ANST - New topic

[Burke McCrory]

At 10:01 PM 9/3/97 -0500, you wrote:
>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?

It is really a matter of the time and place.  If the tourney is Crown you
take out your best.  If it is Lion's you have more of an option to go with
your opponents choice.  But, this must be tempered with the thought that if
you are giving your opponent the choice you need to make them aware of any
weapons that you have no experience with and might be unsafe using them.
Also it is important for your opponent to not take advantage of you by
choosing a weapon that they know you are no skilled with but that they are
proficient at.   

>        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? 

Again depends on the time and place.  Usually I would give my opponent the
point of chivalry and give up my advantage (arm or leg) but if a fighter
feels that their opponent is significantly better, they should not feel
pressured into giving up their advantage.  It is a mark of honor if someone
thinks you are so good that they cannot give up their advantage.

>        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? 

I feel that I do my opponent a dishonor if I "throw" a bout, I also
dishonor the lady I am fighting for.  You should always go out and give
your best each time you set foot on the field.  This is not to say that you
cannot equalize a fight by choosing to use a different sword or weapon.
And sometimes I don't choose to pull all the "tricks" out of the bag.  But
think how someone would feel it they knew that you went out and "gave" them
the fight?

>        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?
>
It is ok to want to win.  As long as you temper that with the knowlege that
a win that is achived dishonorablely is not much of a win.  You have to
leave your ego no the sidelines.  I have found that when you do this you
have a lot more fun.



>ramblingly yours,
>
>timo
>littleramblingwindbaglefty     
>
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In Service to the Dream

Sir Burke Kyriell MacDonald
Kingdom of Ansteorra
mka Burke McCrory
email:  burkemc at ionet.net
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