loved every part of your story Armin, thank you for all the content . You are always welcome in Lebanon, in the city and in the Villages. Wishing you well on your journey that still continues

Shot my Kóvács Magyar bow today for the first time. Awesome!!! Great video!

Doing Tai Chi and Shaolin myself, i have to try Thumb Release! 2 days ago i orderd a bow from Alibow after watching a review from you Armin! Cant wait to go out and practice!

Listening to your story I feel as though you’re a very good story teller, I bet you make an extraordinary drinking buddy boss!

Obrigado Armin eu também fui inspirado por você a admirar este esporte. Não participo de competições devido a idade mas o amor pela arte foi a mesma que vc teve. Continue assim.

Inspiring as usual, from another professor Selby convert, may your future be prosperous and fun...

Very interesting journey in some ways a parallel of my own experience, compound bow at age 15 started Tai Chi Chuan at the same time then Mediterranean draw and then I discovered the way I had been searching for after I began talking with Lukas Novotny right when he became president of the American mounted archers association and then Lars and Armin and Mihai and here we are ,I can actually call myself an archer something I couldn't do when doing Mediterranean draw because I knew something very important was missing. Now I am whole

How great is you tube. Good luck in your journey.

Thanks, a great story and really appreciate it. Ray from Riverside, California

Started watching you about three years ago, love the videos very informative, and a true pleasure to watch.

Great way to spend 30 min. Thank you for your story Armin always looked up to ya all these 2.5 years I've known ya :)

Glad I found your channel, Armin.

You shared your experience that is very inspiring, although i am also going through similar experience, some times it makes you slow and when you get support you get speed ... But the thing is that..never give up... Ups ( friendly supports) and downs ( financials) are there, that's part of our life.👍👍👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏🙏 Thanks Armin❤️