its been one year

[bubby]

cool Jon, 2nd in kenpo and tae kwon do and heavily trained in judo and Chinese kempo,

[Ifrit617]

cool Jon, 2nd in kenpo and tae kwon do and heavily trained in judo and Chinese kempo,

Very nice.. I've been training shotokan for 12 years and practicing Muay Thai the past 4. Ive enjoyed using the two to benifit eachother. Ive dabbled a bit in in BJJ but not for long. I gotta get into groundwork trainging. Martial arts has definitely had an impact on me as a person and are definitely a part of my lifestyle.

But I'm done hijacking this thread.

Jon

[Gus]

Man, I miss Shotokan.
Looking forward to getting back in when my boys are old enough...
And Dreading the first three months back at the same time...
Along with the knowing smile from Sensei Redwood.

-gus

[mullet]

I've trained in Wado-Ryu for over 40 years and I never told anybody I was Udansha unless someone asked.

[Frawg]

Wow massive Hijack............... retired(injury) sport jujitsu practioner. For me kata was something I sucked at, so my fat self stuck to grappling arts.
Matt

[Marks]

The way I see it I've been fishing since I could walk. I go fishing a few times a week. I'm a fisherman. (an avid fisherman)
Lets say I go fishing and take a friend who has never wet a line before. They fumble around with some all in one kit from walmart and manage to tie on a bait and get it in the water barely......They are now a fisherman as well. They are someone who fishes. Very much a beginner but still they are a fisherman. Who am I to say when they are skilled enough to call themselves a fisherman?

Same with bows. I would consider Pappy an experienced bowyer.  Give Joe Shmo a draw knife and a stave and he is now a beginner bowyer.


Just my opinion. Everybody has one.




bow·yer
  [boh-yer]  Show IPA 

noun 
a maker or seller of archers' bows.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Origin: 
1150–1200;  Middle English  bogiere, bouwyer, bouer;  see bow2 , -yer

 
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins



World English Dictionary

bowyer  (ˈbəʊjə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
— n   
 a person who makes or sells archery bows 


Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

[StevenT]

This thread reminds me of something my father once told me. I was a Junior in high school (and for those counting that was about 42 years ago and yes, I am now a couple moons this side of 60) and had finished the required drivers ed class, gone down to DMV and passed the drivers test and written test. I had finally got my drivers license. Back at home, my father and I was sitting out under the shade tree and I proudly showed him my drivers license. He took it, looked it over and gave it back to me. His only comment was "Now all you need to do is learn to drive." At the time, I thought it was the dumbest thing I had ever heard. It took several years, but eventually I came to realize the wisdom in that statement. To this day, I have not forgotten. Yes, I was legally a driver, but it took many years before I really was a "driver".

[adb]

This thread reminds me of something my father once told me. I was a Junior in high school (and for those counting that was about 42 years ago and yes, I am now a couple moons this side of 60) and had finished the required drivers ed class, gone down to DMV and passed the drivers test and written test. I had finally got my drivers license. Back at home, my father and I was sitting out under the shade tree and I proudly showed him my drivers license. He took it, looked it over and gave it back to me. His only comment was "Now all you need to do is learn to drive." At the time, I thought it was the dumbest thing I had ever heard. It took several years, but eventually I came to realize the wisdom in that statement. To this day, I have not forgotten. Yes, I was legally a driver, but it took many years before I really was a "driver".

Aaah... with age comes the luxury of wisdom. Well said.

[Joec123able]

I wasn't arrogant enough to call myself a 'bowyer' until I was making bows well enough that people wanted to buy them.

Does it really matter if he wants to call him self a bowyer or not ?? I don't think that was necessary at all. Any one who atleast attempts to make a bow is a bowyer in my book.

[Slackbunny]

Yeah, if you've made a bow, you were a bowyer.

[adb]

I wasn't arrogant enough to call myself a 'bowyer' until I was making bows well enough that people wanted to buy them.

Does it really matter if he wants to call him self a bowyer or not ?? I don't think that was necessary at all. Any one who atleast attempts to make a bow is a bowyer in my book.

Is a kid that makes a couple of bows outta willow twigs and binder twine a bowyer?

[Joec123able]

I wasn't arrogant enough to call myself a 'bowyer' until I was making bows well enough that people wanted to buy them.

Does it really matter if he wants to call him self a bowyer or not ?? I don't think that was necessary at all. Any one who atleast attempts to make a bow is a bowyer in my book.

Is a kid that makes a couple of bows outta willow twigs and binder twine a bowyer?

That's making a bow isn't it ??!

[Josh B]

Lol! By the willow pole and twine standard, not only was I a bowyer at the age of six, but so was just about every kid I knew!  I still don't know if I qualify as a bowyer.  I don't really care.  But I have to wonder is it more arrogant to call yourself a bowyer or to tell someone else that they are not.  I'm certainly guilty of the latter charge to some degree.  I reckon I need to work on that.   If someone wants to call themself a bowyer, I guess that I  shouldn't really care if they are or not.  It doesn't affect me in the slightest.   This has kinda made me think a little anyway.  Josh

[Joec123able]

Lol! By the willow pole and twine standard, not only was I a bowyer at the age of six, but so was just about every kid I knew!  I still don't know if I qualify as a bowyer.  I don't really care.  But I have to wonder is it more arrogant to call yourself a bowyer or to tell someone else that they are not.  I'm certainly guilty of the latter charge to some degree.  I reckon I need to work on that.   If someone wants to call themself a bowyer, I guess that I  shouldn't really care if they are or not.  It doesn't affect me in the slightest.   This has kinda made me think a little anyway.  Josh

I agree with all of that, I really dont care if I am considered a bowyer or if anyone else considers them self a bowyer. I make bows as I hobby and that's it !!

[Slackbunny]

I started playing hockey when I was 4 years old. I could barely skate, the puck felt like a lead weight, and if I took my stick off the ice to wind up for a shot I would fall down. But I was a hockey player. You don't need to be a Gretzky or a Crosby to be hockey player. You don't need to play in a certain league, you don't need to be any good, and you certainly don't need the approval of a bunch of guys on the internet. The kids just learning, the old guys in the local beer league, and the professionals in the NHL are all hockey players. If you play hockey, you are a hockey player.

Its the same for bowyery. If you make bows, you are a bowyer.

Now that I think about it, the only requirement that I see is that you kind of need to be doing it on a regular basis. You can't make one bow, one time, never do it again, and still call yourself a bowyer. But if you've got a couple under your belt, and you are continuing to build and learn then I would say you are a bowyer.

Now lets remember that just because you are a bowyer doesn't mean you are any good at. I think some guys have attached an almost mystical meaning the word, setting standards that most people will never reach.