Over or Under?

**wudang_clown** · 10-20-2013, 22:00

Just out of curiosity: which parts of the body do you mostly use when using spear overhand?

**Bodeni** · 10-21-2013, 20:20

Forearm and Bicep, using underhand is more shoulder and biceps.

**Arjos** · 10-21-2013, 20:29

To add to Bodeni's post, the Styrax/Sauroter/butt-spike weights specifically to shift the point of balance in favour of an overhand grip...

**LusitanianWolf** · 10-23-2013, 13:21

Unfortunly in Battle of Nations competitions (medieval full contact) spears aren't allowed, but during battle simulations in some viking/slavic festivals they do use both over and under with sucess, with or without shieldwall formation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrmV-1IRnTU

**kdrakak** · 10-23-2013, 16:53

1) What happens with injuries sustained (minor or major) during the enactment? Is the whole thing covered legally in some way?

2) Are the "incapacitated" dudes told by external observers to drop? How does this work?

**LusitanianWolf** · 10-23-2013, 18:35

Originally Posted by kdrakak

1) What happens with injuries sustained (minor or major) during the enactment? Is the whole thing covered legally in some way?

Dont know, I've never been there, but I guess there should some insurance you pay when you join to cover that expenses. I've tried to find information regarding injuries in the Wolin Festival (using google translator since the information is in Polish) and the only thing I could find was regarding a single injury that was not even that serious! But that doesnt seem right, in the Medieval Armoured Combat League (Battle of the Nations) they have better armour, strict rules (like no thrusting attacks), battles are smaller (5x5 and 21x21) and much more organized and yet they talk about injuries like broken bones (more than expectable in such a violent sport). In the other hand, the Wolin festival seem much more chaotic and I could find almost nothing talking about that (but again, I don't read polish).

Originally Posted by kdrakak

2) Are the "incapacitated" dudes told by external observers to drop? How does this work?

Again, I'm not sure, In the BotN group battles you are out only once you hit the ground (so wrestling and tackles are usualy more effective than sword attacks), but in the Wolin it looks like they drop after being hit by weapons, maybe its like Airsoft where you have to be honest and declare yourself dead, and the observers are there to see if people follow that rule (and to prevent anyone dying for real). Still it must suck to play dead with that many people stomping around XD

**wudang_clown** · 10-23-2013, 22:05

The festival is a mass event and as such it has to comply with law, so everything that is in programme, including reenactments of armed clashes, is legally covered. I have only found a set of rules concerning such clashes during a different event, but I'm quite sure it's the same or almost the same for each and every event. So, reenactors who want to participate in such a fight are obliged to buy "accident insurance" (I don't know how to translate it better, but I think it's self-explanatory) and they agree to participate in it on their own responsibility.

As for injuries, I don't know. On the one hand, clashes seem to be pretty violent, so the chances of being injured seem to be quite high. On the other hand, those people are well armoured, and their arms are replicas, not real weapons, so their damage value, so to speak, is as low as possible (official rules of the festival forbid both the participants and the public to posses weapons, including melee weapons, in the area of the festival).