Vespers Tournament Rules

Given that there doesn’t seem to be a historical form of the tournament whose objective was to highlight specific bodies of [historical] technique, the Schola Saint George has decided to hold a vespers tournament on Friday evening, June 6^th, 2003, starting at 7pm.

The tournament’s objective is to retain the feel of a medieval feat of arms while encouraging historical technique, using the feat of arms as a testing mechanism and as preparation for the experience of a full pas d’armes.

We are selecting the form of the "Vespers" tournament specifically because in the 13th and 14th centuries, the Vespers Tournament was held as a way for the knights to evaluate the squires and knights bachelor in terms of their prowess--and very possibly for their character as well. We believe that this tournament should also stand as a test of character and prowess. Unfortunately, there is no historical tournament form that was built around historical technique per se, so we are bound to compromise.

As such, the form of the tournament will differ from the pas d’armes to take place on Saturday afternoon, though it will retain the pas d’armes “challenge” format, the tenans on one side the venans (comers) on the other. Each side will have the opportunity to challenge the other and the feat will be opened by exhibition bouts to set both tone and expectation for all combatants.

Rules

1. All combatants will enter the lists intending to compete with their fellow combatants as friendly compagnos, agreeing that the purpose of the tournament is to provide a venue where historical technique might be displayed and tested.

2. Combatants are expected to behave in a chivalrous and courteous manner at all times, regardless of circumstance.

3. Combatants who are judged to break the spirit or letter of these rules may removed by the Diseurs or Marshals at any time.

4.  All combatants are responsible for the safety of themselves and their opponents at all times.

5.  Assumed Armour: Combatants are assumed to be wearing a linen gambeson and light gloves, plus medieval clothing for the purposes of blow acknowledgement.

6.  Winning a Fight: Really, you haven't won unless you've earned renown through a combination of prowess, recognizeable historical technique, and courtesy. But the fight has to end sometime!

    Fights shall go to "7" accumulated points. NOTE: The diseurs may elect to award points won in a strong finish beyond 7, so it is in the combatant’s best interest to finish with the strongest attack possible. 

a.    Punte (thrusts):

                    i.   Punte to the face or neck shall count as 4 points

                    ii.   Punte to the head, body or groin shall count as 3 points

                    iii.   Punte to the limbs shall count as 2 points

b.   Colpi (blows) (A full cut, not a touch)

                     i.   Colpi to the head, face or neck shall count as 4 points

                     ii.   Colpi to the body or groin shall count as 3 points

                     iii.   Colpi to the limbs shall count as 2 points

                     iv.    Slashes (light cuts, or all cuts with the daga) shall only score 1 point.

7.  Blow Delivery: Punte and colpi both shall be delivered such that the blow lands without much force, but with strong potential energy. Mere “touches” are insufficient to score points.

8.  Combatants must pull their blows to avoid causing injuries to their opponents. Failure to pull blows will result in one warning from the Diseurs, then the fight is forfeit. Any instances in follow-on fights and the combatant is to be automatically removed from the tournament.

9.  Blow Acknowledgement: Combatants will call their own blows, though they must exercise extreme caution and have a care not to over-armour themselves so that they do not feel pulled attacks.

a.  Each Diseur will have a Red Flag that they should raise whenever they see an attack they believe has landed and not been acknowledged. If two diseurs believe a blow landed, and the attacker does not disagree, then the attack will be judged to have succeeded and as a penalty, 1 extra point awarded.

b.  Combatants with steel gauntlets should be especially careful with attacks to the hands, which are hard to feel.

10.  Grappling: Limited grappling will be allowed, if both combatants wish and are so authorized by their instructors.

a.   Disarms: Any part of either combatants’ weapon may be grasped at any time. Therefore, disarms are not only legal, but encouraged.

                  i.    A disarm adds 2 extra points to the victor.

                  ii.   A disarmed fight DOES NOT STOP unless the combatant executing the bind elects to allow the defender to rearm himself.

                  iii.  SPECIAL: An opponent struck with his own weapon just taken away must yield the fight as completely defeated.

b.  Binds: Binds may be applied to the wrist, elbow, or shoulder, using the hands, arms, body or weapon. 

                   i.   The combatant executing the bind is responsible for the safety of the bind. If an action cannot be done with an assurance of safety, it should not be done.

                  ii.    As soon as a combatant as achieved control with a bind, the defender must acknowledge it. Both combatats should stay in position, if possible.

                  iii.   Failure to acknowledge or to break at the command of the diseurs will result in immediate and automatic expulsion from the lists, as will ANY encroachment on safety in or near a bind.

                 iv.    In the event of a dispute over whether a bind has been achieved, combatants shall cry “hold!” and the diseurs will render a judgment.

                 v.    Binds count as 5 points. Following a successful bind, when the flow of the fight has ceased, the combatants must break and start anew, if there are points remaining.

c.  Throws: Throws may only be executed by setting up the throw and calling, “hold!” Both combatants must freeze, and the judges will determine if a throw would have possibly been successful. 

                 i.     Senior combatants may elect to lower one another to the ground if their opponent’s agree before the start of the fight and if both combatants are experienced in grappling/throwing. This ability must be acknowledged by the Diseurs before the start of the tournament.

                 ii.   Throws or potential throws count as 5 points.

