If you want to see a good old-fashioned SCA flame war, check out Why Fencing Harms the SCA as a Whole. I even responded (at around the 150 message mark), and I'm not a rapier fighter.
Wow, that's a lot of reading. But I agree with your last reply, the rapier community may in fact be harmful in some areas but I think in An Tir we are oh so lucky. Most of our rapier community is self sufficient, inclusive, well loved, interested in more things than just rapier. I very seldom hear "oh woe is me, rapier gets no respect here." That makes for a vastly different culture than the ones he's describing - one I did experience in Ealdormere, unfortunately.
I haven't examined the rapier community in Calontir, so I'm not sure if "harmful" is an accurate description of them. It sounds like they're just apathetic (in regards to getting official status).
If I were to speculate, it might be because too many hurdles have been put in their way, or the goalposts keep moving. Or maybe they're apathetic because they're apathetic. I don't know.
I do know that a bunch of guys dressed foppishly over there stabbing at each other affects my ability to wear kilts and shoot arrows not in the slightest.
There is no rapier community in Calontir. If there is enough interest, and the grunt work is done, then a Rapier culture will appear.
I am not sure why they haven't yet. I think apathy is a good answer.
The rapier community knows that if you want respect, then you need to earn it. We don't expect, require it, or assume it. At least the squad in avacal.
Apparently the Rapier culture in the eastern cultures is... interesting to say the least.
I won't get into my commentary on this. It is long, and drawn out. Basically he is talking about more the eastern and south eastern kingdoms. It is also a nice rehash of the early versus late period debate that comes about consistently.
I can sympathize with digging one's heels in if something is being forced from your point of view. I don't agree with painting the whole SCA with one kingdom's brush but I think we're lucky enough in An Tir to have a fairly well adjusted group. I can only shrug at this drama.
I've noticed that arguments against some activity in the SCA (the discussion in question, discussions regarding the virtual 4th peerage, etc) almost always sound like arguments against same-sex marriage.
I might have to write a post examining the similarities. I'll let that simmer in my subconscious for awhile.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jamesq
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-06-12 03:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-12 04:41 pm (UTC)If I were to speculate, it might be because too many hurdles have been put in their way, or the goalposts keep moving. Or maybe they're apathetic because they're apathetic. I don't know.
I do know that a bunch of guys dressed foppishly over there stabbing at each other affects my ability to wear kilts and shoot arrows not in the slightest.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-13 03:23 am (UTC)I am not sure why they haven't yet. I think apathy is a good answer.
The rapier community knows that if you want respect, then you need to earn it. We don't expect, require it, or assume it. At least the squad in avacal.
Apparently the Rapier culture in the eastern cultures is... interesting to say the least.
I won't get into my commentary on this. It is long, and drawn out. Basically he is talking about more the eastern and south eastern kingdoms. It is also a nice rehash of the early versus late period debate that comes about consistently.
Meh.
WM
(Humble Rapier fighter)
no subject
Date: 2009-06-12 04:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-12 04:43 pm (UTC)I might have to write a post examining the similarities. I'll let that simmer in my subconscious for awhile.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-12 09:12 pm (UTC)