Introduction

The attached are a draft set of proposed combat rules offered for consideration of the AAF’s combatants.

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The author feels that the current combat rules do not accurately reflect how the club works and does not give a realistic structure for authorisation and grading of combatants. The current six-tier system is arbitrary and outdated, with references to wooden weapons and a lack of consideration of the availability of store-bought weapons and armour on the internet.

A new structure needs to take into account a fighter’s capability with weapons as well as their possession of appropriate combat gear and soft costume. It should also provide a goal towards which a fighter may work. These combat rules do not account for non-fighting members of the club.

Major changes

These proposed rules make the following major changes:

1. The old six-tier grading structure has been removed and replaced with three Ranks plus a number of Proficiencies for weapons, weapon combinations and combat situations. Rank and Proficiencies are now required to be recorded on the website.
2. All references to wooden weapons have been removed.
3. Marshalls have been removed and replaced with powers delegated by the Chief Marshall to other members of Veteran rank. The Chief Marshall is now required to appoint a Veteran as Acting Chief Marshall in the event of an extended absence.
4. The period after which rank is revoked due to lack of training has been extended from 10 weeks to one year.
5. Helmet standards have been altered to account for single-piece and spun dome style helmets. Previously only framed or frameless spangenhelms were legal.
6. The absolute requirement for lower limb protection has been removed. Lower limb protection is now in the “strongly recommended” category along with vambraces, cricket boxes and mouthguards.
7. Calls of “Hold” and “List” have been specified.
8. The procedure for calling a General Meeting of Combatants has been clarified.
9. Language has been clarified throughout.

Proposed Rules (DRAFT)

Contents

1. Scope of these rules
2. Ranks
3. Proficiencies
4. Recording of Rank and Proficiency
5. Lapse of Rank and Proficiency
6. Role of the Chief Marshall
7. Equipment Standards - Weapons
8. Equipment Standards - Helmets and Armour
9. Equipment Standards - Historical Accuracy
10. Combat
11. Eligibility of Combatants
12. Conduct of Combatants
13. External Combat
14. Discipline
15. General Meeting of Combatants
16. Additional Rules

1. Scope of these rules

These rules cover the conduct of the fighting activities of the Ancient Arts Fellowship (AAF).

2. Ranks

A combatant’s Rank represents their current status within the club. It takes into account a combatant’s Proficiency with various weapons and their possession of appropriate armour and soft costume. There are three ranks: Recruit, Warrior and Veteran.

a. Recruit
A Recruit is new to the club. They are considered to be just starting their training.

i. A trainee is not considered to be a Recruit unless they are a fully paid member of the club. A trainee may attend a number of training sessions prior to becoming a member, at the discretion the Chief Marshall or delegate.

ii. A Recruit is not required to own any gear and has not achieved the Core Proficiencies. They are, however, required to be working towards both.

iii. A Recruit may not engage in combat without supervision from a Warrior or Veteran.

iv. A Recruit may not fight in interclub events.

b. Warrior
A Warrior is considered to be a full fighting member of the club.

i. A Warrior must own a full set of soft costume representing one of the core cultures – Anglo-Saxon, Viking or Norman. A full set includes – at minimum – tunic, pants, belt and shoes.

ii. A Warrior must own – at minimum – a helmet, gauntlets, sword and shield.

iii. A Warrior must have achieved the three Core Proficiencies – Single Sword, Sword and Shield and Skirmishing.

iv. A warrior may fight without supervision, according to their Proficiencies.

c. Veteran
A Veteran is a senior member of the club, and is considered to have earned the right to a certain amount of authority within the club.

i. A Veteran must have been a Warrior for at least one full year.

ii. A Veteran must own several sets of soft costume, representing at least two of the core cultures and whatever other cultures are deemed appropriate.

iii. A Veteran must have achieved at least six Proficiencies, including the Core Proficiencies.

iv. A Veteran may be delegated certain authority by the Chief Marshall in accordance with section 7.d of these Rules.

d. Promotion

i. In order to be promoted from Recruit to Warrior, or from Warrior to Veteran, a combatant must demonstrate to the Chief Marshall or delegate that they are eligible for that Rank.

ii. The combatant must have achieved the required Proficiencies and must demonstrate that they own the appropriate equipment and soft costume.

iii.The Chief Marshall will consult with Veterans about the appropriateness of the combatant’s promotion. If there are no serious issues raised, then the Chief Marshall may declare the combatant promoted.

iv. Promotion of a combatant will be announced in the newsletter and on the website.

