[MR] Authenticity is Good, no Joke (long)

[Vernon Willet]

Unto the Good David Wendleken does Werhener send greetings,

You did, indeed, identify that there was some hyperbole in my post, although
any sarcasm perceived was not intended, as sarcasm implies a feeling of
superiority and a disdain for the target thereof.  I have no such feelings,
as I am struggling with the same issues myself.  My point was that we are
embarking down a new path; that of actually trying to implement the rules
which have been in place for so long.  The rules do not, as you so rightly
pointed out, require that thirteenth centuyry knight to abandon his
stainless steel plate, although, IMHO, he should do so because using this
blatantly out of period gear sets a generally lax example for the rest.  In
addition, over the last eight years, I have, personally, seen blow
acknowledgement standards rise signifigantly to compensate for the extreme
rigidity of this material.  I no longer fight, on the heavy field, for that
reason.  Healing just takes to long, at my advanced age.  If you will allow
stainless steel, you should not balk at plastic.  Neither is period and
neither are reflective of our purported blow acknowledgement standards.
These are, as I am sure you recall, a leather jerkin, covered with chain
mail surmounted by an open faced norman helm (no protection there for a face
shot, the lightest of which would put you out of the battle for the
duration.  I have actually seen a face shot called "light").  If we allow
plate (which, BTW is a very late period development for real soldiers, as
opposed to parading kings), we should treat it as plate and blows falling on
it should not be acknowledged at all.

If you would like to know a bit about how real soldiers fought, in the
middle ages, try hooking up with an ARMA group for a few training sessions.
They grapple, use a full body target standard and train from period manuals.
They are also arrogant as hell, corporately speaking, although as
individually they vary as individuals do.

I realize that none of these suggestions will ever be implemented, in the
SCA, but I can Dream.  All the best to you and yours,
Werhener

PS  BTW Far from denigrating Duke Logan's attempts at improving
authenticity, I was writing in support of it, only wishing that we might go
the full distance and actually BE authentic instead of just appearing so.


> That statement, along with most of the comments below, are a GROSS
> -- and I repeat - a GROSS mis-statement of the new rules
> on combat armour on the field.