[Youth-combat] RE: [Elfsea] RE: [Steppes] Fwd: [Ansteorra]YouthfulCombata...

Wed Jan 12 20:29:12 PST 2005

Your Grace,
Of the two previous posts and including mine we are all active members of  
the Youth Combat Community for the last three to four years.

 All of us have teenaged children who fight. 

Two of us are teachers and one is not. 

Two of us have been in for 20 plus years. 

Two of us have fought heavy. 

One has been a marshall and in the middle of things for years.  

One is one of my best friends and the other is my right hand man in youth  
combat. 

We don't always agree on everything but the bottom line is we want the best  
for the children.  If that means being brave to state our support  for  the 
new purposed rule change or  concern for the health and welfare  for the child 
and SCA that could be caused by the new rule change. I am glad to  hear it.  We 
all have different perspective and experiences. It does  not make one better 
than the other but we must respect each others opinions. 

Personally, I would rather have someone out there saying. "I am  worried that 
(___ activity) might harm a child. Let's look at it and make  sure everything 
is safe for your child as well as mine." Than "It's not my  child." And not 
worry about it. They might come up with a good point. I thank  those that are 
concerned and worried and have voiced their opinion. Thinking and  caring for 
others is an honorable trait. 

Donnel 

In a message dated 1/12/2005 12:07:22 PM Central Standard Time,  
ladyoftherose at hotmail.com writes:

Not to  hurt anyone's feelings in any way regarding their opinion, but I am 
mildly  curious as to the following.

1.  How many people who are adverse  to these teens fighting ever fought 
heavy weapons/chivarlic  combat?

2.  Of those who have, how many actually fought in a  war?

3.  And of those who disagree, how many actually have  children or teenaged 
children?

4.  How many of them have  fought in an acutal battle in a shield wall or 
charge?

Just  curious.