3. Proficiencies

A Proficiency represents a combatant’s ability to use a weapon, weapon combination, or to be able to be safe in a combat situation. There are many Proficiencies, and more may be created at the discretion of the Chief Marshall.

a. A combatant may not engage in unsupervised combat with a weapon or weapon combination unless they have achieved the appropriate Proficiency. Nor may they engage in unsupervised skirmish, display or interclub combat unless they have achieved the appropriate Proficiency.

b. A combatant must declare their intention to pursue a Proficiency to the Chief Marshall, and actively seek training in that Proficiency. A Recruit is automatically considered to be pursuing the three Core Proficiencies.

c. A combatant may be awarded a Proficiency when he or she has demonstrated to the Chief Marshall or delegate that they can use a particular weapon or weapon combination safely, or that they are safe in a particular combat situation.

d. Proficiencies are awarded at the discretion of the Chief Marshall or delegate.

e. The following are considered Core Proficiencies, and are required for a combatant to be promoted to Warrior:

i. Single Sword – any single-handed sword used with the other hand free.

ii. Sword and Shield – any single-handed sword used in combination with a round or kite shield.

iii. Skirmishing – any fight with more than two combatants.

f. The three Core Proficiencies must be pursued in the order listed, and one must be achieved before the next can be pursued.

g. Additional Proficiencies may be awarded to any combatant of Warrior or Veteran Rank, including but not limited to:

i. Two-Handed Spear

ii. Single-Handed Spear and Shield

iii. Sword and Short Blade

iv. Sword and Buckler

v. Single-Handed Axe and Shield

vi. Two-Handed Axe

vii. Glaive/Hewing Spear

viii. Dagger/Seax

ix. Display Combat

x. Interclub (special – see below)

h. The Interclub Proficiency may be awarded at the discretion of the Chief Marshall or delegate to any Warrior or Veteran deemed safe to fight against other clubs.

i. A combatant may not engage in combat with other clubs unless they have achieved this Proficiency, except as noted below.

ii. At a combatant’s first interclub event, the Chief Marshall or delegate will grant Provisional status to that combatant, which allows that combatant to take part in combat at that event.

iii. The Chief Marshall or delegate must communicate the combatant’s Provisional status to the Event Marshall or organiser(s).

iv. If the combatant safely participates in their first event with no at-fault incidents, then the Chief Marshall may remove their Provisional status and grant the full Proficiency. If this requirement is not met, they retain their Provisional status for future interclub events.

i. A Proficiency may be revoked at any time by the Chief Marshall if a fighter consistently demonstrates unsafe behaviour with a weapon or weapon combination or in skirmish, display or interclub combat. If any of a combatant’s Core Proficiencies are revoked, they are considered demoted to Recruit rank.

j. A combatant may request that the Chief Marshall assess them for Proficiency at any time.

4. Recording of Rank and Proficiency

a. The club will keep a record of the names of all combatants, their Rank and what Proficiencies they have achieved, and the dates on which they were achieved.

b. This record will be made available on the club’s website and kept up to date by the Chief Marshall or delegate.

5. Lapse of Rank and Proficiency

a. If a member leaves the club and/or does not engage in combat for more than one year, their Rank and Proficiencies automatically lapse and must be reassessed if and when the member returns.

b. If a combatant of Veteran Rank returns after leaving for more than one year, Section 2.c.ii may be waived for the purposes of restoring their Rank at the discretion of the Chief Marshall.

6. Role of the Chief Marshall

The Chief Marshall is considered to be the final authority on matters of combat in the club.

a. The Chief Marshall is appointed by the Council and must be an active combatant of Veteran Rank.

b. The appointment of a Chief Marshall must be published in the club’s Newsletter, and if no objections to the appointment are received by the issue of the next Newsletter, then the appointment is considered to be permanent.

c. The Chief Marshall may voluntarily resign the position at any time.

d. The Chief Marshall may delegate certain authorities and powers:

i. Delegation may cover only the following sections of these rules: 2.a.i, 3.c, 3.d, 3.h, 3.h.ii, 3.h.iii, 4.b, 11.b, 12.a, 12.e, 13.a. Delegation does not apply to other sections.

ii. The Chief Marshall must announce to combatants that a delegation of authority has been made. This announcement may be informal.

