ye old sightings

[Bliss]

Do you know you all sick btards have gotten me into Filk already?

[ArenaBoy]

When I was in martial arts a while back, I went to a few martial art festivals. Some were just for fun while others I was there demostrating with my instructor. At these festivals, you will see people in full samurai armor which is quite colorful and unique, imagine a flag sticking out of somebody in demon style armor and you get the point. There is also people dressed as ninjas and if it was a dark day you'd bump into them a lot because you couldn't see them.

Weapons are quite quirky too, while they may not be as lethal as medevial weapons, the user can be quite lethal if they know what they're doing. I actually scared a guy off who was giving me a hard time about the way I was dressed, (A monk) I was holding a staff and pretty much spun it with one hand and talked to the guy like it was nothing the look on his face was priceless.

Kinkoid, I might actually look into studying daggers. The closest thing to a dagger of which I own is a tanto which is a foot long. I own a lot of weapons my favorite being the Tai Chi sword which can give the deception that you broke it only to come back with a nasty surprise. My instructor always got me with that one.

[morgana]

"Then of course there are the stories of the mugger stabbing a guy wearing chain mail under his clothes....

Or the event in the park, when the bikers decided they wanted to use the park and the SCAdians should leave? A friend of mine insists he was at that event.

Wish *I* had been . . .

[kerrisan]

RenFest is the greatest. We have a show at the TexRenFest called "The Other Brothers" and they do juggling and firethrowing and such. They also juggle fruit, chew it while juggling, and then spit it out on the front row. They warn about this ahead of time, though.

[powerboy]

I went to one of those, once, and had the blast of my life.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Or the event in the park, when the bikers decided they wanted to use the park and the SCAdians should leave? A friend of mine insists he was at that event.

Wish *I* had been . . .

Ah, SCA folklore. I kind of wish I had been, too.

I really was at one where some bikers showed up, back when I was about 18. It's not like they attacked us or anything. I had walked off with a young man I was interested in, we went around the lake on the trail, and a gang of bikers showed up and kind of surrounded us. My friend was dressed in martial arts stuff, and while these guys weren't specifically threatening us, we were both worried they might try to toss him around a bit. The conversation was hedging in that direction.

Nothing ended up happeneing, and they left. Shaken, we walked back to the hall. And that's when I noticed 20 or so of our guys, quietly filtering out of the surrounding bushes. Armed to the teeth with implements of medieval mayhem. Not a one of them ever even spoke of it.

The whole time I thought we were cut off and at the mercy of a gang of goons, we were being closely guarded by our folks. Had they laid a finger on us, hell would have broken lose.

[morgana]

The whole time I thought we were cut off and at the mercy of a gang of goons, we were being closely guarded by our folks. Had they laid a finger on us, hell would have broken lose.

This is a large part of why I love the SCA. You want to go to hell in a handbasket, your friends will try to talk you out of it, but if you insist they'll find you the basket. If anybody *else* wants to give you grief, though, everybody on site will be in on the battle.

What Kingdom are you?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Atlantia. You?

[morgana]

I'm a lifelong Calontiri.

[repsac]

Interesting. I used to attend DragonCon myself.

I remember one year wandering my happy butt around dressed like a dark jedi. Around this time, there were some guys dressed like stormtroopers and a boba fett heading up to the restruant at the top of the hyatt regency. We all piled on the elevator, only to stand in shock when the door opened about half way up. Looking us right in the face was this older couple who blinked and said nervously "We'll take the next car."

[Dalvenja]

2: speaking of big blades there was this lady at the same booth who asked if they had bodice daggers. She managed to put a 6 inch dagger in her cleavage!

Pfft, is that all? Once I'm in my Pendragon (very nice leather bodice for all you non-Faire types out there), I can get a dagger at least twice that long in there

I work at the Stockade at the MIchigan Renaissance Festival...luckily we don't get too many SCs there, and when we do, not only are we allowed to be rude and put them in their place, but we're expected to.

[repsac]

just remembered something from years ago.

I had just started attending the GaRenFest (Garf) when it happened too.

At the time, I was dressed as a Templar knight. Meaning I had mail, a coif, conical helmet and all of it covered in a long white surcoat with red cross upon the front of it. My weapon of choice then, varied by day. Usually, I carried a bastard sword (for those who don't know, it's between a long and broad sword. Nasty thing), but this particular day I was carrying a battle axe.

I remember us pulling up in this gas station to fill up before heading in. At the time, I had most (save perhaps the helmet) of the costume on since well, they're a pain to put on. Mail being the worst. Wanting to stretch my legs, I clambor out of the car and walk around some. Heading inside the store, I grab a soda, head to the front and pay. Bout then I notice that I'm getting some really strange looks.

You see, here I am dressed in what looks like a long WHITE dress, with a metal hood. I am also caucasian...and that particular ren fest happned to fall right in the middle of "Freaknik." AKA Black Spring Break Weekend. Three guesses what they thought I was?

It wasn't until one of the younger guys spoke up, asking me what era I was from and if the mail was heavy that the thick air was broken. We chatted for some time about various armors and such, before my buddies and I left.

To this day, I make a note that while wearing the costume isn't a bad idea...don't wear anything that could get you shot, maimed, murdered, spit upon, kicked...well, kicking isn't bad. The greaves stub toes. Still, nothing that could be percieved as anything OTHER than what you intend.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, we had a buddy whose persona was some kind of monk...whatever order wears the white. Franciscan? I dunno. Anyway, we refused to allow him to accompany us to the store. We were in Orangeburg, and thought that his appearace in that particular town would be pretty provacative. So we made him stay behind at the site.

[Tria]

To this day, I make a note that while wearing the costume isn't a bad idea...don't wear anything that could get you shot, maimed, murdered, spit upon, kicked...well, kicking isn't bad. The greaves stub toes. Still, nothing that could be percieved as anything OTHER than what you intend.

Kinda like LARP, don't freak the normals.

[Dalvenja]

Kinda like LARP, don't freak the normals.

But that's half the fun...