These rules are drawn from the older sets we used when holding tournaments in the larger WMA Symposia, and as a rule they worked well.
As of JUNE 2010, these are WORKING RULES to be refined over the course of the next year.
Please make comments so that we can refine and publish these rules long in advance of the 2011 tourney season!
Item, Chivalry: All combatants are to be governed under the rules and expectations regarding chivalric combat at all times. This is not to say that combats will become in any way "soft," but that the armour, experience and situation of the opponent be held in consideration at all times. All opponents will be treated with the utmost respect for their personal safety and renown.
Item, Safety: The second rule governing all combats is that concerns of safety shall rank high in the decision-making of all combatants. No action should be attempted if significant risk is perceived. All combats should take place at the level of the least qualified student in the fighting pair (i.e., yellow v. purple will be done at the expectations for a compagno, a yellow-belted combatant).
NEW Item, Appropriate Force: To be legitimate, a blow must be powered with the body (unless discomfiting, in which case it should be immediately followed with a powered blow). Excessive blows are those which cause more than bruising and an effort should be made to avoid them by taking into account the defensive armour of the opponent. If a blow typically destroys the simulator in use, it is probably excessive for that kind of simulator (and equivalent protection).
Item, Blow Acknolwedgement/"points": All combatants are responsible for calling their own blows. Judges, magistri, instructors or marshals may be called upon in specific scenarios to offer advice or assessment. All combatants should give their opponent the benefit of the doubt when calling and giving blows. During fights "to satisfaction," all blows should be called out during the fight to communicate martial awareness and to correctly attribute credit and renown to the opponent. Fights "to satisfaction" shall only be attempted by combatants qualified or recognized at the scolaro maggiore (purple) level and above.
Item, Necessary Equipment: In general, the armour and arming clothes are the choice of the combatant, and it is the combatant's responsibility to see that all is in good repair and that such equipment is suitable for the chosen form(s) of combat. Stricter standards may be imposed at the direction of the Schola Marshal or the Tournament Sponsor. The Schola Marshal or his representative has final say in all safety matters.
Item, Equipment Authenticity: Armour, arming clothing, and footwear must be within the standards of authenticity current for Schola participation. Elements which are not obviously authentic should be hidden.
Item, Belts & Qualifications: Students entering into sparring earn qualifications that enable increasing contact according to demonstrated knowledge through the promotion system. Fights are always fought at the level of the lowest belt (i.e, a yellow meeting a purple is fought at the qualification level of the yellow, not the purple). In general, combatants below purple are restricted to zogho largo (long play). Guests may be recognized by the instructors and tournament sponors with temporary qualifications denoted by colored ribbons.
Item, Zogho Largo Combats: Students not yet qualified or recognized in zogho stretto (close play) may only fight without grappling. Prese or grips against the weapons are certainly allowed, as are open hand presses against the opponent, but no points may be scored using open hand techniques. Disarms shall count for points (either single or double, tournament sponsor's decision). Thus, beginning students will not have to face grappling and cannot score points merely for "rushing in," if points are available in a given form of combat.
Item, Zogho Stretto Combats: Students who have been qualified or recognized at the first level of zogho stretto (scolaro maggiore, purple), may make grips or prese against their opponent, but may not complete locks or throws. No points are offered at this level for such prese or throws. Students who have been qualified or recognized at the second level of zogho stretto (primo scolaro, red), may score points for such actions and may complete locks and throws using discretion, if such throws may be done safely.
Item, Grappling: "Grappling" is defined as more than open-hand contact against the opponent's body. It is allowed only for combatants graded or recognized as scolari maggiore (purple) or above. Prese against the weapon are not considered grappling, but throws are.
Item, Guests Magistri and Instruttore may sponsor a non-SSG combatant, who may be temporarily recocognized as qualified at a given level of expertise, with the concurrance of other magistri and instruttore present.
Item, Privilege: Magistri and Instruttore may, at their discretion, waive the above rules in a particular instance, again with the concurrence of other magistri and instruttore present.
Proposed Equipment Minimums
Item, Daga: Eye protection is a minimum. Padded gloves, a wrestling jacket or equivalent and groin protection is recommended.
Item, Shinai/Light Composite (including SSG lanza): Combatants should in general be equipped with an athletic cup, knee and elbow pads, a fencing mask, soft gorget, and padded gloves. A gambeson/zuparello, sternum protection, fingered gauntlets, and rigid defenses for the joints are recommended.
Item, Rattan/Heavy Composite (including SSG poleaxe): Combatants should be mostly armoured, including an athletic cup, rigid protection over the knees and elbows, finger or mitten gauntlets, gambeson, sternum and kidney protection, a gorget (or aventail equivalent). The head must be protected by a helmet (14ga or better recommended).
Item, Rebated Steel: Combatants should be protected at a minumum with a heavy zuparello or reinforced mail, helmet with aventail and visor (segmented occularium, pierced or perforated visor required), finger gauntlets or better. Highly recommended are sternum protection, rigid protection at the elbows and knees, greaves.
WEAPONS (current simulators in use)
Daga: Revival rubber daga; wooden wasters or equivalent, rubber knives, Alchem flexidagger, Hanwei flexible dagger blades.
Shinai: Unreinforced shinai plain or with a cross-guard and hilt. The tip should be padded. Reinforced or taped shinai shall come under the Rattan rules.
Light Composite weapons: Experimental Revival compressed fiberglass longswords, Revival Poly "flexible" Zugadore training weapon, Rawlings single- and two handed training weapons.Â
Rattan: Weapons constructed for SCA combats of solid rattan.
Heavy Composite weapons: Cold Steel swords (must have padded tip); Purpleheart Armouries Poly wasters; Revival "Stiff" grade poly Zugadore training swords; Revival poleaxes
Rebated weapons: Trainiing swords by Hanwei, Albion, Arms & Armour, Valiant Arms (Gus Trim), Darkwood
Comments
-"points" refer to counted blows, as most fights are done.
-Actually I think the azza is a much more dangerous weapon than are the rebated blades, except for the sternum, which you rightfully note. The concussive force of the mass in the axe and the tendency of combatants to really smash down on their opponent makes it a far more difficult weapon to control, I think.
Not sure about rebated steel level qualification, but I'd like to think about that more.
A "HEAVY" zuparello is like my leather one, or mail, or the GDFB one, not our regular zuparelli. This provides a significantly higher base level of protection than a gambeson, and my experience has been that it is generally very good protection against rebated blades.
Good comments all--
-the docment uses instructor/inst ruttore use one or the other.
-when talking about rules for largo/stretto it mentions points. Earlier in the document it says combatants adjudicate all blows then it mentions "points". Recommend taking out the term "points".
-Rebated steel has some requirements less than for shinai (ie...sternum protection not mandatory) and much less than azza. Based on experience steel can deliver serious injury. Recommend more protection and only using rebated steel at scholaro maggiore or higher.
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