Combat Rules

Combat Posting The stance post will be first. Each warrior will then post three to eight combat posts in alternating fashion. An ending post of two defensive actions only will be the final post. ALL posts, incl ding the stance and final defense post will be scored. An individ al post will consist of !" #"$E than five actions. Actions incl de any combinations of movement, changing weapons, attac%s, and defense. Each post will be worth five points. &ed ctions from each post will be based on mista%es, nrealistic actions, conf sing posts, non'flowing posts, and time limit violations (over the eight min tes). "ne point per ro nd will be awarded to the warrior who posts the most effective aggression. $emember that a post sho ld represent no more than two to three seconds ma*im m of $+T. Types of Combat ,o r types of combat are recogni-ed. /.0port 0pars. These spars are for practice and to rnament competition. These spars are light contact. !o serio s wo nding and no death blows are allowed. These spars may be entirely hand'to'hand combat if both combatants agree. These spars shall be three to five posts in length, altho gh e*tra ro nds may be added to brea% a draw, if agreed to by both combatants. 1.2onor & els (Can3ellne or 2onor 0pars). These d els are for settling disp tes and lesser matters of honor. Typically, the combatants will set sta%es and the winner is awarded all. These d els are more serio s and critical wo nds may be inflicted. &eath blows and permanent in3 ry are not permitted. These d els may be entirely hand'to'hand combat, if both combatants agree. These d els shall be five posts in length, altho gh e*tra ro nds may be added to brea% a draw. 4.&eath & els (&eath 0pars). These d els are for grave matters of honor. The combatants are ris%ing their lives. The loser of a death d el dies. 5oth may die if the d el is r led a draw. Permanent in3 ry, even to the winner, may occ r. The combatants ris% everything they own in addition to their lives, incl ding, b t not limited to, gold, free companions, and slaves. These d els are fo ght with weapons, altho gh hand'to'hand combat may be sed. These d els shall be eight posts in length, altho gh e*tra ro nds may be added to brea% a draw. 6."pen Combat. 0ometimes combat will spontaneo sly begin between two or more warriors, or possibly d e to an assassin7s attac%. $ les for Combatants /.Each d el+spar will be alternating posts each by each combatant. A beginning post shall state the stance, where weapons are (hands or sheathed), and if any s btle motion, e.g. circling. All times and time violations will begin after the beginning post is made. The first post of sport spars will be determined by a random method agreed to by the combatants and 3 dges. The first post of either honor d els or death d els shall be the option of the challenged warrior. The challenged warrior may post first or second as he chooses. 1.Each combatant may se p to seven 8orean weapons incl ding 9 iva. This also incl des shields, b c%lers or helmet. A pair of fighting slave:s gloves shall co nt as two weapons. A bow is a weapon and each arrow is an additional weapon. !on'8orean weapons will not be permitted and, of co rse, no armor, chain mail, or similar protection. 4.Combatants will be 3 dged on realism and s%ill. All stri%es m st be accepted, evaded or bloc%ed. Each combatant chooses how to respond and the d el+spar m st flow reasonably from one move to the ne*t. Connection to the prior post is the responsibility of combatants. 6.An individ al post will consist of !" #"$E than five actions. Actions incl de any combinations of movement, attac%s, and defense. Accepting a stri%e, blow or wo nd does not co nt against the five allowed actions. #ovement Actions /.Closing to engage a combatant. Even on the opening post. 1.#oving bac% o t of combat and getting reading to defend. 4.Changing weapons. 6.Changing ;o r position d ring or after attac%ing. <.8etting o t of the way of an attac% (d c%ing, rolling o t of the way, etc.). =.,eints. Attac%ing Actions /.2itting or attempting to hit with a weapon. 1.2itting or attempting to hit with a shield. 4.2and'to'hand attac%s s ch as %ic%s, p nches, leg sweeps, head b tts, throws, etc. 6.>sing blood, sand, or another foreign s bstance to blind.

&efensive Actions /.Parries with a weapon. 1.5loc%s with a shield. 4.& c%ing, dodging or otherwise evading an attac%. Combatants will have an eight'min te period from the previo s post to respond. After eight min tes, a penalty shall be imposed. To assist the 3 dges, combatants shall se some method of separating actions, s ch a n mbered se9 ence (/, 1, 4...), series of periods (......), stars (????), or some other method.

Example: Parrying your sword with mine...punching you in the stomach with my right fist...leaping back three paces...knees bent and crouching in defense.
A combination move incorporates two actions that fit well with each other into one, more comple*, action. Combination moves that flow well are enco raged and considered as one action in the total of five allowed actions. Combination moves m st flow well and m st be believable.

