Overview

The "Loss of Limb" sparring rules have been created in order to facilitate a more accurate representation of fighting with edged weapons.  Because the tip or edge of the weapon can be very devastating, any solid hit, just once, could be potentially crippling or incapacitating.

Competition is broken into matches containing rounds.  A round is a single engagement where a winner of that round is decided based on the following criteria.

1. Person is incapacitated based on the loss of limb rules.

2. Person is incapacitated based on the loss of weapon rule.

3. Person states verbally (or by action) to defeat (quits).

4. Injury.

A match is includes 2 or more rounds predetermined prior to the engagement.  The winner of a match is the individual who wins the most rounds.  (Best 2 out of 3, 3 out of 5, etc.)

Loss of Limb Rules

The loss of limb rule is at the heart of how the "Loss of Limb" sparring rules work.  The body is divided into 4 sub-sections (areas).

1. Head.

2. Arms/Hands.  (Shoulder to the tips of the fingers.)

3. Legs/Feet.  (Hip to the tips of the feet.)

4. Torso.  The torso represents all the areas of the body below the neck excluding the limbs (Arms/Legs). 

Getting hit in either the arms or legs, you lose the use of that limb.  If the hit occurs to the arm/hand, the participant is given an opportunity to switch the weapon to the other hand.  If both arms are lost, the round is finished and a point goes to the other person.  A loss of a leg forces the fighter to kneel on one knee.  Loss of the second leg, fighter must place themselves on either both knees or sitting position.  Once positioned on the ground, any further strikes to the legs is ignored and considered inappropriate behavior.

A round is considered over under the loss of limb rules if any of the following occurs:

1. A single solid strike to the head.

2. Two solid strikes to the torso.

3. Loss of both arms.

A solid hit is defined as either the fighter acknowledging (or the referee recognizes) that the hit was sufficient that if it were a live blade (sword), that the limb, torso or head would be incapacitated. 

During the engagement, the referee has final say, under *all* circumstances.  The event coordinator has the option to replace the referee for any reason.

Loss of Weapon Rule (Optional)

If any participant loses their weapon (or all weapons in the case of multiple weapons) for any reason (dropped, disarmed, etc.), the participant is considered incapacitated.

First Strike Rule (Optional)

At a beginner level, the first hit is the only hit that counts.  For example, if a competitor was to hit the hand and then hit the head, the only shot that would count would be the shot to the hand and the receiver would switch hands and the round would continue.  In another example, if on person was to hit the hand prior to getting hit (trading hits) in the head, the hit to the hand would be the only recognized hit. 

Connect and Continue Rule (Optional)

However, as competetition at advances in level, *all* shots count.  So to use the same two examples, if a competitor hits the hand and then hits the head, he wins that round due to the head being hit.  If two people connect at nearly the same time and one person hits the hand and the other hits the head, both shots count no matter who hit who first.  Because one person got hit in the head, the round is completed.

Note, that no matter which rules you utilize, the hit must be a recognizably "solid" strike; meaning that it can't just be a glancing blow.

Invalid Strike Zones

The following areas are illegal strikes.

Neck

Throat

Clavicles

Groin

Any intentional attacks to these areas are grounds for immediate disqualification.

(Note: At advanced levels and if adequate protection is available to these areas, strikes may be allowed if both competitors agree to such prior to the match.)

Gear

Each competitor must wear a minimum amount of safety gear.  This gear is to insure the safety of the competitors while allowing for as much contact as possible.  Protective gear must protect the entire surface of the head.  Groin protection must be worn.  If strikes are allowed to the feet, protection on these areas should be utilized.  These areas can be protected with the following gear (examples):

1. Head - Hockey Helmet (any style), Eskrima Headgear

2. Hands - Hockey gloves (any style)

3. Feet - Grappling Shoes

4. Groin - Standard groin protector (any style)

The weapons used are lightly padded.  This allows a balance between safety (reduced chance for injury) while still having that special “sting” to keep people honest.

Methods

For variety, fights can consist of the competitors utilizing weapons in the following categories:

1. Single Baston

2. Doble Baston (Double Stick)

3. Espada y Daga (Stick and Dagger)

4. Knife

5. Staff

6. Mixed (Each fighter can select their favorite from the above 5 items.)

"Stickboxing"

Another variety would be to have a hockey glove in the weapon hand and a boxing glove in the "alive" hand.  This removes the ability to switch the weapon between the hands, but allows for the second hand to be used at a much harder (and safer) level.  For the sake of these rules, the boxing glove would be considered a weapon (much like a dagger).

Other Considerations

Kicking, Punching, Knees, Elbows, Takedowns and Throws might be considered optional under these rules.

(c) 1995-2006 Cory Smith