[TY] TYF - Safety, Part 2 (fwd)

[Matthew R. Popalisky]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 16:08:17 -0600 (CST)
From: "David L. Backlin" <dbackli at comp.uark.edu>
To: mrp at engr.uark.edu
Subject: [TY] TYF - Safety, Part 2 (fwd)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 96 20:34:00 GMT 
From: w.colbert2 at genie.com
Reply-To: meridies at web.ce.utk.edu
To: meridies at web.ce.utk.edu
Subject: [TY] TYF - Safety, Part 2

TRIMARIS BROKEN BLADE INCIDENT

Unlike the alleged mask penetration incident, this actually
occurred.  This description of the incident is from Dr. William
Ernoehazy (Don Giovanni di Fiamma).  A full description of Dr.
Ernoehazy's qualifications will be given in the next section:

   "I currently hold a fairly complete report of what happened
   in Trimaris, based on interviews with all local parties
   involved (and most of the regional ones...).

   The chronology of events:

   (a)  Some three weeks prior to KWAR (Known World Academy of
   the Rapier), a new fencer (awaiting authorization) pulls out
   his new rapier, bladed with a fresh-out-of-the-box Triplette
   SCA blade, at a fighter practice that I happened to be in
   attendance at.  3 passes later, it *KINKS* against another
   fellow in practice.  45 degree hard kink, approx. 6" from
   the tip.  As the supervising Marshal/Don at this fighter
   practice, I took the blade from the new fellow, telling him,
   "This blade is No Longer Legal In Trimaris".  I put it back
   in his bag, and we got him another sword with which to
   practice.

   (b)  Being new and ignorant, this fencer returns home, and
   cold-pounds the blade straight with hammer and leather,
   hoping to save money on the cost of a new blade, and gets a
   cosmetically satisfactory result.

   (c)  1 week before KWAR at a fighter practice I was *not* in
   attendance at, the fencer produced this blade for another
   marshal's inspection.  The fencer did say that I had downed
   the blade, because it was "bent'.  Neither the fencer nor
   the marshal used, nor asked, about KINK vs BEND.  (The
   fencer didn't know better, the marshal didn't think to ask
   why IN PARTICULAR the blade failed.)  As the marshal could
   only see a straight blade (not having X-ray crystallography
   in his kit bag), he allowed the blade's use for *practice*
   that day, although he thought using it in competitions would
   be "a bad idea" (his words).

   (d)  Some few minutes later, during a redoubled attack, the
   fencer thrust in reaction against the attacking opponent.
   The blade broke, apparently sharply, at the place it was
   kinked at, and penetrated the opponent's armor.  This armor,
   home made of trigger and duck, is old and not particularly
   appealing to look on.  Several marshals had commented on
   it's looks, and worried about its suitability... but I had
   punch tested it myself, coincidentally, within two weeks
   prior to KWAR.  It passed, everywhere I gigged it.
   Everywhere.

   (e)  Luckily, the opponent's presentation of body caused the
   blade to pass outside the ribs into the pectoral muscles,
   avoiding all the vital organ spaces.  Otherwise, it could
   have been TERRIBLY severe.

   *************
   In my mind, the absolute MINIMUM anyone should take away
   from this is:

   (a)  Destructive marking of failed blades... and about time.

   (b)  Trust your fellow marshals.  If they didn't like a
   piece of armor or equipment, find out EXPLICITLY why BEFORE
   overriding them.

   (c)  New fencers HAVE to be taught that when a Marshal Says
   it, that Settles it... subject, of course, to appeals up the
   chain of command.  But even then, they had better understand
   why the Marshal Said it,if they intend to appeal...

   Cordially,
   Don Giovanni di Fiamma
   Dr. W. S. Ernoehazy, Jr, MD
   Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine"

This is, undoubtedly, a serious incident.  I do not pretend
otherwise, and wish to examine the cause to find a way to prevent
another similar occurrence.  It is the result of a fencer
bringing to the field a weapon that had no business being there.

The cause is identical to another incident which occurred during
the last calendar year, in Your kingdom.  The quote below is from
the November 1995 issue of "Popular Chivalry", and was written by
Sir Robert Glendon of Auk, Your Earl Marshal:

  "The Rules for the List clearly state that live steel shall
   not be present on the fighting field.

   At a recent fighter practice in a western Meridien shire, a
   lapse in this protocol led to serious injury.  The fighter
   in question was an off-duty sheriff who failed to remove a
   concealed back-up pistol from his pants pocket before going
   to fight.  He received a wounding blow to his leg which set
   off the handgun.  The bullet entered and exited his thigh
   and buried itself in the ground.  He was not critically
   injured, no one else was injured, and the fighter was
   treated and released in the local hospital."

In the Trimaris incident, had the blade penetrated the chest
cavity, the wound might conceivably have been fatal.  In the
Meridies incident, if the bullet had penetrated the femoral
artery (located in the thigh) the incident almost certainly would
have been fatal.  Other unfortunate outcomes might have resulted
in the fighter being shot in the lower abdomen, or in the
shooting of a marshal or bystander.

The obvious inference is that fighters should not bring illegal
weapons to the field.  It is true that it is harder to notice
an illegally repaired fencing weapon than a broken rattan weapon
(although presumably not a concealed handgun).

To this end, Master Tivar is considering requiring destructive
marking of failed blades - either the physical breaking of the
blade, or the filing of three notches near the base of the blade
so it could continue to be used as a dress weapon.  Such marking
would have prevented the incident in Trimaris, as the blade
markings could not have been concealed, and the blade thus not
allowed to be used.