Example: Dropping low and sweeping your legs is an acceptable combination and does not have to be separated into dropping low....sweeping your legs. Example: Parrying your blade with mine then quickly striking your shoulder with the blade is unacceptable as a combination move. Clearly, parrying a weapon, then striking are two different actions.
Combatants may !"T post the actions of their opponents (force posting) or the damage that their attac% does.

Example: Stabbing you in the chest with my quiva is an acceptable attack. Stabbing you in the chest with my quiva....puncturing your lung is an unacceptable attack because it declares the damage received by the opponent. Example: Circling to your left is an acceptable move. Circling to your left, forcing you to turn is an unacceptable move because it declares a movement by the opponent. Example: Swinging !y sword to meet "ours, parrying "our strike is an acceptable parry. Swinging !y sword to meet "ours, parrying "our strike...shoving "our blade wide to the left is an unacceptable parry because it declares the motion of the opponent's hand arm and the opponent's weapon. !ote: "osts that include striking the intended target, such as stabbing you in the chest with my quiva, do not describe the actions of their opponents or the damage that their attack does. #nstead it is considered a guide$ to the intent and thinking of the combatant.
Combatants are rged to be as descriptive and acc rate as possible. >se of right and left with regard to the opponent (be s re to post if its yo r right or yo r opponent:s right) is highly enco raged and co ld res lt in points rewards. An ending post may be posted after the final stri%es have been posted. The ending post will consist of no more than two actions and @ALL !"T contain any offensive actions. $ les for B dges /.B dges and the n mber of them for a d el+spar shall be set and agreed on by the combatants. An odd n mber of 3 dges is preferred to minimi-e the chance of a draw. An the case of a death d el, the 3 dges m st first decide if a death d el is warranted for the disp te between the combatants. Af the 3 dges decide a death d el is not warranted, then the d el shall be red ced to an honor d el. An the case of open combat, the bar+3arl+chief of the room where the combat occ rs shall 3 dge the combat. Af the bar+3arl+chief is involved in the combat or if the bar+3arl+chief cannot ,AA$L; 3 dge the combat, the bar+3arl+chief shall appoint a single ne tral 3 dge agreeable to all combatants to determine if any deaths, serio s wo nds, or capt res occ rred. 1.B dges shall read all posts caref lly and ob3ectively assess the merit of the posts. Af a 3 dge cannot do this, the 3 dge sho ld $E,>0E to 3 dge the d el+spar. At7s the only honorable action. 4.,or booted+crashed+fro-en+tech impaired+$TA7d combatants (this A0 on line and @ALL happen), allowances of e*tra time over the eight'min te limit sho ld be given. @here a combatant cannot ret rn to the d el+spar, the 3 dges shall decide whether to restart the entire d el+spar at a later time or pic% p the d el+spar where it ended at a later time. The 3 dges may render decision on the d el+spar at the

