Best Unbelts

[Cedric Adolphus]

I think this list would be sorely remiss without Captain Cecil DeTourleonne

[Mansur]

Well, our two best Caidan unbelts were just offered knighthood this past weekend (Asa, Athaneric)...

I'd say the top of the list now looks like (no particular order):

Alexander Aethelwulf
Thorin O'Shedgha
Gunther of Orkney
Peligon of Pithia
Gaius Furious Marius
Sechequr Qara
Feia of Amber Moon
Mikhail of the Kuma
Ian the Red

[Blaine de Navarre]

I'd add Kiena the Blue to that list for Caid.

[Sveyn]

In An Tir, I think such a list would have to begin with Viscount William Jeffery the Rogue. He clearly fights at a peer level in both tournaments and wars, is more capable than the majority of knights with several weapon forms, and works very hard for the group off the field, too. That he remains unbelted is a matter of no small controversy...so the less I say about that the better.

My awareness doesn't extend much north of Stromgard, but for Rivers & Summits, Geoffrey seems to be consistently present in late rounds combined with proficiency in a variety of forms... he was always a fun fight for me, and seems to have improved since I've been hibernating.

While I can't attach names, An Tir also has a cool 'critical mass' phenomenon in the Van/Sea/Tac area, where the density of belted fighters creates a pretty high proficiency in the unbelts. I don't ever recall facing someone from that part of the kingdom and not feeling I had to be absolutely top of my game (which in the early 90s was good enough to be one of two non-Dukes left in the waning rounds of an old style Egil's list; these days, I'm dogmeat at a three person Shire practice.)

[Lorccan]

I think that's a pretty solid list for Caid.

I haven't been here in Gleann Abhann long, so I certainly don't know all the Kingdom's strong fighters well, belted or no. However, I think the following are certainly gentles worth watching out for on the tourney field:
Settimio d'Olivio
Gellir Gunnarson
Mika'il al-Rashid (also known as 'Dex')

[dukelogan]

i would add dietrich von stroheim and matthew of battle to that list.

regards
logan

No idea about the East.

Keeping in mind I've had some wine tonight and I'm certainly forgetting some great people.

Atlantia:

Brother Amos (Caer Mear/Richmond VA)
Lucas Von Aych [misspelled, I'm sure] (NoVA)
Adilric something something (Central VA)
Baron Shawn/Sean of Black Spear (NoVA)
William Shoprat (NoVa)
Joscelyn (NoVA)

I'll immodestly rank my squire Philip ap Griffith among those above as well.

There are others, but they're from way down south and you won't run into them if you're hanging north.

If your travels take you near Charlottesville on Thursdays, we have a nice teaching practice here with 2 solid unbelts and one sneaky bastard of an old knight.

[dukelogan]

very nice angles and body switches but someone has got to teach me how to throw a shot with any real power without my hand ever coming any further back than 12" from in front of my shield. unless, perhaps, they were doing some weird anything that makes contact kind of pick ups.

regards
logan

It's from 2009, but this is what I found of Duke Alric.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-LA7yCv4UE

[Gwain Ivorsson]

He is a Tennis Pro and hits a lot harder than you think.

[dukelogan]

i assumed so since ive unfortunatly been exposed to the rare culture that thinks a real sword would do damage enough to stop a fight with a short flicky shot and he comes from a culture that, i think, plays our sport in the 90% norm. ive also fought sean, maybe both of them, and have no memory of light flicky blows even being attempted. that girly man duke alaric (of atlantia now back in atlantia) has some tennis background and while being a wee little half-man can throw a pretty stout blow and he has some tennis in his background.

i can throw hard blows. i can throw them suprisingly slow. im really just having a hard time throwing hard blows in short distance with speed. i know its fucked up but i can throw a hard blow very short if i throw it slowly. its the fast and short with real power that im just unable to find.


regards
logan

He is a Tennis Pro and hits a lot harder than you think.

[St. George]

He is a Tennis Pro and hits a lot harder than you think.

I was a semi-pro tennis player. Are you sure you aren't confusing that about the two of us? I know our names are similar.

As a tennis player (and one who has been playing tennis twice as long as Alric has been a live, and fighting close to as long as he's been alive), with a similar build, and body style, and name apparently, I know exactly the shots he is using (he fights more than a lot like me), they are not that hard.

g-

[Gwain Ivorsson]

I am sure, He is my Bengal Brother. I think the thing he has on his side is his youth, he is still in his early 20's. I know I can't throw like that anymore, but I am in my 40's now. I had to re-learn how to fight due to the punishment my body has taken over the years. (not just sca) For me, I do not play sca the way I would really fight, only because I want to be doing this 20 years down the road. For me, I think it is a fair ballance for the sake of having fun.

The other thing - they are friends and this is just pick-ups. I think there is better footage of him fighting in tounaments.

At the end of the day he has still won 3 Crown tournaments as an unbelted fighter, where I have not been able to one yet. I have fought the same people he has beaten in Crown, they are good fighters, so I respect what he has done.

[St. George]

Then I am sure those shots are about as hard as they look. Medium.

If you used the same form and mechanics he does you probably can throw closer to that fast than not.

There is a lot of good flow, and allowance for speed in this style, but the shots are tip fast. F=ma is good, but they don't hit with the authority of some other kind of blows, especially those that are driven with core muscles and hit closer to the basket hilt.

I say this from experience and having to do the same he's doing, raining down a lot of blows until something gets through and clean and lands good.

Here's some video of me fighting- you may see some similarities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bVatSijO-A

g-

[bigfredb]

To the Caidan list, I would also include Lorccan hua Conchobair.

