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A Bit about Combat SCA style
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Heavy Combat in the SCA is full contact and
non-choreographed. The object of the fight is to strike your opponent hard
enough that your opponent feels it would have sufficient force to have cut
thru chain mail armor and wounded or killed them. Generally speaking,
strikes to the head or body with sufficient force are considered killing
blows. Strikes to the arms and legs are considered wounding blows. The
general target area in SCA combat is one inch above the wrist and one inch
above the knee. More specific target areas as well as special cases
are delt with by weapon types other than sword (polearm, axe etc.)
Combat in the SCA takes on many forms from one on one Tournaments to full
Melees, in which small groups fight small groups, and Wars, in which
Kingdoms fight each other in very large groups.
Many different styles of fighting are available
to learn from the basic sword and board, to various 2 handed styles,
polearms, axes, and maces just to name a few. Each style requires
training and then certification before a fighter can use the style in an
official event. Rules and requirements for any style can be found in
the various fighters handbooks available in print and on the web.
Links to some of them shall be provided on this page.
We have minimum armor standards that the
combatants must wear when fighting. Marshals monitor the fighting to insure
safety, and will call temporary holds to the fighting if safety becomes an
issue. Weapons are made out of unpadded rattan wood. The armor used runs
from full gothic plate armor to heavy padding. We wear helms that cover the
entire head with no gap greater than an inch made of no less than 16 gauge
steel (spun-top helms must be at least 14 gauge per Society standards). The
Tournaments are fought for prizes. The prize can be anything from swords,
drinking goblets, pieces of armor, to bottles of wine.
SCA fighting is open to both men and women.
There is no separate woman's league, women fight against men. Some women
have become so proficient that they have been knighted or won the Crown of a
Kingdom on the tourney field.
