Fighting Rules

These rules are in place to promote an enjoyable time and safe environment. The rules follow the priority of safety, playability, then realism. If a rule seems odd or unrealistic, it is that way to ensure a safe and fun time. We use the honor system and we expect honest and honorable behavior from all fighters. When you are hit, it is your responsibility to acknowledge where and follow the following rules. Not taking shots is cheating and will not be tolerated.

1. General Rules

   1. Never call shots – A called shot does not count even if it really did hit

      1. It is acceptable to politely ask if or where a shot hit 

      2. Anyone the 5th rank of Orange or higher or a field leader with a designated orange knot in their sash may call shots they see not being taken

   2. The command FREEZE is used to pause or stop the battle

      1. Freeze is called for injuries, dangerous situations, or non-combatants on the field

      2. During a freeze stop fighting until READY and LAY ON are called again

      3. During a freeze remain where you are unless circumstances require you to move, and do not talk about tactics or give orders

   3. Eye protection is mandatory during all practices, demonstrations, and fighting activities

      1. Anyone on the field without eye protection is automatically dead

      2. Anyone may point out that someone is not wearing eye protection and call them dead

   4. Broken weapons may not be used

      1. Inspect all weapons before using them

      2. If a weapon breaks call FREEZE and remove it from the field

   5. Always use control and do not hit too hard, ensure that shots are safe, and avoid illegal targets

   6. Never fight from trees, roofs, walls or other unsafe places

   7. Dead people cannot talk to fighters still in the battle (but can cheer, etc.)

   8. Weapons may not be taken from dead people if they have moved more than ten steps from where they died 

   9. When asked, fighters must answer in a reasonable amount of time:

      1. If they are dead or alive

      2. What wounds they have suffered

      3. Which team they are on

2. Rules on Hits

   1. All hits to a valid target count no matter how light

   2. Shots that hit only clothing do not count

   3. A hit to the body or the loss of three limbs results in death

   4. Multiple hits to the same limb do not count for anything extra

   5. A hit to a limb disables the limb (See section VII for limb boundaries)

      1. A disabled arm may hang at one’s side without moving or holding anything

      2. A disabled leg may be walked on, but may not be used to run or kick

      3. If both legs are disabled, fighting on one’s knees is required

         1. Movement on one’s knees is permitted and not restricted

         2. If terrain does not permit fighting on knees, it is acceptable to stand but one’s feet must be shoulder width apart and not move

            1. If a step is taken, anything accomplished with it is invalidated

         3. If not in combat it is acceptable to stand and move at very slow baby steps over terrain that would be uncomfortable to kneel or crawl on

      4. Moving a dead limb to block a shot is illegal and you are dead, intentional or otherwise

   6. When killed, call out DEAD and leave the battlefield with weapons held by the blade and raised in the air to make it obvious, repeat as often as is required until you are clear of the fight

   7. A single swing hitting more than one legal target (such as both arms, or a leg and then the body), counts as a hit for all locations

      1. This does not apply to range weapons or flail heads – see section IV and V

   8. Illegal Shots

      1. Head, neck, and groin are illegal shots

      2. Any shot in the same swing as the illegal shot does not count

      3. When a fighter is hit with an illegal shot, any shot they receive from any fighter at the same time or after the illegal blow does not count

      4. The shots of the fighter hit illegally still count

   9. The following areas are not valid targets and hits to them do not count:

      1. Hands and wrists when holding a weapon’s handle

      2. Hits to the hand or wrist not holding a weapon handle count as loss of the arm

      3. Feet and ankles when feet are on the ground or in a normal moving position

      4. A foot or ankle that is being used to block a shot or in an attack and counts as loss of the leg

   10. Friendly fire counts

       1. Attacks to teammates count

       2. A sword that an enemy forcefully hits into a teammate does not count

       3. Hitting one’s self does not count unless an enemy has a hand on the handle of the weapon

   11. Strikes from opponents happening within moments of each other both count if they were in motion at the same time

       1. If someone is hit and then they change the trajectory of their shot, a “death twitch,” everything after the change does not count

