Re: [Mid] Wearing Swords

In a message dated 97-05-07 16:44:11 EDT, Patrick Armstrong wrote:

<< did not know he could not do something, or that he should yell clear to
 draw his sword. These things may seem comon sense to most but there are a
>>

Yes, they do seem like commonsense, don't they? But can we not teach our new
folk well to our ways so that they not only call "Clear!" but *know what it
means*?

Calling "Clear!" does not mean "Look out! I'm drawing my sword now!" in the
manner of a waitress barrelling out a diner kitchen bawling "Hot stuff --
coming through!"

The call of "Clear!" is an *announcement*, not a *warning*. It's an
announcement that the owner of the blade has determined that there is enough
space to partially draw the blade from the sheath. I don't think that
anything more than an eating knife needs to be fully drawn from the sheath in
a crowded event hall, unless there's bloodletting to be done, and there are
laws in most of these states.... [Oh, all right, of course there are
exceptions -- ve-ery careful demos, examinations before purchases, etc ;-) ]
But so often [imho] prospective steel-admirers *don't* take into account:
     -- the length of the blade in its arc, beyond the two immediate area of
the admirer and the owner;
    -- *plus* [or perhaps multiplied by] random other passers-by not paying
attention. These folks know to stay out of the list area, because there
ropes or some other kind of eric. They're not stupid, but they're following
their own agenda, with their minds somewhere else.
    -- *plus* [or, again, multiplied by] the distinct possibility that any
one or more of these people -- owner, admirer, or passerby -- may zig when
someone else zags. Or may trip over armor on the floor. Or anything else
which alters the equation of where the people are in relation to where the
blade's edge is.

Okay, owner of the steel in question and the admirer have enough space, and
more, to unsheath the blade. The owner [the way *I* learned this ceremony]
then announces "Clear!" to the populace AND THEN LOOKS AROUND to make sure
anybody is paying attention. Only *then* is it safe to unsheath a blade
bigger than a steak knife.

Yelling "Clear" *while* one is drawing a blade isn't even close. Might as
well just yell "Gotcha!"

Sonya of Prague [blades don't make me nervous -- I'm a Hordesman! -- people
make me nervous]
From: AndreAllen@aol.com
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Received on Thu May 8 02:36:13 1997