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SECTION 4. - CONVENTIONS OF COMBAT AND EQUIPMENT STANDARDS FOR RAPIER COMBAT

This SECTION continues the CONVENTIONS OF COMBAT that apply only to SCA Rapier Combat Related Activities. It also contains the ARMOR, WEAPONS, BUCKLER & CLOAK STANDARDS of SCA Rapier Combat Activities.

CONVENTIONS OF COMBAT - (SCA Rapier Combat Activities only)

I. THE USE OF WEAPONS, BUCKLERS AND CLOAKS.

Use all weapons, (buckler, cloaks, daggers, rapiers, etc.) In the manner in which they were designed to be used as tempered by these rules and safety requirements.

A. Rapiers and daggers:

1. When used offensively, the rapier may be used for thrusting and cutting. The dagger may be used for thrusting, but may only be used for draw cuts if both combatants agree to them prior to the bout.

2. When used defensively, both can be used to defend or block blows ("parry") as long as such a parry does not involve the delivery of an Illegal Strike by the weapon upon the opponent.

3. Rapiers and daggers must never be used to whip, slap or chop at an opponent. Specifically, draw cuts delivered with a rapier must be placed against the opponent. Slapping an opponent in order to bring the blade into contact with the opponent can result in a verbal warning from the field marshal.

4. They must never be grasped, grabbed, or enveloped (cloaks, obviously, are intended to do just this and in their case, envelopment of the blade is allowed.) in such a way that prevents an opponents use of the weapon or impedes a blow. Nor should the rapier be trapped against the Combatant's (hereafter also referred to as the fighter) body in an attempt to immobilize it or otherwise prevent it from being used.

5. They must never be used to attack your opponent with any part except the blade itself (i.e. "bell punches" are not legal).

6. It is important to remember that we strive to recreate an ancient form of combat rather than create a modified form of the sport of fencing. Thus we must remember the characteristics of the weapons being used are not the same as those that they simulate. Where possible, assess results in the light of what a real weapon would do instead of the way that the blunt, flexible foil or epee blade reacted. Real blades do not skip when they make contact.

B. Cloaks and bucklers.

1. Cloaks and bucklers may be used to displace or deflect an opponent's weapon, so long as the action does not endanger the safety of the combatants.

2. Bucklers are NOT to be used to strike an opponent in any manner.

3. Whipping an opponent with the cloak or throwing the cloak onto the opponents head is also forbidden. (Fine point: Throwing the cloak at the opponents head is legal, landing it there is not.)

II. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OR "CALLING" OF BLOWS:

A. The entire body is a valid target for the purpose of blow calling. (However, restrictions described in the Glossary under Helpless Opponent, Illegal Strike, Illegal Target and Striking from Behind must be applied). All combatants are presumed to be wearing only a shirt, shoes, and hose or a skirt during combat. No combatant is considered endowed with any more armor protection than that which these garments would render. Neither armor worn during the bout nor any other item worn by the combatant negates a valid blow. (Combatants may be asked to remove any items such as belt pouches, etc. if such items impair the combatant's ability to properly judge the validity of blows).

B. A blow, delivered to a legal target by means of a valid thrust or draw cut, using proper technique for the particular weapon used, is considered a valid blow by the combatant so struck and must be acknowledged.

1. A valid blow delivered by a thrust to the head, neck, or torso is considered fatal or totally disabling. The combatant so struck is incapable of further combat and the fight terminates at that point. Any thrusts or draw cuts in motion at the time of the delivery of the fight terminating blow will count if they strike. Those initiated afterwards will not count as valid blows.

2. A valid blow delivered by a draw cut to any part of the neck, brachial artery (the inside of the arm between the armpit and elbow), femoral artery (the inside of the leg between the groin and knee), or abdomen (between the ribs and hips), is considered fatal or totally disabling, thus rendering the combatant incapable of further combat.

3. A valid blow delivered by thrust or draw cut to an arm, leg, hand, foot, finger or toe, other than a blow that would be considered fatal or totally disabling as described above, is considered to have totally incapacitated that extremity.

a. A combatant receiving such a valid blow to the leg or foot will be considered grounded. By definition a grounded opponent cannot move from the spot in which he selects to place himself before continuing combat (i.e. no lateral movement upon the ground that results in movement away from the initial position is allowed). A grounded fighter must decide if he will fight from a sitting or kneeling position. Once that decision has been made, the fighter can no longer move his body below the waist.

b. A combatant receiving such a valid blow to the arm loses all use of that arm and it's hand.

c. A combatant receiving such a valid blow only to the hand loses use of the hand but can still use the arm for parrying.

C. Combatants are also expected to take into account the timing of all valid blows. Blows initiated after the delivery of a fight terminating wound onto the attacker or after a hold is called are not valid. A blow that includes the dropping of the attacking weapon before, or at the same instant as, the impact (i.e., the weapon was thrown) need not be acknowledged. However, dropping of the weapon after the impact has been delivered will not be cause to ignore the blow if such would have otherwise been considered a valid blow.