[Regia-NA] Regia Combat (was Greetings)

[Brian Caruso]

Mark, 

I tried to get together with the local SCA Barony out
here in So.Cal. None of the people I contacted seemed
interest in who I was and wanted to do. I finally was
able to contact the guy running the Fighter
practice(and he was like all the others). So I went
and it ended up just me by my self in this guys
backyard practicing hits on a pole( which is not bad
for practice, but I could have done that at home ). It
really turned me off to the SCA. Although that was a
couple years ago, and I heard they have a bunch of new
people running the Barony now so I might give it a try
again.

As for training for Regia combat( seeing as I can't
get to England to often) Are their any moves one can
practice at home to prepare for an event? I know you
have to go through their training before you can
fight, but is their anything one can do at home to
help?

I know I should not be thinking about combat when I
don't even have the clothing yet. So my next question
would have to be...what materials do I need to get
some clothing together?

Brian
P.S. thanks to eveyone who answered my "what is the
combat like question"

--- Mark Patchett <patchett@sybase.com> wrote:
> 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
> 
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