This month’s installment of On Target is about building a spinning ninja.

One day as I was shopping in a video store, I found a beat-up cardboard ninja. I took it home and used it as a stencil.

I zip-tied together some white foam board and a plastic political sign, traced, and then cut out the ninja.

Next, I colored in the ninja on the white side (you may recognize Storm Shadow from the GI Joe movies) and on the plastic political sign I used camouflage tape.

Next, I drilled a hole at the top center and bottom center, tying a length of masonry cord to it so the masonry cord goes from top to bottom.

On the bottom, add a piece of rope tie and some rubber bands to use as a shock absorber. That way, when the arrow strikes the target, the target will bounce and not break.

The ninja will rotate from front to back. If you strike him on the white side you score, but if you strike him on the camouflage side he has dodged the arrow.

I don’t recommend this target for competition, just for fun.

This month’s safety tip: start checking your arrows and making sure the tips, the fletchings, and the nocks are all in good condition, then check your bowstring to make sure it’s not frayed.

Also, put the spring archery muster at Their Highnesses’ castle on April 10 on your calendar! We’re going to be repelling an invasion. Their Highnesses will have been crowned King and Queen the day before the muster, and we may never again get the opportunity to defend Their Majesties’ castle.

‘Til next month, in service,

Deryk Archer