"No Blue!" - here's mine.

http://groups.msn.com/BlowgunsNorthwestPlayersGroup/holidaygreetings.ms
nw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=475

Here is the agenda for the Blowgun French Open
(http://blowgun.googlepages.com)

Saturday July 8th 2006
* 09h00-12h00 : B-Class Shootings (8m)
* 12h00-15h00 : A-Class Championship (10m) 1st Part
* 15h30-19h30 : 4x3 Player Team Tournament 1st Rounds
* 20h00 : Barbecue Garden Evening

Sunday July 9th 2006
* 09h00-12h00 : 4x3 Player Team Tournament Finals
* 12h00-15h00 : A-Class Championship (10m) 2nd Part
* 15h00 : Ranking Results Announces & Trophies
* 15h30 : FSBA Cocktail
* 19h00 : Special Event Dinner (Football Mundial Final) ?

Parallel Events
* Long Distance (beating Bruce Bell ?)
* Object Shooting (demos by Hironori)
* Wheel Game (demos by StJo)
* Level Certifications...

Ragards
StJo
http://fsba.fr

4 DVD from Hironori are available on edonkey
simply type "blowgun ifa" on the "search" feature of your pear-to-pear
software... (emule, etc...)

Need some help here - doing some research.  Many of you hunt or fish
with blowguns.

What are the similarities between blowgun hunting and hunting with a
bow-n-arrow, or blowgun hunting and hunting with firearms?  What are
the differences?

How about blowgun fishing and bow-fishing?  I tried looking for
spear fishing, and only came up with hits about the under-water
spears ... anyone ever do shore spear fishing, or standing in
shallow water (DAMN! Hit my foot! - LOL!) spear fishing (Crawford
Survival staff 3-pronged spear point)?

What sort of preparation is needed, equipment, etc.  Any lures /
bait used?  Calls?  Stalk or sit?  What type of game (fish / frogs /
turtles / crawdads?) or birds?  Lizards or snakes?  Shore fishing or
from a boat (like Avery's video)?

I've read all the posts under hunting already - What I'm really
looking for is more of the "how to" basics.

Correction:

May 06, 2006 at 3:00 PM Local Time. In DE-59399 Olfen, Germany (30 Km
North of Dortmund) - the first German National Sport Blowgun
Competition. Registration by e-mail no later than April 22, 2006. $20
Euros registration fee includes refreshments & BBQ. e-mail:
dartdesigner@...

When?  May 16, 2006 at 3:00 PM Local Time.

Where?  In Hullern, Germany (30 Km North of Dortmund)

The first German National Sport Blowgun Competition.
Registration by e-mail no later than April 22, 2006.
$20 Euros registration fee includes refreshments.

e-mail: dartdesigner@...

The compettion was a bit on the small size (attendance), but huge on
enthusiasm.

Not everyone who said they would be there actually showed up, but we
went ahead anyway.  The store is downstairs (like a mini-Cabella's)
with the full sized archery range (35 yards) upstairs.  We were able
to demo the sport to about 8 or 10 archers who came in - some even
tried out the blowguns.  The store does sell the .40 cal. barrels
and target darts, and I left them a set of competition targets, in
case anyone wanted to try it out.

Joe "Brokenfeather" Darrah and Ed Imperatore did a great job of
getting things set up - we had use of the range for 3 hours.  Joe
even tried out using a chronograph, and clocked in just over 200
ft./sec. with his .40 cal.

For those who missed it, sorry you couldn't have been there with
us.  Be sure to mark your calendar for the big outdoor competition
on Sat. June 24th at 11:00 AM at Bear Swamp Archery complex in Upper
Mt. Bethel, PA.

I hope to see you there!

"Caveman" runs the DSVB (German Sport Blowgun Association).

There is a thread on his forum, asking if blowgunners would compete if
there were a national competition there.

If you would compete - please post your reply at:
http://f2.webmart.de/f.cfm?id=1846053&d=0&r=threadview&a=1&t=2763559

Germany has one of the oldest national sport blowgun organizations,
founded in 2001, affiliated with the International Fukiyado
Association.

