[Ansteorra] The purpose of tournments was history

[willowdewisp at juno.com]

MiLord 
 I hope you want you take this in the spirit of debate. I just love a good debate. I would love to talk to you in person. Hear goes 
I would disagree with you. If you look at the writings on tournaments in the middle ages you will see that many people in period felt that they were training for wars. They were intended to "season" fighters in peace. I can quote this stuff and if you want it I will spend the time to look this up and write  it down.
Also the medieval knight thought about the concept of "worship". He fought in tourneys to prove his skill. The fact that he was chivalrous was a given. There were rules of behavior between Christian Knights. For example in the one of the old Chansons showed the "bad" behavior of the main character by having him chase after his enemy after cutting off his arm. Christian knights were suppose let other Christian knight live to beget heirs because in the end they were all at war with outside forces.  This was the reason for the Church banning certain kinds of bows for many years. They caused too many deaths. 
Prowess and skill were highly respected skills in the middle ages. 
You make the statement that I think this way because it was new for me. I watched fighting grow up in Ansteorra. I even trained people who became Knights and more. I watch the joy of fighting and the search for excellence become a byword in Ansteorra. I stood on a cause way and helped when 19 of mostly ordinary fighters took on over 200 Middle fighters. I have heard people at Pensic claim that all of us were really Knights and we took off our belts to fool them. By the time we got to this point 20 years had passed in the SCA,and I had been in for 17.  I was neither young or new. 
You say I am insulting the Knights and their students by saying that they are playing at a sport but then you say it is a sport. If it is a sport then I can't insult them by saying it is a sport. 
The main difference between a sport and a Marshal art is the matter of growth. Sports are played to win but Marshal arts are done to learn and grow. I remember a young knight who have just got his belt and thought he was great but I mentioned what my teacher told my first husband. "Now you need to win using another weapon". That young knight was Duke Jonathan the Macebearer and then he went on to win tournaments using all kinds of weapon styles.
Some people have asked me what keeps me active in the SCA. It is because I am never satisfied. I am always learning and always improving. 
You seemed to think that wanting to be known for skill means the individual lacks character. I don't understand that thinking. If you have skill you never have to cheat. and you don't have to worry about others cheating. If you hit the person with the exact proper shot and exact proper force he is dead and there is no question of dishonor. 
I hope I haven't come across to intensely. I understand that there are many way to look at the SCA and they are all valid. Well most of them I wonder about the fantasy sex club viewpoint. 
Duchess Willow de Wisp
 

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