Armored Combat:Accessibility
Accessibility
General
- The SCA is committed to promoting inclusion and equity in our martial activities. Safe and approved variations to weapons, equipment, and conventions are allowed for enabling participation.
- Upon request, marshals should make reasonable accommodations, within limits of safety, for adaptive equipment or conventions. Only a warranted marshal can make this determination.
- Please reach out to your Kingdom and local branch DEIB officer and marshals to explore options.
Accommodation examples
To provide a starting place for discussion, the following examples are a partial list of approaches that have been used.
- Authorization - requesting a verbal test rather than a written test, and vice versa.
- Fighting from a seat or platform (must be safe for the type of combat)
- Legged: stay standing, but the struck leg is planted/not moved
- Hand signals or flags
Other best practices
- Locations for practices and events should:
- be in safe neighborhoods with safe routes to get there
- include well-lit parking areas
- have bathrooms large enough to change clothes in, for all genders.
- Dedicated warm-up time at tournaments: Have 30-45 minutes of dedicated warm-up time before tournaments, with dedicated marshals and identified practice fighters to make it easy to find a sparring partner.
Training
New fighters
- Do not assume one weapon form or technique is the best way to start. Different body mechanics greatly influence this. For example, a glaive vs single sword, right foot forward vs left. The flat snap is easy for some, the hardest shot (and causes physical damage) to others.
- Do not hit new people repeatedly in the head, or with hard blows, "so they know what to expect". If needed, calibration shots should be introduced on the body or arm/leg, when the new fighter is ready.
Methods NOT to use
- Hitting people hard and/or repeatedly until "they get it" or "learn how to block".