Heritage

[VIDEO] The art of archery: a spiritual mark

In this Ramadan special, The Vibes speaks to the master-craftsman behind Taming Sari Archery at his home and workshop in Durian Tunggal, Melaka to discover the fascination of an ancient practice and how it has kept hold in the hearts of men

Updated 4 years ago · Published on 10 Apr 2022 10:00AM

[VIDEO] The art of archery: a spiritual mark — Archery as a sport can present you with the resilience that dives into many aspects, both physically and emotionally. – AZIM RAHMAN/The Vibes pic, April 10, 2022

by Amalina Kamal

THE bow and arrow carry a certain charm that when it is studied long enough, the primitive facade fades and the discipline it carries exudes.

There is a story within Islamic teachings, that Jibril (Gabriel) was given a bow and two arrows by the Almighty to Adam to be rid of the crows that were stealing from the prophet’s crops.

This was the start of a historic tale that tells us of how the first archer and the use of the device as a tradition came to be.

Taming Sari specially made bows mostly implement buffalo horns and wood taken from ciku (sapodilla) trees. – AZIM RAHMAN/The Vibes pic

Today, archery is mostly seen as a competitive as well as a recreational sport that can be trained from a young age. – AZIM RAHMAN/The Vibes pic

To devotees, Islam is not religion alone and is a complete way of living. So the story carries significant importance on survival and security.

“There is a specific hadith that highlights the strength in archery, and it is repeated more than once,” shared retired mechanical engineer Sufyan Mohd Salleh.

The 61-year-old founder of Taming Sari Archery was busy attending to his collection of bows when The Vibes Culture & Lifestyle met him at his residence in a village 30 minutes away from Melaka centre.

Retired mechanical engineer and Taming Sari Archery founder Sufyan Mohd Salleh. – AZIM RAHMAN/The Vibes pic

The Taming Sari Archery crew busy attending to the bows at the workshop in Durian Tunggal, Melaka. – AZIM RAHMAN/The Vibes pic

“What I mean by this is that archery as a sport can present you with the resilience that dives into many aspects, both physically and emotionally. That comes from mastering the precision and control that the instrument demands from its master.

“For Muslims, anything that was done by our Prophet is seen as a Sunnah (the way of the prophet). And I believe this is one of many reasons why most of us are attracted by the activity,” explained Sufyan further.

Sufyan’s spirit to design and build could not be put out so easily, which led him to start his business to provide him with the opportunity to not just build a name in bow-making but also train others who are interested. – AZIM RAHMAN/The Vibes pic

While archery over centuries has been documented and portrayed as a means for hunting and combat (usually in warfare) across different cultures, the practice is not necessarily rendered obsolete because archery today is mostly seen as a competitive as well as a recreational sport.

After retiring professionally as an engineer, Sufyan was still adamant to get involved in projects that offered him a challenge. His spirit to design and build could not be put out so easily, “and that is what led me to start this business.”

*Discover the uniqueness of Taming Sari bows and Sufyan’s targeted passion in the video interview below…