Re: [Middlebridge] event/demo

At 12:14 PM 6/10/95 -0400, sca-middle@dnaco.net wrote:
>In a message dated 95-06-09 14:39:37 EDT, you write:
>
>>be responsible for loading it into the trucks by 9:00 A.M. FIGHTERS
>>NOTE:
>>This is a DEMO
>
>This brings up a point I'd like discussed by fighters, demo-crats, and the
>general populace. My idea of fighting at at demo is to give thr crowd a good
>show. Get in there with lots of noise and action, and don't die too soon.
> Some fighter's I've mentioned this to say "But that wouldn't be showing what
>we do" and fight as if at a tourney, waiting for openings, and takng
>whatever sounds good. (walk around, stare at each other, throw a couple
>feints, and BANG you're dead). We have a demo coming up at an arts in the
>pak festival in a couple weeks. What is the general feeling on both sides of
>this?

Speaking as a fighter...

Don't ask me to come to a demo if you don't want to see what I *do*. Not an
imitation. If you aren't a fighter, get someone who is to coordinate that
part of the demo.

Don't tell me that "demos should always be fought S&S, leave your bastards,
glaives and two-sticks at home" or "don't take the first couple of blows, we
want the bouts to go on for awhile." or other such instructions.
Show the audience beforehand what a good blow is, what a tip, glance, light
blow is. Explain blow acknowledgement, and the reliance on personal honor
to judge blows...and that sometimes they *won't* see why Count Syr HotStick
suddenly fell dead in a most theatrical manner.
Encourage them to ask the fighters afterward, perhaps even a question and
answer session to break up the fighting and give the fighters a break if you
only have a few.

OTH...

Fighters, the untrained eye often *cannot* see what happened in a fight.
Even a trained one has trouble distinguishing good blows from "tip, glance,
light" (which is why spectators should never engage in speculation on the
decisions made by the people in armor, but that is another thread).

 Work out a basic plan for the bout with your "dance partner" beforehand;
what kind of blow acknowledgement level you both are working toward, is this
going to be slow and methodical or a "gunfight", etc. Many times the weapon
system will determine much of this. But even two bastard sword fighters can
"play" a little, exaggerate the feeling out process. This will allow the
spectators to "train" a little bit.

Mathurin

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From: rdeaver@tyrell.net (Rex Deaver)
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Received on Mon Jun 12 20:05:32 1995