[Blaine de Navarre]

I would agree, except that Lorccan has left Caid (hopefully to return).

[bigfredb]

When It comes to the great loop of knowledge . . . I guess I wasn't within it on this one.

All I know with Lorccan, don't take his sword arm . . . it doesn't give you an advantage!!

Blaine, you and I will be there soon!!

[Gunthar]

Top non-belts in Ansteorra right now seem to be: Ld. Sven Randalsson, Centurion Evangelos, Baron Alejandro, Mace Longsword. I'm sure there are others who are easily in that level but that's the names I come with immediately to mind.

[DarkApprentice]

Top non-belts in Ansteorra right now seem to be: Ld. Sven Randalsson, Centurion Evangelos, Baron Alejandro, Mace Longsword. I'm sure there are others who are easily in that level but that's the names I come with immediately to mind.

Mace Longsword??????????

OMG!OMG!OMG!!! Is that really a dude's name?

DA

[SirCathal]

Yes DA ... he was a young Kid from Ampguard that is transitioning over to SCA Combat. Fights mostly sword and Madu and is REALLY good with that weapon style. He is probably one of the best in Ampguard in the Texas area with that style. He showed up at Steppes Warlord (the biggest tourney in Ansteorra) a couple weeks ago and one shotted one of our Dukes on his way to a sterling record in the tourney that day. He made it to the bow out round and was smart enough to know he wasnt ready to be a champion yet. Hes a great kid with a lot of potential. He just needs to learn how to "play SCA".

[Gunthar]

We're working to civilize him.....

[Tailoress]

Sascha St Martin

Y'all haven't knighted Sascha yet?!?!?

Word to that question! I don't even know the guy, but I've seen videos of him fighting and he makes whoopin' ass look easy... always a sign of a great fighter.

[Kiena]

I'd add Kiena the Blue to that list for Caid.

Hey Blaine, I'm flattered to be considered on the list with the others mentioned.

[zippy]

I do like the name 'Mace Longsword' it does have a certain flair

[maxntropy]

Atlantia:

Brother Amos (Caer Mear/Richmond VA)
Lucas Von Aych [misspelled, I'm sure] (NoVA)
Adilric something something (Central VA)
Baron Shawn/Sean of Black Spear (NoVA)
William Shoprat (NoVa)
Joscelyn (NoVA)

Sigh. Feeling ever more strongly the sting of relatively recent expatriation (and missing my comrades).

Max VH (a twice-former Atlantian Unbelt)

[Adalric the Frank]

Sascha St Martin

Y'all haven't knighted Sascha yet?!?!?

Word to that question! I don't even know the guy, but I've seen videos of him fighting and he makes whoopin' ass look easy... always a sign of a great fighter.

Sascha is a stud on the field and a hell of a good guy to boot.

[Nissan Maxima]

Gotta be a dead girl or a live boy.

[Blaine de Navarre]

Maybe he pissed on someone's tent...

[Cedric Adolphus]

Michael Phocas of the Meridies, squire to Duke Maximillian

[Oscad]

He made it to the bow out round and ...

What is a 'bow out' round??

[wilmot]

"I do like the name 'Mace Longsword' it does have a certain flair"
It has that 70's Porno Name kind of flair like he would have been in such films as Castle Erotica 13 and Barely Legal Wenches 11

Ronald

[Gunthar]

What is a 'bow out' round??

In some events we have a round, usually around the quarter finals, where competitors
can re-think their entrance in the list and bow out without having to lose. Then only
entrants wishing to win may continue.

No, I am not a fan of it.

Mace was asked by the King, and current Warlord, to withdraw as he didn't feel Mace would
be able to handle the duties should he win.

On the topic of his..urm..interesting...name. One of the heralds in the tournament has a slight lisp
and we heard him announced as "Mace Longwood". Talk about porn names. And him standing there
with a madu in his hand didn't help.

[AndreasMorgan]

Hmmm. No list for Aethelmearc here yet? Lots of good unbelts here but a few that need mentioned would be THL Gabriel Hawkes and THL Gareth Kincaid as well as THL Havoc the Wild and THL Georg(dammit forget the rest of his name but I watched him the other week and he's really on the game).

Cheers,
Andreas

[HauoctheWild]

You must be referring to my squire brother THL Georg Eisenfaust.

Havoc

[AndreasMorgan]

Yup that's him. I haven't gottem to meet him personally but I've seen some of his crown fights and some of his fights at WP the other week and he's definitely no slouch with a stick.

andreas

[dukedrake]

OK...OK... I will admit the blame for this name.

I was doing the authorizations on him and Sven Randallson and they literally did not have SCA names. Sven at least knew what persona (Norse) he wanted so I just asked him his father's name (Randal) and found an SCA name near his real name. Thus was Sven Randallson born.

Sooooo... the second foam-fighter also needed some sort of name for his card and he had no idea about what he wanted, etc... Years before I used an alternate persona named "Mace Longsword"...mainly to get away with goofy crap. Anyway, I will justify it by saying it is actually documentable! I actually think that is the second-funniest part of the story. The funniest part of the story is that this guy has gotten REALLY good! I kill me....

[Ketill]

I think Snorri Snafari Bjornson and Thorbjorn Ulfsson are near the top of the list as well.

Well, our two best Caidan unbelts were just offered knighthood this past weekend (Asa, Athaneric)...

I'd say the top of the list now looks like (no particular order):

Alexander Aethelwulf
Thorin O'Shedgha
Gunther of Orkney
Peligon of Pithia
Gaius Furious Marius
Sechequr Qara
Feia of Amber Moon
Mikhail of the Kuma
Ian the Red