Knightly Virtues

Several of the Knights of Numenor. Photo © Ellie Apland

Knighthood in Belegarth has a staggering variety of interpretations across its population. Each individual line of knights has its own requirements and values, and so the meaning continues to become increasingly diluted over time. This has lead to many bitter arguments about the "right" way to do things and if Knighthood even has any value beyond feeding a few egos.

Despite that, there are several knights who are almost universally lauded for their service and bearing. This leads me to believe that at the core there is a set of values which we generally agree are "good" or "knightly".

In light of that, I've decided to do a quick write-up of what traits I, personally, look for in the knights I respect. No one matches all of these perfectly, of course, but that's why I find this sort of list so interesting.

Leadership

A knight should be a leader in word and deed. He seeks out problems and solves them with the help of others in a timely fashion. He is a voice of experience and guidance among his peers.

Pitfall of this virtue: Passivity

Someone showing leadership does not need to be told where to help out. A knight who only addresses issues when they are brought directly to his attention does not show leadership, even if he agree to assist with the problem afterwards.

Martial Mastery

A knight should be aware of all aspects of fighting. Although he will not be the best, or even great at every style, he should be knowledgeable enough to instruct others mindfully. Above all, he should always be aware of why he does what he does.

Pitfall of this virtue: Fixation

It is easy for someone to become entrenched in their strongest skills and focus solely on those, effectively barring the breadth of their knolwedge. A knight who only understands a small subset of styles that he uses every day has avoided becoming a complete master.

Generosity

A knight should be giving of himself to his peers and his realm. Whether it be time, money, or skills, he should occasionally be willing to sacrifice for the good of others. If he sees a Belegrim in need, he is ready to step in however necessary.

Pitfall of this virtue: Permisiveness

Although being generous is a virtue, letting others take advantage of your kindness is not. A knight who allows others to rely on him to great excess does not show true generosity, as it creates a culture of devaluing service and personal growth.

Constructiveness

A knight should seek to constantly better the world around him. When social or political conflicts arise, he should seek to solve them in a positive manner that best aids his peers, putting aside his personal gripes. He should also actively teach others, building them up to become the best they can.

Pitfall of this virtue: Explanation over Action

Many who try to be constructive fall short by merely assessing and explaining a situation but never attempting to resolve it. A knight who gives generic instruction to others instead of actively shaping the situation to the positive has failed at being constructive.

Congeniality 

A knight should be welcoming to all he meets. He is a face that represents the best Belegarth has to offer, and should wear that responsibility proudly. Others should regularly seek him out because they know he will be reasonable and considerate.

Pitfall of this virtue: Tolerance Alone

Having listened to the same complaints and questions for many years, it becomes easy to simply tolerate those around you. A knight who will accept the approach of others, but does not inspire confidence and trust in them, has not mastered the art of congeniality.

Read More

Garb Enforcement at Practice

Every year, there's a debate over how to handle garb enforcement.  Subsequently, the community usually ends in the same place: everyone agreeing that garb should be worn at events, some people insisting garb should be worn at practices, while others argue that requiring garb at practice is a death-kiss to recruitment.

I'm personally in the pro-garb at practice camp, with leeway given for newbies, because I've seen it done much more good than bad. At the very least, it helps prevent the rash of fighters who won't go to events because they need garb, or those who turn up at events without garb. In my experience, here's how it becomes a successful culture.

Some passing garb at practice.

Use role models

This is by far the most important step. If the top dogs in the realm wear garb, especially the top fighters, the rest of the realm will usually follow suit. It helps remove a bit of the goofiness factor when the toughest guys are dressed to the nines and are willing to defend their choice to wear garb every week. It doesn't need to be incredibly fancy, after all it is only practice, but enough to show they take pride in their appearance.

Don't bully, but be clear about expectations

If you come at someone aggressively about their lack of garb, they're going to get defensive and dig their heels in. If people understand why they should wear garb at practice, instead of being told "because I want us to", they're often more receptive. Following the rules, preparing for events, and PR are usually the reasons I give depending on my audience. Playing to their sense of pride may also work well in some cases.

If someone I know who has garb is not wearing garb at practice, the most I will say is a casual "No garb today?" and leave it at that. You can often make it clear that you've noticed someone isn't wearing garb and you'd prefer them to, without calling them out and loudly embarrassing them in front of everyone. Even I sometimes don't show up in garb because life got in the way, and I prefer the courtesy of a gentle reminder instead of a public flogging.

Make it a rite of passage

In the realms where garb is common at practice, wearing it is often seen as a literal or metaphorical rite of passage. In some places it gives you access to more weapons, since you've proven your dedication.  In others, it's the first step that marks you as a "real" Belegrim in the eyes of the realm.

Making or buying your first garb is usually met with praise and stories about how awful our own first garb was. If a new fighter really wants to become "one of the guys", they will force themselves to wear garb when everyone else is.

Treat it as a uniform

This is for the people who feel uncomfortable in garb because they're very self-conscious. Those of us who embrace our geekiness may have no problem hitting up a public restaurant after practice in full garb, but others find it mortifying. Make sure the non-garbers know that you'll give them time to change before and after practice; garb is only your uniform on the field. Having that level of separation between the game and real life is really helpful for many people.

Help them get their first set

Almost everyone struggled with their first set of garb, myself included. If someone seems to be dragging their feet, offer to make it for them or have sewing days if you need to. You can even hand them the names of a few good places to order a set.

Garb does not need to be expensive or time-consuming to pass, and many newbies may not realize that if your realm is particularly well-dressed. The more that veterans do to lower the bar to entry, the sooner realm-mates can become comfortable wearing garb and pass that mentality on to the next generation.