Saturday July 8th 2006 :
- Morning : Class B Tournament (8m)
- Afternoon : Class A Championship (10m) 1st rounds
- Evening : 3 Player Team Tournament (random)

Sunday July 9th 2006 :
- Morning : Class A Championship Finals
- Afternoon : Ranking announces & Trophies

Parallel Events :
- Long Distance
- Objets Shooting
- Wheel Game
- Level Certifications

Registration soon :)

first Sport Blowgun French Open (SBFO)
July 8, 9 in Ploemeur (France)
look http://blowgun.googlepages.com

The 3rd International Sport Blowgun competition is coming up - June
24th, at Bear Swamp Archery Complex in Upper Mt. Bethel, PA

See picture of the complex and facilities at:
http://groups.msn.com/BlowgunsNorthwestPlayersGroup/bearswamparcheryc
omplex.msnw

Please take a few minutes to e-mail me at  craftsman@... if
you will be attending (observer or participant).

If you are participating, please indicate (any or all) which formats
you will be competing in ...
1.  10-meter target  (Standard Point competition rules and
regulations, you do not have to be an IFA/NSBA member to
participate - but if you are not, the scores you get are not
official.)
2.  Long Distance target (Standard International Long Distance
Target Rules apply)
3.  Field Competition (Cherokee) style.  One-half mile circuit, with
14 stations, and 16 targets.  Timed event as well as scored.

"Talon" has requested that I see if we will be getting any Field
Competition participants this year, as I've set it up twice, and we
either didn't have it timed properly to do it, or no one was
interested enough.  There is a lot of work to set up that portion of
the competition venues (both in pre-competition day preparations,
and on the day of the event itself - takes about an hour to set up
everything needed for that event), and if no one wants to try it -
we won't bother even setting it up.

I've run the course myself, on my own, a few times, and I like the
challenge it presents.  There is a fairly rough trail, lots of
twists and turns to it - then getting to the shooting line -
settling into "shooting" mode (just like an Olympic biathlon
athlete), scoring and retrieving the darts, and on to the next
shooting lane.

If we have as few as three positive responses, I will set up the
course (and ask the others to act as field judges).  It's very
addictive ... once you try it, you'll be sold.  Standard 10-meter or
Long Distance target just won't be enough anymore. You'll want to
set up a practice course of your own.

The course is not for the faint of heart (there are snakes,
mosquitoes, ticks, and spiders in the woods) - the trail is rock
strewn, has a few minor hills to it, and there are "bridges" of
sorts across the swampier areas.  It is wheel chair accessible, but
only if you have a "mountain" wheelchair (not your standard indoor
chair, but one that is more for street usage).

Just One year before the first Sport Blowgun World Championship, the
FSBA is organizing it's first Sport Blowgun French Open (SBFO), from
july 8th-9th, 2006 in Ploemeur (Bretagne, France)
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=FR&city=ploemeur
(try zoom #3)

It was scheduled to be a french championship but several foreign people
are interested, so it's now an Open, so everybody can participate. We
are building an english language page for this event here
http://blowgun.googlepages.com

We plan to organize points individual tournament, points team
tournaments, objets shooting, wheel shooting and long distance shooting.

Stay in touch :)
StJo
http://www.fsba.fr

1. Use: http://www.echigo.ne.jp/~dhiguchi/index_e.html

2. "Doc" ran out of space again - shoot him an e-mail and let him
know. (hehehehehehe!)

http://www.echigo.ne.jp/~dhiguchi is not responding anymore...
What's up ?

Where IS Bear Swamp Archery Complex?

Latitude: 40 degrees 54 minutes 31 seconds N
Longitude: 75 degrees 10 minutes 58 seconds W

Verifying Source: MapQuest

Just a quick poll ...

We already know that the top shooters will be there ...
Bruce Bell (current Long Distance holder - target - 36 meters), two
former Long Distance World Record holders, trying to reclaim their
title (Tinus Els of South Africa, and Morikuni Matsumoto of Japan),

World Record holder (target) at 10 meters, "Old Wayne" Wilson of VA
(198 out of 210 points), and former World Record holder Morikuni
Matsumoto (194 points), Dave Sustak (NJ, 192 points), Kevin Kinsey
(ME, 190 points), Dan Wiley (NE, 190 points) - trying to take the
title from Wayne.

