Shinai in Ansteorra

[Randy Shipp]

It was written:

> >> I think mixing SCA heavy combat and modern adaptations of period fighting
> >> styles would be a very bad idea, too many variables. However I cannot see
> >> why A Martial ART could not be nadled under the Minister of ARTS and
> >> sciences..
> >
> >Because it's not a martial art of western Europe during the Middle Ages
> >and Rennaissance?
> 
> It is however an art of a culture which did come in contact with western
> europe during the middle ages.

Well, there is an entire thread (probably scores of them) which debates 
this very distinction.  Suffice it to say that I'm NOT one of the people 
who thinks that seven or so Japanese postulants is evidence of a 
significant Japanese influence on European culture in our period.  
Further, I'd be interested in knowing whether the martial art upon which 
shinai fighting is based is even contemporary with that extremely 
tangential contact with Japanese culture.  

If mere contact with a culture qualifies it for inclusion in our 
recreation, then I'm glad I don't do later reenactment.  The world got 
substantially smaller, and I guess that means the number of categories 
into which you can divide recreation groups did also.  

> >> >The Don doesn't fit the Medieval model and trying to meld the two is what
> >> >is causing the friction.
> >>
> >> Hell most of the lunks in spurs we got running around here don't aproximate
> >> a medieval model in clothing, style and especially attitude.
> >
> >Something about two wrongs not making a right comes to mind.  One leak in
> >the hull is not an excuse to start bucketing water into the boat.  Common
> >sense demands an effort to fix small problems instead of resigning
> >ourselves to drowning.
> 
> It isn't a "small problem" I think it is an overal trait of the society, if
> we can accept it in our peerage why should it bother us anywhere else?

I don't think I advocated accepting it.  I think our peers should be 
examples of the ideals of the Society.  In my opinion, those ideals 
should include (among other things) periodicity in Western Europe from 
the Dark Ages to 1600.

In Service,

Antoine D'Aubernoun
mka Randy Shipp
rshipp at dale.hsc.unt.edu