Read More

Fighting as Entertainment

Fighters just don't get people who would rather watch a battle than participate in it. That's not surprising, really - they all get the itch to grab a weapon when they're stuck on the sidelines. It doesn't compute why someone of perfectly fine health won't just pick up some gear and have fun, especially if they already know the rules.

For that reason, I am often asked: how can you enjoy yourself just sitting there?

Truth be told, I don't always. Sometimes even I get the urge to fight when I sit there all day, because I'm bored out of my skull. To me, fighting is entertainment. If I'm not entertained, I'd rather catch up with old friends and take off early than observe uninteresting battles. As I gain more experience in Belegarth, I find many veterans are the same way, ducking out of practices or events that have lost their interest.

Since I'm solely a spectator, I thought I'd share what makes for good entertainment vs. poor entertainment in my mind. If you're a regular marshal, you should talk to your people directly to figure out what works for them. What's good fun for an onlooker is not always the same as for a fighter.

Things to Avoid

Huge fields

Nothing is worse as a spectator than not being able to see anything. Like any other sport, being closer to the action is more exciting. However, you'll need to be able to trust your marshals to keep the sidelines free of clumsy or oblivious fighters.

Also, huge fields mean a lot more waiting with a lot less combat because fighters need to travel a long distance to reach one another. Watching people walk around isn't very interesting.

Battles that drag out

This often happens because someone is trying to be tactical at the end of a fight and refuses to engage their enemy. Endless circling or retreating is boring for spectators. I'd much rather see the battle end quickly and decisively so we can move onto the next, than someone surviving an extra minute by avoiding combat. Keeping a field small or giving a time limit when people aren't swinging are ways to avoid this.

Regen Battles

There are a few exceptions to this, most notably some scenario battles like Capture the Flag, but regen battles are often when I start talking with other people or picking up a craft instead of watching. This is because there's no feeling of progress or togetherness, and it can be hard to follow what's going on with all the chaos. Color battles are the worst offenders in this category, which means I usually wander off about the time they start.

Things to Try

Something a little different is always fun. Photo © Ellie Apland.

Scenario Battles

There are a ton of these you can try depending on the number of people you have (e.g. good vs. evil, monarch, castle) and many fighters enjoy them as well. By giving some special goals to combat, veterans tend to engage more, and fighters will try new and unusual techniques to get a leg up.

It's also a good way to build friendly rivalries that keep things interesting. Depending on the scenario, people are often forced to work more closely with their team than in a vanilla line battle, which means they are more invested in the outcome. This leads to amusing taunts and stunts that you don't see normally.

Unit and Realm Battles

Having someone to cheer for is fun. These battles are usually the only chance spectators get to watch all their friends fight together on the same side, so they have a clear favorite. As a side benefit, the natural comradery between teammates boosts both the entertainment factor and the quality of fighting on the field, since they more likely know how to work together.

Unusual Tournaments

The usual suspects are fine to watch, but truly unique tournaments are a blast. My personal favorite semi-serious tournament is "Death in a Hat" where fighters must fight with whatever random style they draw. Anything that's fun and a little silly is great, because tempers and cheating are less likely to be an issue. Ultimately, I want to be focused on the fighting, not the drama on the sidelines.

What are your favorite battles or tournaments? Share in the comments below!

Read More

Roleplaying in Belegarth

The following article is my personal opinion about roleplaying. It is not intended to attack any persons or groups currently in Belegarth who enjoy the practice.

The eternal struggle of "LARP vs. Sport" comes down to one thing for many people: roleplaying. In sports, you don't pretend to be someone else. If you've been around Belegarth for any length of time, you know that it has its share of roleplayers among its fighters, and there are just as many who'd happily see it gone from the field.

Our multicolored monsters are the easiest roleplayers to spot. Photo © Ellie Apland.

I admit, I'm mostly on the side of stick jocks when it comes to roleplaying. I'd like to see Belegarth more accessible to the general public, and I think that kind of pretending gets in the way. No matter how many times we say "well, we don't have magic and actually hit each other instead of rolling dice", you're going to be hard pressed to prove this is a serious sport to someone if you're dressed like a ninja but can barely swing a sword. I think there are already plenty of LARPs for the hardcore geeks who care more about characterization than fighting. I'd like to see one for the geek-jocks and the person who likes 300 or the battles in the Lord of the Rings but would never consider themselves a "hardcore" geek.

That said, I can't completely disregard what roleplaying brings to Belegarth, especially off the field. When someone fits their character really well, it's incredibly entertaining to be around them and listen to their lore. One of my fondest memories from an event was when someone playing a monster (a gnoll, I think) wandered into our camp and told tales of his race's creation in exchange for the warmth of our fire. He was a brilliant storyteller. Even more interesting, he didn't wear anything too over the top to show his monstrous nature - just a simple collar and torn clothing. It was understated enough to feel like he wasn't really playing at being some magical creature, and I think that's what makes all the difference.

That's really where the line is for me between "this is pretty fun" and "ugh, roleplayers". If you play a character that is basically yourself with a couple exaggerations, it can be incredibly entertaining for everyone, without becoming a ridiculous sideshow. Good actors and brilliant costumers can pull off something more elaborate, but let's face it, most of us aren't that. If you're going to choose a race or persona, make sure it fits you, and more importantly your fighting skill, well. With monsters, that often isn't too hard, but when it comes to races like elves, there are only a few who can do it without looking absurd. The more of your true personality that your Belegarth persona reflects, the easier it is for people to suspend their disbelief, and the less silly you look.