World (OK, at least among blowgunners) reknown author, Dr. Amante P.
Marinas, Sr. ("Pananandata: Guide to Sports Blowguns"), and
International Fukiyado Association founder and author ("Sports
Blowgun Health Method"), from Japan, Dr. Hironori Higuchi,
International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame members,
Joe "Brokenfeather" Darrah, and Ken "Che Che Whitecloud" Pierce, as
well as Chad (from OH), Tom (VA), Marc, Phil, Charlie, Chip, Chris,
and Ed (NJ) - possibly Fraser (MD), Mrs. Els, and 2 or 3 national
competition winners from South Africa, maybe some of the Women's
competition team from Kasei University in Tokyo -

If you want to see blowgun target shooting at its best, and get to
meet some of the top participants in the world - this is the one
competition that you don't want to miss. A gathering of blowgunners
of this caliber (no pun intended) may never happen again (unless we
CAN get the sport sanctioned as an Olympic event ... and that, all
depends on you!)

Participate, and promote the sport!

May your darts always fly true!

Anyone out there know where I can get a muzzle guard for my
Coldsteel .625 blowgun ? Thanks.

OK, I finally had a nice day to take photos of the setup, and some of
a perfect round (no, it wasn't posed!  8-)

It is a lot of fun to shoot at the moving targets, but a word of
caution ... darts can rebound off the outside rotating / spinning
balls depending on the angle of attack (trajectory) of the dart.  So
be sure to keep the target area clear on both sides, ay least 1/2 the
distance back towards the shooter.

Pictures can be found at:
http://groups.msn.com/BlowgunsNorthwestPlayersGroup/holidaygreetings.ms
nw

March 25th 12:30 to 3:30 PM - an indoor sport blowgun target shooting
NSBA sanctioned competition -

The place is called "French Creek Outfitters" their
web site is http://www.frenchcreekoutfitters.com, they are located at
the north end of Phoenixville, PA (USA) just outside of Valley Forge
National Park.

Coming off the PA. Turnpike at exit 326 Valley Forge you would
turn right at the very first exit after exiting the tollbooth and
follow the signs for rte 23 and 724, these roads split about 1 mile
past the Gun/Archery club, it is a sporting goods store as well as a
range.

Dave, and others :

The place where this event will be organized is not determined for the
moment. Now we have the planning so we can start to present the project
to the majors of our candidates town. I think we can have the place in
severals weeks.

More to follow

StJo
FSBA

--- In blowgun@yahoogroups.com, "meijin1951" <meijin1951@y...> wrote:
>
> StJo -
>
> WHERE in France?  St. Etiennes, Paris, Caans, Strausbourg, Loire?
> (So I can start making reservations at hotels, etc.)
>
> Les dames et le monsieur, je ne parle pas français très bien, mais je
> parle le sarbacane tout à fait bien. J'attends avec intérêt de
> concurrencer vous en 2007.
>
> Dave S.
>

StJo -

WHERE in France?  St. Etiennes, Paris, Caans, Strausbourg, Loire?
(So I can start making reservations at hotels, etc.)

Les dames et le monsieur, je ne parle pas français très bien, mais je
parle le sarbacane tout à fait bien. J'attends avec intérêt de
concurrencer vous en 2007.

Dave S.

The first Sport Blowgun World Championships have been scheduled by the
FSBA official bureau, for 3 days :

   - Saturday, July 7th, 2007
   - Sunday, July 8th, 2007
   - Monday, July 9th, 2007

Next to follow... :)

StJo
FSBA

Updates have been made to the NSBA website (nsba1.htm and faq.htm),
defining the minimum scoring requirements and minimum time in rank
required before advancing to the next level.

This was done to comply with the rules set forth by the International
Fukiyado Association, as specified by the founding organization of the
sport, the Japan Sport Fukiya Association.  It is not meant to
discourage anyone from participating in the sport, rather to encourage
their long term dedication and sportsmanship, and to define an
international standard, with a goal of having the sport sanctioned as
an Olympic event.

Without national and international minimum documented standards of
performance, equipment, and competition regulations, the sport will
not be considered by the IOC (International Olympic Committee).

Two new web pages have been added to the NSBA website, dedicated to
shooting at moving targets. Viewers are strongly cautioned that this
should be done only once one has achieved a level of expertise at
shooting stationary targets, because of issues involving a high miss
and rebounding rate. (danger to surroundings, and observers)

http://www.enter.net/~craftsman/nsba/nsba.htm follow the link for tips
for competitive blowgun target shooting, to the advanced shooting, to
the moving targets page. Again, unless you are an expert (Silver level
or above) shooting at stationary targets, don't try this at home! Be
sure to properly secure the area, and take the precautions listed.