iii. The Chief Marshall may delegate authority only to a combatant of Veteran Rank.

iv. Where the Chief Marshall and a delegate disagree, the Chief Marshall’s ruling shall prevail.

v. If a combatant disagrees with a delegate’s decision, they may appeal to the Chief Marshall, who must then make a ruling to either support or overturn that delegate’s decision.

e. If the Chief Marshall is intending to be absent from the training and club activities for more than four weeks, they must appoint an Acting Chief Marshall for the interim period.

i. The Chief Marshall may only appoint a combatant of Veteran Rank to be Acting Chief Marshall

ii. The Acting Chief Marshall is deemed to have all the authorities of the Chief Marshall for the time that they hold the position.

f. The Chief Marshall’s interpretation of these rules is considered to be final.

7. Equipment Standards - Weapons

All weapons used in combat are to be made safe.

a. All edges must be blunted to a round profile of 2mm thickness.

b. All points must be rounded to a diameter of no less than 15mm (an Australian 5c coin may be used as a reference).

c. The Chief Marshall’s discretion is final for any weapon for which these standards do not apply.

8. Equipment Standards - Helmets and Armour

a. All combatants must wear a metal helmet at all times when fighting.

i. A helmet must be constructed from at least 1.6mm plate.

ii. A helmet must include adequate padding to protect the wearer’s head during normal combat.

iii. A helmet must include a chin strap and be secure on the wearer’s head.

iv. A helmet must be correctly fitted to the wearer’s head.

b. All combatants must wear gauntlets at all times when fighting.

i. Gauntlets must consist of a heavy leather glove with adequate padding to protect the back of the hand, fingers and thumb.

ii. Extra layers of mail, leather or metal may be added to improve the gauntlet’s protective value.

iii. An unpadded glove may be used with a shield (only).

c. Other protection is strongly recommended – this includes vambraces, lower limb protection, mouth guard, cricket box, and chest/body protection.

9. Equipment Standards - Historical Accuracy

All members must maintain a high level of historical accuracy in all arms, armour and accessories within the following parameters:

a. Reconstructed equipment must be as close to their historical origins as possible within the limits of:

i. Available information

ii. Available materials

iii. Personal budget

b. Accurate methods of construction are strongly recommended. Modern tools and techniques may be used as long as the finished item looks accurate (ie, all modern short cuts must be hidden.

c. All reconstructed equipment is to be based squarely on

i. A primary source from the period and/or

ii. At least two independent secondary sources.

d. A primary source of evidence is an actual extant item that the maker has seen and made accurate recordings from, a photograph of the same item, an accurate diagram or comprehensive description of the same item.

e. A secondary source is any description or depiction of a given item, either modern or contemporary, that is not backed up by a primary source.

f. Comparative evidence is allowed, provided that this evidence is supported by at least one primary and/or two secondary sources for each piece of evidence used. Comparative evidence is derived from extrapolating the usage of certain items from contemporary or preceding cultures to the culture that the maker wishes to construct items from. A great deal of care needs to be taken when doing this.

g. Variations on the original items are allowed as long as they are deemed reasonable.

h. No reconstruction can be based on negative evidence. If there is no evidence that an item was worn, used or made, then it is to be deemed that it was not.

i. No item of equipment which fails to meet the criteria set out in this Section may be used in displays. Adherence to this rule is strongly recommended at other formal AAF events.

j. None of the authenticity rules outlined in this section apply to equipment worn or used at training sessions.

10. Combat

a. Combat is defined as free sparring using any safe weapon appropriate to the period being recreated. Drill is not considered combat.

b. Combat may be undertaken without direct supervision by any combatant of Warrior or Veteran Rank, according to their Proficiencies.

c. Combat may not be undertaken unless all participants are wearing helmet and gauntlets that comply with section 8 of these rules. Additional armour and/or protection is strongly recommended.

d. All combatants must wear substantial footwear enclosing the entire foot.

e. Combatants who wear spectacles or hard contact lenses must wear adequate protection to prevent breakage.

f. All equipment must have sharp edges, points and burrs removed. All weapons, armour and shields must be maintained to a safe standard and be kept clean and free of rust.