For my part, that's why I enjoy our great roleplayers, but I don't do it myself. I don't have the personality to cut it as a monster, nor the presence to pull off any of my favorite types of characters. I would rather just be myself than make the poor roleplayer problem worse.

So I think the overall message is this: if you've got a good character going, enjoy it and share it. If you struggle with it, don't force it. If you want to be a badass ninja, learn to become one on the field first. Not only will you get more respect from other Belegrim, but you'll suddenly become someone who draws people to Belegarth instead of writing it off as kid's stuff. Personally, I'd rather see a handful of great roleplayers on the field surrounded by dozens of generic fighters, than scores of Belegrim with mediocre characterization and awful fighting.

Read More

Hurt them, don't break them

With any full-contact game, there's some element of machismo that pervades the culture. In Belegarth, it tends to rear its head in the form of acts that are technically legal but painful or dangerous. Examples might include purposefully shield edging someone in the head or kidneys, taking full red swings on an archer, or attempting to seriously hurt someone to teach them a lesson about headboxing or sloughing.

These actions are often applauded because it's seen as getting some sort of "justice" or proving that you're tougher than your opponent. It's an example of using fear of injury to get an advantage in lieu of skill. Instead of proving you are better than the guy across from you, you just prove that you can make them stop enjoying the fight. This story typically ends with the other guy refusing to fight the person who was out to purposefully cause them pain, and the "tough guy" celebrates it as a victory. Sometimes, the one getting beaten up may stop fighting entirely, especially if they're new.

Now, don't think that I'm anti-contact or I'm afraid of a little pain. Belegarth should hurt, it is in the nature of the game. It's part of what makes fighting not right for everyone. It's also what many of us enjoy about it.

The occasional good-natured beat down is a natural part of Belegarth. Photo © Ellie Apland.

But there's a difference between hurting someone because you're hitting each other with padded weapons, and hurting them because you care more about being seen as tough than good fighting. There's also a difference between hurting someone with control, and hurting someone because you are reckless. It's important to always aim for the former, even though adrenaline, testosterone, and culture can make that difficult.

What's the big deal? Well, it creates a recruitment and retention problem when you cause people to fear for their health through reckless combat. Many fighting groups have a saying that goes something like this:

"If you break your toys, you'll have none to play with."

Basically, when anyone in your realm starts getting reckless or vindictive, it disincentivizes others to play with you. Even if in the short term it may seem funny, harmless, or even good if it "fixes" a cheater, it's the sort of thing that scares away members and potentials you may not have realized were interested in Belegarth. It only takes a couple incidents that make a person fear for their safety to turn them away from fighting forever.

At the end of the day, Belegarth is a game that can only be played with other people. There's no need for a culture of bullying and mock toughness; the game has plenty of potential to be hardcore without the sideshow. So the next time you find yourself celebrating because a guy calls themselves dead rather than fighting you, take some time to reflect on whether that's really a good thing. What are you enjoying if they refuse to even play with you?

Read More

Approaching Sideline Sitters

I've now gotten this question a few times from fighters who want to be more inclusive to their Belegrim brethren who don't take to the field: What should I do to make them feel more welcome? I see them on the sidelines, but I don't know what to say.

There is no easy or correct answer to that question, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

First of all, be aware that plenty of sideline-sitters are introverts. The extroverts may sit on the sidelines, but they more easily engage in conversations with fighters who flow on and off the field. The introverts, on the other hand, are unlikely to talk much unless they need something. That doesn't mean they don't enjoy fighting or the presence of other Belegrim, but they're much less likely to seek out the conversation and company of others.

I'm the perfect example of this. Though I'm quite mouthy online, I'm dead silent at practices and events unless I have a reason to be loud. I'm content to sit, listen, and watch, rarely approaching other Belegrim of any sort for small talk. However, if you decide to stop by and engage me in a purposeful conversation, I will chat along quite happily. If you start talking about fighting theory in a friendly manner, you'll never get me to shut up.

Also know that when you sit on the sidelines, you see and hear a lot more than the average fighter. If you interact with others in a negative or intimidating way, you can bet that the person on the sidelines won't be interested in talking with you. It may feel a little cruel to be pre-judged like that, but it's just the truth: your first impression will not be based on how you talk to them, but how you talk to others around them.

With this in mind, know that you will probably need to reach out to your typical, quiet sideline sitter. Small talk will likely not get you far, so be prepared to have a more meaningful conversation if you want to build a better relationship. You can still open with the typical "would you like to fight?", but you'll need to be prepared based on their answer.

I'd like to fight, but...

If the person you're talking to seems to want to fight but isn't confident enough to do it, the next things you say are crucial. This happens most often with new people checking out Belegarth for the first time. I've screwed up this conversation plenty of times myself, so don't be discouraged if you aren't successful at your first attempts.

First, be aware that peer pressure may backfire. For some people, like me, being nagged to do something makes them dig their heels in. Saying "Come on, just fight, it'll be fun!" on repeat isn't like to win you many favors after the first refusal. Occasionally, people will give in, but that isn't very common.

More effective is figuring out why they're hesitant to fight. If they're afraid of the field or making a fool of themselves, accept that and give them another place to learn. You may even want to offer to train them yourself.

IMPORTANT - Guys, be careful how you word your offer to teach someone to fight if they are female. Anything about "Private training" or "I'd be happy to help you one-on-one" comes across as seriously creepy regardless of your intentions.