          1. This includes if an arm is lost, unless both hands are on the sword

       2. When a late shot occurs, the attacker has an obligation to declare it late

       3. In the event of uncertainty, the individual who thinks they are surviving should ask if their opponent’s shot was late

   12. Grabbing an opponent’s weapon by the blade counts as a hit to the arm and the weapon must be let go immediately

       1. If someone’s weapon is held by the blade, all shots on them do not count until the fighter is able to fully reset from the grabbed weapon

3. Melee Weapons

   1. Remove any packing strings from new shinais before using them

   2. Do not tape up shinais so that the slats cannot compress

   3. All weapons require stabbing tips

   4. Weapons on the ground may be struck to call them dead

      1. They are unusable for the rest of that battle unless noted otherwise

      2. If the game allows for re-spawning, dead weapons may re-spawn with fighters

      3. When convenient, remove dead weapons from the field to avoid confusion over which weapons are still in play

   5. Homemade Weapons

      1. A group leader must approve any homemade weapons before they can be used

      2. All striking surfaces need to be padded and require thrusting tips even if the weapon will not be used to thrust

      3. Homemade weapons should have their striking areas and handles clearly marked with different colors

      4. Hits with the area marked as handles do not count as valid hits unless noted otherwise

      5. Weapon handle size must be appropriate for the type of weapon

4. Range Weapons

   1. A ranged weapon is any weapon that is thrown or shot (arrow, javelin, throwing knife etc.)

   2. Hitting someone in the head or neck with a range weapon results in the death of the person using the range weapon

      1. This does not apply if the projectile bounces first, such as off a shield or the ground

   3. Ranged weapons can only hit one body part – In the event that the projectile hits multiple locations without bouncing, use the most severe

      1. Example: A throwing knife hits your arm and then bounces into your chest. Only the arm hit counts. If the throwing knife hits your arm and chest at the same time, the chest hit counts.

      2. Severity: torso > dominant arm > non dominant arm > leg

   4. Throwing axes, knives or similar weapons that tumble must be completely padded

   5. All arrows must be easily wider than the orbit of the eye

   6. Only designated throwing or shooting weapons may be used as a range weapon

   7. Range weapons may not be thrown or fired at a range of less than 10 feet and hits within 10 feet do not count

   8. A bow may be used to block once, but after blocking is dead and may not be used

   9. Ranged weapons, except arrows, may be used as melee weapons before being thrown

   10. Any projectile once shot or thrown is dead and may not be used even for melee combat

   11. If a range weapon is caught by the handle before hitting anything, it may be re-used

   12. Hits from handles of tumbling weapons count, unless caught without fumbling by the handle

   13. Hits with the shaft of a javelin or arrow do not count

5. Special Weapon Rules

   1. Flail:  Any weapon with a striking surface (head) at the end of the rope like section

      1. All striking surfaces on a single rope count as one head

      2. Only the first thing the head makes contact with per swing counts as a hit

         1. This includes things like hits to people, other weapons, or the ground

      3. The rope is not a striking surface and does not count as a hit

      4. If the shaft of the flail is padded it always count as a striking surface

      5. Hits to teammates and yourself count if it is the first thing the head contacts

      6. A flail may be used to tangle other weapons

         1. If a flail gets tangled around any part of someone’s body the flail must be dropped and freeze called

         2. Tangled weapons are used as normal unless one is dropped

         3. If a weapon is tangled in a flail and either is dropped, they must be untangled or picked up before either weapon may be used to attack again

         4. Calling “Freeze” may not be done to untangle a flail from a weapon

   2. Staff: Any weapon that consists of all handle

      1. Staffs must be padded on all surfaces

      2. Strikes from the handle count as a valid hit unless otherwise noted

      3. Thrusting tips do not count as handles, and are always valid hits

      4. The following applies when two people are holding the handle

         1. No hits from the handle section count on anyone holding on

         2. If released, the staff becomes live immediately and a following bump to the hand or arm counts as a hit 

      5. If a swing is caught it does not count as a hit to the hand, but if it is fumbled it does

      6. A double sword (two blades with a shared handle) uses normal melee rules and is not a staff

6. Armor, Helmets and Shields

   1. There is no armor in our fighting except for a couple of cases in specific games

   2. Weapons or other gear worn (such as a knife in a belt), are not armor and do not deflect shots that would otherwise have hit

