[Ansteorra] Results of Vambrace Poll

[Michael Silverhands]

On Nov 6, 2006, at 3:04 PM, Elisabeth B. Zakes wrote:

> Something I'll point out that some of our newer folks might not  
> realise:
>
> Setting our standards to SCA minimums does not mean you -cannot-  
> wear more
> than the minimum. It just means that as long as you DO meet the  
> minimum
> standards, you will pass inspection on that aspect. If you want to  
> wear
> vambraces even if they're not required, you may do so. It is, after  
> all,
> your body, and your responsibility, remembering that the guy on the  
> other
> end of the baseball bat that's swinging at you just -might- be a  
> Duke on a
> good day. Armour yourself accordingly. :)
>
> Aethelyan Moondragon
> Bryn Gwlad

And also remember the other side of the coin to being "armoured  
accordingly": you have to learn to call your blows through however  
much armor you wear. When I was first learning to fight, I asked a  
certain Duke whether he thought it would be a problem that my leather  
vambraces were reinforced with steel bars. He said something like  
"No, not as long as you learn to call a shot through them. If not,  
you'll run into someone like me whose next shot you will be  
guaranteed to feel." Ok, that's not exactly what he said. I cleaned  
it up a bit. ;-)

Needless to say, I practiced calling those shots. :-P

Michael