A better alternative is to ask "Would you like to learn how to fight? I can go through some of the basics with you before you take the field." If you think you're just too scary or socially inept for that, try to have another female fighter on hand that can help teach newbies. No female fighters? Ask the least-threatening guy you have who's also a decent teacher to help out. I use my husband for this all the time.

Non-threatening level : MASTER. Photo © Rinwilya Rose

In the end, the your goal is to be friendly and welcoming. Even if it turns out the sideline sitter doesn't want to fight, having that small conversation means they have one more person they're connected to at Belegarth. The more people they know and like, the more likely they will stick around.

Fighting's really not my thing

This response is far more common from the seasoned Belegrim who has consciously chosen to be a non-com. Although you may ask why they've decided not to fight, do not pressure them into joining you. Respect their wishes to remain on the sidelines.

IMPORTANT- Be careful not to imply that they're only there because of their fighter friends, unless you want the conversation to end prematurely. They may just be following someone else to Belegarth events, but you'll want to let them tell you that explicitly before you assume.

Instead, you may want to dsicuss why they enjoy Belegarth. In general, this conversation is about finding common ground, even if it ends up being shorter than you would like. Remember, you both are Belegrim and both have chosen to spend time and money with Belegarth, even if you don't both stand on the field. You might be surprised at how much you share. Don't be afraid to ask questions if they aren't busy - just like fighters, most non-coms love to talk shop!

One last bit of advice

I hope this has been somewhat helpful to you. At the very least, it should give you an idea of where to start a conversation on the sidelines. Before I close this article, I have one last thing you should do your best to attempt.

If anyone you approach has been doing event service, be sure to thank them, even in passing. Although they may be uncomfortable accepting praise, they will not forget it. Setting an example of respect and decent manners is important for the culture of Belegarth to continue to evolve positively and encourage sideline sitters to become more involved.

Read More

Belegarth and Binge Drinking

Before I begin, I think you should all know exactly who's writing this, so you can understand my biases. I don't really drink at all. I don't abstain for religious or medical reasons, but because I don't like how it makes me feel, how it tastes, or how it is used as an excuse for destructive behavior. I don't mind other people drinking in moderation, and I have plenty of friends that have way more fun after a couple of beers. I'm one of those annoying people who would rather party sober because I find nights more exciting when everyone can remember what happened. Obviously, not everyone is like that, and I respect that people have fun in different ways, but I won't willingly choose to be part of drunken shenanigans.

With that background, I'd like to point out something that made me extremely disappointed when I saw it. It's part of the official schedule for Spring Wars this year:

Now, the issue of professionalism aside, I realize this is a joke. I certainly laughed when I first saw it. But then it dawned on me why I was laughing: because it's true.

We may make fun, but when I thought back to just how many problems I had seen due to this kind of behavior at previous events, I became deeply disappointed that an event team would implicitly condone it. This sort of thing is exactly why many people won't run for the BoD and a large part of why I withdrew from the race for PR Coordinator - if something bad goes down, especially if Belegarth is seen approving this behavior, there is no liability insurance to protect them from a lawsuit. It's also part of the reason why going to events is a hard sell to those who have families to think about. Although most Belegrim are just fine, the few who overdo it cause problems for everyone.

The way I see it, an event goer's right to have fun however they want ends where damage to other peoples' events begins. I'm not talking about just annoying people, but doing things that could get Belegarth permanently banned from a park, legitimate harassment, disrupting the event, or damaging/destroying property. Almost every event I have been to has had something from that list occur to me or someone I know, usually when drunkenness was involved. I can't imagine how many others I don't know are affected by it.

A short list of a few things I have witnessed over the years:

• Rape whistles being blown all night "for fun". As a young woman going to her first event, I kept thinking "What if someone really needs to use a rape whistle? Will anyone notice?" and was very glad I was staying with my boyfriend.
• A random, drunk stranger hanging out by the women's bathroom that told me "you can't go in there" very seriously when I walked up. I was alone and had no clue if he was messing with me, but I didn't see any signs so I continued on my way. He then followed me as I walked around the corner to go in yelling "hey, why aren't you listening to me?!" behind me along with a few other colorful things. I didn't walk to the bathrooms alone after that.
• Fighting being delayed for several hours because someone had broken bottles on the field. Event coordinators had to clean up so fighters wouldn't have glass shards in their feet.
• Drunks yelling near our camp until 2am, purposefully keeping everyone awake. The worst part was that I was running the crack-of-dawn shift at Troll. Not exactly a nice "thank you" for helping with the event.
• Lots of vomit on other peoples' things. Good luck getting the guy who did it to clean it up - chances are he doesn't even remember.
• General damage or destruction of other people's property. Chairs were the most common victim, but even tents happened occasionally when enough alcohol was involved.
• Underage drinking. I may personally not care about it, but that is a huge problem for more than just the drinker if anything really bad happens.
• Drunks running through a camp, tripping over all the tent lines because they're too uncoordinated, and leaving the camp to re-pitch everything they knock down.

This list doesn't even include all the stories I've heard from others, many of which relate to serious sexual harassment. I realize some of this is just jerks being jerks, but too often it's seen as "okay" or "funny" to do these things because you're drunk, as if the responsibility for your actions and words no longer applies because you have alcohol in your system. Well, someone has to pay the price for you, whether it be the woman you scare away from events, the fighter who has to replace their camping gear, security giving up their night to keep you under control, or event coordinators dealing with the park or police.

Let me leave you with this message: have fun, enjoy your drinks, but please watch out for your fellow Belegrim and don't encourage this behavior. If you want to get wasted, fine, but respect the people around you. Watch out for the "problem" people in your camp, the ones who are most likely to do something really stupid in a destructive way, not a funny way. The more fun had at someone else's expense, the fewer Belegrim will be willing to coordinate and go to events. Please don't drive away the people who give you awesome fighting and a great nightlife because you can't control yourself with alcohol.

