[Regia-NA] Regia Combat (was Greetings)

[Mark Patchett]

Hi Brian,

I'd agree with Andy -- it's great fun.

For my background -- I've been fighting in the SCA for about 12 years, which
does full contact combat with blunt rattan ( 1.25" diameter) swords.

I was surprised by how "quick" regia combat moves - I was expecting that things
would have needed to be slowed down a lot to remain safe with metal swords and
no required armour, but have been pleasantly surprised.
There's a certain thrill and feeling of risk when you're out there in an open
faced helmet ( or no helmet ) having people swinging swords and spears at you.

I've been fighting in Regia for a little over a year now, and attended the
Shrewsbury training weekend in April last year.
We fought a variety of combat scenarios -- line fights, "bridge" battles, lots
of fun fighting in the woods, including up the side of a rather steep hill.

A lot of "success" in melee combat relies on teamwork -- a well armoured man
with a shield is fairly safe against one opponent, but can be beaten rapidly by
a well organized team that can outflank or out manouver him.

Generally new people begin by learning how to fight with a spear and shield (
probably over half of those on the field at Shewsbury used a spear (2 handed)
with a shield slung over their shoulder, and a small seax as a backup weapon.
Sword was probably the next most common weapon we saw, with a fair number of one
handed axes, and a few danish axes.  Spears used in one hand are less common, as
it is a more dangerous and harder style to master.

I'll be happy to answer any more questions you may have.
-Mark Patchett / Edward of Wynmerestow, Ontario, Canada

"Nicholson, Andrew" wrote:

> >I would mainly like to focus on the
> > vikings. I know this is not the right question to ask
> > to get started, but its an itch that needs to be
> > scratched. Has anyone here been in the RA combat? and
> > what is it like?
> >
>
> It's so much fun that I still enjoy doing it after 17 years :).
>
> No two battles are ever the same, and the competative element really
> provides incentive - not just to fight well, but to support your comrades.
>
> Since we used rebated steel we do ensure that blows are not landed
> full-weight, but pulled at the last moment. It is a fine art to make a blow
> go in fast enough to get through the enemy's guard  (and look believable to
> the public) but be able to brake it enough for it to land no harder than a
> light slap, which is the required weight of blow.
>
> Choice of weapons and the deployment of assets can also make a tremendous
> difference between a good hard fight and a massacre. The best, well-armoured
> warrior is still going to have trouble if two or three spearmen gang up on
> him, and can circle round his shield.
>
> Some weapons, such as the dane-axe, require special combat rules as it is
> not possible to use them the way they were intended in a 'safe' fashion.
>
> For a newcomer's views I'd ask Mark and Chris to chip in, since they came to
> Shrewsbury and plunged straight into it.
>
> Guğrum