About Us

I got my start in archery around 2010 when a friend invited me to come check out his traditional recurve at the archery range.

I gave it a few shots and fell in love with the bow instantly. At the time I had already been doing Chinese martial arts for years, training with historical weapons, so my first thoughts were...what is the historical Chinese version of this?

Looking around on facebook quickly got me involved with some amazing people who were in the early stages of researching and reviving Chinese historical archery, and exposing it to the west.

I made some friends with similar interests and got in touch with people like Peter Dekker and Justin Ma, and deep dived into making my own Manchu arrows for my Manchu bow. In those years, you couldn't just buy suitable arrows for a Manchu bow - you pretty much had to make them.

My first bow was a Grozer G7 "Manchurian". Not really a Manchu bow at all, I would later learn. But I love that bow. I still have it!

I just so happened to go to Mongolia on a work trip around that time, and decided to buy a traditional Mongolian horn bow while I was there. It was my second bow. Sure...I didn't know what I was doing, and unbeknownst to me, I had bought a wall hanger. A tourist bow. No, it wasn't the best bow...but I still learned a lot from it.

My third bow was the beautiful Mariner Qing Dragon II. I made many wooden Manchu arrows for that bow...and I broke just as many!

And so, I shot for years on my own, in my back yard, learning what I could from experienced local , modern "trad" archers, and from facebook friends in other countries who loved the same type of archery as I do.

After we moved to Cape Town, many years went by during which I didn't touch my bows. There was no space to shoot, and I was busy setting up a new career in a new City.

Then, one new years day, I woke up, and I knew I was going to start shooting again. I re-connected with the online Chinese archery community, and learned about Gao Ying from Justin Ma and Jie Tian's book, and started studying, and getting feedback form the pro's.

I set up a Gaozhen target in my back yard and I joined Bellville Archery Club, who was very supportive of my archery style.

Another big tick box I ticked that year, was horse archery. It was Qaswaa' Archery Academy that brought Daniel Griffin to Cape Town for a weekend intensive course, and I soon started training at Griffin's Archery, shooting Gao Ying off horseback.

I now teach an introductory course to Gao Ying's Ming Dynasty method of Chinese Military Archery at Bellville Archery Cub, where a small, but growing group of us practice together and shoot on Saturday mornings.

Bellville Archery club gave us our own Chinese Archery lane, where I have a Qing Military Examination target set up. We also have a special Asiatic Bow category at BAC's monthly Outdoor League.

After tinkering with leatherwork for years, I finally decided to take it to the next level. Lost Arts Archery (PTY) LTD was registered in 2023. I make historical archery quivers, bow holsters and brass accessories as Lost Arts Archery. My wife, Megan McFall is a professional jeweller, and she helps me with the brass accessories. Check out her website at www.starbrightgirl.com

As and official dealer for Vermil and Ali Bow, I import and sell specialist Chinese and Asiatic archery equipment through this website, Chinese Archery South Africa.

If you're in South Africa, and you wanted to get into Chinese or Asiatic archery, now is the time!

Deon