[Ansteorra-rapier] One way to never face an épée or foil again

[Elizabeth Crouchet]

I have both authorizations. Banning foils and epees actually WOULD affect
me. I am a trainer of new fighters AND I teach youth fighters.

Those blades are excellent training weapons for people just starting in
rapier combat. Some will transition quickly and some will not. Some will
want to compete before they are physically ready for the heavy blades. I
understand they may be limited in their participation but at least they CAN
participate. Which keeps them motivated so they stick around and become the
rapier community of the future.

Without the path created for me personally and for my new and youth
fighters by having foils end epees around, even not as the most popular
weapons about, I and my students have been able to progress over time so
that many of us contribute positively to the rapier community. At least, I
think we do.

Not everyone who starts with foil/epee will stick around, but that is true
of starting with heavy rapier, too. Some people just can't start there.
Many people who come to the SCA were not athletes in their previous lives
and the blades are just too heavy to be effective or safe for them right
away.

If you never had a problem with a heavy rapier blade being too heavy to
play with, then be very grateful. These blades pose no threat either to the
game we have come to play or to the participants. Yes, they are much less
popular than they used to be. They still serve a purpose.

Especially as we have new and  youth fighters that use them so having
adults able to use them as well as having a few blades around provides
opportunities for advancement of skills.

I have no problem with having tournaments where the declared style of the
tournament is heavy rapier. But why ban even the use of the foil/epee just
because you don't use it. As Pete said, if you don't want to use it you
don't have to. I also have no problem with having a foil/epee only
tournament as well. That one is likely to consist of youth and new fighters
and maybe some fun old-timers thrown in and certainly won't be the norm.

To totally ban these weapons I feel, would do a disservice to our community
at this time. We have recruitment and retention problems as it is. Why ban
something that is working as a gateway to new participants?

Claire


On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 10:22 AM, Duncan Hepburn <duncan at stormypetrel.org>wrote:

> So let's hear from those 15 f/e only fighters. Those are the opinions
> that truly matter, as they are the only ones who would be *truly*
> affected by this change. Why haven't they gotten HR authorizations?
> Would they consider doing so? Are these people even active fighters?
>
> The rest of the opinions expressed so far are for the most part
> impassioned pleas, claims of fact without backing data, or
> exaggerations to prove their points.
>
> Pax,
>
> Duncan Hepburn
>
> On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 9:57 AM, Pug Bainter <pug at pug.net> wrote:
>
> > As for the counts:
> >
> > Light Rapier Only: 15
> > Heavy Rapier Only: 38
> >
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>
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