The Armour Archive

jester

Having just reviewed the Marshal's Handbook and the ruling by the SEM on grappling I don't see anything (at the Society level) that prohibits kicking your opponent's shield. Your kindgom laws may, of course, have something to say about this. If you're feeling froggy... Make it a good one, I forsee ...

jester

Having just reviewed the Marshal's Handbook and the ruling by the SEM on grappling I don't see anything (at the Society level) that prohibits kicking your opponent's shield. Your kindgom laws may, of course, have something to say about this. If I was attempting to fight a big shield guy with a buckl...

jester

jester

Are there period manuals with moves specific to falchion, or is it handled just like a 36-39 inch single handed arming sword? There are NO manuals depicting armored combat from the time period the SCA recreates/imitates in our rattan combat (pre-1350 AD). The only period material I am aware of that...

jester

Who ran the classes?

jester

Thanks for your responses guys. This is kinda interesting. In An Tir, it is written right into our conventions of combat. "Do not intentionally strike at the arms of an opponent (arm hunting). The arm is a legal target and it may be struck during the normal course of combat. It is especially vulner...

jester

I think chi is simply a metaphor. Example: consider the bowl of soup metaphor from the Bellatrix article in the Known World Handbook. We imagine that we are performing a simple action (putting a bowl of soup in front of someone) and we end up smacking them with a stick. Chi works in much the same wa...

jester

One of the two fighting events I got to watch. I video-taped the tournament and will attempt to get the footage up on the web sometime soon. It was a pleasure to watch and cleanly fought. I have a couple of thoughts: -We (SCA folk) find it difficult to step away from the SCA style of fighting. Every...

jester

Throw a ball. Seriously. I used to lie on my bed and throw a tennis ball at the wall (aiming for a specific point) and try to catch it with my throwing hand. Play catch with someone. It helps.

jester

so anything that supposes to be plate is? in that world why would anyone wear anything but their proclaimed plate? curious logan If they are concerned about combat archery they probably wouldn't wear anything but. But there are always folks who will wear the minimum armor (and degrees in between) r...

jester

Indications (from Talhoffer, I.33, and other historical documents) are that the buckler was NOT the primary defensive tool; the sword was. The role of the buckler was to protect the sword hand and wrist and to assume control of the opponent's weapon/arm AFTER the sword had already taken control. A p...

jester

armor as worn is a horrible way to go about it. who defines what is and what is not appropriate armor? is plate just a piece of metal or is it of a certain design and thickness? besides, i am one that actually believes that armor was worn for a reason and was not so easily defeated as the ca crowd ...

jester

its far from just knights that loath combat archery in its present form. rather, its that most of those willing to engage in, or at least attempt, conversation happen to be knights. as a knight i must take a stance when i see something that causes problems on the field as part of my responsibility ...

jester

jester said: I think the large number of rivets are a) decorative and b) intended to catch the opponent's weapon. My study of the I.33 manuscript (sword and buckler) currently leads me to believe that the buckler was not used to deflect a sword-blow but to control the blade. It might depend on what...

jester

Okay, in summary, there are two schools of thought on this subject. The first is CA bad. The second is CA okay. The members of the CA bad school tend to advance these arguments: -No matter what you call it, the SCA is engaged in sport. Perhaps an attempt at recreating a medieval sport (baton combat)...

jester

I love the 1-5-6 sequence, using 5 to finish them off if possible. The fechbuch called "Gladitoria" has a dagger parry against dagger exactly like #1. Unfortunately, most of the AEMMA material is offline currently, else I would show you the image directly. #1 is very similar in my mind to the 4th p...

jester

Jester, I believe figure six is indeed a ligadura sottana. The attacker's arm is underneath the defenders, creating a variant of the three forms of the ligadura sottana shown at the end of the section ruled by the third master of dagger who plays against man riversa attacks. The dagger is on top of...

jester

I have corrected the image based on Bob's points, but it doesn't seem to be propogating in the thread. I'll give it some time and then try again. I think the 'inner elbow push' aspect of figure 2 is more important than any subsequent ligadura mezzana that might result. I'm also doubting my character...

jester

Not so "minor" corrections. I did indeed ask, and I thank you very much for them. I fall in love with the material all over again whenever I look at it. The depth of the material is stunning. Figure 5 can be: -A midpoint in the 1-5-6 sequence -A defense against a manriverso attack -The end point of ...

