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Four types of demos featuring SCA rapier |
| Updated: Nov 30, 2003 |
I believe that a demo can be more effective if the content is tailored
for the particular audience. The demographics of the people watching (age,
their interest in the SCA, how much they know about the SCA, how much they
know about the fencing era of history, their attitudes toward SCA rapier),
goals and messages, roleplaying, narration, combat style and handouts can
be — and should be — very different to suit different types
of demos.
Type 1: For the public
| Audience | Varied demographics. It is likely that few will know anything about the SCA or about the fencing era of history. Consider where your demo is: Renaissance Festival / Faire, school children, college class, theater or bookstore patrons, etc. |
| Goals | Make the SCA look good. Recruit when appropriate. |
| Messages | "We're in the SCA. We have fun. We know a little history. We're very safe and safety-conscious." |
| Roleplaying | Historical flavor, not always a strong emphasis on accuracy (especially for the Faire). No SCA in-jokes. |
| Narration | A few simple combat mechanics. Soundbites on history and rules for safety. |
| Combat | Flashy and choreographed whenever possible. If a blow is questionable, don't stop, just take it. (Just about everyone forgets to do this at one time or another.) Die dramatically. |
| Participation | Afterward, spectators could slowly poke at a fully-armored marshal (or experienced fencer if a marshal is watching). |
| Handout | Kingdom-relevant and locally-relevant information on getting started in the SCA (or just rapier) when appropriate. |
Type 2: At an SCA event
| Audience | Much variation is possible in their knowledge of the fencing era and (depending on the kingdom) in their attitudes toward SCA rapier. |
| Goals | Make fencing look good. Recruitment. |
| Messages | "We have fun fencing in the SCA. We know a little history. We're very safe and safety-conscious." |
| Roleplaying | Historically accurate. SCA humor is an option. |
| Narration | A few simple combat mechanics. A little more detail on history and rules for safety. |
| Combat | Flashy and choreographed whenever possible. If a blow is questionable, don't stop, just take it. (Just about everyone forgets to do this at one time or another.) Die dramatically. |
| Participation | Afterward, spectators could slowly poke at a fully-armored marshal (or experienced fencer if a marshal is watching). |
| Handout | Kingdom-relevant information on getting started in rapier. Locally-relevant version when applicable. |
Type 3: A class at a local SCA meeting
| Audience | Much variation is possible in their knowledge of the fencing era and (depending on the kingdom) in their attitudes toward SCA rapier. |
| Goals | Make fencing look good. Local recruitment. |
| Messages | "We have fun fencing in the SCA. We know a little history. We're very safe and safety-conscious." |
| Roleplaying | Historically accurate. SCA humor is an option and should have local relevance. |
| Narration | A few simple combat mechanics. A little more detail on history and rules for safety. |
| Combat | Flashy and choreographed whenever possible. If a blow is questionable, don't stop, just take it. (Just about everyone forgets to do this at one time or another.) Die dramatically. Add some stop-and-start with narration. |
| Participation | Afterward, spectators could slowly poke at a fully-armored marshal (or experienced fencer if a marshal is watching). |
| Handout | Locally-relevant information on getting started in rapier. |
Type 4: First class at a local practice
| Audience | Much variation is possible in their knowledge of the fencing era and (depending on the kingdom) in their attitudes toward SCA rapier. However, they ARE supposed to be here for the class. |
| Goals | Show students why all the upcoming footwork is important: it should be an unconscious ability so that one can concentrate more on activity with the hands later. Give them an idea of what they will learn from the hours of training - both with a teacher and doing more practice on their own. |
| Messages | "We have fun fencing in the SCA. We know a little history. We're very safe and safety-conscious. We're ready to teach you what we know and how to learn on your own." |
| Roleplaying | As appropriate for the situation: either all or nothing. Maybe for the first two bouts (the hook!) to get the students revved up. |
| Narration | Much more emphasis on mechanics and a little bit safety. Discuss what we're attempting to re-create. More talk on safety can happen later in the class - such as while the students are resting after their first set of footwork exercises. |
| Combat | As appropriate for the situation. Choreographed if possible, stop-and-start during narration. |
For more information on using this type of demo/class, see my article on a basic training course.
Your feedback is most welcome!
Original page posted: June
10, 2002. Last tweaked: July 1, 2006.
The address for this page is [ www.therotunda.net/rapier/demo-types.html
]
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