Oyez, Oyez!

Be it known throughout all lands near and far that the Right Noble Company and Schola of Saint George, in order to better honor those worthy patrons of prowess who have laboured to rediscover the art of swordsmanship as it was practiced by our ancestors, do declare our intention to hold a pas d'armes on the 12th Day of May, in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and One, This passage at arms in the style that would have been appropriate at the time of publication of that most noble work, Flos Duellatorum, written by Fiore de Liberi in the year Fourteen Hundred and Ten.

Here do we announce further our intention to celebrate in arms the elements of prowess and deeds of chivalry within the lists in combats conducted with weapons suited to the béhourd; although in honor of the ancient master only four weapons will be allowed this day; the dagger, the sword, the longsword and the poleaxe or polehammer. No shields will be used as they do not appear in the text work.

Further, we would announce our intention to defend the field using bâtons or wasters, at our opponent's pleasure. In order to accomodate the rich variety of martial traditions likely to be encountered, Combats will also be allowed with rebated or other special weapons, subject to the specifics below, but only after a combatant has declared their intention to so compete and providing their harness is requisite to the task.

We hope that our compani will meet us in honorable combat, and that our service to the ladies of the gallery earns honor for them, renown for ourselves and our noble opponents.

Item: Combatants should ready themselves for combat and receive their combat ribbons from the Marshal before 2pm. The Marshal will enforce the rules with discretion erring on the side of safety and combatants hoping to participate in combats with rebated weapons should expect more rigidly applied standards.

Item: The King of Arms will read the tournament declaration and the Rules of the List at 2pm, to which all combatants must lend agreement.

Item: All combatants will one after the other enter the lists and will introduce themselves to the King at Arms, the gallery and to the populace, noting which forms of combat they intend to engage in.

Item: There will first be a Grand Melee of single sword à plaisance au béhourd to three good blows. Combatants may observe the tradition of "first blood" or not but must in any case retire from the list after being struck three times.

Item: Combatants will then take their places at either side of the lists facing one another, ready to make their challenge. The Companions of Saint George will then select from amongst the challengers the right of first, second, and third challenge, based on the quality of their presentation and all challenges for the first pass will be delivered. A Clerk will record the challenges.

Item: Combatants will challenge an opponent in any weapons form they have signalled with their ribbons; combats à plaisance au béhourd signalled with a ribbon argent; combats à plaisance au béhourd sans encumbrance signalled with a ribbon sable; combats with rebated weapons à plaisance signalled with a ribbon gules and combats with rebated weapons sans encumbrance with a ribbon azure.

Item: Combatants may challenge with any of the four weapons celebrated in the Flos Deullatorum; dagger, sword, longsword or poleaxe.

Item: Fights may be conducted over the barrier or in the field. In fights over the barrier à plaisance strikes below the waist are disallowed, as is usual. The whole body shall be considered a target in fights conducted sans encumbrance.

Item: Fights may be declared to be of counted blows--thrown or received to the numbers 1, 3, 5 or 7--or to agreement. Fights to agreement will be decided either by one or other combatants signalling that they have been bested or by the Marshal signalling, "You have done enough."

Item: The first pass will consist of all challenges so delivered; the King of Arms will announce the form of the challenge to the combatants and the gallery and the form the fight will take.

Item: The Ladies of the Gallery will choose the combatants with the right of first, second and third challenge against the company, and the second pass will occur like the first.

Item: After the second pass there will follow another melee à plaisance au béhourd fought with any of the four weapons, this time to agreement.

Item: The third pass will follow the melee the right of first, second and third challenge will be determined by the challengers.

Item: The fourth pass will follow immediately upon the first, the ladies of the gallery once again choosing the honor of first, second and third challenge.

Item: A Grand Melee will be conducted to close, single-handed sword to agreement.
 

View the Conditions of Combat
(Armour and Weapons Requirements)

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