Read More

Fighting Mindfully: How did you kill me?

Taking criticism is difficult. Asking for criticism and then taking it is even harder, especially when the critique tears apart something you've been working hard at. But it is necessary for improvement.

It is easy to get caught up in the culture of "Well, I put myself out there, which is more than most people can say, so I don't care what people think. I'm awesome because I believe I am." It's fine for some things, especially those you do just for fun, but that mentality is a killer of skill. It's one of the easiest ways to get stuck at a plateau. You stop listening to those who can help you because you don't want to deal with the voice which says "you could be better if you stopped doing all these things wrong."

Sometimes your best isn't good enough - yet. Until you learn to accept that, and know it is a reflection of time, good practice, and effort instead of your self-worth, you will struggle to improve beyond what you already know. Unfortunately, everyone has blind spots. We need our companions and even complete strangers to tell us what we don't want to hear, so we can know the truth of how we are doing and how to improve.

Okay, nice life philosophy and all, but what does that have to do with fighting?

Learning how to fight in Belegarth for most is an uncomfortable experience of trial and error with the help of their peers. There's very little in the way of standardized instruction. This haphazard manner of doing things is made worse by the multitude of body types and sizes that flow through the ranks, each of which pass on "tricks" of questionable soundness. You may slowly figure out how kill every one else at practice given enough time, except maybe that one guy who almost always beats you no matter what you do. But no matter how good you are at home, when you eventually go to a big event, you'll probably find yourself on the losing side of the fighting equation more often than not.

At this point you may think "Wow, I wish I could fight like that guy", or maybe you'll just give up on fighting at the national level. After all, you've already learned all you think you can learn at home, you've read every article online, and you're still not good enough to win. Maybe it's time to throw in the towel and give up your aspirations of being a great fighter. You'll never be able to compete with those other stick jocks.

I'd like to offer you an alternative.  Use their experience for your own gain. You'll find that most of the ones who live and breathe fighting are excited to impart their knowledge. Always be prepared to ask the question "How did you kill me?"

Even casual sparring can be extremely helpful if you fight mindfully.

Now, not every fighter will be willing or able to answer that question, but it is still worth asking both at events where there are more skilled players and when you're sparring back at home. You'll probably be surprised at how people see your fighting. Of course, you still need to use your best judgement when listening to their advice, but at the very least, you'll suddenly have a new aspect of fighting to focus on. Understanding your weaknesses by asking the person who sees them most clearly (your opponent) and using that knowledge to improve is the fastest way to go from "okay" to "great". It still won't be easy, but you certainly don't need to give up on getting better as long as you're willing to take critique.

And in case you're thinking "well, that's easy for her to say", I'd like to be clear that this is my biggest struggle with fighting. Even sparring against my husband, his pointing out flaws in my fighting can be enough to reduce me to tears some days. I usually "know better" than to make those mistakes, so hearing I am still failing is incredibly frustrating. But, when the dust settles and I drag myself out to try again, I am more conscious of those errors and can correct them; something I wouldn't be able to do if I was left to improve on my own. It may hurt your ego, but there is no shame in asking for help from those better than you.

In short, this is my advice to you: If you want to become a great fighter, find someone who kills you every time at your next event and ask how they do it. You'll likely learn more from that one encounter than months of "figuring it out" back at home. It may sting to hear what they have to say, but you'll be better for it.

Plateaus are obviously a common issue in fighting. For another take on it, check our Sir Torrence's blog.

Read More

Cultural Differences and the BoW

One of the prevailing concepts when adjusting Belegarth's rules is KISS - Keep It Simple, Stupid.  In most cases, that means we have the minimum number of rules required to play safely. The unintended side effect is that we rely heavily on word of mouth and culture to fill in the gaps. Just a few examples:

• What penalty is there for hitting an illegal target (e.g. the head)?
• What do you say if someone hits you or your garb, but doesn't damage a target area (e.g. hand on weapon)?
• Do you need to say anything at all?
• What's the proper way for an archer to call combat hits?
• How do you let your opponent know that you've stabbed with two hands on your weapon?
• What does 'point' mean and do you need to honor it?
• What is a courtesy strike and do you need to honor it?
• When is okay to call 'HOLD' outside of unsafe situations?

Some of these may seem trivial, but others are the cause of heated debates on the field. When fighters from two cultures clash, there is a lot of room for miscommunication which can end in anger and resentment all around.

Even worse is when there's a disparity in power between the two people arguing - for example, a knight vs. a 'normal' veteran fighter. The knight gets annoyed because he feels like his experience is not being respected, and the vet resents that the knight is going to be seen as 'right' just because of his title. In reality, neither side may be 'correct' because the Book of War doesn't specify many details about required communication.

If you're not clear about what I mean, here's a culture clash I witnessed not too long ago. There are two players involved - a veteran archer and a knight. They were fighting in a bridge battle, where visibility was poor on both sides. The knight thought an arrow might have hit him, but couldn't tell in the chaos of bridge battles, so he looked to the archer for clarification. The archer, who saw the arrow contact a body tip-first but couldn't make out a specific target area, said 'point' when the knight stared at him, obviously waiting for some sort of call. And this is where the break down happened.

