I read every archery magazine that is published. Recently I came across a questionnaire about traditional archery. Out of the 50 questions I got 6 wrong. I was not qualified to be ROBIN HOOD. Instead I was a certified Merry Man. While I make no excuses I said to myself, "Robin would have failed miserably too." And that made me think.

What dawned on me was that with all the new materials, new designs, carbon arrows, over draws, release aids and speeds of 300+ fps -- would Robin Hood shoot them? Maybe, maybe not. After all, even with all the bells and whistles some things still are the same. One being concentration and the other shooting form. Without proper concentration and good form all shots fail. It is my belief that all the great archers would agree on that: Robin Hood, Howard Hill, Ben Pearson, Fred Bear, etc.

The first recorded and reported arrow that was shot into another arrow was done by Robin Hood. To this day his name is invoked when any archer does that. Today it usually occurs when arrows are in tight groups. However in Robins case, as well in historical target archery, it did not happen that way. Robert, aka Robin, shot like all other archers in his day -- one arrow at a time, arrow for arrow against his competitor. One archer would shoot one arrow and the other would try to match it. So when Robert did his famous shot there was just one arrow in the bullseye of the target, that of his opponent. Legends and myths surround where this occurred and in front of who (some say in front of the queen of England), but in every ancient Robin Hood ballad the "Robin Hood" arrow incident did occur.

In old ancient manuscripts dating back to the 1300,s it tells us that, "the bow shalt be a part of the arm and not move. The arrow should be loosed and the hand stayed along the face." This rule applied 1000 years ago and it has never changed. Nothing replaces a steady bow arm and a clean release.

Go to any archery shoot or 3D shoot what do you see or hear? People having a good time! People congratulate their archer chronies after a good shot. Also little jestful digs might be thrown in on a bad shot. It is all part of the camaraderie. Human nature has not changed.

But like I said before it was different in Robins' day. In Robins' gang of merry men, archery had a different level of importance than it does among today's modern archers. Their stomachs and lives depended on it.

They practiced archery every day. But instead of throwing verbiage they threw punches. According to the legends Robin and his crew practiced by shootings at willow wands. They would take a willow sapling and shoot at it. If you missed you would get hit by the next shooter. The average shot was 50 paces!! No wonder they learned to be good shots fast. These days we throw words -- it is a little easier on shooter. The camaraderie is still there but the methods have changed. (If I was born in the 1100's I would never be off the ground and probably missing a lot of teeth.)

Whether we shoot sticks and strings, or graphite composite limbs and carbon arrows, we all are archers. Our aim, excuse the pun, is to hit the bull. The equipment we use and how we shoot the arrows there is irrelevant. (Most of the time I throw the bull more then I hit it.) We all have good days, we all have bad days. That is human, and that is archery.

New bows come and go. Split limbs are not new. Remember the quadreflex? P.S.E. now totes a new bow that you can shoot right or left handed. Who remembers the York? One cam bows? Martin had one in the early 80's. In medieval times the first guns shot arrows. Now bows can shoot arrows 330+ fps.!!! (Where did the "arch" in archery go?)

When youngsters come into the archery shop where I work and want to learn how to shoot, out come the fiberglass bows and wooden arrows and the lessons begin. For me I would rather see the smile on one child's face when he or she hits the target then have 100 ten pointers hanging in my house!!! Because with that smile the cycle starts again.

That is how I see it in my "view from the back of the string".