Those kids were fast as lightning

[bjornwilde]

With Sam's fight club being so successful, a few folks have suggested maybe making a regular thing might be good. I'm thinking of aiming for a new post in the middle of each month, so I get a chance to wrap up Life Support threads with Sam.

There also seems to be interest in bringing some melee sparing into the mix (swords, axes, etc), which I am thinking I can have Rollo start up and oversee. Knowing Rollo, this will mean live steel. I can hand wave Security or Sam stepping in and saying, "No, wooden practice weapons only" if folks prefer. This would be thrown in the same post with Sam to be a dual pup hosted thing.

Rules would be similar for both hand-to-hand and the melee rings, i.e. keep it friendly. I think I will also offer Sam or Rollo to act as sort of Security so that if folks find their pups are getting heated, someone can step in to end the fight. This will be more like a referee calling off the fight than cell time or whatever. Drama can be fun to mix into the fights and so I don't want to limit folks if their pups gets heated. 

ETA: Sam or Rollo can be called on to call for a break, but if things are so heated that either pup needs to be restrained, then Security will need to step in. See the comment to this post for clarity.

Thoughts? Ideas for how to make it more feasible? Things maybe that got missed?

Comments

[varadia]

I would rather people who need sparring cooled down actually ask for a Security pup to intervene than have non-Security people doing Security's nominal job?

I don't think it would need to lead to arrests unless everyone wanted it to, but, I mean. Security's job is precisely this. Sparring is one thing, and great! Sparring turning to violence is within their remit. So.

(And certainly if it's just 'hey, simmer down folks' if people need someone to say that, Sam or Rollo or another participant could do it. But. Like. Stepping in I would prefer to have it be one of our lovely Security peeps. At least one of them will probably always be participating.)

[bjornwilde]

Good point! So Sam or Rollo can be a verbal "Hey, stop it!" but if someone needs to actually step in, a security person should step in?

[varadia]

That is what I think would be the clearest, yes!

I just don't want to cross the streams so that newbies or people who have been away a while get the impression that the rules and Security's role have changed when they haven't.

[bjornwilde]

Of course! And sorry I didn't think about crossing the streams. = ]

[varadia]

No worries!

[guppy_sandhu]

You could have a ref who could send someone to a penalty box for a cool down, and if they then continued to get heated or ignored them they send for security?

(Mostly because I just want someone to be like 'Hannibal Lecter, two minutes, for chomping')

[no_more_hiding]

That is pretty much how I see it. And yes, that would be funny in a thread!

[runningred]

Sorry about that. The thing with Jay and Childermass was a bit of a spur of the moment thing that wasn't going any further.

[cutting_edgex23]

No worries! I just don't want to make things confusing, is all, esp if this is a regular thing.

*sends cake!*

[i_am_your_host]

What about offering self-defense lessons? Maybe not specifically, but if it's noted that there are pups around who are not against teaching basic skills, especially to beginners or children or shy people who really really really do not want to hit anyone ever but might have to defend themselves someday.

[bjornwilde]

That can certainly be worked in. Like certain circles are set aside for lessons?

[i_am_your_host]

Right! And like what you did with Sam's note on the notice board, you could mention that people can ask for lessons. Though there would probably have to be certain pups who are willing to be patient and teach.

[bjornwilde]

Will do. And I'll make a backroom post a day or so ahead of time to see if anyone else wants to teach as I know Sam and Rollo would be interested, but other pups could be good as well.

[i_am_your_host]

Awesomeness, thank you! This of course is not to diminish the main purpose of Sam's fight club. I was just thinking of the non-fighting pups who might gain something useful from it.

[bjornwilde]

Actually I think it expands the purpose and I've noticed several people are already teaching, and all of them seem to be teaching Autor. ; p

[i_am_your_host]

Hah! Got to spread that knowledge :)

great chance to use this icon...

[crabbycustomer]

When I was trying to come up with mythic sickles for Karkat to have accumulated, I millicanoned a sickle that heals you as it strikes, so it stings but doesn't actually leave a wound behind.

If it would be useful, he could use Homestuck-style alchemy and examples weapons from the forge to create a bunch of willow-leaf patterned practice weapons that can't actually hurt anyone permanently.

Somebody would have to approach him about it/bring up the subject, but it's perfectly possible from a logistical standpoint. HMU if that sounds useful.

Re: great chance to use this icon...

[bjornwilde]

That would be pretty cool! But I think someone else but my pups would have to think of asking him since none of mine know about troll alchemy. = ]

Re: great chance to use this icon...

[crabbycustomer]

I will see if I can find a way for it to come up naturally. I'm not sure that Karkat would see a problem with live steel either! Although he has been gradually shedding some of his r strategy thinking.

EDIT: How about if I tag into the old thread for a quick convo along these lines:

NO WEAPONS?
No, we don't want people cutting legs off.
HM, HERE, THIS COULD HELP.

?

Re: great chance to use this icon...

[bjornwilde]

In theory, those who are skilled with live steel should be able to practice with it and not cause serious injuries. I've know reenactors who swear by practicing with live steel. Whether Security and the Infirmary staff feel secure in the practice is another matter. ; p

That could work. I'm hoping to get back to my Sam tags tomorrow and so I'm fine handwaving Sam taking a break for Karkat to come over and troll speak with him

Re: great chance to use this icon...

[crabbycustomer]

Tagged in! *salutes*

Re: great chance to use this icon...

[bjornwilde]

Awesome. I will get to it as soon as I can tomorrow.

[harryhotspur]

If Sam wants a hand IC, Hotspur would so be down to help make this happen. He is always in favor of more punching-- and now also part-time security, if that is of use!

[notapilot]

That could be very helpful! And good since working with weapons can get dangerous much quicker than with fists.

[harryhotspur]

Woo! I probably won't tag in for sparring every time, because I don't have that much brain for writing fights, but if you ever want/need to assume he's there, or ping me to have him appear, anyone has a standing invitation to do so. :D

[mjolnir_retriever]

Same offer goes for Thor, if anybody wants! Unlike Hotspur, he doesn't live at Milliways, and he's probably more likely to hang out watching and only spar if invited, on account of superhuman powers and centuries of experience (and not being bored stiff the way a lot of the Bound warriors are). But he's a Security member and could totally be handwavily around at any point when anyone wants him to be, if that's more ICly useful/interesting or if I'm around when Lark and/or other Security mun(s) aren't, or whatever.

[yinyangwizard]

If this is going to be a regular thing - and it should totally be a regular thing - is there going to be a dedicated ring/sparring ground for it?

[bjornwilde]

We could set it up over by the Warriors training grounds/obstacle course.

[runningred]

Jay's very happy to help with the construction. A) it will keep him busy and B) he'll be using it a bit.

[yinyangwizard]

Any interest in having an injury detection/warning system in the ring? There are definitely some people in Milliways who will try to cover for or shrug off a serious injury (like head trauma, broken bones, or internal bleeding). It might help to have an indicator that a fight should stop because someone needs medical attention - even when the extent of their injuries is not immediately obvious.

Admittedly such a system might need adjustment for people like Logan and X, who really can shrug off stuff like that.

[bjornwilde]

I think that can be a great thing to add. I know I am loosely thinking of three different rings with different shapes; triangles for teaching, circles for hand to hand, and squares for melee, just to keep things simple.

I think I'll have Sam EP with roughing out the shapes next week and folks can some by and see what he's doing as a hook for getting all the more fancy construction in.