More than any other weapon, archers rely on culture
for their calls to be understood.
Photo © Ellie Apland

The archer said 'point' to mean "The arrow hit point first and deflected, but I couldn't see well enough to call a target area. I'm only saying anything because you're asking for clarification - I can't confirm for you a target area or that it hit nothing. Take what you felt. If you think it missed, that's okay." This is well within his rights as an archer, since they are not required to call their hits. He borrowed the word from how he learned to communicate javelin throws, indicating the hit taking is being left up to the judgement of his target.

On the other hand, the knight wasn't sure what 'point' meant when an archer used it. He may have assumed the archer may have meant "I hit you, take something." Compounded by the fact that the archer kept looking in his direction, he felt like he was being accused of cheating even though the archer wouldn't tell him what target area to take. In reality, the archer was only looking at the knight because he wanted a chance at a cleaner shot.

So what happened? A very unpleasant confrontation after the battle with both parties up in arms that they did nothing wrong. In fact, neither one did do anything wrong, but because of their different expectations around communication, they both felt like the other person was accusing them of cheating. A simple bridge battle turned into a heated situation for everyone because of a Belegarth culture clash.

To avoid unnecessary frustrations like that one, I would like to see stricter codification of language used on the field to avoid miscommunication. Short of that, perhaps it is time marshals take more control of their field and the communication that is expected on it.

Go ahead and require people to actually say 'hand', 'light', or 'garb' if there's concern your fighters are blowing off shots. Make it clear that an archer must call 'torso' instead of 'dead' when they shoot someone, so their opponents don't think think the archer is calling themselves dead. Tell your guys using javelins that they aren't allowed to call 'point' if it causes too much strife. Require that your fighters honor a courtesy strike if they are an archer or if they're hit from behind.

Where the rules have gaps, marshals can fill in and unify the culture on the field. I hope an extra bit of clarity will be enough to knock down the number of perceived slights and therefore the number of after-battle altercations. All too often, a simple difference in expected communication can grow into full-blown resentment of other fighters. More fighting on the field and less on the sidelines seems like a good goal to me.

Read More

Growth beyond newbie-dom

Stagnation. It’s something we all suffer from in our lives, and Belegarth is no exception. The first few years in Belegarth are spent gathering new experiences, learning rules, playing with weapons, meeting fighters, and going to events. Everything is exciting and fresh. We still have high hopes for our own future in Belegarth: will we be a knight? A realm leader? Make the most amazing garb or kill the most people on the field? Will we invent a new weapon or technique that revolutionizes the game? Make a name for ourselves?

Learning is fun! Photo © Ellie Apland.

At that stage, teaching is easy and natural. There is so much to learn and no one is afraid to give you advice. In fact, advice comes from every corner: some good, some bad, some useful, some not. You learn who you respect and who you don’t. The list of flaws in your fighting or work grows shorter until you find your limit. That limit may be based on your body and mind, your time, or your lack of teachers, but we all hit it eventually. We plateau. While some of us struggle through on our own, others grow content with where they are and may shift to focus on the social aspects of Belegarth instead.

I’m not worried Belegrim becoming more social, but I am concerned that we are losing some potentially good fighters when they hit their first plateau and have nowhere to turn. We say that fighters should seek out the best at events, putting the burden of bravery and discomfort entirely on the learners' shoulders, but even that opportunity is only a few times a year at best. There are only two kinds of always-present advice out there if you don’t have the luxury of a good fighter who teaches well: lessons for beginners and lessons for the elite. The problem is most fighters don’t fall into these categories. They are mediocre and have been for years, sometimes by conscious choice but just as often not. Pride, experience, and fear of judgement have become an impediment to learning.

So short of doing what we already do or putting together some new instructional videos, how can we improve the average level of fighting?

I think a lot of it can be addressed by making the giving of advice to older fighters a more acceptable practice. Of course, ego is going to be an issue (most people don’t like unsolicited advice) but there are ways to make it more palatable. Run some special kinds of sparring at the beginning of practice that requires each pair to make an observation about their opponent before they move on. It acts as a normal warm up for those who don’t care to improve, and will make it okay for vets to give other vets feedback if they do. If you have the skill and charisma, you can also seek out those who have bad habits during a water break and ask them to spar. It’s a safe space where you can start by building a fighting-based friendship, then casually begin letting them know how their guard is off or you keep catching them on a bad cross.

The theme is to be proactive about teaching, not reactive. To build trust and respect, so there isn’t fear of judgement between the mediocre and elite. It should feel safe for a vet to say that they never understood how to throw wraps or don’t know how to make a blue sword, so they can learn instead of being forced to stay silent or face ridicule. 

Anecdotally, even after over seven years in Belegarth and countless events where I’ve done service, I am embarrassed to say I never learned the finer details of weapons checking or foamsmithing. Everyone simply expects I know these things because I'm well-versed in the Book of War and have been around for many years, but as a non-com, no one ever explained to me exactly how to do it. I'm only now pursing learning those things because I need to know it to serve my new realm, when I should have felt comfortable asking a long time ago.

I firmly believe that we can keep the rough core of Belegarth intact, in fighting and our adherence to safety, while softening a few harsh edges that impede learning. It is not so we can let in the weak, but so we improve the quality of fighting for all of us. In my mind, Belegarth is not for everyone. That is what makes it so important to foster the few that have already made it in the door, whether they’ve never held a sword or own two dozen. If that means a little discomfort while we redefine how to mentor within our ranks, so be it.

Read More

Teamwork: Fighting beyond yourself

Fighters take pride in many things: their speed, their fitness, their weapons, their garb, and their kill count. Anything that measures how well they, individually, stack up against their opponents. However, this means one thing is missing in most battles: pride of team.

