A touch of vindication

[fencert]

I think this is just a tad hilarious. 14 years ago I began fencing in the SCA. I came in with no less than 10 years of club fencing experience (teaching, running clubs, competing), so naturally I had a substantial advantage compared to those who were beginning from scratch. Hell, for years people were rarely able to lay a blade on me. Some

Comments

[eithni]

This may be so, however, there are enough incidents where you do indeed hit too hard and/or are unnecessarily aggressive. I agree that charging newbies (and even old timers) is a problem, but it's not 100% ofthe problem.

[fencert]

Hey I've made steady adjustments over the years as I've spent more time training newer fencers and less time training to take championships. And things like aggressive fencing might seem scary- but its not the same thing as unsafe! I just like feeling my oats when I go blade to blade!

Nowadays when I'm crossing blades with a newer fencer I ask them to set my dial from 1 to 10, depending on how competitive they feel. No one gets hit on 1, everyone gets hit on 10 (except for that one don from the Outlands, but I'll figger him out eventually).

[swords_and_pens]

We were telling people ten years ago to not charge without clearing the blade. I remember marshal meetings about people who didn't. This is nothing new. And I know the issues were more than just about people not clearing blades when they fought you.

I recall fights where clearing the blade on your part wasn't the first order of business before closing, either, my friend. I also remember calls to ban case and long blades, too, because they flummoxed you for a bit. So please don't make it all, "I was right, and they are finally catching up" -- there was more to it than that on both sides of the matter.

[fencert]

Everyone has had hard blows here and there- that's a given. I'm a big guy who fights fast so I'm certainly no exception. But the blade clearing issue generated the preponderance of such complaints so I'm unabashedly thrilled to see this being recognized as an issue on the part of the aggressor rather than the defender.

Morcar- I never called to BAN long blades or case. Plz don't overstate such things. I expressed personal opinions about why people chose to FIGHT with long blades or case and I attempted to fight a war of ideas and perspectives because I thought these motivations unworthy, but I don't recall ever saying that they should be outright banned.

Beyond that, say what you will- you will not undermine the elevation of my spirits upon seeing one issue that I WAS TOLD TIME AND TIME AGAIN WAS AN INDICATION OF SOME MORAL FAILING ON MY PART settle into a comfortably reasonable consensus.