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For Brian Tachibana, archery is a zen sport.

The 49-year-old electrician from Kaunakakai, Moloka'i, who has been shooting for about six years, believes the best archers know how to trust their subconscious minds.

"The sport is hugely mental," Tachibana said. "You start fighting the demons in your brain. Firing the bow is supposed to be a subconscious action. That's something I still haven't learned yet."

Archery, which has roots in ancient Egyptian culture, is one of the oldest arts still practiced today. Though it was originally used for hunting and in warfare, these days archery is a full-fledged sport, with clubs and tournaments around the world.

In Hawai'i, there are about 1,000 active archers — many of them families — who use the handful of ranges across the state, said Weyland Bailey, president of Da 6 Pak Bushwackers, an archery club based at Puu O Kapolei Archery Range.

While most of these archers shoot for fun, he said, there are still those who use their bows and arrows to hunt pig, deer and goat, especially on the Neighbor Islands.

Interest has gone up, he added, due to the use of archery in movies such as "Lord of the Rings" and in anime cartoons.

"They see it, they're exposed to it," said Bailey, a 37-year-old math teacher from Wai'anae. "And they want to try it."

Bailey got into the sport eight years ago, when a friend sold him a bow for $100.

"I enjoy fishing, but I never went hunting before," Bailey said. "And I had always wanted to try it."

He took his bow to the archery range in Kapolei and was immediately hooked. Within three months, he had already competed in his first tournament.

"I really enjoy the people," said Bailey, who runs the archery club at Kapolei High School. "And I like the personal challenge of (the sport). If I screw up, it's me. I can't blame anybody else. It's just me out there, and I like that aspect."

For Tachibana, the mental challenge of the sport is what attracted him.

"Anybody can shoot a bow," he said. "But to shoot accurately and consistently is different."

Tachibana shoots with the Moloka'i Bowhunters Archery Club, which meets every Thursday night at the Mitchell Paole Center in Kaunakakai.

They set up a few targets lengthwise in the center, which is about as big as a full-size gymnasium. The members — decked in arm guards, quiver belts, target sights and binocular — take this sport very seriously.

The club has about 25 active members, many of whom compete in local and national competitions.

Aside from the camaraderie, Tachibana enjoys doing something healthy and fun. And archery has even helped him become more patient.

"You don't have to be athletic or thin or muscular," he said. "You can be fat and still beat any jock out there."