[Artemisia] Something to say

[Chad Rapier]

As a "newbie" to this sport, I am inspired to respond to your thoughts not because I disagree but because I wish to provide some dialogue from someone far less seasoned in the sport as yourself. I mean no disrespect to anyone with my comments, so please......let no one waste any time getting their feelings hurt.
 
First, I am glad to hear you are recovering well. I did not see the shot that felled you, but I did see you fall and would not hope that on anyone unless they were merely pretending to die. Then I'd think that person was a really good actor.
 
Second, calibration is perhaps the toughest, most subjective and least "fair" variable a fighter has to figure out. From my experience, a LOT of that has to do with what armor a fighter wears. I have worn my arm out fighting against someone wearing plate, and I legitimately believe that sturdy armor mixed with a little adrenaline caused them to truly not feel my hits. Then my next bout is against a lightweight, quick-moving minimalist wearing little more than a gambeson with a few plastic plates riveted to it that takes a light sneeze from me and calls it a death blow. It’s all incredibly subjective.

No easy answers.

Perhaps in the days when almost everyone was wearing carpet armor, it was easier to be consistent. Now it’s just plain tough, especially when facing an opponent who (like me) covers up all their armor under a tent-sized tunic. A combatant has no idea what he’s up against, or how much power is necessary to be felt, and often (as in round robin tournaments) you only get one shot at the guy so you have to make that first shot land solid because the odds are you will not get a second shot trying to figure out how tough the opponents armor is. The mixture of stainless steel and plastic in my own kit makes two shots with the same power feel COMPLETELY different depending on the location it hits.

Head shots are the one place where we can work on a little consistency because we all have to wear helms and they are roughly the same weight/coverage. But again, if we only throw shots that are “head-safe” in power, will the 15th-century “robo-cop” ever feel it when we hit somewhere else? How many times have any of us thrown a solid shot and found it landing somewhere other than the intended target? How should I feel when I put a solid swing in for a steel breastplate only to find a lightly splinted vambrace got in the way and now the poor fellow has a nasty bruise on the arm and can’t hold his sword for five minutes?

We can’t necessarily make things more “fair” by dividing people out according to armor type, as variety is one of the great spices that makes this game more palatable. I am not sure what the answer is, but you pose a good question that is worth some dialogue.  It’s a fighting sport, so people are going to get hurt. But obviously, too much pain and bodily damage will reduce the number of people that play.............and rob us all of our fun.

Steffenn Vuhs


 

> To: artemisia at lists.gallowglass.org
> Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:03:35 -0400
> From: azirlt at aol.com
> Subject: [Artemisia] Something to say
> 
> 
> My Dear Friends and fellow fighters
> 
> In case any one cares I am doing from my injury at Defenders this past weekend.
> As I sat at home on Sunday and thought about my many years of fighting on both the heavy and the rapier field
> a few things came to me:
> 
> First that I truly love this sport and I love to fight as many of you do.
> 
> And do not worry I do not intend to quit fighting, but the thing that should worry you and it dose worry me.
> Is that we are HITTING WAY TOO HARD!!! I do not need to be knocked down and stunned or knocked out to take a
> blow. God knows and many of you know that I have taken and given my share of hard hits. and a few times I have had to be 
> carried off the field. Luckily the injuries for me have not been server, concussions yes but not career ending.
> 
> Time and time again I hear "well we should be policing ourselves and calling those on the carpet that are hitting with excessive force."
> My question to you is what is excessive force? and what is a good hit and what is too hard. Dose a fighter have to be injured to classify 
> as excessive force? I did not enjoy watching most of the tournament from the side lines. I would of rather be out the with all of you and mixing it up. 
> 
> look at why we feel the need to hit hard. how many times have you heard this "well he wasn't taking any of my shots and so I hit him harder."
> and then that same fighter goes out and hits the next three guys in a row just as hard as the first guy because the first fighter wasn't taking his shots.
> 
> Now he thinks he needs to hit that hard for the fighters to take his shots because no one said anything to him. 
> Is it just easier for us to say nothing then it is to make waves and raise you voice and say enough?
> 
> I am very thankful to have a helmet that I can count on to protect me from serious injury. I was knocked out at Estrella War last year.
> and stunned at Defenders but thankfuly no concussions. I don't thing it would have been the same story with my old helmet.
> But I should not have to rely on my equipment to prevent injury.
> 
> so then I ask all of you what can be done to make the dream we all share and love SAFE again?
> and I ask you all to act and not just talk about. something must be done.
> 
> I am not pointing fingers I am just wanting us all to look at how we play the game.
> 
> In service to the Dream
> Maestro Azir de Lucera 
> 
> 
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