Shinai in Ansteorra

[sescott at mail.utexas.edu]

There appears to be a lot of misunderstanding out there about shinai, so
I'll put my two cents in.  Several years ago, I saw shinai in the West and
Atenveldt.  There was also a large shinai war in Tucson which I did not get
to attend.  It is therefore already in the SCA.  Most of the places shinai
is popular do not have rapier fighting as they fill the same need:  a form
of combat which allows smaller or less athletic people to participate, and
which does not require large amounts of money for armour.  In fact, the
armour standards for their shinai and our rapier were identical, with the
single exception that they required padded gorgets.  They even used fencing
masks.  The style seemed to my ignorant eye to be similar to great sword,
but faster.  I have no particular opinion on the subject of its
desirability.

Now to address someone else's views:

>As the charter says, we are to be a primarily Medieval
>European society.  If we start being a forum for any and all martial arts
>anywhere, we 1) dilute peoples attention to the point of apathy and 2) make
>learning and complying with fighting rules a nightmare.
>
>I already see this happening with the introduction of light weapons.  Now
>don't get me wrong.. I don't dislike light weapons.  However, the
>re-creation they bring with them is mostly post-perriod.  I see it in the
>clothing, attitudes and styles.  There's nothing wrong with someone liking
>the Reniassance period, by it seems like that should be another society.
>Why should those of us who do not wish to re-enact Reniassance be forced
>to do so?  Isn't this the crux of the Dons being Peers debate is about?
>The Don doesn't fit the Medieval model and trying to meld the two is what
>is causing the friction.

No one is forcing anyone to re-enact anything that they don't want to.  The
Renaissance is well within SCA period.  Some rapier fighters dress as
Cavaliers (post-period), but most do not.  Many of our weapons are rather
late (cup hilts and mains gauches), for safety reasons, but they did exist
before 1600.  Are you implying that the basket hilts I often see on heavy
weapons are even close to period?   How about carpet armour, soccer shin
guards, helms made from spun pots, and army boots?  Why is 1601 so much
less acceptable than 1995?  I do not care for Cavalier styles, but good
Cavalier is preferable to bad Viking.

The "Dons as Peers" thing has nothing to do with authenticity or
Renaissance ideals, and it is hardly a major concern of most people. The
friction I see comes from other sources.  The medieval model of what?  Who
is trying to meld anything here?

>>
>>Russell
>

Gwenneth