It is a notion that played out in places like hockey; the belief that the logo on the front (your team) is more important than the name on the back (yourself). Some SCAdians call it being a soldier rather than a warrior. On the field, you can see it in the fighter who is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of all. He retreats or advances with distinct purpose: to protect those around him. It is a romantic ideal of camaraderie and brotherhood that resonates with many of us, yet most never pursue it beyond their own unit. In your average battle, Belegrim fight alone despite many 'teammates' surrounding them.

In theory it is not difficult to change. The next time your team loses, simply think to yourself: what could I have done to prevent that?

But it is never so simple when numbers are large and instruction varies wildly as it does in Belegarth. In fact, there are many reasons this team-centric mentality isn't very prevalent in Belegarth’s culture, however I won’t explore that in this post. There is too much to be said, and I fear the main message will be drowned out. Instead, I’d like to offer you an opportunity to practice this ideal in a small, but concrete, way. Become an archer guard.

Defending your own can be the key to victory. Photo © Ellie Apland

It is one of the easiest roles to fulfill at its basest level. Simply protect your archer from enemy fire, gather ammunition for them, and keep your eyes where your archer cannot. Your personal kill count will drop dramatically, but the survival of your team should increase as long as your line is doing its job. Remember, archers are one of the most powerful weapons on the field while your line is intact, but they are also the most vulnerable. If you care about your team, it only makes sense to protect them.

But don’t stop there, grab someone who’s struggling on the line and teach them to be an archer guard, too. Give them a purpose on your team, a way they can contribute directly to your success beyond being an all-star fighter. After all, most fighters aren't elite. If you are particularly experienced, you may even act as commander from your position as archer guard, now given the freedom to see the full battlefield while you are not actively fighting. It's not just about playing your own role, but helping others find roles that fit them so your team can win.

If every fighter took it as a personal failure when an archer fell before the line broke, I think we would see far better team fighting at events. It could be the beginning of defense and strategy becoming more pronounced over ego, adding a level of interest and complexity to giant field battles. That mentality would encourage more fighters to step up who are skilled at tactics, but not combat. It is a whole new avenue for Belegarth to explore, and I hope it would be more exciting to both play and watch.

Now, there are more ways to teach teamwork than what I've outlined above, of course, and I expect I will cover this topic again in the future. If you would like some more ways to keep track of teamwork starting today, you can use something like the teamwork tournament Riverbend has outlined at their site. It's a little math-intensive, so you'll probably need a scorekeeper for battles that use this system. Still, it is a start in the right direction.

Do you have other ideas for promoting teamwork? Share in the comments below.

Read More

Learning to love the stick jock

There’s a misconception out there that all non-coms are only at events to look at the pretty garb and complain about how boring fighting is while waiting for after-battle festivities. They love elaborate lore, fantastic duds, and intricate armor but hate the boorish, uncultured nature of the stick jock. Fighters who care solely about hitting people are useless, in their minds. Non-coms wish those battle-loving miscreants would just leave, so they could be left alone with a more beautiful Belegarth.

I admit, there are threads of truth in there. I do in fact want to see a more beautiful Belegarth, filled with thoughtful costumery that makes my jaw drop. But I also want to see more top-tier fighting, the full-contact, smart combat that has the potential to separate us from so many other battlegames. I want to see the sport part of Belegarth shine. And that means, I love stick jocks.

Starting in Numenor, I quickly gained a healthy respect for the stick jock. Sure, the culture of “sink or swim” fighting was a bit harsh and lost some good members along the way, but it produced amazing battles. There, at a realm dedicated to combat at the exclusion of nearly all else, I grew to love watching the field. I learned great fighting was entertaining fighting. From the sidelines I could sit and watch the knights fight for hours, learning the habits of successful fighters just by soaking up the way they moved, the decisions they made. I spent literally years going to nearly every practice, doing nothing but observing, listening, and studying, but I was never bored.

When I moved away from Numenor and tried to start a new realm with my husband, I was sorely disappointed by the quality of fighting. It made sense, we didn’t have many veteran fighters, but even nearby events seemed slow and weak compared to the rush of Numenorean fighting. It was a painful realization that for their inclusiveness and focus on having fun, they suffered a lack of elite fighters and newbies motivated to become the best. It also hammered home what “average” fighting really meant, a level much lower than I realized even after visiting both Geddon and Oktoberfest.

And so, I found myself missing the stick jock with his blinders on and sword always in hand. Although he could be blunt and tactless, turning away meeker Belegrim, he brought entertainment through his skill. He was the reason I fell in love with Belegarth, and I hope one day he will be the reason we can have a real “sport” and attract more fans. Perhaps the rest of Belegarth can balance out his fighting-first mentality and match brilliant combat with a positive culture.

To the top-notch stick jocks out there: thank you for your skill and dedication. You make Belegarth a joy to watch.

Read More

Belegarth's new PR position

It looks like Belegarth is about to add a PR position to the BoD, which is a great step forward in my mind. Suddenly, the piles of suggestions on how to make Belegarth a better, more marketable entity will have an ear, and hopefully a pair of hands to complete them. I already have a long list of PR and communication projects written up that I would like to see prioritized, and I’m excited to have a forum to present them.

But probably because of that long list, the numerous projects I have completed, and my over-enthusiasm about Belegarth, I was recently asked if I would run for the position myself. I still haven’t decided if I feel like I’m the correct person for the job, but it made me think: If I were to handle the PR of Belegarth, where would I start?

