06-30-2013, 06:32 AM
Our group uses bunt steel in free combat so we have to train regularly to keep the displays save.
One safety convention is to avoid stabbing point first at unarmored areas, but rather hit with the flat of the blade. Also we avoid stabbing straight to the visor as even well made and accurate helmets have to be padded very good to allow for this.
Previously we prohibited attacks to the head of a Retiarius, but since I started to employ a fencing mask in training to better understand the use of the shoulder guard, I would even allow pulled attacks to my head from certain partners of my group, with whom I trained this.
As with all Martial Arts both combatants have to understand the primary goal is to stay protected and the secondary is to hit the opponent. This is why any hit to an unprotected part of the body has to be considered potentially disabling. As we see in iconography Gadiators with bleeding arm or leg wounds would indeed submit and hope to receive Missus.
This mindset is often very difficult to achieve as our modern sports orientated thinking combined with the save environment of using bunt weapons urges us to take risks in attacking that we would not take if our survival would depend on it.
One safety convention is to avoid stabbing point first at unarmored areas, but rather hit with the flat of the blade. Also we avoid stabbing straight to the visor as even well made and accurate helmets have to be padded very good to allow for this.
Previously we prohibited attacks to the head of a Retiarius, but since I started to employ a fencing mask in training to better understand the use of the shoulder guard, I would even allow pulled attacks to my head from certain partners of my group, with whom I trained this.
As with all Martial Arts both combatants have to understand the primary goal is to stay protected and the secondary is to hit the opponent. This is why any hit to an unprotected part of the body has to be considered potentially disabling. As we see in iconography Gadiators with bleeding arm or leg wounds would indeed submit and hope to receive Missus.
This mindset is often very difficult to achieve as our modern sports orientated thinking combined with the save environment of using bunt weapons urges us to take risks in attacking that we would not take if our survival would depend on it.
Olaf Küppers - Histotainment, Event und Promotion - Germany
