Tournament participants must follow the directions of the tournament director and staff at all times. Any participant exhibiting behavior that places themselves or others at risk of harm will result in immediate disqualification and possible intervention by local law enforcement.
The goal of the SoCal Swordfight cutting tournaments is to:
All competitors will be required to assume proper safe-handling procedures for sharp swords. This includes, but is not limited to:
Should the tournament officials perceive that there is any safety issue, they retain the right to remove individuals from the cutting tournament at their discretion.
Competitors are forbidden to cut toward their lead leg with Descending Cuts.
(Competitors in Tier-A Cutting are free to cut in any direction.)
If you completed the cutting qualification at SoCal 2022, SoCal 2023, or have competed (with some degree of success) in a cutting tournament at any event in 2022 or 2023, you are already qualified. If not, you must attend a cutting qualification on Friday or you will be disqualified from the longsword competition. (There is no limit on the number of re-tries to pass the qualification).
Even if you think you are pre-qualified you are responsible for checking the cutting qualification list to be sure. (when the roster is published)
Cutting qualification shall consists of the following 4 cuts (in any order):
The paper is quite wide, approximately 2 feet, so you will need to maintain your sword in the cutting plane for a relatively wide arc. While the paper will not stop your blade like a tatami mat, if you cut poorly it will rip apart rather than cutting.
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
Base Point Value: A cut with no deductions will be awarded 10 points.
Deductions: Any of the following will deduct from the final score. In the event that multiple infractions are recorded, only the highest value will be applied.
'x' indicates that no points will be awarded.
If the lead foot is firmly plated while the sword is being chambered/accelerated.
The exposes the full side/back while completing the cut.
Reactive cutting round only.
Reactive cutting round only.
Reactive cutting round only.
'x' indicates that no points will be awarded.
A mountain is when a cut intersects a previous cut or cut attempt. This is penalized because the competitor no longer needs to cut through the full width of the target, and also because it demonstrates poor targeting and control. Small mountains will be assessed a point deduction of -5 points.
‘Landing Zones’ will be used to assess cutting quality. These zones will be clearly marked on the ground around each cutting stand.
A scallop is defined as a cut which clearly curves its trajectory in the tatami mat. This also applies to any parallel mat cuts which do not have the two cuts in the same line.
A mountain is when a cut intersects a previous cut or cut attempt. This is penalized because the competitor no longer needs to cut through the full width of the target, and also because it demonstrates poor targeting and control. Cuts with mountains of greater than 1” (25.4 mm) will be awarded no points.
This is a phenomenon that can occur with extremely sharp swords which are highly optimized for cutting. If the tatami ends up cut on a different plane than the one on which the sword was swung, it indicates that the competitor performed a ‘failed’ cut, but that their sword was able to overcome this and still pass through the thin tatami targets.
The lowest rubber band on the tatami mat will indicate the lowest height a competitor may cut at. Any cuts that pass below this line will receive no points. Should the competitor hit the stand or floor, they will receive no points for the cut and instead have a value of -10 applied to their overall score.
Paper cutting will be performed on a vertical hanging paper. The paper offers lower resistance than tatami, but can rip more easily and tests for a much larger cutting line.
Each paper cut, without deductions, is worth a base of 4 points. 'x' indicates that no points will be awarded. These are also not passing cuts for the purpose of cutting qualification.
Competitors shall not begin cutting until instructed to do so by the tournament staff. Following the completion of each cut, the competitor must wait for confirmation from the cutting judges before beginning their next cut. After assessing the quality of a cut, the cutting judges will hold up a color-coded card to provide feedback to the cutter and the audience and to indicate that the competitor may make their next cut. A competitor may not address the table to inquire about a score which has been awarded. These cards will be:
Should a competitor request a mat straightening (provided the round allows for it), they must first step out of the cutting area with the tip of their sword pointed toward the ground. The competitor must not move until instructed to do so by the tournament staff.
Competitors that take excessive time to begin after they have been signaled to cut will be warned by the tournament staff, and may be subject to penalties if there are repeated infractions. While it is not necessary for a competitor to rush after they are prompted, it is intended that they perform the cut in a short period of time without spending considerable time ‘fidgeting’ or ‘psyching themselves up.’
During reactive cutting rounds, the competitor must wait in an area designated by the tournament staff. Only once the cut has been signaled may they move forward and execute their cut. The competitor must then return to the waiting area before the signaling period has concluded or be assessed a point deduction on the cut.
There will be a loaner longsword available.
European longswords only. No zweihanders, no messers. If you are using something that isn't sold as a longsword by a reputable European sword manufacturer you must get approval for the sword.
The tournament is under no obligation to let you use a sword that you've brought.