thegirlsclub

[Cunian]

- It would be mean to the guys.
- It would be awfully hard to have the draw to have a solid tourney. The tourney at Pennsic, (that's the only one of these I've participated in), is not huge - decent - but not like the squire's tourney or something. Given that you'd have to have a draw of at least a kingdom, we're back to the first point. It would be mean to the guys, if a ladies tourney was the point of the whole event.
- Given a choice, I will go where I can find the best singles fighting available. The chances are that at such an event, I'd want to be doing pick-ups out back with the guys. In the case of Pennsic: When the ladies tourney has conflicted with the squire's tourney or other premium tourneys, the ladies tourney suffers - understandably.
- Spending limited resources - time, gas, etc. - on less-skilled fields is not wise. The thing that is nice about a huge war is that you are there already. The resources are spent, presumably more for the main events. The ladies tourney is a freebie, so to speak.

That's why I can support it there, or presumably at Estrella, and not elsewhere.

[Isabella E]

How is it mean to the guys? I can't think of any guys I know that would really care.

[freiman the minstrel]

[freiman the minstrel]

WAITASEC!

I just remembered something that might make some folks smile. It has nothing to do with fighting, but some might enjoy it.

When I was a kid, my folks owned a dirt track race car and raced it on the weekend circuit around the military bases in West Germany. There were four races during a race day open to male drivers (three heats and a mechanic's heat) and one that was open to female drivers.

I once asked my dad why there was a "powder puff heat" and he replied,

(I put the numbers in)
1) women are generally lighter, which is a real natural advantage when driving
2) most of the male drivers spend their lives marching or sitting behind a desk, while most of our military spouses seem to spend their lives behind the wheel,
3) women are much less prone to make stupid decisions because they have something to prove
and
4) if all the guys kept getting beat by their wives, most of them would sell their cars, ending everybody's fun.

My mom laughed at that.

f

[SuGyong]

Tell your dad he's a smart man. More for the tact to not say anything dumb in front of your mom..

Love it!

Mind if I email that to some buddies?
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Opinions? Great! Flames? Oh well. I probably deserve it.

[freiman the minstrel]

[Cunian]

[Wrenn]

I'm all for novetly at a big event, but I think I'd follow the example of the chivalry around me, if my knight thought it was cool, and other female knights were participating I'm sure I'd give it a go.

When the topic first came up I figured that it was sponsored by strong female fighters, but after a lot of these posts it's looking less and less that way.

The only women's only tourney I've been close to I chose not to attend as that was all the fighting at that event.

Here's my reason: I don't ever want to be thought of as "the best women fighter" If/when I win something I want it to be because I was THE best FIGHTER on that day, there is a stigma in being "good for a girl".

[Isabella E]

Well, I can't speak for the armored tourneys but the rapier tourney at Estrella is sponsored by two women, one of whom no longer fights but was one of the first female fencers and the other by a woman whom I respect deeply. She is both a fencer and a heavy fighter and she is tough, courageous and an incredibly inspiring war commander.

[ratslayer]

The only time I've fought in an all woman's tourney was at thirty year celebration (during my 30th birthday no less) and I've done the women's tourney at Estrella on numerous occasions. I have mixed feelings about them. I don't like to separate us out from mainstream just because it just does that. Some people will say it's no different then having a belts only or a non belts only tourney but those are based on a skill level and not on gender. I also think the skills are usually at a lower par then regular tournies and my experiences tell me that there is always calibration issues.

On the other hand it did give me the ability to fight a few of the women who have since become knights. It was a great place to give and receive tips about armor and such that may pertain to just women. The most important thing and the reason I will still continue to fight in the one at Estrella is because I have met some of the most wonderful people in that tourney. Top of the list is Sir Isemnia (I met her even before she became a shining example of Knighthood) and Isabelle. I always look them up at Estrella now.

Kelwin
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The GOOFY way is the TRUE way!!!!!

[audax]

I am not too keen on them. If we want to be taken seriously we have to compete in regular tourneys.
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Martel le Hardi
squire to Meser Lyonel Oliver Grace, fostered to Sir Gaston de Clermont
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The Minstrel's Champion

[SuGyong]

(This is all over the Armour Archive right now... http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=73352 ) I see them this way.. they're the same as any other fun themed tournament...

Giants vs Dwarves
Plate and Maille
Tuchux Tournament
Sword and Buckler
"As real Men Fought"
etc..

Take it or leave it. It's your game and you don't have to play if you don't want to.
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Opinions? Great! Flames? Oh well. I probably deserve it.

[Wrenn]

I really like the idea of pick ups & a beer (or bbq... I'm just not much for tea with fighting) instead of a tournament.
More low key, less competitive (like I said before about being good for a girl) and just a nice way to get to know each other and learn a bit
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Adwen Wrenn, Squire to Sir Hrothgar Thorvaldsson

[ratslayer]

[audax]