Larissa

>From: Steppes Seneschal  <steppes.seneschal at gmail.com>
>Reply-To: Steppes Seneschal  <steppes.seneschal at gmail.com>,        "Barony  
>of Steppes - SCA, Inc." <steppes at ansteorra.org>
>To:  "Barony of Steppes - SCA, Inc." <steppes at ansteorra.org>
>CC:  dukepmg at aol.com, youth-combat at ansteorra.org,  elfsea at ansteorra.org
>Subject: Re: [Youth-combat] RE: [Elfsea] RE:  [Steppes] Fwd: 
>[Ansteorra]YouthfulCombatants
>Date: Wed, 12 Jan  2005 01:06:58 -0600
>
>I agree with you  completely.
>
>
>On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 21:48:02 -0600, Michael  of Langley
><michaeloflangley at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > To  all concerned,
> >
> > My concern is that during a melee,  such as Gulf Wars, the younger 
>fighters
> > will be  indistinguishable from older more seasoned fighters.  At Gulf  
>Wars
> > last year, during the spear tournament, an  Ansteorran combatant had his
> > chinstrap broken and the helmet hit  him in his face when he took a heavy
> > spear thrust.  This was  not in a grand melee, but a two against two 
>spear
> >  tournament.  Our KING took the blow well...
> >
> >  Now, lets think about a 16 year old, who is still growing, taking a  face
> > shot from a fiberglass spear.  Unfortunately, our Earl  Marshall will not 
>be
> > there to make sure that the fighters  are going to take it easy on them 
>and
> > not bruise them too  much.  The younger fighters, still maturing, will be 
>at
>  > the mercy of the opposing force - I stress the "still maturing"  part.
> >
> > We wear pads now and have parents attend the  tournaments for a two fold
> > reason, to avoid unnecessary injuries  and law suits and to get the 
>parents
> > more involved with  their youth combatants.  A lawsuit can be placed 
>against
>  > anyone for any reason - waiver or not (and while it may not stand up  in
> > court, it must still be defended against).  Is it worth  it? I can hear 
>it
> > now when the first serious injury  occurs - "You said he was ready and 
>that
> > big guy just hit  him way to hard!!! Who is going to pay all these doctor
> > bills!  Why didn't someone stop him! I would have stopped him if I was  
>here
> > watching (but because I was on merchants row because  I'm not REQUIRED to 
>be
> > here - I was off shopping for my  wife/husband)."
> >
> > Whether we want to acknowledge it or  not, we have fighters with 
>prejudices -
> > "I'm gonna smack  every (girl/Saracen/crusader/guy/archer/whatever) as 
>hard
> >  as I can when I see them, because they shouldn't be on the field".   
>After
> > the blow is thrown, "Oh, I'm so sorry - I didn't  mean to hit you that 
>hard!"
> > rarely makes up for it.   Yes, we are always chivalrous and say "Its ok - 
>no
> >  problem - groan..." but inside, we're secretly hoping they get creamed  
>on
> > the field and we get to see it (be honest).
>  >
> > What will we say when a 16 year old is carried off with  broken ribs, or 
>a
> > ruptured spleen from too hard of a  thrust? "Oh, sorry kid, that's life - 
>can
> > we get a 'Lay  on' here?"
> >
> > My SINCERE hope is that one of our youth  fighters NEVER has anything 
>like
> > this happen to  them.  This may ruffle a few feathers, but the youth  
>fighters
> > are worth it.  They will be 18 soon enough,  after all, its only 730 
>days...
> >
> > "...Faith is  daring the soul to believe what the eyes cannot see..."
> >
>  > Lord Michael of Langley
> > Squire to Sir Corwin von Xanten and  Sir Anton Qwith
> > Southern Regional Youth Marshal
>  >
> > >From: "Vicki Marsh" <xaraxene at comcast.net>
>  > >Reply-To: Youth Combat in Ansteorra  <youth-combat at ansteorra.org>
> > >To: "Barony of Elfsea"  <elfsea at ansteorra.org>, <steppes at ansteorra.org>,
> >  >    <youth-combat at ansteorra.org>
> > >CC:  dukepmg at aol.com
> > >Subject: [Youth-combat] RE: [Elfsea] RE:  [Steppes] Fwd: [Ansteorra]
> > >YouthfulCombatants
> >  >Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 18:00:55 -0600
> > >
> >  >Xene here:
> > >
> > >I was also in martial arts  at the age of 16. Of course, this was a long
> > >time
>  > >ago, in the 1970's, but we fought without pads.  My parents  didn't 
have 
>to
> > >stay around to watch, even at the  tournaments.  In practice, I sparred
> > >adults, but only  the ones that the instructor knew had the ability to 
>spar
> >  >with me without hurting me badly. I would get bruises, but nothing  
>major.
> > >The only injury I got was at a tournament from  another student that was 
>in
> > >my division. I got  smacked in the nose pretty good and it taught me to 
>keep
> >  >my guard up. Did my father sue anyone?  No. It was my fault for  
>dropping my
> > >guard:)
> > >As I improved in  fighting, the intensity and speed was kicked up a 
>notch,
> >  >because the instructor knew I could handle it.
> > >
>  > >16 and 17 year olds vary in size and maturity. Some of them are  adult
> > >sized,
> > >some are not. Some have good  judgement and some don't.  They can 
>legally
> >  >drive on the streets, once they get get their training and license,  but
> > >they
> > >don't get to jump in all at once.  It requires in-classroom training,
> > >behind-the-wheel training,  6 months with an instructional permit (and
> > >driving with  someone 21 yrs or older in the car).  They then have 
>another  6
> > >months with a provisional license. See
> >  
>  
>www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/graduateddrive
>  > >r.htm
> > >Oklahoma also has the GDL (graduated Driver's  license) See:
> > >http://www.dps.state.ok.us/dls/gdl.htm
>  > >
> > >
> > >I figure if the procedure of  increasing responsibility and risk is good
> > >enough for the  States of Texas and Oklahoma, it's good enough for
> >  >Ansteorra.
> > >
> > >Under the new proposed  rules, as I understand it, *I* can decide 
>whether or
> >  >not my son is ready or not. Then, the Kingdom Earl Marshal will provide 

>an
> > >impartial decision as to whether or not my son is  fit and mature enough 
>to
> > >fight with adults.
>  > >That is reasonable.
> > >
> > >My only  concern is that if we have a EM who doesn't travel enough, or
> >  >parents who aren't able to travel to the EM, they won't be able to have 

>the
> > >requisite approval. Unfortunately, we have had  kingdom officers who
> > >virtually fell off the face of the earth  during their tenure. If the 
>power
> > >of final approval  only rests in one person's hands, it can become a
> > >bottleneck,  or a political issue.
> > >
> > >Baroness Xene  Theriane, OL, OP