I have to agree with everything Wahya said; especially the part about starting with a light weight used bow. 55# is pretty heavy to start with. Most guys figure since they pull 70# on a compound, they can handle 55# on a recurve. Not so! Whole different set of muscles involved. Besides you're gonna have to shoot a whole lot more with the recurve to become proficient than with a compound. With a properly tuned compound, most archers can be competent in a couple weeks. With a traditional bow it's gonna take a whole lot longer with a lot more practice. I'd also recommend going with aluminum arrows to start. They're more consistent and require less maintenance. Only longbows require wood arrows for competition. With the recurve you can shoot anything; wood, aluminum, carbon, glass.

Jack