roman-auxillia single combat

[garrelt]

If we are going to discuss here how to construct show/stage fight weapons, is it than possible to also talk about their use.

[M. Demetrius]

ok by me. Safety rules are at the top of that list.

[garrelt]

In a showfight only those people take part that have regular training (at least once a month on all ground and weather conditions)with the weapons they use, the rest stays in the back or get water for the fighters
Edges of swords, daggers, hasta not thinner than 3mm.
No burres on these blades.
Battle ready weapons only.

No sharp edges on any part of a scutum.
So you need a scutum for fighting/training and one for display.

Personal safety
In a fight: always a helmet.
No fun somebody planting his schield on your head by accident.
Gloves: swordhand always. if you can find a examples of originals perfect.
Last year in shows 4broken en 1smashed up finger due to bad or no gloves.

[garrelt]

When you go into the battle, go in with a clear head.
So no alcohol, drugs or medication which makes you unaware og the things going on.

If somebody gets hurt.
Send in the capsarii (first aid or paramedic trained would be perfect), get the person of the field as quickly as possible and out of sight of the plublic.
Keep the show going on.
If you don't feel well or think you can't go on in the fight, die width grace.
Put your shield over your head and wait to you get called to rise, stay down and don't watch the rest of the show (remember you're dead).

There is only one head trainer or officer, listen always to that person.

remenber Accidents can and will happen.
Its a show not a real fight, otherwise send for an undertaker.

Better safe than sorry

[garrelt]

Before anybody is going to complain that gloves are not authentic.
Try to find a leather glove in our germanic bogs
Armoured gloves are known, plastic and foam weapons are not.

As long as you can explain to the public why you are using these materials, the will accept it
.

[garrelt]

Before anybody is going to complain that gloves are not authentic.
Try to find a leather glove in our germanic bogs
Armoured gloves are known, plastic and foam weapons are not.

As long as you can explain to the public why you are using these materials, the will accept it
.

[Marcus Caecilius Avitus]

Garrelt,

Good simple sensible guidelines. Nice one - Laudes.

Here's piccies of the combat pila. Please bear in mind it was a rush job to make 20 in short order and they are meant to be viewed from a distance.

If you have a go at one, please feedback your experiences and suggestions to keep the development going.

Materials 30mm plastic waste pipe.
foam pipe lagging.
Black duct tape.
Wooden dowel (or an arrow rubber tipped of course).
Paint

The pipe and dowel are painted first. After this insert the foam pipe lagging in the top of the pipe (about 10cm in). Then comes the art, you need to shape the foam with a sharp knife into the conical shape, best acheived by cutting two V shapes out of the foam 180 degrees from each other. You will need to get the angle of the V just right, the reaining foam should not form a points but leave a pair of flat sections about 1cm across. Some of the thickness will need to be trimmed from the foam (at the head end) but not too much! this will involve a bit of trial and error but you can check progress by temporarily strapping the the foam section with ordinary sticky tape and trying the dowel.

The goal is to leave a narrow hole in the foam, slightly smaller than the diameter of the dowel which applies just enough friction to hold the dowel in place. Too much and the dowel won't retract, so trial and error again.

Once your happy, use strips of duct tape to bind the foam to the right tension on the dowel and make a nice conical shape. making it look like an socketed pilum (ish).

The last thing to do is to take a small piece of foam (an offcut should suffice) and tape it over the business end of the dowel.

Then off you go :twisted: You should be able to take a hit from this pilum without any armour (just wtch your face).

I don't have any production pictures but here's a few of the finished article.

[Marcus Caecilius Avitus]

In for a penny in for a pound!

A couple more.

[Ironhand]

Though it is very fun, I can understand why a lot of groups do not do that kind of fighting. When dealing with combat it is hard to portray a realistic picture and it is possible to display accuracy with training recreaation that is impossible when attempting to recreate real combat. There are several routes to go from contact fighting (which the users are forced to use unrealistic weapons, armour, and rules for safety purposes) to the staged fighting that some groups use. Plus, some countries can make it pretty difficult with laws and you really can risk a lot by running a group that bends those rules for enjoyment. Its easy to say that it isn't worth the hassle and danger. Personally I like the contact (whether relatively full though restricted in some ways or the lighter touch) fighting weapon sports.

[Marcus Caecilius Avitus]

When we engage in legionary combat we use steel weapons and full contact. But the pila is such an integral part of the legions combat style we felt we had to find a way of working it in.

Chucking missiles around is inherently VERY DANGEROUS. The pila I developed are a third generation concept that was employed in a big set piece a couple of years ago. I don't normally go for any deviation from 100% accuracy in reconstruction but couldn't apply that here. So there was a trade off, accurate tactics inaccurate kit. But could the audience tell? Some were definitely fooled. hock:

If I can whip up 20 of these inside 2 weeks (while still working full time), I reckon with the skill and whit on this forum a hugely more accurate version will be developed by some clever so & so, by developing the concept.

The Gauntlet is down!! do your worst :evil:

[garrelt]

Thanks both for the feedback.

The pila i'm sure the will work.
Going to make some for us to use and try them out on some barbarians, north of our limes.
I'm going to look were i have put the mould that was made for a l atex spearhead.
This mould is made by using a original spearhead, found in the region where i live.
It looked great and flew wel, sorry only 1 prototype made and no pictures.

Every group/person is free to decide if they/he will take part in a showfight or not.
In every group you have people who want to fight,against barbarians or take part in a roman civil war, and others who want to make shoes.
No problem with that, as long as we let the public see how it could have bin in the roman era and we as participants have a good time.

Country's can be a problem what to think about incurance

[Marcus Caecilius Avitus]

That's what I'm talking about. Moulded latex, brilliant idea. I can see version 4 being developed.

Before anyone comments that laytex is innacurate, well so are blunted swords. We all have to choose what degrees of accuaracy we are confortable with.

[garrelt]

When we made the first spearhead,metallic paint was mixed with the latex.
After drying it looked like an iron spearhead.

[Titus Martius]

When we engage in legionary combat we use steel weapons and full contact. But the pila is such an integral part of the legions combat style we felt we had to find a way of working it in.

You are absolutely right! Pila are a must for legionaries. I think that both our groups developed nice safe and cheap pila :wink: (our pila cost 5 Euro)...

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Those would looh like socketed pila from a distance I imagine! 8)
What a blast!