jester

The Full Iron Gate in unarmored dagger vs. dagger. This is an old flowchart that I did a quick update on (since I had to show some of my fellow students a knife technique at our last practice). No footwork, tempo indicators, or movement arrows. It's a discussion reference, not an instructional hando...

jester

You don't speak the knightly language?

jester

jester - as Castellan for our Shire I have no problem announcing, guiding, directing, or whatever the new person to an activity. [removes Castellan badge] However it would be really awkward to say "but it's not an official SCA activity" IMHO that feels like breaking a chivalric code. "The SCA does ...

jester

Fencing and Armoured Combat is an Art & a Science. I agree with your statement, but I don't think that particular strategem will work. While fighting is both an art and a science (with lots of documentation to support this), the SCA draws an artificial distinction between "arts and sciences" activi...

jester

I forgot to ask, did the Kingdom Seneschal give a justification for this policy? She said that she was having problems all over the kingdom where people were complaining that there was too much "control" over events that were at private homes. She said there were several sexual harrassment issues t...

jester

Does any of your kingdoms have a rule that local group fighting practices cannot be held at private homes? What about other local group meetings? Juliana I am not aware of any such rule in the Outlands. I would suggest you seek clarification of the rule from your KEM, if you have not already done s...

jester

To attack while your opponent is in a guard and before he has created a tempo for you to attack in by moving his weapon or body can be suicidal if as you do so you come into distance... Heh. Leave it to the WMA guy to assume we are fighting at a "proper range" where foot movement is needed for an e...

jester

What follows is unsubstantiated theory: I think the large number of rivets are a) decorative and b) intended to catch the opponent's weapon. My study of the I.33 manuscript (sword and buckler) currently leads me to believe that the buckler was not used to deflect a sword-blow but to control the blad...

jester

Gorm: Quite simply, the idea of "war" didn't come about in an attempt to change what we do, but rather because "the Estrella WAR" and "the Pennsic WAR" etc. sound alot more appealing than "the Estrella GRAND MELEE" and "the Pennsic GRAND MELEE". I contest that it was a marketing descision. It just ...

jester

Position is a big part of combat, single or otherwise. When I step onto the list field to face a single opponent I will take every action I can, consistent with safety and the rules, to defeat him. If I manage to get behind him I have rendered him helpless. I could easily strike him but do not for t...

jester

Who does it? Where are you? Do you do it at SCA events or outside the SCA? What do you study? How do you study it? Do you fight? -I do it. -I live in Denver, Coloradl. -I study with the Rocky Mountain Historical Combat Guild. -I study the work of Fiore dei Liberi and the I.33 manuscript. -Most of my...

jester

Second, coming from a kingdom that has repeatedly shut down attempts to start up study groups to look at some of the historical documents relating to medieval martial arts (not fight, study) I've got to say that I haven't seen much of a martial arts interest in the SCA. But that's just me and my bu...

jester

Yep. Sorry, I've been gone a while but all the comments here have rung true. Lord Dork-a-lot wants to be seen as knowledgeable so he "explains" to the crowd. Sir Fighting-is-Great stays on the field fighting until he pukes in his helm, rather than go save the crowd from Lord Dork-a-lot. Scantily cl...

jester

sounds interesting. can you expound on two things you listed so that i may better understand your meaning please? they are: --What is chivalrous behavior? and --Winning vs. Honor regards logan ps working with three brand new to the sca fighters currently and might try this as a loose guideline. The...

jester

Want new fighters? I offer the following suggestion: A training program other than the nobody->man-at-arms->squire system of personal attention. Find three or four experienced fighters. Develop a standard curriculum and a six month schedule for teaching it. Divvy up the days so that no one instructo...

jester

It is for some people, but they tend to be denigrated. We recognize peers because they rise above the mass and do more than their fair share. But a fair number of people seem to feel that if you aren't doing more than your fair share you are slacking. And the definition of 'fair share' varies from a...

Re: (SCA) Falchions

Sword and Buckler Tourney at Pennsic

Re: Figure 6

A dagger play from Fiore

Re: Question: Official Fighting Practices in your Kingdom

Re: Attacks, tempo and distance

[SCA] Studying Historical Combat Documents