[Ansteorra-archery] Other fun stuff

[Eadric Anstapa]

Ilrich,

I really can not rememebr the last time I was at a torunament  and they 
told me that a Tournament was a "Royal Round" or that an individual 
round in the tournament was a "Royal Round".  If you are at such a 
tournament then you should certainly be allowed to shoot from any 
position during that portion of the shoot so that your score can be 
submitted.

Someone saying it will be an "open" or "Open Division" doesn't usually 
mean that it will be a royal round or any other Royal Round rules will 
apply.  It means that any SCA legal equipment will be allowed and maybe 
that they will use 60CM FITA targets.

If you are shooting a true "Royal Round" or IKAC and you are not allowed 
to shoot from any position then thats a violation of the rules.

If you are shooting in anything else please respect the wishes and rules 
of the tournament organizers.  If the tournament organizers feel that 
sitting, kneeling, whatever gives you an unfair advantage then they will 
likely ask you to stand.  It's a call that each tournament organizer can 
make.

This past spring I won the crossbow division at Stargate  and I made 
every shot from a kneeling position.  There was a couple of other folks 
who shot kneeling as well and nobody thought it was odd, unusual, or 
unfair becuase it was a separate crossbow division.

I am no more tired at the end of a Royal Round shooting a 90# crossbow 
that I am a 40# bow.  Drawing a bow uses a very small set of muscles 
across the back that are typically pretty weak because we dont use them 
much for anything else.  Drawing a bow requires us to draw smoothly 
through about a 20 inch power stroke.  Unless you are a purely 
instinctive shooter (and there are very few in SCA target archery) after 
you have drawn the bow the same set of muscles are use to hold the bow 
anchored at full draw and help hold it steady while you aim.

Drawing a crossbow uses a much larger set of muscles that are much more 
frequently used and better developed.  The chest, arms, torso, and even 
legs are used depending on how the person braces their bow.  A crossbow 
is typically only drawn through about a 10" power stroke and can be done 
quickly without worrying about being smooth and fluid.  If the 
crossbowman wants he can even use a goats foot lever, a windlass, or a 
crannequinn to cock his crossbow for him.  Once the crossbow is cocked 
the crossbowman can take all the time in the world for his shot as he is 
only having to hold the few pounds of the physical weight of the 
crossbow and does not have to hold the draw weight of the bow.  He can 
take his time to get the bolt position on the crossbow just right, make 
sure that his bolt clip is just right, that any sight is just right, 
that the crossbow is anchored on his shoulder or cheek just right, and 
hold and hold and hold until everything is perfect without having to 
support the draw weight of that spanned crossbow.

Crossbow and handbows are different styles of shooting.  Both take 
practice and skill to do well but they are different.  The SCA is the 
only place I know of where crossbows are ever allowed to compete 
against/with handbows.  Crossbows are allowed in NAA, IBO, etc. but they 
never shoot directly against bows.  Heck even where crossbows are 
allowed as hunting weapons they are typically not allowed in the regular 
bow season. 

We allow crossbows in the SCA  but no competition organizer is required 
to allow them in his competition.  When a competition organizer allows 
the single crossbow that shows up to compete in the same tournament 
against the 20 bows that show up I think that he/she is being terribly 
inclusive and going out of their way to accomodate the crossbowman and I 
think not unreasonable to in return ask that crossbowman to stand just 
like all the other archers.

More crossbow only competitions or separate crossbow divisions need to 
be organized so that crossbows are shooting against crossbows.  The you 
shouldn't have this discussion.

Or perhaps we write a line in our kingdom rules that simply says that 
crossbows may not compete directly against handbows.  Then this problem 
is solved for good and either separate crossbow divisions show up in 
competitions (when there are enough crossbowmen that show up to make a 
separate division worthwhile) or crossbows dont get used at all.

Regards,

-- 
HL Eadric Anstapa
DSEM CA
/eadric at scabrewer.com/ <mailto:eadric at scabrewer.com>


David Ruff wrote:

> Wow.... impressive....
>  
> Ok i will just spell it out since what i wrote was taken as raving....
>  
> *When Championships in this area are quoted to follow open royal round 
> rules then i am going to follow the rules... _when NEW rules are 
> included that directly conflict with the rules i was told to folllow_ 
> i am going to ask WHY.... _I WILL question it._*
>  
> If im told "becuase i said" - sorry - not cutting it...... I don't 
> care WHO it comes from - i will ask until it is understood in my pea 
> sized brain.....
>  
> Now if that offends you and that is a rant and rave to you, i am sorry 
> for taking up your band.....
>  
> It REALLY seems to me that the archery community is a club... you step 
> outside the clubs thinking and your dirt... you think outside the box 
> and attempt to change things or bring new iseas to the club - your 
> dirt.... I AM TIRED of it and really feel sorry for those that seem to 
> follow eachother as blind mice.
>  
> I sure the heck know better then to EVER bring up ideas and questions 
> to ANYONE around here from here on in.... It gets you called out in 
> open forum, yelled at, insulted and deemed as a trouble maker.... Good 
> luck to you......
>  
>  
> Ulrich
>  
>  


// <mailto:eadric at scabrewer.com>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ansteorra.org/pipermail/ansteorra-archery-ansteorra.org/attachments/20050702/9d0d34c0/attachment-0001.htm>