Broken Bones

[David KUIJT <kuijt@umiacs.umd.edu>]

Poster: David KUIJT <kuijt@umiacs.umd.edu>


Hi all, Dafydd here, dodging more writing on my dissertation. 
(O Procrastinator Vile!)

I got the following quoted out of context; I must have missed the earlier
post which contained it.  I also don't know who wrote it (by context, a
`successful' fighter).
 
> Have you seen my list of injuries?  This is the
> price most successful fighters have paid.  I would be willing to bet
> that there is not a single ex Monarch in this kingdom that has not
> suffered a broken bone as a result of SCA fighting and probably very few
> Knights.

How much would you bet?  I disprove your thesis.  I've never broken a bone
in SCA fighting, in 16 years continuous fighting, including four or five
crown tourneys where I was moderately successful (won one, lost in the
finals in the others).  I've had bumps and bruises galore; not surprising 
in a contact sport.

Lest someone think that I am a safety-minded individual, in the same
period I've blown my ankle once (polevaulting on my marshal's staff, not
fighting.  Bad plan -- don't try this at home). I dislocated my shoulder,
but that was playing rollerhockey.  Two years before I started fighting I
broke my wrist like a twig playing football with some friends, too.  I've
broken a collarbone sticking a stick through the spokes of my bicycle
going full-tilt downhill with no hands, too, but that (although STUPID) 
wasn't fighting. 

As for other examples, I don't believe that Richard has ever broken a bone
fighting.  At least, not one of his own :^).  He's blown his knees, but
that has to do with being a large fellow, and with playing football in
highschool or something silly like that. 

Gyrth -- I'm not aware of any bone he's broken fighting in the last 16
years, anyway.  And he is not particularly a picture of health, either. 

The only broken-bone injury Galmr has had that I'm aware of is his back,
and that has nothing to do with fighting.  But I'm willing to admit that
he may have broken something somewhere, although I don't remember it, and
I've lived in the same area as him through his whole SCA career.

Baudoin -- OK, once Richard squashed his finger like a grape, and I know
it broke.  But most of his injuries (and certainly his recent leg injury)
came from his real-life occupation, not this sport. 

Klaus -- he dislocated his left shoulder really badly once, throwing a
wraparound fighting lefthanded (he's a righty).  Although that isn't
literally broken, I'll accept that as equivalent. 

Thorbrandr -- Hm.  I don't think he's broken any bones that I'm aware of. 


And all the above are ex-Monarchs from this Kingdom.  So anyway, I don't
see that broken bones are a necessary price of this game, or even of
success playing it. 

Dafydd

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