point the d el+spar ended, A, and "!L; A,, both combatants agree. 6.Each post for each ro nd of a d el+spar shall be worth a base of five points. Points shall be added or s btracted from the base. <.& els+spars will be 3 dged on the basis of realism, following the r les of combat, and effectiveness of offense and defense. =.Ciolations of the eight'min te time limit shall have a one'point ded ction from the base of five. The eight min tes are calc lated from the time of the opponent7s last post. A one'second violation of the eight min tes A0 a violation. E*ample. ,ighter / posts at /<.1/.6<. ,ighter 1 has ntil /<.1D.6< to respond. Af ,ighter 17s post arrives at /<.1D.6=, then one point is ded cted. E.>nrealistic+conf sing+non'flowing posts shall have one point ded cted from the base of five points. Combatants are not s permen and posts sho ld reflect h manly possible actions. The posts of each combatant sho ld be clear, easy to read and easy to vis ali-e. The posts sho ld flow easily from one post to the ne*t. F.Ciolations of the r les of combat shall have a one'point ded ction from the base of five per violation. ,or e*ample, if a combatant posts si* actions in a post, the combatant loses one point. Af a combatant posts si* actions A!& directs the opponent7s ne*t move, the combatant loses two points. Af a combatant posts si* actions, directs the opponent7s ne*t move, A!& violates the eight'min te time limit for response, the combatant loses three points. D.Posts that are flawless, that is, completely realistic and witho t violation of the r les of combat incl ding, b t not limited to, time violation, may be rewarded with an additional point to the base of five A, A!& "!L; A, there is evidence of e*tra realistic, descriptive, acc rate, s perior strategy, or e*tra effective offense or defense. /G.B dges shall eval ate each ro nd of the d el+spar for effective offense. The combatant that posts the most effective offense, that is, realistic within the other confines of the r lesH and either ac%nowledged as a stri%e, nrealistically bloc%ed, or ignored by the other combatant, shall receive an e*tra point added to their base score for the ro nd. The only time s ch a point will not be awarded is in the event of a time violation. A post that contains the most effective offense, b t is not posted within the eight'min te time limit, shall not receive an e*tra point. //.The end of the d el+spar will occ r when the ending post is posted. At the end of the d el+spar, each 3 dge will all add his scores from all five posts for each combatant to determine who won the d el+spar. The name of the winner shall then be given to the head 3 dge. The winner of the d el+spar shall be the combatant who has the most 3 dges deciding in his favor at the end of the d el+spar. Possible " tcomes /.B dge / scores for ,ighter /. 1/ I /D, B dge 1 scores for ,ighter 1. 11 I /E, and B dge 4 scores for ,ighter /. 1G ' /D. ,ighter / is the winner of the d el+spar beca se 1 of the 4 3 dges have decided for ,ighter /. ,ighter / wins the d el+spar even tho gh total points totals are <F (,ighter /) to =G (,ighter 1). This prevents a single 3 dge (li%e B dge 1) from effectively overr ling the other two 3 dges. 1.B dge / scores for ,ighter /. 1G I /D, B dge 1 scores a draw. /D I /D, and B dge 4 scores for ,ighter 1. /D ' /E. The d el+spar is a draw even tho gh ,ighter 1 has a one' point edge in the totaled score. 4.B dge / scores for ,ighter /. 1G I /F, B dge 1 scores a draw. /D I /D and B dge 4 scores a draw. /E ' /E. The d el+spar is a draw beca se 1 of 4 3 dges r led it a draw. To allow ,ighter / to win wo ld allow B dge / to overr le the other two 3 dges. This d el+spar is a draw, even tho gh ,ighter / has a two'point edge in the totaled score.

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B dges shall give their scoring and the reasons for the scoring to either combatant or in p blic, if re9 ested by either combatant. At is hoped that any d el+spar wo ld have a winner and loser b t both d els and the sport spar may end in a draw. E*tra ro nds may be added to a sport spar or either d el (honor or death), if both combatants agree. @hen there is a draw in a sport spar, there are no conse9 ences to a draw. @ith a draw in an honor d el, both combatants %eep their sta%es. @hen there is a draw in a death d el, the 3 dges m st decide whether both combatants live or die. Af both combatants are deemed to die d e to severe in3 ries, then their property is ret rned to their ne*t of %in. Af the res lts of the combat are a draw, and both combatants agree to brea% the draw, then an e*tra ro nd will be added to the d el+spar. The e*tra ro nd shall be 3 dged independently of the preceding reg lar ro nds. The scores of the reg lar ro nds of the d el+spar are no longer valid. After completion of the e*tra ro nd, the 3 dges will confer to see if one combatant has won or lost the e*tra ro nd. Af a winner of the e*tra ro nd is fo nd, then the d el+spar is over and the winner of the e*tra ro nd is declared the winner of the d el+spar. Af no winner has been determined in the e*tra ro nd (i.e. the e*tra

ro nd was 3 dged a draw too), then a second e*tra ro nd is added to the d el+spar. This process contin es ntil a winner is declared.

Tips and 2ints /.Cis ali-e the d el+spar as completely as yo can. Try to .see yo r actions and yo r opponents. 0tate yo r position and actions as clearly as yo can and vis ali-e yo r opponent7s position as well. $emember and post orientation information s ch as right and left (yo rs or yo r opponent), and p and down. Jnow the position of weapons for yo and yo r opponent, hands, and feet. 1.5e clear and concise in what yo post. 4.A d el+spar is something li%e two artists painting a single pict re. The artists are competing to see who is best on the same canvas. @arriors sho ld contin e painting the pict re from the prior post, b t only yo r part of the pict re. 6.Accepting all blows is an easy way to proceed with a d el+spar, b t shows little s%ill or imagination. Conversely, bloc%ing or evading all blows is nrealistic. 5oth combatants are s pposedly trained warriors and some attac%s will land. <.#a%e s re yo r pict res and 3ava are off. Clear yo r cache. =.,or an honor or death d el, or serio s to rnament spar r nning 0can&is% and &efrag prior to combat is a good idea.