Proposed Experiment for Grappling (PHASE TWO, MIDDLE KINGDOM) Introduction: In early 2014, we began an experiment into the use of grappling or wrestling within SCA cut-and-thrust activities, to allow a more complete exploration of historical combat (as techniques of grappling or wrestling are documented to the combat arts of pre-17th century Europe). The first phase of this experiment was designed as a proof-of-concept, utilizing individuals who have prior experience in grappling and wrestling to demonstrate grappling actions can be safely incorporated into some of the Marshal activities of our organization. The current proposal would extend the experiment into a second phase, characterized by the training and subsequent authorization of combatants who do *not* have prior experience with grappling and wrestling techniques Rationale: The safety record of martial arts academies who use grappling and wrestling in free-form sparring shows that the risks associated with these techniques can be appropriately managed. At the same time, we recognize that these techniques generate a unique set of risks, significantly different from those associated with traditional SCA rattan combat, and also different from SCA steel-bladed rapier combat. Safely implementing grappling in our organization 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). We therefore believe that this experiment should remain within the SCA's Cut-and-Thrust activity. This proposed experiment is planned in at least three "phases": Phase 1: Proof-of-Concept. In this phase, we sought to explore the feasibility of incorporating grappling and wrestling techniques into existing SCA combat activities, within clearly-defined boundary conditions. This phase has been primarily concerned with the safe execution of the techniques themselves, and has provided us a substantial body of evidence (on the order of hundreds of man-hours of practice) with minimal injury. Phase 2: Development and Training. Having seen that grappling and wrestling are feasible within the Society, our next step will be to explore the infrastructure and leadership required to establish systems of training and oversight which will 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. If successful, this phase will result in the development and implementation of a system for certifying marshals and trainers, which will in turn be represented by a larger cadre of marshals across a wider geographic area. We will then re-apply for a third phase. 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. If successful, this phase will be characterized by an increase in the number and geographic range of experimenters, without any significant increase in the *rate* of injury. We envision that, under such conditions, we would then apply for grappling to become a full-status advanced authorization within SCA Cut-and-Thrust. It is anticipated that this proposal will be expanded and revised during and between each of these phases, and that participating individuals may or might not be involved in multiple phases of the experiment. The present document is specifically designed for Phase 2, but is also intended to serve as a framework for later phases. Proposed Rules: 1. Participants Experimenters participating in Phase 2 will meet the following criteria: a. Participants in the experiment must be authorized Cut-and-Thrust combatants. b. Participants who were authorized during Phase 1 will be invited to continue in Phase 2, without requiring re-authorization. c. Phase 2 experimenters must request and be granted approval to participate in the experiment, in writing, prior to attempting authorization (see "Authorization", below). Such approval 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 will typically request recommendation from the trainers with whom the candidate has worked. NOTE that such approval is NOT required in order to study grappling and wrestling with a trainer (see "Training" 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. Authorization 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. Training The second phase of this experiment is characterized by the development of trainers and trainees. NOTE that marshaling and training are separate functions in this experiment (see "Marshallate" below). We recognize that training for this experiment necessarily incorporates both marshal activity and what is traditionally teaching and learning outside the scope of the marshallate, and this will require considerable judgement on the part of trainers. a. Trainers will be experimental participants who have a significant background in grappling and wrestling. Participants who wish to be designated as a trainer shall request this status in writing. The Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy may conduct an interview or request that the applicant demonstrate some specific training activity prior to accepting the request. b. Participants who are official trainers will be designated as such on the official experimental roster. c. Any person may undertake training in grappling and wrestling, with any designated trainer. training activities may take several forms, including demonstration of techniques, slow-speed drills, limited-decision drills, and supervised free-play wrestling without weapons. The trainer will evaluate the appropriateness of any specific training activity for the specific trainee. d. All participants must recognize that their armor will change the dynamics of many techniques, and must practice in armor as part of their training. This is a particular concern for participants who have prior experience in martial arts and sports that are performed while wearing soft clothing, not armor. e. Persons who are seeking frequent training with the intention of becoming authorized experimenters are encouraged to contact the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy (who will maintain a separate roster of such interested parties). 