Preamble

Swordfighting is one of those practices that crosses many boundaries ranging from philosophical, to historical, to purely practical. Originally of course a solid chunk of the intention behind the practice of the sword was to kill an opponent and not be killed yourself. And we acknowledge that. Indeed, it represents our core principle of presumed deadliness.

But a part of trying not to die means that in extremis, a combatant in genuine mortal danger ought to use any means at hand to survive. And that is where our combat draws an entirely arbitrary line. While we are not explicitly roleplaying in our martial art, and we recognize that we can at best approach the true value of a trained skill intended to kill or prevent death, it is our contention that what we do should be akin to gentlemen training with swords to be able to later survive a duel. Thus the measured gradations of intent: To blood, to wound, to death. A declared duel must adhere to these approved formats, while training may focus on particular skills and honing them. We arbitrarily dictate that combatants who wish to train with us should not only treat the weapon as if it were sharp and deadly, but also seek to survive themselves, and at the same time, adhere to agreed-upon parameters before a formal duel, and in training exchanges, seek only the lightest blow.