Understanding the importance of Organizer knowledge
As Tournament Organizers it is our job to have a level of expertise in what we allow and disallow in the rules. When making said rules we set up the expectations of what is allowed, and our understanding of these allowed/disallowed techniques. Of course rules are often fluid, even in more professional events we see this. Just ask a Sports Fencing Referee to explain Sabre rules as used in practice vs written.
However, when it comes to what is disallowed we need to be unwavering in the application of the rules. Up to the point of just not allowing that which we are not experts in unless we have someone on hand that is one. In HEMA one of the main issues is Grappling, Locks and Disarms. Many events will ban throws and locks while allowing disarms. SERFO for Longsword is one of these events. We do not allow Throws in general due to Participant ability plus the flooring. Disarms we have allowed as long they are not arm/wrist locks in nature.
{I would like to state that this is not a passive aggressive poke at the organisers of the event I shall be highlighting. Rather it is an example I have readily at hand, and one that shows my point.}
Which leads to the following example:
This attempt at a disarm looks essentially the same as the throw we find in Joachim Meyer’s Art of Combat Ringen section. Demonstrated here at the 16 second mark:
This Ringen action seems reasonable in both examples. The person on the receiving end simple rolls out and everything is A OK.
Except, this is where more than passing knowledge of technique is important. In Judo this technique is known as Waki Gatame, Waki Gatame has been banned in Judo events since the mid 80s. Below are two Judo examples of why, plus one MMA example. Do not watch if you do not want to see someone getting hurt.
At about 5 seconds
Straight away
At about 1:57
As you can see this is a lock that has the potential to go on immediately with no ability to tap out or escape. Which is why it is now illegal in Judo, and while legal in BJJ frowned upon in everyday practice. I have personally seen someone kicked out of a BJJ school for deliberately attempting this lock.
Now I do not at all think that the fencer looking to disarm was attempting to hurt their opponent. However, there was a lack of understanding of what was occurring by the Referee and Tournament organizers that allowed it to get as far as it did. Thankfully the opponent recognized the potential danger and took the fall instead of resisting.
As organizers it is our duty to know the risks that our rules allow for, and to ensure that our staff does also. The initial video was an attempt at a disarm by a fencer who did not know this was not actually a disarm but instead a pretty nasty arm lock. Which in that aspect does work as a disarm, just not as they expect. Also the disarm turned into a throw. My understanding is that the fencer was given a verbal warning for throwing their opponent. However, this was after debate among the judges and consultation with a person outside the ring. There was no real understanding as to what had occurred. While the throw was not the desired outcome, but the outcome is what a Referee is meant to work from not the desire of the fencer and there should have been no confusion before warning was given.
Let us do better in setting the expectations of the tournaments we are running through the rules, through the adherence of those rules, and through our expertise in what we are allowing/disallowing in those rules. If as an event organizer you are aware that you may not have the level of understanding needed to fully allow something such as wrestling at the sword, and you do not have someone able to volunteer their time to act as the expert there is no problem with saying we are simply not allowing them.
Now I wish to make clear a few things in my outro.
I honestly have nothing bad to say about the event highlighted in this video. I hear it was a well run event that actually ended on time. Which in HEMA is a miracle! They simply ended up with an example which I could use.
Do not take this as me saying that RIngen am Schwert should not be allowed. It should be, and events that allow it get my support. Rather I ask that safety protocols are put in place to ensure the fencers are less likely to get injured. These protocols, though, can only come from a place of expertize.
From the Fencer’s POV you need to learn how to wrestle even a little bit if you wish to do anything wrestling based. Disarms can be based in wrestling. Just knowing that you are in an awkward position and going with it shall save you in the future. Most injuries I have seen from wrestling in fencing is when one or both of the fencers have not really trained in how to wrestle and how to fall.
I understand it is not possible for Tournament Organizers to be everywhere in an event and know everything. However, as we grow we need to do better with keeping our fencers safe and growing our knowledge in the activity we all love to do.