ANST - New topic

[Tim Lozos]

Greetings!

Boy, pretty quiet list today. Anyway, I've had a number of questions and
thoughts on my mind recently, maybe this is a good time to bring them up.

Honor and Chivalry are two topics that seem to be talked about  frequently.
I've been thinking about another spin on these venereable subjects. 

        1: Do you give an opponent choice of weapons?  Let's say you are
paired with Joe Newcomer in the first round.  What about Sir Supercool? Do
you insist on your favorite? Does it matter if you're Duke Hotottrot and he
has no chance? Does it matter if he's the Duke?
        2: Do you give a point of honor to your opponent?  Arm or leg him,
and would you give up your own? What if he's a superior fighter?  An
inferior one? Would you want the same treatment? What if giving up an
advantage *is* an advantage to you? What about giving an advantage to a less
talented person to start the bout? (ie: fight offhanded against Joe Newcomer
in his first tourney) Is that insulting to the other person?  What about
accepting an advantage from a more talented person? 
        3.Do you *try* to win every bout?  Give 110%? Maybe only 75%? Does
it dishonor your opponent (or yourself) to *not* try to the greatest of your
ability? Is it ok to "throw" a bout? What if the person is  very deserving
of victory? What if they are new? Or your friend? 
        4. Now to the odd one... Is it honorable to *want * to win? ("huh?")
I mean, everyone wants to win,(and have fun) but where do you draw the line?
No one thinks it is a "good thing"(tm) to take *unfair* advantage of your
most noble opponent, but  how you answer the first three points determines
what you feel is a fair or an unfair advantage, and leads to your personal
choice of "how bad do I want to win?".  From insisting on a specific weapons
style to refusing to call blows is a VERY wide spectrum of "want".  Do you
want to win enough to change your view on points 1,2, or 3? If it's the
tourney of the Canton of Wayoutthere?  If it's your local group's event? If
it's Crown?

ramblingly yours,

timo
littleramblingwindbaglefty     

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