Ah, okay, I am getting the idea: I haven't defined the question well enough.
I am going to address questions about the proposed customs of combat here, and the other things relating to event administration that InsaneIrish brought up elsewhere.
Okay, here is what prompted my foray into this: Some folks interested in a living history/high fidelity re-enactment/display indicated that they would be interested in doing some sort of combat. I thought that such would be possible, but in essence a new set of expectations about how to go about it ought to be proposed.
I wanted to not limit participants to choreographed or semi-choreographed combats, but at the same time I didn't want to say "Go ahead and bring your duct-taped rattan." It's not that kind of event. So, the general premise that I put forward was that if two combatants were to agree, they could use rebated steel or leather-covered bastons
a'plaisance.
The purpose is to simulate
a'plaisance combats to a set goal, either number of blows struck, or submission--as they were fought in the middle ages from 1300 to 1500. The combats would be overseen by a King of Arms agreeable to each combatant who would have supreme oversight of the combat, to stop it, or to count blows, and to in general officiate. Someone who has some referent power and who knows enough about chivalric combats to understand where these things ought not to go.
As far as I know, no acting out of wounds was done in the middle ages in
a'plaisance combats, and combatants were pretty much free to strike as they pleased, provided the King of Arms did not decide that the combat had "gone to far"--a delightfully vague standard that has nothing to do with modern obsessions with exacting perfection in boundary setting!
Here are my suppositions:
1. There really is no provision in any of the high fidelity re-enactment groups that I know of for any kind of non-cooperative chivalric contests of arms.
A. When rebated steel weapons are used, they are used according to agreed upon principles and strike angles. You can see an example of one such set of rules here:
http://www.wolfeargent.com/cgi-bin/ulti ... 4&t=000019
B. There is very little discussion of the use of baston clubs in chivalric combat, though I heard that they were used at Leeds.
C. Traditional
unmodified SCA rattan combat is not seriously considered. There is considerable cultural resistance to the presence of duct-taped weapons, and to acted out blows among the LH/re-enactment community.
D. There is little or no provision that I am aware of in the WMA community for full speed uncooperative
harnischfechten.
2. Rather than establish "rules" it seems better to establish customs and allow the combatants to utilize existing adaptations of the various existing rulesets as it pleases them both. To be blunt, it is rather probable that those interested in chivalric combat are going to come from the group that does it the most, the SCA, so there is a broad set of already accepted assumptions for them to use as a foundation in their combat. However, rather than have combatants go at their combats from the traditional SCA format assumptions (ie: combatants standing in line waiting for a herald to call their name to the field to participate in a double elimination tournament or bearpit or other commonly used modern solution for moving large amounts of participants in and out of a field), it seemed necessary to suggest these historical observations:
A. Formal Combats (Deeds of Arms) were done between two or more men at arms of the gentry class or up; "Men of Cote." What is this? Two well armored men at arms with personal heraldry depicting at least the esquire class.
B. Deeds of Arms were at least semi-formal affairs with some kind of pre-arrangement, even if it is so little as to say "I think you look at me too directly, meet me upon the field in an hour to satisfy honor." With a smile, of course, in this case, because it is merely a pretense.
C. Men of Cote wear full harness to Deeds of Arms, even
a'plaisance. The armor must be actual armor. There isn't much need to go further, especially among those who understand living history or high fidelity re-enactment. I could define material specifications all day long and someone would find a backdoor--as I will here demonstrate by attempting to provide a road that those who get it will follow to its logical conclusion:
i. All harness worn must provide full body, head, and limb coverage to include shins and hands appropriate to the era of harness depicted and replicate or approximate a harness depicted in iconography (brasses, illustrations, effigies, statuary, or other art). Persons bringing out of the ordinary harness should bring a printed copy of the iconography justifying it for the education of all present.
ii. Steel plate (stainless, mild, or spring), steel mail (stainless, mild, or spring--butted or riveted is equally acceptable), splinted leather defenses, textile armors (cotton, fustian, linen, hemp, or silk), brass, bronze, soft or hardened leather are acceptable materials.
iii. The
addition of modern or ahistorical protective gear
beneath layers of accurately depicted foundation garments or completely hidden by harness is optional at the wearer's discretion (for example a body bracelet for protection of the kidneys and lower vertebrae).
iv. The absence of complete harness hidden by textile shells is not permitted; simulation of complete harness achieved by use of a textile shell or covering garment is not permitted. Use of purely ahistorical torso armor covered by textile shells is not permitted.
v. Modifications of medieval harness made to suit SCA combat conventions is unauthorized: no bargrills, no basket hilts, no shield baskets.
vi. Armor construction techniques which are standard modern practice are acceptable: welded helmet construction, welded cop and poleyn construction, machine riveted mail, machine sewing, are acceptable.
vii. No aluminum, plastic, or titanium shields. No plastic, rubber, or other modern shield edging. Plywood shields are acceptable provided the nature of the material is concealed by leather, cloth, or paint.
viii. Footwear of modern appearance is prohibited. Welt soles are permissible, provided the footwear presents the approximation of medieval footwear existing from 1300AD to 1500AD
D. Blow calling and calibration are un-necessary. Combatants either yield or are stopped from further combat by the King of Arms.
E. Acted out wounds is prohibited and universally considered by medievalists to be ahistorical practice.
F. Falling down will be either due to actual distress or accident, not to simulate "death" or "stunning."
G. Steel weapons will be rebated steel weapons with edges of at least 1mm, clean and without burs, made by a manufacturer acceptable to both combatants. Men at arms desiring to do combat with rebated steel weapons are responsible for determining the acceptability of their desired weapon before expecting that it will be acceptable to their opponent.
H. Wooden weapons will be either wood or rattan bastons made in the fashion suggested by King Rene, covered with thin unhardened leather, to simulate either a mace or a sword. The length of such bastons shall not exceed thirty-six inches in total in any cased.
I. Combatants shall before each contest agree upon what shall be permitted, and not deviate from those permissions given.
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I have addressed a number of points which were brought up but know that some were missed.
Jehan de Pelham, esquire and servant of Sir Vitus
P.S.: Agreed on the "training" aspect. All combatants must discuss agreed upon conventions and practice in harness before the competetive event in order to establish an agreement about how the combat will be conducted.
. Trust me , when I say I don't fit, I realy don't 