Global:Introduction to SCA martial activities - Overview

Overview

SCA martial activities provide participants the chance to recreate the skills, techniques, and exploits of martial endeavors that occurred pre-17th century.

These include:

• Armored combat (rattan) - fighting in armor with weapon simulators made of rattan (a springy bamboo-type of wood). Battles also include siege engines, and combat safe versions of archery and thrown weapons.
• Armored combat (rebated blades) - fighting in armor with blunted steel weapons, with percussive but no thrusting attacks.
• Rapier combat - "unarmored" combat with blunted steel blades, which includes thrusting and cutting attacks.
• Cut and thrust combat - "unarmored" combat with blunted steel blades, which includes thrusting, cutting, and percussive cut attacks.
• Combat archery - specially constructed blunted arrows are used in battles and melee scenarios. These are included in armored combat (rattan), rapier combat and cut and thrust combat.
• Target archery - Competitions of various targets and scenarios, including clout shoots, moving targets and more. Includes handbows, crossbows, and atlatls. Mounted archery is included in equestrian activities.
• Thrown weapons - knives, axes, spears, javelins, slings, and plumbatae are used in competitions of various targets and scenarios. Several of these are also used in equestrian. Safe versions and simulators are also used in armored combat (rattan), rapier and cut and thrust.
• Siege engines - trebuchet, ballista (giant mounted crossbows), and catapults. Includes both target competitions and use in armored combat (rattan) battles.
• Equestrian - Includes mounted versions of the martial activities (armored combat, rapier/cut and thrust, archery, thrown weapons), plus jousting, skill-at-arms, historical games, and historical maneuvers.
• Youth combat - child-friendly versions of adult armored combat (rattan) and rapier combat.

Other activities clearly falling within the scope above are also considered martial-related activities.