Let's Make Some Mead

 The SCA Armor Standard & Judging Blows

All “fully armored” fighters are presumed to be wearing a chain hauberk over a padded gambeson, with boiled leather arm and leg defenses and an openfaced iron helm with a nasal. The helm may be presumed by kingdom convention to include a very light chain mail drape, permitting vision and resisting cuts by the mere touch of a bladed weapon.

Under this standard, an acceptable cutting blow to the face would be lighter than to other portions of the head or body.  The minimum effective thrusting blow to the face shall be a directed touch and the maximum shall be substantially lighter than to other parts of the body [we use the term “positive force”]. 

Areas deemed illegal to strike (the wrists from 1 inch above the hands; the lower legs from 1 inch above the knees) shall be considered safe from all attack [and are to be avoided].

An effective blow will be defined as a blow which was delivered with effective technique for the particular type of weapon used, properly oriented [the edge of a sword verses the flat], and struck with sufficient force.

An effective blow to the head, neck, or torso shall be judged fatal or completely disabling, rendering the fighter incapable of further combat.

An effective blow from an axe, mace, polearm, greatsword, or other mass weapon, which lands on the hip above the hip socket or strikes the shoulder inside the shoulder socket, shall be judged fatal or completely disabling.

An effective blow to the arm above the wrist will disable the arm. The arm shall then be considered useless to the fighter and may not be used for either offense or defense.

An effective blow to the leg above the knee will disable the leg. The fighter must then fight kneeling, sitting, or standing on the foot of the uninjured leg. Kingdoms may place limitations upon the mobility of such injured fighters.

If a wounded limb blocks an otherwise acceptable blow, the blow shall be counted as though the limb were not there.

Notes & Commentary

The Armor Standard provides balance for blow levels and helps to eliminate differences created by the differing armor that combatants are actually wearing.  

The validity of a blow received is always judged on the honor system.

The combatant receiving a blow is the sole judge of if they would have been uninjured, injured, or even killed had a historically real weapon impacted the location and armor.  Further, only the recipient  judges the level of damage ranging from no damage to instant death and responds accordingly by either verbally acknowledging the blow or acting it out.  Some bouts request a defeated combatant die a dramatic death for good showmanship.

The combatant striking to blow is responsible for immediately informing the recipient of any deficiency in effective technique, that it was improperly oriented, or any other circumstances that might alter the effectiveness of a blow.

Varying from combat norms and rules is frowned upon because it could potentially compromise safety, fun, and reflect badly on the honor of combatants.

Certain weapons, combat moves and styles are prohibited for safety reasons; even if they would have occurred in real historical combat because they could present problematic safety issues.