Why I Hate Fencing

[Elisabeth B. Zakes]

dennis grace wrote:
> 
> Ryght hartely welbiloved cosyns, I recoumande me unto yow:
> 
> Lyonel here, and I think my subject line demands some pretty fast
> mitigation.  No, I don't hate fencing.  I don't even hate shinai.  I fenced
> a bit in High School and even studied Kendo for a few years whilst in the
> Navy.  I simply choose not to participate in either activity within Society
> contexts.
> 
> No, the subject line of this letter addresses an attitude I wish to examine,
> not one I wish to promulgate, justify, or claim.
> 
> We in the SCA have long maintained a bizarre tension between fencing and
> heavy fighting.  That tension has kept fencing in the back room, so to
> speak, for many a Societal Anno.  Only about half the SCA Kingdoms currently
> recognize the White Scarf (the rest just roll their collective eyes), a
> factor which I blame for the result that fencers with peerages are about as
> common as three-headed sheep (okay, now, someone ignore the rest of this
> posting and address this one claim--I dare you). 

Okay, you're on.

I can think of a few peers: Master Tivar Moondragon, Master Robin of
Gilwell, Mistress Aethelyan of Moondragon, Sir Galen Nicolli, Sir
Christian Richard Dupre, Sir Simonn of Amber Isle, Sir Sigmund the
Wingfooted, Master Iolo FitzOwen, Sir Kein MacEwan, Sir Mikael of
Monmouthshire, Master Eldric de Charbonneau, Master Aelfred of Chester,
Sir Galen of Bristol.... I'm sure there are others; these are just the
ones I could think of within 60 seconds. :)

Aethelyan