Martial

My martial activities in the SCA include heavy list armored combat, combat archery (CA) and target archery.

Armored Combat

In this area of study my favorite forms to fight with are sword and shield followed by great sword. I am authorized to fight in those along with the other forms used in the SCA, Polearm, Spear, Two stick and Combat Archery. When fighting in a tournament I will choose sword and shield or great sword as they are my better forms ones that I enjoy the most. In a tournament you are fighting a single opponent in a contest of skill therefore it’s important to put your best foot forward however there are some tourney rules that may force you to fight with a different form so I try to keep practicing my other forms.

Combat Archery

CA is a form of armored combat that is used in melee combat and my absolute favorite to use on the battlefield. Using fiberglass shafted rubber blunt ammunition I mainly use the crossbow but I also have a recurve bow that I sometimes use. As a mediocre fighter I find this allows me to make a bigger tactical impact on the battlefield rather than simply being a speedbump to more accomplished fighters. Don’t get me wrong, I can be a very effective speedbump!

Target Archery

Using a 30# recurve bow with no sights or modern aids I shoot wooden shafted arrows down range at foam targets. Every season I attend practices and events where I shoot Royal Rounds. These scores are sent to the Kingdom and I am ranked among the other archers by these score numbers. This allows me to gauge my skill level and track my personal growth over time. A Royal Round consists of 6 arrows shot at the 20 yard target, 6 arrows at the 30 yard target, 6 arrows at the 40 yard target and finally a timed shoot with unlimited arrows at the 20 yard target.