Doug Millington-Smith (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
magicaddict) wrote2013-04-16 11:32 am
magicaddict) wrote2013-04-16 11:32 am
As I'm Not Allowed To Be This Divisive On The Boards...
...I'll say it here.
Out of interest, what's it going to take? A broken limb? Someone being knocked unconscious? Brain damage?
Or just someone more influential's eye almost being put out?
We are, as a society, not safe enough with our fighting. We need a strategy to improve it across the board, from the most experienced players to the least, and we need it now. Simply assuming people will know what to do from five minutes of conversation and thirty seconds of practical demonstration, then being shocked and shouting at them when they demonstrate they don't, is not enough. It's being demonstrated over and over again.
I am not willing to wait until someone is permanently blinded before climbing on my soapbox. It's everyone's responsibility, it's everyone's lookout, and positive action needs to be taken, not dragging of feet at the prospect of actually having to do something, or indignance at the idea that you might be part of the problem. I am, and you are too. We all bloody well are. Get over it.
Safety workshops and weapons practice is one idea, and I think it has merit. I also think it should be mandatory until you can demonstrate that with each weapon type, in a range of different situations, you aren't going to have a brain fart that causes someone else to collapse while clutching something important of theirs. I also think that until you can demonstrate this, what right do you have to be swinging what has, over the past twelve months, proven to the world and their spouse to be a weapon perfectly capable of doing really unpleasant damage to the human body when wielded unsafely?
I don't care that I'm crap, I just want to be safe. Sign me up, every day until I am accepted as good enough not to hurt other people.
Anyone else? Any other ideas?
Out of interest, what's it going to take? A broken limb? Someone being knocked unconscious? Brain damage?
Or just someone more influential's eye almost being put out?
We are, as a society, not safe enough with our fighting. We need a strategy to improve it across the board, from the most experienced players to the least, and we need it now. Simply assuming people will know what to do from five minutes of conversation and thirty seconds of practical demonstration, then being shocked and shouting at them when they demonstrate they don't, is not enough. It's being demonstrated over and over again.
I am not willing to wait until someone is permanently blinded before climbing on my soapbox. It's everyone's responsibility, it's everyone's lookout, and positive action needs to be taken, not dragging of feet at the prospect of actually having to do something, or indignance at the idea that you might be part of the problem. I am, and you are too. We all bloody well are. Get over it.
Safety workshops and weapons practice is one idea, and I think it has merit. I also think it should be mandatory until you can demonstrate that with each weapon type, in a range of different situations, you aren't going to have a brain fart that causes someone else to collapse while clutching something important of theirs. I also think that until you can demonstrate this, what right do you have to be swinging what has, over the past twelve months, proven to the world and their spouse to be a weapon perfectly capable of doing really unpleasant damage to the human body when wielded unsafely?
I don't care that I'm crap, I just want to be safe. Sign me up, every day until I am accepted as good enough not to hurt other people.
Anyone else? Any other ideas?
no subject
Yeah - possibly we just need to get them to keep their excitement levels under control, so things like games might be a good one - push their adrenaline levels up by fun, rather than by fear? We could maybe introduce people to Juggerball? Or work out some games where the entire point is to parry and dodge and treat the opponent's weapon like something dangerous to be avoided, rather than an inevitability so hell may as well get it over with *proceeds to lead with head*.
And er, not too sure in the long run fewer fingers would be better for weapon stability, really, however satisfying it may be :P
no subject
Something like 1-hit circles of treachery with forfeits? Or a duel after which one press-up/sit-up is required for every time you got struck? Something with an embarrassing, I-want-to-avoid-this endpoint, to hammer home how an excellent way to avoid dying (and more efficient than running away to boot) is pointy end strikes bad guy while avoiding bad guy's pointy end striking you?
it gets a little childish, but the message is clear and correct.