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 (steel) - 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.
• Archery - Includes target competitions, and use in other martial activities.
• Thrown weapons - knives, axes, spears, javelins, slings, plumbata and more! Includes target competitions, and use in other martial activities.
• 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 and rapier combat.

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