      1. If a worn weapon is struck, the hit counts as the area is under the item.

   3. Overly bulky gloves that extend past the wrist make any strike to the glove count as an arm hit

   4. Protective helmets can be worn for protection or to make the head/neck a valid target resulting in death

      1. Wearing for protection only, removes the illegal status of the head/neck, but does not count as a target – Clarify before the start of the fight

   5. A shield must be worn or held on the arm and only one shield may be used

   6. A shield worn on a long dead arm or strung across the back does not protect and any hit to the shield counts as death, even if it would not have connected otherwise

   7. Shields may not have sharp edges or points on them

      1. Padding or rubber hose around the edges of shields is encouraged

   8. Pushing with shields is acceptable

   9. Striking with a shield is not allowed, unless the shield is padded to be a weapon and has been approved by the field leader

7. Hit Location Boundaries

   1. When in doubt for any of the below locations, error on the side of the more severe location

   2. Hands and wrists start past the styloid processes (bone bump)

      1. With a horizontal arm, and a vertical hand, anything that contacts from a horizontal direction counts as hand, and anything from a vertical direction counts as arm

      2. The corner between the two counts as hand

   3. Arms start at the shoulder, but do not include the shoulder blade or arm pit, and proceed to the wrists

      1. With an arm at a slight angle to torso, draw a line up the edge of the torso and continue it around the armpit over the shoulder - Anything outside of the line is arm and anything inside is torso

   4. Feet and Ankles start past the lateral malleolus (bone bump)

      1. This should be the narrowest portion of the leg

   5. Legs start at the bottom of the hip and proceeds to the angles

      1. With thigh lifted to a horizontal position, draw a horizontal line around the hips – Anything below the line is leg and anything above the line is torso

   6. Head and Neck starts above the collar bone, but does not include the collar bone or most of the trapezius muscles

      1. Place two fingers horizontal at the top of the neck on either side and drop them straight down – Anything covered is neck and anything uncovered is torso

   7. Groin is the triangle created by the bottom of the torso and the top of the legs

      1. Use the horizontal line described in the leg section and form a line on each side from the top of the inseam to the top of the hips

8. Local/Field Specific Rules - Check with the field leader at a given location for any local changes

9. Guidelines for Picking with Two Teams

   1. Two team captains are selected

   2. Each captain is asked different sutras, one from each set of seven they are expected to learn

      1. If both fail or pass someone picks a number from 1 to 10 and the captains guess the number

      2. The winner decides who picks first

   3. The captain with first pick picks one person to be on their team and then picking alternates, each captain picking two people after the first pick

   4. If there are an odd number of fighters then the last person goes to the captain that originally picked second

      1. This is to keep one captain from having both the first pick and a larger team

10. Guidelines for Picking with More Than Two Teams

    1. Team captains are selected and form a line

    2. Someone picks a number from 1 to 10 and only the captains at the end of the line guess the number – The closest picks first

    3. Picking moves down the line until it reaches an end of the line, the end picks two people and picking order moves back down the line in the other direction until all the fighters have been picked

11. Guidelines for Fighting Battles

    1. Battles are fought in sets of best two out of three

    2. A battle is won when one side is completely killed off (also see note on “singles” below)

    3. The two teams separate to different sides of the field and the captains give orders to their teams as needed

    4. When one team is ready to fight, they call out “READY” and hold up their weapons

    5. The other team does the same when they are ready to fight

    6. The first team then calls “LAY ON!” to start the battle

    7. After the battle, the teams switch sides of the field and fight again

    8. If necessary, the teams switch again for a third battle

    9. After the set, team captains pick their replacements for the next set

12. Singles

    1. To request singles a fighter must be the last person on their team

    2. The other team has the option of granting the request or just continuing to attack

    3. If the request is granted the single fighter’s team loses the battle

    4. The fighter picks one person at a time to face until one whole team is dead

    5. All fighters keep their wounds from the entire battle