Stats

Marshals

94 active marshals
23 MITs.
2 Youth rapier marshals

Authorizations

159 light rapier (16% increase)
416 rapier (22% increase)
109 C&T (20% increase)

Reports

98 reports (7% decrease)
Only 4 event reports are missing
All submitted reports are reviewed
- Submit a report for any problem/concern relating to rapier combat.
- If it’s not reported, we can’t look into it.
The goal for reporting is to track trends, address concerns, and improve rapier. NOT to punish.

Injuries

Whiplash, stiff neck,
4x Concussion like symtoms (mild-headache following day, dissiness)
Minor abrasions from tips “Grabbing” skin
2x Minor abrasion from finger being pinched between sword & guard
Minor abrasion from strike with an untipped sword
Minor abrasion from attempted parry with dagger that ended up having fingers impact weapon
Twisted knee
Multiple cases of heat exhaustion
Low-grade muscle tear from combat-archery with rapier
Torn muscle in the leg from tripping while moving off the field
Broken finger & sprain from thrust through guard and hit fingers

Equipment Failures

Multiple Cup failures. “Fell out”
Multiple blades broken at tang
Multiple darkwood tip blow-throughs
Multiple tips removed due to tape failure
Tip tape covering whole tip
Tip tape color matching tip
One “bird-blunt” tip failed (old tip, noticed between bouts)
Chip strap failed
Garments failed due to sewing issues (splitting at seems)
Shirts without gussets
Armor never been punch-tested
Glove torn due to tip getting entangled in glove

Discussion Topics

MOL interaction

Marshals must present their authorization card to the MOLs upon signing in to marshal a given activity.

Concussion Training

All particpants, both fighters and marshals, should take concussion training.
Signs and symptoms could be delayed, and might not even appear until mentally challenged.
Current research shows helmets do NOT prevent concussions.
Please take this free class from the University of Michigan’s Neuroscience department

Marshal’s Court

At the end of every activity (tourney, melee, etc), RMIC must gather all supporting marshals together and discuss the activity.
Identify and work through any identified issues.
Interact with fighters involved in said issues.
Write everything down, include it in the event report.
The RMIC must attempt ot resolve all issues that day, and report what actions were taken for any issues.

Your safety is your concern

We advocate “don’t hit your opponent hard.”
We advocate “take care of your opponents, they are your friends”
Plenty of positive examples:
- A fighter trips, not attacking them as they get back up
- Warning your opponent that they are about to back into a fence/tree
Handful of bad examples:
- Abusing your opponent’s good will by charging them without concern for your own safety.
- “I might get hit excessively, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Upcoming Kingdom Policy Changes

Aligning category names
- Current: Light rapier, heavy rapier, and C&T rapier
- Proposed: Light rapier, Rapier, and Cut & Thrust
Requiring seperate auths for two-handed weapons
- Proposed:
  - Seperate authorization for two-handed weapons in rapier and Cut & Thrust
- Why:
  - Historically, there have been extensive problems with two-handed weapons
  - Demonstrably different skill
  - Aligning with many other communities (and the armored community in Atlantia)
Push cuts by default
- Current: opt-in
- Proposed: out-out
- Why
  - Minimal observable difference
  - Limited risk in practice
  - Used within and outside of the SCA by novices and experts alike with no perceived additional issues
Minimum length of draw cuts
- Current: 8” of minimal travel
- Proposed: remove minimal travel
- Why
  - Society removing limit
  - Multiple places that 12” draw would not be effective (draw cut to the ribs)
  - Multiple places that 2” draw could be fatal (femoral arteries)
  - In practice, Atlantians make their own judgement call for efficacy

Latest Society Rules Draft

Out for public comment since late October
Expect this to go forwards with minimal changes

Changes from Society that will impact us

Grips can now be more than 1/3rd the length of the weapon.
- Multiple previously banned weapons are now allowed (See: Katanas)
An opponent’s front is now defined by two things:
- position of their shoulders
- AND reasonably be seen by their opponent
Only “drop-tester” is valid for testing puncture resistant materials
- Removes “Broken-foil” test
- Darkwood sells a pre-made “kit”
- Groups are encouraged to keep a “group-owned” tester
“Projectile equipment” now has detailed rules
- Equipment construction, draw strength, line of fire, etc
- Proposing that projectile equipment should role up under “combat archery with rapier” warrants and authorizations
Cloaks can now be thrown, targetting opponent’s arm or weapon (but not head)
- I tried and observed this action within the WMA community with participants from the beginner to expert capabilities.
- No inherently large change to the game or safety
Parry-only daggers are no longer banned
- All blades must still be legal, but things like wooden daggers used only for parrying are no longer banned.
Fighters hit in the legs are now allowed to move about on their knees.
- Historically, we have allowed “knee walk into engagement”, but this isn’t codified in policy.
- No safety issue with knee walking.
- Leaving the policy as is, and let the community decide how to proceed.
- Marshals can add limits if they see fit
C&T Leg shots are no longer disabling
- Allows knee fighting in C&T
- Receiver can still determine a leg-shot is “disabling”
C&T melee is now allowed
- Our participation had positive and extremely negative experiences
- Intend to allow, but monitor carefully
- Request a minimum ratio of at least 1 marshal to every 5 participants and detailed reporting

Changes once Society rules are approved

Allowing rubber-headed spears
- Current: Spears are banned
- Proposed: Rubber-headed spears are allowed with auth (steel-tipped spears still banned)
- Why
  - 9’ total length, rattan shaft, characteristics of the tip defined in society rules
  - Multiple people indicated interest
  - Multiple reported positive experiences at multiple inter-kingdom events (Gulfwars, Pennsic, etc)
  - Addresses multiple concerns from “steel-headed” spears.

Changes up for discussion

Tip cuts
- Current: opt-in
- Proposed: opt-out
- Discussion:
  - “Good” tip cuts are lethal in practice
  - “Bad” tip cuts are wouldn’t slice the skin of an apple
  - Significantly complex issue whenever members of our community travel to neighboring kingdoms, as we are not trained to deal with these blows.
  - PURELY cultural issue, NOT safety
- Proposed:
  - Coordinated dissemination and demonstration of “good” and “bad” tip cuts
  - Work with marshals at large events to demonstrate and “required to accept” for the activity
  - Intent to move to an “opt-out” rather than “opt-in”