I think the first order of business would be branding. Belegarth needs a united brand desperately if we ever want to hold sway as organizations like the SCA do. That means not only in look and feel, but in our message about what Beelgarth is. Everyone gets something different out of it, sure, but that doesn’t mean we can’t build an identity that is unique from the other games out there. Personally, I’d like to see the emphasis go towards “sport”, but I expect there will be many different opinions on the matter.

So after that, where do we go? There is a plethora of work and the skills required for each type are completely different, minus a good sense of organization. I think I would need to bring several more people on board as a team to handle it. Here are some of the branches as I see it:

Paper Marketing
Flyers, business cards, heralding guides, car decals, and printed copies of the BoW are all examples of things that could be created. This covers getting these made and distributed for individual realms as well as the BMCS itself as needed.

Social Media
In charge of keeping all social media outlets on point, on message, and fresh. There is a lot of content-generation required in this job, and they may need to outsource some of it. If a blog is ultimately created, they would be in charge of making sure it is maintained and edited appropriately, tracking down guest-writers and getting photos or war stories from events.

Intra-Realm Communications
This is basically the realm coordinator. They would be responsible for communicating WC decisions and issues to all realms and maintaining their contact information. They would also spearhead efforts to create a better system of support between the realms and figure out what web tools are required. They would probably work closely with whoever is working on Social Media, because they should be starting to centralize how events are marketed as well.

Web Properties
Belegarth most notably has the website and wiki, and this person would work directly with the Webmaster to determine what is feasible to change. They would need to dictate priorities per the need of Belegarth, not only going through a basic redesign, but determining the cost and value of having new applications build to support realms, events, etc.

Videography
Videos are an amazing tool that any web-based marketing can use, but there is a certain level of quality required. This person would not only figure out what videos should be made (e.g. marketing, teaching, event footage) and who can make them, but enforce a series of standards that make videos good enough to be “Belegarth Official”. They would need to meet a certain quota of videos a year.

Demos and External Opportunities
Documentaries, local charities, cons, and other exhibitions. This person is all about organizing official venues for Belegarth to be shown to the world and hand-picking the right people to be the “face” during these events. As the other parts of the PR job come into line, this position would become busier and busier.

So what does this leave the actual PR coordinator to do? To project manage. They need to take all the suggestions from the community, prioritize them, get them to the right people, and make sure they are completed. They should be aware of what is going on in every branch, regularly speaking to all the realm leaders (not just the WC), and keep a pulse on Belegarth’s desires and needs. They will remain the point of contact for everything, offering advice and support to specific realms as needed.

So there you have it. I guess if I were to run, this would be my platform and promise to Belegarth: I will work tirelessly to create a more unified image of Belegarth, finally beginning the creation of official tools realms need to be successful. I will strive to listen to not just the loudest voices, but all who are part of Belegarth and find what common ground I can so that we can expand more successfully. I will do as I always have and see projects through to completion - I never promise what I cannot finish.

Still, if I do not run or do not win, I hope whoever does will be willing to use my drive to help them. This is a good thing for Belegarth, and I’m excited to see what it can do.

Read More

The warriors among us

It’s strange phenomenon, how easily a veteran can pick out other skilled fighters in a mob of Belegrim. It reminds me of a senior in high school, intuitively spotting gullible Freshmen ripe for pranking. Of course, there are some easy indicators like impressive garb or armor, but even with nothing but street clothes and a sword in their hand, the battle-hardened of Belegarth are still obvious.

Despite this, I often get pegged as a fighter. It even happens among people who have known me for years, casually asking “Hey, why haven’t you gotten on the field yet?” At first I assumed it was just how much I talk about fighting, or maybe a few friends trying to be nice to me, and maybe that is still part of it. But it has even happened from those who have no interest in me whatsoever, who just see me sitting at the sidelines and assume I’d rather be on the field. It’s a logical assumption, I suppose - they’d certainly rather be on the field than watching.

In light of this, I thought I’d explore some of the ways I spot experienced fighters short of their prowess on the battlefield, to maybe understand what they see in me.

1) They are fit

This is more true for younger fighters than older ones. Not all Belegrim who are in great shape are also great fighters, but most great fighters are at least in decent shape. Older fighters can get by possessing a grizzled demeanor instead of fitness, having already passed their fit glory days.

2) They hold conversations about fighting during downtime

Most good fighters never really stop talking about Belegarth when they’re at practice unless they’re in the company of friends from outside of the sport. They swap war stories, give advice, and complain about their fellow fighters. The longer the fighter has been around, the more elaborate and exhaustive their tales.

3) They seem to be friends with many other experienced fighters

Even the most reclusive fighter gets to know others when they’ve been to a few events. However, great fighters actively seek out a challenge. They are always sparring the best they can find, so you can expect them to be on speaking terms with many other top-tier combatants.

4) They hold a sword casually and comfortably

As it turns out, swinging a foam sword isn’t a natural motion for most people. For some, it can take years before the weapon feels like an extension of their arm instead of an unwieldy anchor. The familiarity from hundreds of practice hours shows not just in the speed and accuracy of their shots, but in how naturally a sword rests in their grip.

5) They carry themselves with confidence on and off the field

Like most things in life, talking and moving with confidence can be all that’s needed to make people think you know what you’re doing. For most fighters, there’s a swagger that grows with their kill count, a visible reminder of their place on the battlefield. It is the same attitude that sends newbies running, even if the fighter is only carrying a shield.

Looking at this list, I find myself surprised by how many of these items apply to me, and maybe understand a little more about why I’m often mis-identified as a fighter. Strong posture, a good head for fighting, and a clear voice when needed can be enough to make you look like you belong on the field. And who knows, maybe I do.

Read More