11. Eligibility of Combatants

a. Any combatant may refuse to engage in combat for any reason.

b. The Chief Marshall or delegate may refuse to allow combat to begin, or may stop a combat, if they consider any item of a combatant’s equipment to be unsafe according to sections 7 and 8 of these rules.

c. Any combatant known or suspected of being under the influence of any intoxicating drug, including alcohol, is barred from taking part in combat while under the influence.

12. Conduct of Combatants

a. No combatant shall deliberately attempt to injure any other combatant, and all effort will be undertaken to avoid accidental injury.

b. Deliberate thrusts to the face and attacks to the sides of the head, neck, tops of the shoulders, groin, hands, feet and joints are not allowed.

c. Thrusts to the torso above the line of the armpits (aka. the “nipple line”) or to the upper arms are not allowed.

d. When delivering a thrust or using a thrusting weapon, it must never be braced.

e. No-one shall interfere in a combat in which they are not involved, with the exception of the Chief Marshall or delegate acting within their official capacity, unless they can justify their actions to the Chief Marshall or delegate.

f. Any combatant may at any time stop a fight if they consider any combatant to be in a dangerous situation, to be fighting dangerously, to have been injured, or are contravening these rules, by calling “Hold”. On this call, all fighting must cease immediately. Combat may recommence once a call of “Clear” is made.

g. If combatants approach too close to non-combatants, a call of “List” is used. On this call, combatants must cease combat and move a sufficient distance away from all non-combatants before restarting.

h. No combatant shall use or handle another combatant’s equipment without their permission.

i. No member shall attack another person, with a real or imitation weapon – even in jest – unless a prior agreement has been made to enter into combat.

j. No member shall act irresponsibly with a weapon at any time during or outside AAF events.

k. No member shall act in such a way as to bring disrepute upon the AAF.

13. External Combat

a. Any person, not a combatant of the AAF, may be granted the rights of a combatant for the duration of an event by the Chief Marshall or delegate if they have undergone a sufficient and similar training to that required for a combatant of the AAF and if they agree to abide by these rules.

b. Any AAF member in combat with a non-member without prior agreement to abide by these rules is not participating in an AAF event.

14. Discipline

a. Failure to comply with this rules may, at the discretion of the Chief Marshall, result in the suspension of the miscreant from combat for a period judged appropriate.

b. Severe contravention of these rules will result in the Chief Marshall calling a General Meeting of Combatants, at which a decision may be made to remove combatant status of the miscreant.

c. Anyone not willing to accept these rules is deemed not to be part of any AAF event that they attend and will not be permitted to participate in combat.

15. General Meeting of Combatants

a. Any proposed alteration to these rules must be submitted in writing carrying the signatures of three Warriors or Veterans, to the Chief Marshall.

b. Any member may present a petition carrying the signatures of one quarter or more of the registered combatants.

c. The Chief Marshall may call a General Meeting of Combatants to address a matter of discipline under section 14.b of these rules.

d. Upon receiving a proposal, petition, or Section 14.b concern, the Chief Marshall shall call for a General Meeting of Combatants.

i. The meeting must be advertised in the monthly newsletter of the AAF, and on the AAF’s website.

ii. At least one month’s notice must be given.

iii. The advertisement of the meeting must include the purpose of the meeting.

iv. A quorum shall be no less than half the registered fighting members of the club – Warriors, Veterans and paid Recruits. If a quorum is not in attendance, the meeting will be postponed and re-advertised in accordance with these Rules.

v. The question will be carried on a two-thirds majority vote.

e. The result of any General Meeting of Combatants shall be reported in the club’s newsletter and on the website.

16. Additional Rules

a. Any combatants may, by prior agreement, impose additional restrictions on their combat.

Points for Discussion

1. Section 3.g: Make Display Combat one of the Core Proficiencies? In this case, perhaps change section 2.c.iii to require seven Proficiencies for promotion to Veteran (core +4).
2. Section 4.b: Make the list of Ranks and Proficiencies available to members only? Or make public? Personally I see no reason to keep this information private so long as it does not include personal details or contact information.
3. Section 6: Is one year appropriate? I believe ten weeks is too short.
4. There is no Equipment Standard for shields. Since there are many different shield types and construction methods (buckler, punchgrip, strap configuration, faced, destructible…) I believe that they are adequately covered by section 9.
5. I suggest that if and when a meeting is called to vote on the adoption of these rules, the meeting be conducted according to section 15 of these rules rather than according to the old rules. These rules are clearer, have stricter requirements on notification and reporting, and specify quorum and majority.