Women and SCA fighting
Have been re-reading Duchess Elina's The Armored Rose as part of the preparation for giving my collegium on asymmetric fighting at Stickjox (pdf). Duchess Elina takes a women are different-but-equal approach. Reads rather differently given that I having been intensively thinking about the basis and logic of homophobia in particular and bigotry in general. Particularly Duchess Elina’s discussion of the “five hurdles” to women fighting. Which is valuable even if her handling of the nature-nurture distinction is somewhat problematic and some folk have serious difficulty with the sword-foot-forward approach she suggests.
There is still a paucity of female knights in the SCA. First female knight was knighted in AS.X, having benefited from several knights breaking the ‘no women fighters’ policy. But the average is less than one such knighting a year.
Some links on female fighters in history. (And who said SCA fighting wasn’t useful. Reminiscent of a certain famous scene.)
Classic SCA fighting manuals are also online: Oldcastle and Bellatrix style.
There is still a paucity of female knights in the SCA. First female knight was knighted in AS.X, having benefited from several knights breaking the ‘no women fighters’ policy. But the average is less than one such knighting a year.
Some links on female fighters in history. (And who said SCA fighting wasn’t useful. Reminiscent of a certain famous scene.)
Classic SCA fighting manuals are also online: Oldcastle and Bellatrix style.