New Year and New Things to Talk About

[Mercaine]

So, the first practice of the school year was today and it went pretty well... However, we always have problems when people come back. Mostly because so many haven't fought all summer, or some have maybe been playing a different game and out of the "dag loop" for a bit. Otherwise here are the problems that Nova, Lucius and I talked about at practice and some things to consider.

1: Head Shots: Every year we have to say something about this, remember folks the head isn't a legal target so keep your arms down. Unless you are going for a wrap (which we talked about how to do) you shouldn't be throwing a shot up and over. Sorry to say, but I really feel there aren't that many people in the realm at the level to be able to throw shots like that successfully. So, let's just stop that before more heads get hit.

2: Calibration: I hate leaving practice with a headache because I got hit in the head too many times, AND because so many of them were way too hard to begin with. Hard shots are awesome, but remember at practice we have to see each other every single week, don't go crazy.
On the flip side; make sure you are hitting hard enough so people can feel your shots. If you are having problems with people taking shots talk to a herald, we are going to ask if you are calling out your colors. Sometimes it is something as simple as saying "blue" when you hit someone to get enough attention to the shot that they take it.
Summing up this bullet;
- Make sure your swings are coming in with decent force.
- Call your colors
- Communicate if shots were good, glances, skims, light or what not.

3: Hit Zones: Here:
3.3 - Hit Locations: Hit locations include Torso, Leg, Arm, head and Neck, Feet and Hands
hide

3.3.1 - Torso: shoulders (including arm sockets), chest, stomach, crotch, sides, back, and buttocks.

3.3.2 - Leg: From the top of the foot (including ankle) to the torso (below the buttocks).

3.3.3 - Arm: From point where hand joins the wrist to the shoulder socket

3.3.4 - Head: Off limits to all weapon/shield strikes except yellow and white projectile weapons.

3.3.5 - Neck: Off limits to all weapon/shield strikes except yellow and white projectile weapons. NOTE: Neck is unaffected by hits from white projectile weapons.

3.3.6 - Hands and Feet: Intentionally blocking any blow with a hand which is not gripping a weapon or the handle of a shield results in the loss of that arm. Intentionally blocking any blow with foot results in the loss of that leg. Gripping the blade or point of your opponent's weapon with your hand results in the loss of that arm.

I saw a lot of people taking legs when they should have been taking death. This has been a slow-forming habit since before this summer with a few fighters. Fix the problem before we have to talk to you about it.

One more compound thing:

Non-combatants and dead do not talk to the living. Occasional cheers of good will are fine. Make sure you aren't telling a fighter someone is behind you or trying to get their attention while they are fighting. Causing a fighter's attention to leave the field around them can be dangerous. If you need someone on the field wait until they are walking to the resurrection point and make it clear that you want them, walk up to them, talk loudly and make it known. Fighter's can't hear when they are on the field, they are paying attention to the other fighters not the people who are sitting around.
At the same time; most fighters think that when someone off-field is yelling at them someone is in a situation of immediate danger. This causes the battle to stop and people to become confused. Unless there is a situation that demands someone's attention off-field, non-combatants and dead should not talk to the living and combatants.

I think I covered everything I saw, Nova or Lucius can jump in with anything else they thought, and what not. We'll cover legs and damage at next practice in detail.

Good fight today guys, see you through the week.

[Vors Nymphkilla]

some say hit hard and take light, but i prefer hit hard enough and take reasonable

[Vors Nymphkilla]

for leg, i know i caught alot of ankles with the spear during causeway that were taken as foot on ground.
i personally didnt notice anything that you didnt cover, but just because its become a major annoyance for some people: RHINOING!! everyone shrugs a shot on occasion, sometimes you legitimately dont feel it, sometimes you arent sure if its flat, etc. if you think u got hit, take it. if you think u hit, ask "wasnt that good?" or something else courteous. typically people will then tell you it wasnt hard enough, glancing, etc. no one gets better if we arnet taking hits and it makes people talk about each other behind others' backs. just take hits and we'll all get along better, have more fun, and get better at defending

[Swordbrother Nova]

I just want to say that trying to explain stuff is like training hyper active mayflies with the way you guys get distracted. I talked ALL the time and distracted people A LOT last year when I wasn't trying to help run anything (now I know what it's like), but I don't know how many of you guys heard the announcements we were making. I understand that it's not class, we come to a practice to FIGHT but these announcements go much quicker when we have everyone's attention, these announcements DO affect you! We demonstrated effective techniques for wraps shots and if you missed it than everyone has a leg up on you. ALSO if you listen you are able to get us input right then and there! These boards aren't the only form of communication and not everyone uses them! Your input IS important, this is you realm!

