[Ansteorra] Pennsic Rapier Conventions

[David Whitford]

These are the posted conventions for Rapier at Pennsic
this year. 
Robert
CONVENTIONS

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. Rapier Combat shall be conducted in accordance with
the Rules of 
the Lists of the SCA, Inc., The Corporate Rules for
Rapier Combat in 
the SCA, and these rules. 

B. The Rapier Marshal of that year's hosting Kingdom
is the head 
marshal on the field at Pennsic. They may assign a
"marshal on duty" 
to oversee the day's events, but serious problems
should be handled 
by the hosting KRM.

C. Combatants shall meet their own Kingdoms standards
for 
protective gear, but shall comply with whatever
weapons standards 
are being used by the host kingdom for that tourney.

D. All combatants, prior to every combat or practice
(a minimum of 
once a day), shall ensure their equipment is safe, in
good working 
order and has been inspected by a member of their
Kingdom Marshalate 
authorized to inspect rapier gear.

3. USE OF WEAPONS AND PARRYING DEVICES

A. There are only 2 valid blows at Pennsic.  Kingdoms
MAY NOT alter 
these rules

- Thrusting with the point of the blade (thrust)

- Sliding the edge of the blade by drawing a minimum
of 6 inches 
(draw cut).

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF BLOWS

A. Kingdoms may define areas of the body as if
armored, and to what 
degree (e.g blows to the legs may be ignored).

B. Per SCA Rule 4C.  "In rapier combat, blows will be
counted as 
though they were struck with a real blade, extremely
sharp on point 
and edge. Any blow that would have penetrated the skin
shall be 
counted a good blow. Any blow that strikes a mask,
helm or gorget 
shall be counted as though it struck flesh."


C. A good thrust to the

--head,

--neck,

--torso

--inner groin (to the fighter's hand width down the
inner limb), or

--armpit (to the fighter's inner hand width down the
limb)

shall be judged incapacitating, rendering the fighter
incapable of 
further combat.



Draw cuts to these locations shall be judged
incapacitating 
(Kingdom's MAY NOT alter this rule - NO MATH AT
PENNSIC!).



D. A good blow to the arm will disable the arm. A good
blow to the 
hand shall render the hand useless; the arm above the
incapacitated 
hand may be used to parry.  (Kingdom's MAY NOT alter
this rule).



E. A good blow to the foot or leg will disable the
leg. The fighter 
must then fight kneeling, sitting, or standing on one
leg.  
(Kingdoms may add knee walking)



F. Parries may be performed with weapons, parrying
devices, the 
gloved hand, or any other part of the body. Though the
gloved hand 
may be used to parry, it shall not be used to push,
grasp or strike 
an opponent. (Kingdoms may add blade grasping)



5. BLADES:

There are two classes of rapiers in the SCA. 
Fencing-type rapiers 
and heavy-type rapiers.  Any blade in a given rapier
class may be 
used against any other blade in that same class, but
NOT against 
blades of the other class. Daggers may be used against
either class 
of rapier blade.



The schlaeger rapier blade is the default heavy-type
rapier.   It is 
allowed by every kingdom.  However, since there are so
many 
different blade types in the market now, per paragraph
1C above, 
individualkingdoms may not allow every SCA legal
blade.  For 
instance, a kingdom may not allow Starfire Rapier
blades, so if that 
kingdom hosts a tourney at Pennsic they may state that
no Starfires 
area allowed.


6.  PARRYING DEVICES

A. There are no restrictions for blade length or
parrying device 
size (Kingdoms MAY alter this rule.)



MARSHALLING CONCERNS IN RAPIER COMBAT



1. AUTHORIZATIONS: Authorizations must be done by
marshals of the 
fencer's home Kingdom. It is against Society Law and
Policy to 
authorize across Kingdom boundaries. 



2. EXCESSIVE IMPACT: Combat at Pennsic poses risks to
the 
participant. This recognition, however, does not
excuse fighters 
from exercising control of their techniques. If a
fighter throws 
blows which force their opponent to retire from the
field, from a 
real injury (even one which only causes brief
incapacitation), the 
marshal responsible for the field shall take such
steps as are 
appropriate to stop the problem from recurring.  At a
minimum, the 
thrower of the blow should be removed from the field
for the 
remainder of that tourney/melee.


3. MELEE: Melee combats present special challenges to
all involved.

Society norms are repeated here for emphasis

A. In melees, fighters are engaged with all opponents
immediately 
upon the call to lay-on.


B. Fighters may strike any opponent with any legal
blow if they are 
within the 180-degree arc of the opponent's front. A
fighter who 
approaches an opponent from behind shall not deliver a
blow until he 
is within that frontal arc. A fighter may never strike
an opponent 
from behind. 

- As a courtesy at Pennsic, make a reasonable attempt
to get your 
opponents attention before throwing a blow. 



C. Killing from behind is allowed if it has been
announced 
beforehand. The Society norm for "death from behind"
in melees shall 
be: If a melee scenario allows killing from behind, a
fighter does 
so by laying the rapier blade over and on the
opponent's shoulder, 
to at least a third of the blade, while calling "Dead,
my lord" (or 
any other short, courteous phrases) in a loud, clear
voice. Reaching 
around the neck is forbidden. The opponent will be
deemed "killed" 
from the instant the blade touches the opponent's
shoulder who shall 
not attempt to spin, duck or dodge away. Note: If
death from behind 
is not allowed in a given melee, a fighter who
deliberately ignores 
an attacker behind them, or repeatedly maneuvers to
keep their back 
to an attacker (thereby preventing any attack on them)
may be 
considered misuse of the rules and obstructive
behavior.  

- At Pennsic, the thrower of the DFB must come to a
complete stop 
(because running attacks are not allowed).  Hyper-DFBs
or machine 
gunning (Deadmylorddeadmylorddeadmylorddeadmylord)
will not be 
tolerated.  The marshals are allowed to have the DFB
disregarded and 
to remove the thrower of the inappropriate DFB form
the 
tourney/melee.



D. In special scenario melees (e.g., bridge or town
battles), 
additional restrictions may be imposed by the marshals
as needed.

- In ANY tourney or melee at Pennsic, the marshals may
impose 
additional restrictions as they see fit.



6. UNFORESEEN SITUATIONS: Should a situation arise not
explicitly 
covered by Corporate or Kingdom rapier combat rules,
the marshals 
should NOT assume that the situation is forbidden or
inappropriate. 
Again: However, no matter how clear or accurate, rules
cannot 
replace common sense, good judgment, and concern for
the 
participants.


		
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