Welcome Home, Archer.

The spirit of our ancestors is alive and well at Basically Bows.

BASICALLY BOWS HAS EVERY THING YOU NEED TO DO TRADITIONAL ARCHERY

OVER 100 BEAUTIFUL BOWS IN STOCK

LONGBOWS, RECURVES, ARROWS, GLOVES, ARM GAURDS, QUIVERS, STRINGS, WAX, FEATHERS, POINTS, NOCKS, JIG , GLUES, FLINT NAPPING, STAVES, SCALES, ARMOR, SHIELDS, SWORDS, DAGGERS, AXES. TARGETS. IT'S FUN TIME.

OUR ANCESTORS WERE ARCHERS AND WE ARE OUR ANCESTORS

HERE I DESCRIBE THE MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE OF HAVING YOUR UPPER BODY AS RELAXED AS A ROPE UNDER TENSION TO ALLOW YOUR ARMS AND JOINTS TO TRANSFER THE PRESSURE STRAIGHT TO THE TARGET

IF YOU ARE NEW TO TRADITIONAL ARCHERY AND WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH SOME EXPERT HELP

I CAN SAVE YOU YEARS OF FRUSTRATION. CALL GARY 416 406 2854. I CAN PROVIDE THE BOW OR USE YOUR OWN.

TRADITIONAL ARCHERY IS A GREAT SPORT. IT IS AN ART THAT CAN ALSO CONNECT YOU TO THE HISTORY OF OUR ANCESTORS IN MORE WAYS THAN REALIZED AT FIRST. ARCHERY WAS USED ON EVERY CONTINENT EXCEPT AUSTRALIA. THE BOW HAS BEEN USED FOR HUNTING AND WAR EVER SINCE OUR ANCESTORS FIRST DID ROCK PAINTINGS. THERE IS A MANS HIP BONE FROM A CAVE IN SICILY ,11,000 YEARS OLD THAT HAS A STONE ARROW HEAD IMBEDDED IN IT. NO DOUBT A MAFIA HIT. YATZI THE ICE MAN HAD A STONE ARROW POINT IN HIS BACK FROM 5300 YEARS AGO. TALK ABOUT BACK STABBING FRIENDS. KING HAROLD WAS SHOT IN THE EYE AT THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS. THE VIKING KING HADRADA WAS SHOT THROUGH THE THROAT AT THE BATTLE OF STANFORD BRIDGE. THE LONGBOW WON THE BATTLE OF AGINCOURT. THE MIGHTY SPARTANS WERE FINISHED OFF WITH THE BOW. THE PARTHIANS KILLED 10,000 ROMANS IN TWO DAYS WITH THEIR HORSE BOWS. I COULD GO ON AND ON BUT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REFERENCES TO BOWS IN HISTORY. THE BOTTOM LINE IS MANY FOLKS STILL ENJOY THE ROMANCE OF TRADITIONAL ARCHERY. COMPOUND BOWS, CROSSBOWS,SIGHTS, CLICKERS, AND KISSERS DON'T ALWAYS SATISFY OUR INSTINCTIVE NEED TO JUST THROW A STONE. IF YOUR SUCH A CHARACTER I'LL HAVE A BOW FOR YOU.

HERE I SHOW HOW THE BODY ADJUSTS TO THE USE OF THE BOW.

HERE WE HAVE TRADITIONAL CHINESE ARCHERS USING MACHU BOWS. NOTICE THE HUGE ARROWS. THEY USE THUMB RINGS AND SHOOT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE. THE MANCHU FOUGHT THE MONGOLS AND COPIRD THE USE OF THE BRIDGE ON THE SIYHAS FROM THE MONGOLS

HERE WE HAVE ISHI SHOOTING A BOW. NOTICE THE BACKWARD CANT AND THE INDIAN TERCIARY GRIP. VERY UNIQUE. HE CHANGED HIS STYLE TO A REGULAR SPLIT FINGER ENGLISH STYLE AFTER LIVING WITH WHITE MEN.

HERE WE SEE A THUMB RING BEING USED IN AN OLD PICTURE BY A MONGOL IN THEIR YEARLY NATIONAL COMPETITION. NOTICE THE ARROW IS NOT HELD UNDER THE EYE TO AIM IN THIS CASE.

BEAM ME UP SCOTTIE. LONGBOWS WERE USED OFTEN IN THE WARS BETWEEN THE ENGLISH, WELSH AND SCOTS.

HERE IS A MANCHU WARRIOR ARMED WITH BOW, ARROWS, SWORD, AND MUSKET. HUGE ARROWS. YOU DON'T WANT TO PISS THIS GUY OFF.

IN THE MIDDLE EAST THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT TRADITIONAL ARCHERY. THE BABYLONIANS, GREEKS, AND ROMANS ALL USED BOWS LIKE THIS. THESE ARE COMPOSITE BOWS MADE OF WOOD, HORN, AND SINEW. NOTICE THE BACK QUIVER AND THAT THE ASIAN STYLE BOW IS ALREADY HIGHLY ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. TRY TO MAKE ONE. HARHARHAR

IN EUROPE WE FIND BOWS GOING BACK 10,000 YEARS. THE VIKINGS, ENGLISH, WELSH, SCOTS ALL USED LONGBOWS. ASH, ELM, BUT MOSTLY YEW WOOD WAS PREFERABLE. MOST LONGBOWS WERE 40-50# BUT WAR BOWS WERE USUALLY 70-120#. WAR BOWS AS LOW AS 45# HAVE BEEN FOUND ON THE GOOD SHIP MARY ROSE WHICH SANK IN THE 1500'S. MOSTLY WOOD BOWS WERE USED IN EUROPE AS THE GLUE ON ASIAN STYLE BOWS WILL MELT IF WET.

IN AFRICA BUSHMEN STILL USE BOWS AND ARROWS TO HUNT. NOTICE THEY USE A SPLIT FINGER RELEASE. THEY POISON THERE ARROW TIPS AND USE NO FEATHERS ON THERE ARROWS. THEY USE VERY SHORT BOWS ABOUT 48"L.

HERE WE HAVE AN OLD MOVIE OF THE FAMOUS ARCHER HOWARD HILL DOING SOME TRICK SHOTS. HOWARD DID THE TRICK SHOTS IN THE MOVIE ROBIN HOOD WITH ERROL FLYNN.