I want to add that it is VERY helpful if you point things out to me while I am heralding! I can't know where to look all the time, if you are having a problem with something on the field let the herald know!

[Haze]

sticky icky

[Mercaine]

Comments are Cute but let's keep it on topic so people can use this as quick reference.

What Vors said is important, skim shots need to be called. If a shot skimmed or what not make sure you tell the person why you might not be taking it.

Communication on the field keeps our game safe and fun. Tell people when a hit isn't good and why, tell them if a hit was good. I end up doing this a great deal. It's important that other people know where they stand in regards to how they are hitting.

More communication between fighters will help everyone know where they may need to get better on the spot, also it will boost control issues. If you tell someone why they aren't doing well on the spot it saves you from constantly getting annoyed by a bad habit they don't even know they had.

Telling people shots are "good," "skim," or "light" really quickens the pace of the battle overall.

One more thing. When you are dead, try to remove yourself from combat as safely as possible without interrupting combat. Fall off to the side, back out, or wait down low until it might be safe. All of these are things to start getting used to now so at a big event when it counts you don't accidentally block someones shot because you are dead, and it makes everything much safer! We'll run tight bridge battles more to get newer people used to getting out of combat safely before Badon.

[Swordbrother Nova]

Getting out of the line when you died was kind of sloppy I noticed, people turned and walked right into the person behind them when they tried to leave the field!

[Mercaine]

Yeah One time when i died, i got stuck and accidentally knocked i think Akadia off the bridge when i stumbled to get off the side. he started to res and i was like no i knocked you off and I don't exist you're fine...
It's things like that that we need to start seeing from everyone on the field. Let's bring back a good sense of honor.

[Vors Nymphkilla]

some of us may remember an old member who always told you what he thought of the shot. problem is your shot was always either "light" or "excessive." for clarification, light typically means that a real weapon would have only left a shallow cut or given you a shave. truly glancing blows barely make contact at all. as soon as you're glad it wasnt a real shapened weapon, it was a good shot. i personally take my shots based on likelihood of continuing to fight. your hit on me may not have been very solid on the bone, but if it would have severed a muscle or otherwise made a limb otherwise useless, the shot counts. on torso, if you feel like you couldnt keep moving from pain if it were a real weapon, it was good.
in general, dont just call light because you know the person can hit harder or because you want to live longe, because both cases will cause us to hit you harder.

[eoin]

It might be a good idea for some of the new people like myself to give and receive good shots to the various parts of the body outside of combat with various other people. I feel that my own hit calibration fluctuates on the lighter end of the spectrum. If it is high or inconsistant I want to know and fix it before I get to an event.

[Vors Nymphkilla]

i have heard from annonymous sources that as a realm we hit light. we could stand to dial it up a bit. anyone who wants to spar to get calibration right, whether to dial it up or down, to get better at shot placement, etc let me know. i've been getting bored doing some scenarios so i'm more than willing to take time to help anyone at any time during sunday or friday practices.

[Swordbrother Nova]

Yes, we do hit light.

[Vors Nymphkilla]

we just have to practice hitting harder without going to excess

[araduin]

I won't take light hits. If the hit wouldn't hurt me if it was a real weapon, I won't take it. That comes from years of SCA before I did Dag, though. You weren't supposed to take every hit there, since you're wearing armor.

[Vors Nymphkilla]

its a balance we'll have to work on. out of realm we need to hit a bit harder because there are more people in heavy armor and more people that demand a harder hit if they're gonna take it. in realm, a good solid smack is enough. something that annoys me, dont use "light" as armor. you can say its light, shield, garb, and grazing to the end of the day but if i know i'm getting good shots i'm gonna start hitting harder. trust me, if i'm hitting hard to the point that you dont want to fight with me, its because you've been shrugging hits from alot of people for a long time. its honor based system, there is no winner, and its a frickin' game, so theres no point to cheat