Marcin Malek

Marcin Malek

a whisper in the dark

You think you understand violence. You think you’ve seen it, measured it, weighed it in your hands like something you could master, something that bends to the will of the wielder. You think a weapon is just a tool. But…

Draw, Aim, Endure

IFAF Indoor National championship 2025 Saturday morning, and the gods had decided to be kind. No rain, no howling winds, just an uncharacteristically mild February air settling over Waterford like a held breath. Eight degrees Celsius, but let’s leave Anders…

American Bowyers

A bow is born long before the first curl of wood makes its way to the ground before the rasp makes the first bite into the grain or the sinew begins to hum against the frame that is slowly taking shape.…

Primeval and Forsaken

A film review of frontier brutality, archery, and the quiet horror of survival. There’s something primal about the way American Primeval treats archery—something that strips it of romance, of the quiet elegance we might have once attributed to it in…

When Heroes Fade

There’s a curious thing about homecomings. They aren’t quite what we imagine them to be, are they? A man sets out, faces the tempests of the world, and dreams of the day he will step across the threshold of home,…

The Bownan’s Banter Column

Aiming for Connection Archery isn’t just a sport or a skill—it’s an invitation to step into a world that challenges and rewards in equal measure. It prompts precision, patience, and self-awareness, and it always gives something more in return. Whether you…

The Bowman’s Banter Column

My first bow was a Diana longbow made by a Polish company called Lukbis. It was a wonder that felt as light as air, built to simplicity and beauty, and at a draw weight of 38lb, felt in your hand more like a toy than a weapon. Not only was this bow my first foray into archery; it was the foundation of my bow-wielding journey, one that taught me a great deal about form, technique, and the kind of unfathomable, silent connection that exists between archer and arrow.

Like so many newbies, I started shooting wooden arrows with plastic nocks, a sensible combination ideal for mastering the fundamentals. However, as my interest grew, I began seeking alternatives, motivated by a commitment to embrace the old-school craftsmanship of the sport.

Marcin’s Favourite historical Figures Column

Eugen Herrigel. The name doesn’t stride confidently through history’s corridors. It lingers instead in its dimly lit corners, somewhere between the poetry of a fleeting idea and the stern weight of unyielding reality. You won’t find him leading armies or…...

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TIFAM FESTIVAL UPDATE

This year’s festival, now in its third edition, promises something very different from all its precedents. It will be a celebration not only of the discipline of archery but also of its growing reach and resonance in Irish communities. Perhaps…