Founder & Lead Instructor
The Path of the Bow Founder: Jan Franko
Founder of the Traditional Archery Academy. Dedicated to instinctive archery, disciplined practice, and training in real environments across Central Europe.
- Central Europe
- 15+ Years Experience
The Path of the Bow
1978 — Birth
I was born in 1978 — the Year of the Horse, under the zodiac sign of Leo.
Early Curiosity and Discovery of the World
From an early age I was fascinated by the wider world.
One of the discoveries that strongly influenced my childhood was my first atlas of the world. I spent many hours studying maps, continents, landscapes, and distant places.
This curiosity gradually expanded into many fields: geography, history, fauna, flora, and mineralogy. As a child I dreamed of becoming a biologist and documentary filmmaker, travelling across the planet and exploring its natural diversity.
Books also played an important role.
The works of Miloslav Stingl introduced me to indigenous cultures and the civilizations of the Americas.
The historical writings of Pavel Dvořák deepened my interest in European history and cultural heritage.
These influences sparked a lasting curiosity about ethnography, anthropology, languages, and human cultures.
1985 — First Encounter with the Bow
My first encounter with archery came when I was seven years old.
My cousin Marek crafted a bow for me with his own hands. It was a simple self bow made from a single piece of wood without an arrow shelf.
He also made arrows with natural feathers and sharp broadhead points.
Holding that bow for the first time felt powerful and mysterious.
Drawing the string and releasing the first arrows created a fascination that stayed with me.
Looking back today, that small handmade bow quietly changed the direction of my life.
2000 — Traditional Chinese Medicine and Therapeutic Practice
In 2000 I began studying acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Prague at the First School of Traditional Medicine.
The Chinese professors who taught there came from Beijing University Guanming.
During the same period I began studying therapeutic bodywork.
Since 2000 I have completed thirteen professional massage therapy courses at REMAS in Piešťany.
I also completed professional training at the Flandera School in Prague, where I studied medical massage therapy.
Since that time I have been actively working as a holistic healing therapist.
For the last nine years I have practiced this work in the Tirol Alps in Austria, combining therapeutic practice with my work in traditional archery.
2011 — Korean Traditional Bow and Self-Training
In 2011 I obtained my first Korean traditional bow.
This began a long period of intensive self-training. For years I practiced many hours each day, often alone.
Sometimes I trained even in complete darkness, shooting purely by instinct and listening to the sound of the arrow striking the target.
2020 — Longbow and Mentorship
In 2020 I acquired my first proper longbow.
Soon afterwards I met Henry Bodnik, founder of Bodnik Bows and one of the leading figures of European traditional archery.
He corrected many aspects of my technique and introduced me to the methodology of teaching traditional archery.
Since then I regularly attend his courses and continue learning under his guidance.
2024 — Bowhunting Training
In 2024 I attended a specialised bowhunting course led by Chris Mozolowski, President of the Swiss Federation of Bowhunting.
During the theoretical examination I achieved 98 percent and I was the only participant using a traditional bow.
FIELD WORK & CULTURAL RESEARCH
Alongside personal training and teaching, an important part of this project is the exploration and study of traditional archery cultures in different regions of the world.
The aim is to observe, learn from, and document living traditions of the bow where they still exist today — among nomadic cultures, traditional craftsmen, and practitioners who continue these skills across generations.
This work connects traditional archery practice with cultural exploration and field experience.
Current and planned exploration regions include:
Europe, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkey, Korea, Japan, Bhutan, South Africa, North America (Yukon, Canada), South America (Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Patagonia, Ushuaia), Hawaiian Islands
VISION
Through the Explorer Adventures Traditional Archery Academy, the goal is to explore, study, and preserve traditional archery cultures.
This includes:
- studying traditional archery traditions
- organising international training and expeditions
- preserving historical knowledge
- building a global network of traditional archers and craftsmen
The Archer’s Path
The path of the bow is not measured only by accuracy.
It is a journey of patience, discipline, and continuous learning.
Each arrow teaches something new.
The traditions of the bow have travelled across centuries and continents.
My intention is to continue exploring this path and sharing it with others.