The topic has again come up. I'll be bringing mine to the June 24th
competition, for the "fun" part of the shooting.

This was one of three found on a back shelf in "Toys R Us" in
Northern NJ - have not been able to find it in any web listing for
sale. More info. when I find it.

Online picture at:
http://groups.msn.com/BlowgunsNorthwestPlayersGroup/holidaygreetings.
msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=401

"Think you're a sharp shooter? Practice your hand-eye co-ordination
and have some
real action-game fun with the Air XXL Electronic Skeet Shooting
Game.

Automatic Launching Power
The Air XXL Electronic Skeet Shoot Game has an automatic disk
launcher, which holds comes with six discs. The discs are launched
using a remote controlled launch switch which can be pressed with
either your hand or foot. You can then practice shooting the discs,
using the air-powered dart gun, which has a rotating barrel with
four darts. The sharp-shooting air gun is easy to use and also has
an extra barrel
with four backup darts, so you'll always be stocked with ammo.

Indoor or Outdoor
The game's automatic disc laucher has a fast and slow mode,
depending on where you're playing and how much space you have. The
fast mode fires the discs up to 25 feet (8 meters) and is best
suited for the outdoors, or a very spacious room.
The slow mode shoots the discs a few feet and is better for playing
inside, where you might not have much space. The laucher makes a lot
of noise and the sight of flying discs and darts may get on your
parents' nerves, so this game
is best played for short periods of time or with no adults around.
The Air XXL Skeet Shooting Game is great for parties or whenever you
have a bunch of friends over."

We think the slow speed will be good for blowguns - but are testing
it to verify. The disks are 6 in. in diameter (about 15 cm) - not
yet sure about the speed, height or distance of the throws. Normal
selling price was USD $20.00

Stephane,

I left a post on the PhiSBA Yahoo forum for someone there to get in
touch with Jonathan, and have him contact you.

Hironori sent me a copy of the latest JSFA newsletter.  In it, he
translated some of the highlights ... representatives from Cambodai,
VietNam, etc. were participating.  I need to get in touch with him, to
see if they can start up national IFA affilaites in their countries.

Dave S.

Noon till dusk, Sunday Jan. 1st, 2006 at Bear Swamp Archery Complex in
Upper Mt. Bethel, PA - welcome in the New Year at a fun shoot. All are
welcome to observe or participate (bring your own blowguns and darts -
no size restrictions, this one is just for fun!). Rain, snow, or
shine - dress for the weather!

As always - FREE!

Pictures of the complex are online at:
http://groups.msn.com/BlowgunsNorthwestPlayersGroup/bearswamparcherycom
plex.msnw

E-mail me if you need directions: craftsman@...

May your darts always fly true!

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Dan Wiley, faculty advisor for
the Hastings College SBA in completing the requirements for the 6
dan (Master) level.

Within one calendar year of shooting his first competition Gold
score, Dan managed to get in two more gold scores in NSBA sanctioned
competitions to achieve his Master rank.

In order to achieve the 6 dan, one must have first qualified as a 5
dan, by shooting a score of 175 or above in a sanctioned competition
out of a possible 210 points, from 10 meters at a standard
competition target (3 rings, the bullseye scores as 7 points being 6
cm in diameter, the inner ring scores as 5 points being 12 cm in
diameter, and the outer ring scores as 3 points, being 18 cm in
daimeter.  The target is centered at 160 cm above the ground (5 ft.
3 in.). The shooter fires 6 rounds of 5 darts each.  There is a 25
minute time limit to shoot the 30 darts, score each round and
retrieve the darts. International rules about the sport can be found
at the National Sport Blowgun Association website:
http://www.enter.net/~craftsman/nsba/nsba.htm
The requirement for the 6 dan is for a 5 dan ranked shooter to
complete 3 Gold ranked scores (175 points or above) at a sanctioned
competition, within 12 months after the first competition score is
certified.

Dan's qualifying scores were:  188, 190, and 177.

On Caveman's forum, there is a link that all should go to:
http://f2.webmart.de/f.cfm?id=1846053&d=0&r=threadview&a=1&t=2660125

A "Gift" to all, as it were.

Do me a favor -
Take lots of pictures, and send them to me with a write-up, I'll
feature it on the NSBA website "Friends" page.

Thanks.
May your darts always fly true!

craftsman@...

Dave S.