    11.  Weapons for the tournament will be the daga and longsword. The Schola Saint George will provide weapons. Combatants may provide their own if they adhere to the following standard models.

a.  The use of aluminum longsword simulators will be strongly encouraged. They must be of the type offered for sale by Darkwood Armory, David Baker, or Valentine Armory. Aluminum weapons not made by one of these three sources must receive a waiver from the Diseurs.

b.  Shinai-based longsword simulators of the type designed by the Chicago Swordplay Guild may be used as an alternate, and they must be used for combatants who do not possess the proper helmet for use with the aluminum variety. Click here to see how these weapons are made. NOTE: Round shinai are not considered to be an acceptable alternative because there is no distinction between edge and flat. Similarly, the weapon must be recognizable as a Western European longsword form dating from the 14^th – 16^th centuries.

c.  For the dagger, the Purpleheart Armory (http://www.woodenswords.com) style of rondel dagger is the standard. Simulators varying from Purpleheart’s parameters must be approved in advance by the Diseurs.

12.  Passes

        a.   First Pass: Combatants fight to 7 with the longsword

b.   Second Pass: Combatants fight to 7 with the daga

c.   Third Pass: Combatants fight to 5 with the longsword

d.   Fourth Pass: Combatants fight to 3 with the longsword or daga

e.   Fifth Pass—by invitation only, fought to “satisfaction”

13.  Winning the Tournament

    You win the tournament if you did well with respect to technique, comportment, courage, balance and mental approach; these things will impress the diseurs and your fellow combatants, earning you renown, which is the real coin of the tournament. On the flip side, a poor attitude, too much ego invested, insincerity or poor technique will earn infamy for the combatant and for the group of their affiliation.

     The overall tournament victor will be determined by the Diseurs, and will recognize combatants that did something particulary noteworthy in order to foster their renown in the HMA community.

14. Diseurs: The tournament will be governed by Diseurs (judges), who will grade the combatants’ performance, flag missed blows, fight in the exibition bouts and in the invitational tests.

a. Each diseur will score each combatant in each fight, awarding points in various categories, including visible historical technique, tactical sense, courage, and comportment. 

b. Overall scores will be posted Saturday morning; detail sheets will be available to each combatant individually so that they can check their progress in key areas and select areas to work on.

c. The diseurs will fight in the Invitational round to better evaluate the strongest combatants.

15.We have chosen an armour standard to allow as many people as possible to participate, while at the same time strongly encouraging equipment that dates from the same period as the techniques themselves:

        a.    Head

                     i.  NOTE: In order to participate using the aluminum simulators, the combatants’ head defense must not offer any openings into which a sword-blade could easily penetrate. This specifically includes visor oculars, which must be of the “segmented” or pierced design such that a blade cannot enter the eye area.

                  ii.    Helmet: Use of a recognizable medieval-form helmet is strongly preferred. Helmets with an SCA-style grille are considered to be legal and may be used, though not with the aluminum simulators. The combatants neck must be strongly defended against thrusts (punta) in particular; the preferred defense for the throat is to consist of a bevor or aventail backed by a gorget. 

                   iii.  Fencing Mask: Alternatively, combatants may wear stout fencing masks, though they must offer additional protection sufficient to keep a moderate stop-thrust from penetrating to the neck. The back of the head and the neck must be covered for combat with the aluminum simulators.

b. Gorgets: All combatants shall wear a gorget or equivalent defense that insures no weapon penetration to the neck area under normal fighting circumstances.

c.  Gambeson: The preferred defense for the body shall be a padded coat known as an aketon, arming coat, or gambeson. Women should also wear breast-protection. Recently, gambeson (and matching coifs) have been made available by Revival Clothing (http://www.revivalclothing.com).

d. Groin: We require that the groin shall be defended by an athletic cup for men and the equivalent defense for women.

e. Hands: We encourage the use of medieval finger-gauntlets, although combatants who wish to wear mitten-form gauntlets are certainly welcome to. Field hockey gloves or their equivalent may also be worn.

f.  Clothing: We strongly encourage to set the context for their fighting by wearing clothing of the period they intend to practice and by designing their armour around the same period. Medieval shoes are also encouraged, though not required.