authorization
Jun. 7th, 2009 07:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anotheranonIf you read yesterday's Twitter posting, you'll know - I passed SCA rapier authorization (prior post re: whether to try or not; what authorization is and isn't). I was kinda nervous because I'm still wrapping my head around SCA rapier/fighter culture but ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
belfebe had some encouraging words (thanks!).
To be fair, I feel like I barely squiffed in under the wire, and where I erred was under the rules oral test. I knew my safety stuff, but I wasn't aware of the sheer variety of items that could be brought onto the field (capes with weighted hems, huh?) and when (nope, can't do heavy rapier vs. epee). I'd been careful to read everything pertaining to rapier but didn't read enough outside that and so missed a chunk of context that I should have been aware of.
And yeah, I was called on hitting too hard :/
Given that it was a near thing, I hadn't intended to keep fighting. I thought it would be better to watch and get a feel for what could happen on the field, especially as the focus was melee (i.e. many-on-many), which brought to mind the idea of swarms of rapier fighters rushing the field at high speed.
Of course, it doesn't take much to twist my arm if there's a sword involved :P After watching a couple of engagements I was putting my hood and gorget back on and hitting the field.
The marshal (safety person) M. assigned a veteran fighter J. and told me to do as he does, etc. Melee is much more tentative than I expected, and the tactical side of getting a large number of people across the field and working as a unit is new and interesting :)
As a newbie my main action was to try and rattle the opponents to either side of me so J. could get a good hit. I did manage to hit one person - a kill, no less - who turned out to be a provost, which in SCA parlance is like getting a touch on someone A-rated at your first competition(!) So that's good :)
The weather was just about perfect - before noon, in the shade, with some cloud cover, highs never got to 80F. Nonetheless, I expected to be DYING by noon in my multi-layered padded fencing doublet and was pleasantly surprised when I wasn't! Still, I might be wise to make a sleeveless jerkin to wear with an (abrasion resistant) linen shirt, especially if the rules dictate fairly light contact.
The hardest thing was fencing out of doors. Despite the nice weather, the grass was slick, and I slid in mud a few times. Bugs - particularly, clouds of gnats - were everywhere. The most unfortunate was that despite allergy meds I was starting to get stuffy/runny after only a couple of hours. I'd only planned on a half day but even if I hadn't I would likely have had to stop anyway :( Give me hepa filters and wood floors anytime!
As ever, everyone was kind, everyone was helpful, and like every fencer I've run into under any discipline, eager to help, to teach, to work with you. This is fantastic for me, and I hope at some point I can give back in kind.
What I'll do different next time: read the rules on off-hand weapons so if someone shows up with an unlikely thing I won't be surprised. Plan for a full day instead of having to leave when the fun starts, and take enough Claritin so that I won't feel like I've inhaled a dust elephant by noon. And warm up, especially arms/shoulders - footwork is light but point in line is rough!
Edit 8:39 pm:belfebe has pix.
belfebe had some encouraging words (thanks!).To be fair, I feel like I barely squiffed in under the wire, and where I erred was under the rules oral test. I knew my safety stuff, but I wasn't aware of the sheer variety of items that could be brought onto the field (capes with weighted hems, huh?) and when (nope, can't do heavy rapier vs. epee). I'd been careful to read everything pertaining to rapier but didn't read enough outside that and so missed a chunk of context that I should have been aware of.
And yeah, I was called on hitting too hard :/
Given that it was a near thing, I hadn't intended to keep fighting. I thought it would be better to watch and get a feel for what could happen on the field, especially as the focus was melee (i.e. many-on-many), which brought to mind the idea of swarms of rapier fighters rushing the field at high speed.
Of course, it doesn't take much to twist my arm if there's a sword involved :P After watching a couple of engagements I was putting my hood and gorget back on and hitting the field.
The marshal (safety person) M. assigned a veteran fighter J. and told me to do as he does, etc. Melee is much more tentative than I expected, and the tactical side of getting a large number of people across the field and working as a unit is new and interesting :)
As a newbie my main action was to try and rattle the opponents to either side of me so J. could get a good hit. I did manage to hit one person - a kill, no less - who turned out to be a provost, which in SCA parlance is like getting a touch on someone A-rated at your first competition(!) So that's good :)
The weather was just about perfect - before noon, in the shade, with some cloud cover, highs never got to 80F. Nonetheless, I expected to be DYING by noon in my multi-layered padded fencing doublet and was pleasantly surprised when I wasn't! Still, I might be wise to make a sleeveless jerkin to wear with an (abrasion resistant) linen shirt, especially if the rules dictate fairly light contact.
The hardest thing was fencing out of doors. Despite the nice weather, the grass was slick, and I slid in mud a few times. Bugs - particularly, clouds of gnats - were everywhere. The most unfortunate was that despite allergy meds I was starting to get stuffy/runny after only a couple of hours. I'd only planned on a half day but even if I hadn't I would likely have had to stop anyway :( Give me hepa filters and wood floors anytime!
As ever, everyone was kind, everyone was helpful, and like every fencer I've run into under any discipline, eager to help, to teach, to work with you. This is fantastic for me, and I hope at some point I can give back in kind.
What I'll do different next time: read the rules on off-hand weapons so if someone shows up with an unlikely thing I won't be surprised. Plan for a full day instead of having to leave when the fun starts, and take enough Claritin so that I won't feel like I've inhaled a dust elephant by noon. And warm up, especially arms/shoulders - footwork is light but point in line is rough!
Edit 8:39 pm:
belfebe has pix.
