[Ponte Alto] Demos...

[Kevin Maxson]

Charlotte Johnson wrote:

> I'm basing my comments off of numerous discussions that 
I've witnessed, by SCA fighters and others that *in 
general*, SCA combat is a sport, and not a recreation of a 
medieval activity, though there are certainly exceptions to 
this rule.

Lalalala… I can’t *hear* you.  I’ve fought people who 
restricted their movements and blows to historically 
documented examples, and they lose miserably.  What’s 
documented doesn’t work well against our conventions, and 
they’re not allowed to grapple with me or hit me with their 
quillons like a hammer.  So ok, we recreate what we can.  
Proposals to modify our combat to be more in line with 
period practices while still satisfying 21st century safety 
and a litigious modern society are best left discussed to 
another place and time.  ;-)

Scott Cozad wrote:

> What I wanted to do was demonstrate historical combat 
techniques with the long sword. I had planned on doing this 
with slow work. By that I mean slow and controlled 
movements with the wasters.

I would love to do a demo like this.  I have a complement 
of wooden long sword, short sword and roundel dagger.  I’ve 
had exactly one class on Fiore dei Liberi, and I loved it.  
I wouldn’t mind playing with it again.

And Scott – I don’t have a problem with a child wanting to 
hold a practice sword, so long as they don’t try to assume 
an aggressive posture with it.  Perhaps I’m naïve?  Placing 
one’s hands upon an object (within reason) sparks the 
imagination.

Belphoebe wrote:

> Therefore, "SCA related" would refer to our mission of 
educating people in the history of the Middle Ages and 
Renaissance and not necessarily in SCA life. And a demo on 
period fighting, when done properly, will be not only SCA 
related but also safe. 

Your Excellency, I’d love to believe this, but that’s not 
what the note we got said.  Granted, Dame Anne had this 
information third hand and not a lot of context to work 
with.  Neither she nor anyone else is trying to curb our 
fun – and I think we all understand that.  It’s best to get 
these things straight beforehand though, so that making 
assumptions upsets no one.

I agree that this kind of demo, as a stop action – “I place 
my hands here, he moves thusly and now look, I can take his 
sword away by rotating it around my hilt” – would be 
perfectly acceptable.  But now that the can of works is 
open, it’s best to get it all out before actually 
performing such demonstration.

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