Okay, here's the first draft of the experiment.  I'd like to ask you guys to take some time to read them, and then provide some feedback in this forum; anything that gets bogged down in conversation here, I'll flag for live discussion at Tree-Girt-Sea 12th Night.  

Specifically, I'm not sure if the structure of this document should be different: I'm basically "burying the lead" by putting the actual rules for what the experiment will and won't allow people to do *after* all the preconditions.  I might make more sense to put those rules up-front.


Desco and I are already in contact by email, specifically about coordinating the next update of the CT rules, so that they'll be compatible with the experimental proposal.  I expect that we'll continue that conversation separately, and Desco can decide when those rules are ready to bring forward.


Proposed Experiment for Grappling

Introduction:  Although the SCA, Inc. has not included grappling or wrestling within its Marshal activities, techniques of grappling or wrestling are documented to the combat arts of pre-17th century Europe.  Similar techniques have a long history of use in modern martial systems outside of the SCA, including groups that study the martial arts of medieval and renaissance Europe.  We believe that, with appropriate training and oversight, grappling actions can be safely incorporated into some of the Marshal activities of our organization.

Rationale:  Grappling and wrestling actions create a unique set of risks, significantly different from those associated with traditional SCA rattan combat, and also different from SCA steel-bladed rapier combat.  While it is clear from the safety record of martial arts academies who use grappling and wrestling in free-form sparring that these risks can be appropriately managed, doing so will require a level of training, caution, and oversight that is not universally associated with traditional SCA martial activities.  In the past ten years, the Society has been able through the Cut-and-Thrust program to integrate steel-bladed cutting in minimally-armored combat (which carries a higher presumed risk than other SCA martial activities), and we therefore believe that this experiment would best fit into the Cut-and-Thrust activity.

This proposed experiment is planned in at least three "phases":

Phase 1: Proof-of-Concept.  In this phase, we will seek to explore the feasibility of incorporating grappling and wrestling techniques into existing SCA combat activities, within clearly-defined boundary conditions.  This phase is primarily concerned with the safe execution of the techniques themselves, within the context of SCA combat.

Phase 2: Development and Training.  If it becomes evident that grappling and wrestling are viable within the Society, we will begin to explore the infrastructure and leadership required to establish systems of training and oversight which would allow for the expansion of these activities, while still maintaining acceptable risk.  In this phase, the emphasis will be on establishing policies and procedures for authorization of participants and warranting of marshals.

Phase 3: Transition and Formalization.  Once appropriate systems for training, authorization, and warranting have been created and piloted, this phase will explore whether or not it is possible to bring these systems to a larger scale, allowing for participants from across Kingdoms and the Society to engage in a common activity.

It is anticipated that this proposal will be revised during and between each of these phases, and that participating groups may or might not be involved in multiple phases of the experiment. 

Proposed Rules (Phase 1): 
1. Participants in the SCA Grappling Experiment (also called "experimenters")
Experimenters participating in Phase 1will be individually selected by the Kingdom Earl Marshal, or by his or her designated Deputies, in compliance with the following criteria:
a. Participants in the experiment must be authorized Cut-and-Thrust combatants.
b. Participants in Phase 1 will also have at least one year of training in grappling or wrestling.  This experience may come from scholastic/collegiate or freestyle wrestling, from modern or historical martial arts training, or from other experience at the discretion of the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated Deputies.
c. Experimenters must request and be granted license to participate in the experiment, in writing, prior to beginning their participation.  Such license will be granted by the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy, who may require additional information about the prospective experimenter's background and training, and/or a demonstration of the prospective experimenter's ability to safely execute techniques (see "Authorization", below)
d. The Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy shall maintain a roster of active experimenters.  The person maintaining this roster will maintain routine contact with participants, including two-way communication no less than every quarter (see "Reporting", below).  
e. License to participate in the experiment may be revoked, temporarily or permanently, at any time by the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputies.  In the event of such revocation, all overseeing deputies will be notified, and the former experimenters' status will be appropriately updated on the roster of experimenters.

2. Reporting
a. All experimenters will keep a written record of any SCA event (including sanctioned SCA practices) at which they engage in grappling or wrestling activities.  These records will include, at minimum, the date and location of the event as well as the names of other experimenters who participated in grappling activities with themselves and approximately how many grappling actions occurred, and any injuries (including trivial injuries, such as bruises or contusions) that occurred.
b. Every experimenter shall send copies of these written records at least once every quarter to the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy.  Note that this means that for any grappling activity that occurs, there should be at least two records (one from each participant) reported.
c. In the event of any injury sufficient to cause the recipient to seek medical attention (either at the time of injury or thereafter), the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy will be notified of the injury within 48 hours.  
d. Failure to comply with these reporting requires will result in mandatory removal from the experiment (see "Participants" part d, above).

3. Grappling and Wrestling
a. Grappling and wrestling under this experiment occur within the context of SCA Cut-and-Thrust combat, and all rules of authorization, equipment, and behavior associated with that activity apply.
b. Prior to beginning an individual (single-opponent) bout of SCA Cut-and-Thrust combat, the participants may agree to include grappling and wrestling if and only if both combatants are experimental participants.  This explicit agreement is required at the beginning of any new series of bouts between experimenters.  Once grappling and wrestling is agreed upon, either combatant may unilaterally revoke permission to include grappling and wrestling from further bouting, with a simple verbal indication.  During the first phase of the experiment, grappling and wrestling may be used in practice only, not in tournament bouts.
c. Permitted grappling and wrestling techniques will include pushes, throws, and locks; however, the safety of the combatants must be maintained at all times.  Locks will be taken to the point of immobilization only (not to painful "submission").  Any technique which is likely to result in a joint dislocation or broken joint or limb is strictly forbidden, and throws must only be executed if the recipient of the throw has an obvious and safe fall available.  
d. Participants will consider any successful lock (to the point of immobilization) or throw equivalent to a successful killing blow against them, and immediately yield the bout.  Such a participant is encouraged to call "Hold" as part of indicating their intent to yield.  
e. Pushes to the elbow, arm, chest, or head are allowed; these do not end the engagement themselves, though they may be used to position an opponent in such a way as to allow a blow or subsequent grappling technique.
f. Strikes, whether with hands, elbows, knees, or equipment, are also permitted, but must maintain the same controlled calibration expected of sword cuts.  As with all SCA combat, the recipient of a blow is expected to determine the effectiveness of the blow.
g. Participants are permitted to engage in binds and locks even with a hand that is holding equipment, but must take particular care when doing so to avoid an improperly-calibrated strike to the opponent.  

4. Minimum Technical Requirements for Participation (Authorization, in Phase 2)
In order to participate in Phase 1, or become authorized in Phase 2, a participant in the experiment must be capable of demonstrating the following:
a. All participants must be able to safely fall from a standing but imbalanced position.
b. A participant must be able to execute locking techniques, without continuing them to the point of painful submission.
c. A participant must be capable of recognizing the moment at which a throw becomes inevitable (based on the relative balance of both participants), and able to aid their opponent in the safe completion of the throw.