We want to keep things simple and kinetic, but in order to ensure all participants have an enjoyable and educational experience all fighters must abide by these rules;
 

• Fight With Martial Quality: Although Hastartes Tactical and my own edged weapons training advocate this very same philosophy, this actual phrase was coined by Lee Smith from Blood & Iron Martial Arts during the Short Blades Symposium of 2017. In blade-fighting, all attacks ought to be delivered with tactical intent and clean technique, just as one has (presumably) trained in their respective edged weapons systems. This includes strategic footwork and maneuvering, cuts with follow through and deliberate thrusts to vital targets, clear distance management, etc.
   

• Sparring Is As Much Intellectual As It Is Physical: Brute force is the strategy of the unskilled. Control your weapons and yourselves at all times. Utilize the skills you've learned in your chosen combat system to the best of your abilities. Blade-fighting is a higher art; swinging like a cave man and charging in recklessly while absorbing hits do very little to validate your training and your system.
   

• No Mutual Destructions: All fighters must acknowledge every strike is LETHAL. However, "dying" men flail and fighters must understand to get out of range and prevent receiving after blows. If mutual destructions, doubles, etc. persists then the fight will be discontinued. It doesn't matter whether you're fighting as Mr. Tough Guy in a t-shirt or wearing your cute protective fencing jacket - you get hit, you're dead. Period.
   

• Acknowledge And Respect All Hits: Pretty self-explanatory; if you get hit first, have enough sense to recognize it and back away instead of delivering an after blow. You're not impressing anyone by exchanging strikes. Reset from a safe range and resume the fight until the end of the round.
   

• Throws And Takedowns: Throws and takedowns will be allowed but not grappling or wrestling. Fighters attempting to execute throws/takedowns must obey the 3-Count or 3-Second Rule (see Rule Of Thirds) and must disengage and restart from long range if unsuccessful. Important: If you get hit while attempting to come in for a throw/takedown, you must disengage and restart from long range; like all other techniques, the entire execution from beginning to end must be CLEAN.
   

• Punches And Kicks: Allowed only as counter-offense tactics against your opponent's attempts at close-quarter binds, throws and takedowns. Legal hand strikes include open hand slaps/hacks, fists, striking with the pommel to the head and anywhere on the body except the groin. Kicks including knee strikes, thrusting kicks (front, side, etc.), spinning and roundhouses allowed on all targets except the groin. So wearing groin protectors would be a good idea. Offensive use of punches and kicks can turn into a brawl and therefore not allowed in our format.... you're supposed to use your primary (edged) weapons. If brawling occurs, bout will be ended immediately.
   

• Playing "Tag": Due to lack of experience or ability, some fighters just don't have any martial skills behind their attacks and resort to what I refer to as playing "tag." In the event that either fighter is observed to be engaging in a game of "tag," the bout will be ended immediately. If the same fighter(s) continue to engage in "tagging" in their next bout(s), resulting in the same premature end of the bout and the offending fighters will not be allowed to fight again that day.