[MR] That was then, this is now

[Brian Bertrand]

One of my fondest memories fighting is when Master Harald Ulfson took my
arm, allowing me to take the shield-arm instead.  He put his own shield
behind his back as a point of honor.  Then when he moved in, I quickly
parried and slashed at his head, barely missing.  He then stepped back and
brought his shield back out....that was great.

On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 12:35 PM, logan <logan at ebonwoulfe.com> wrote:

> and thats my biggest concern with those that feel everyone has a right to
> fight and often end up passing peoples authorizations even if they posses
> no
> skill.  they are set up for disappointment and failure by those training
> them.  recently there was a topic on the armourarchive about this and i
> wrote:
>
>
>
> when i run an authorization i am looking for a few specific things.
>
> are they familiar with the rules of the list. in other words, can they
> answer a few basic questions like legal target areas, proper engagement
> methods, target zones and their effect (mass weapon strikes here compared
> to
> a non mass weapon, what happens). if not, they fail.
>
> then i look at their armour. does it fit them properly. does it cover what
> is required. does it meet our appearance standards. if its a fit issue i
> suggest ways they can fix it and then ask them to come back when they do.
> if
> its an appearance issue i suggest ways they can fix it and ask them to come
> back when they do. otherwise, they fail.
>
> now if we get this far we move on to the actual fight.
>
> can they throw a telling blow. does it look like they possess the technique
> to deliver a stout blow. does their opponent feel like they have been
> struck
> with several good blows. if they cant throw a telling blow they fail. to
> send them out with a "stamp of approval" only to have them face the
> embarrassment and self doubt caused by never being able to hit someone hard
> enough is a dis-service to the extreme. this is why i see so many new
> fighters give up, well that and while they were being "trained" they never
> received any stout blows and when they enter a tourney and get hit with
> power for the first time they are not prepared for it and they begin to
> doubt the sport. its best to ease them into the power game slowly while
> they
> train.
>
> can they control their weapon. this one is simple. second low blow receives
> a warning, third one is a failure. there is no way anyone with competence
> would throw three low blows in four minutes worth of fighting. if the
> fighter isnt competent he doesnt get authorized.
>
> you simply cannot test someone for safety during an authorization. you have
> no way of predicting how they will act once they are in a real fight, much
> less a melee. i also have the one testing them, or myself if im fighting
> their authorization, hit them at least once with tonnage. this gives us a
> realistic idea of their mentality in armour as well as giving them a real
> understanding of what could happen. if they have been trained properly
> nothing happens at all. ive had a lot of fighters get real big eyes after
> feeling an upper force level blow for the first time. the look of comfort
> and confidence when you tell them "thats probably the hardest you will ever
> be hit in this sport and that level is rare" proves to me that its the
> right
> thing to do. they must feel protected by their armour or else you set them
> up for failing in the future.
>
>
>
>  i think its better to one shot the guy and then pull him aside and work
> with him to improve his skill.  that action could have a bad effect and
> cause the new fighter to give up (although im not aware of that ever
> happening).  if so i would opine that his heart wasnt in the right place to
> begin with.  thats why i feel its so important to work with new fighters on
> their mentality first and foremost, then their kit, then their skill.  my
> general experience has been that a new fighter coming to practice every
> week
> should be doing one to two events a month and from first practice to the
> day
> of authorization should be at least 4 months or so.  at least on average.
>
> regards
> logan
>
>
>
> "I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was
> hell."
> Harry S Truman
>
> "If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his
> vengeance need not be feared"
> Niccolo Machiavelli
>
> For your amouring needs please visit:
> www.ebonwoulfe.com/armory.htm
>
> www.ebonwoulfe.com <http://www.ebonwoulfe.com/>
>
> For worldwide listings of fighter practices please visit:
> www.fighterpractice.com
>
>
>
> From: jbrmm266 at aol.com [mailto:jbrmm266 at aol.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 10:03 AM
> To: online2much at cox.net; logan at ebonwoulfe.com
> Subject: Re: [MR] That was then, this is now
>
>
>
> I've been on both sides of some  "Lay on!"
>
>
>
> *Thwack*
>
>
>
> "And the victor is . . ." encounters, and neither felt that I'd been
> cheated
> nor that I cheated anyone.  When the opportunity to score a hit presents
> itself, I take it and I expect my opponent to do the same.
>
>
>
> However, once in a (very great) while . . .
>
>
>
> At one tourney I attended years ago, I invited another fighter to trade a
> few blows before the tourney started, as a warm-up  The guy was hopeless; I
> wonder in retrospect how he passed authorization - but this was many years
> ago. He did tell me that this was the first tourney he had attended since
> authorizing.  Anyway, having loosened up a bit with his aid, I thanked him
> and awaited the beginning of the tourney.
>
>
>
> The Marshal announced that the first round would be by challenges, and
> darned if the fellow up with whom I had warmed didn't challenge me.  I knew
> I could one-shot him with the mildest feint, but I didn't want his first
> tourney to end quite that quickly; so I kept up my defense and threw a few
> blows I was pretty sure he could block, and he did.  After a minute or so,
> I
> then uncorked a full-speed shot that clocked him.
>
>
>
> To an experienced observer it was pretty obvious what I had done, several
> people remarked about it to me.  Someone suggested that he might've been
> setting me up in the warmup.  I had not relaxed my defense, only my attack.
> Some agreed that what I had done was good and charitable, others said I
> shoulda just one-shotted him.  I felt that I did right cutting him just a
> little slack.
>
>
>
> I guess that's an old-school thing.  I wonder what the larger company would
> have to say about such a course of action.
>
>
>
> Your servant aye
>
> Donal
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Terri Morgan <online2much at cox.net>
> To: 'logan' <>; 'Merry Rose' <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
> Sent: Wed, Sep 30, 2009 9:41 am
> Subject: Re: [MR] That was then, this is now
>
> I agree that the Society has become more historically-accurate in many
> arenas, Logan, but we'll have to disagree on what has changed about the way
> things are done on the field.
>
> Don't get me wrong - it's your game and not mine. I don't play it. I no
> longer have any interest in it (beyond cheering on those few I know who
> still fight). I simply gave my opinion on what I was seeing over the course
> of a long membership.
>
>
> Hrothny
>
>
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-- 
In Service to the Dream,

Brian C. Bertrand
SKA-Bertran de Saint Jean

Cross-sectional studies show that 100% of Russian Roulette players surveyed
had suffered no ill effects from participation.

More conservative longitudinal studies indicate the same, although it should
be noted that these studies had a high attrition rate, with 16% of
respondants being unavailable for the follow-up survey.

"It is by will alone that I set my mind in motion...it is by the power of
caffeine that the thought acquired speed...the hands develop shakes, the
shakes serve as a warning...it is by will alone that I set my mind in
motion."
-Morning Mantra