3. Authorization In order to participate in the second phase of this experiment, a candidate must demonstrate the following capabilities and judgement, as part of an authorization process overseen by at least two marshals of the experiment (see "Marshallate" below). Note that candidates for authorization must have the prior approval of the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy (see "Participants" above), who may require the candidate to describe his or her training and procure recommendation from his or her trainers (see "Training" above). a. During the authorization process, participants will first demonstrate the ability to safely execute falls and techniques (outlined below) without helmet, gorget, or weapons. If successful, the participant will then demonstrate falls and techniques with a partner, including at speed in free play, while wearing and wielding weapons and armor legal for Cut-and-Thrust combat. b. All participants must demonstrate safely falling from a standing position, when thrown by an authorization partner (including at full speed in free play) c. A participant must demonstrate the recognition of the moment at which a throw becomes inevitable (based on the relative balance of both participants), and the ability to aid their opponent in the safe completion of a throw. d. A participant must be able to initiate locking techniques, without continuing them to the point of painful submission. e. A participant must respond to an opponent tapping them with an empty hand, weapon pommel, or other equipment, exactly as they would respond to a verbal cue of "hold". 4. Marshallate a. NOTE that marshaling and training are separate functions in this experiment: Any warranted Cut-and-Thrust marshal in good standing who is also an authorized experimenter may oversee experimental activities, including authorization. Marshals who oversee this experiment must be prepared to recognize the potentially dangerous situations unique to grappling (such as hyperextended joint locks and potentially dangerous throws). b. Experimental marshals will follow the same reporting schedule as all other experimental participants (see "Reporting" above). Experimental marshals will include within these reports their personal opinions and recommendations, regarding the safety of both specific techniques and of participants with whom they have worked. c. Experimental marshals may perform authorizations for any candidate for participation who meets the requirements (see "Participants" above), and will send recommendations for such participants to the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy within 24 hours. This recommendation must include, at minimum, the candidate's SCA name, modern name, and email address or phone number, along with a brief narrative of the candidate's performance during the authorization. d. Upon successful completion of authorization, the recommended candidate may provisionally participate in experimentation under the supervision of the recommending marshal, pending approval by the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy. e. Approval of newly-authorized experimenters will be indicated by the inclusion of the participant's SCA and modern name on the roster of participants, after which time the experimenter may participate under the supervision of any experimental marshal. 5. 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. In addition, participants in the grappling experiment must meet additional equipment requirements (see “Equipment”, below). 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. Experimenters with widely divergent body types (for example, a 75 pound or more weight difference) shall not experiment together. 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 this experiment, grappling and wrestling may not be used in tournament bouts. c. Permitted grappling and wrestling techniques will include pushes, throws, and locks, within the constraint the safety of the combatants must be maintained at all times. Participants are permitted to engage in techniques with a hand that is holding equipment, but must take particular care when doing so to avoid striking the opponent with unapproved equipment. d. Pushes to the opponent's limbs or torso 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. e. Locks should be attempted only by participants who have significant prior experience in these techniques. All locks end the bout as soon as they are successfully engaged: the lock should not be forced to the point of causing pain. The participant who is establishing or controlling the lock is encouraged to liberally call hold upon engaging locks, to allow both participants to discuss the martial efficacy of the technique. Any technique which is likely to result in a joint dislocation or broken joint or limb is strictly forbidden. f. Throws end the bout as soon as they are set, however, in most cases completing a throw will be safer than attempting to halt the action prior to the execution of the throw. Therefore, completion of throws is allowed, and the combatant initiating the throw should aid the partner in executing a safe fall. g. Strikes may be delivered as defined in the standard cut-and-thrust combat rules and conventions. As with any blow in Cut-and-Thrust, the recipient shall judge whether the blow would have been valid, had it been delivered with deliberate force. h. Participants may indicate a hold to end an engagement (to signal a lock, to signal a throw, or for any other reason) using a non-verbal cue, by gently tapping their opponent with an open hand, weapon pommel, or other equipment. This shall be considered equivalent to calling "hold". 6. Equipment Experimenters must comply with the following rules, which supplement the equipment rules for Cut-and-Thrust: a. The gorget must be constructed such that it rests upon the shoulders, with at least semi-rigid material (such as unhardened 8 oz. leather). The gorget must not terminate perpendicular to the clavicle, as is the case with “dog collar” style gorgets. b. The helmet must be padded and/or suspended in such a way that the rigid inner surfaces of the helmet cannot come into contact with the skull, even in a fall. c. In order to prevent unintended hooking or catching, rigid armor pieces must not include any unnecessary protrusion longer than 3”. 7. Reporting a. At least one experimenter will provide a written record of any SCA event (including sanctioned SCA practices) at which experimental grappling or wrestling activities occur. 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 any injuries (including trivial injuries, such as bruises or contusions) that occurred. b. The Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy will maintain a copy of these reports, and will summarize them into a full report of the experiment. Such reports will be provided to the Kingdom Rapier Marshal, Kingdom Cut-and-Thrust Marshal, Society Rapier Marshal, and Society Cut-and-Thrust Marshal no less than once each quarter. 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 may result in removal from the experiment (see "Participants" part d, above).