After 15 years of contact weaponry competition and experimentation we have arrived at the following parameters to accommodate blade and stick combat.
Modern Agonistics Guidelines
All FMA/American weapons will be of matched rattan for safety and gear compatibility. Weapons are not less than a half inch thick or more than ¾ inch thick, may be raw or finished, and must be taped on the ends.
Combats are not timed bouts but submission duels. All combats will be to a disarm or submission, including kill, maim and glove disarm recognition. Mutual stoppages [common with blades] are refought. Strikes to the back of the head and spine are prohibited. Strikes to the groin and throat are discouraged. Depending on the event, a combat may be sudden death, best of 3, or best of 5 stoppages. A stoppage review must be held at the start of any meet.
Head, groin and hand protection is mandatory. Elbow and knee protection is recommended. Torso protection is prohibited for men but mandatory for women and minors. Lost or jarred gear that would prevent safe continuation of the bout is ruled a loss by stoppage. A gear review must be conducted at the beginning of any meet.
All weapon strikes are permitted. Empty hand tactics are limited to checking, clinching and stiff-arming.
Weapon Sets
These selections are meant to represent generalized weapon types from the FMA and American [bowie knife and Arkansas toothpick] traditions.
Knife [14 inch]
Double knife
Long knife [18 inch]
Double long knife
Long knife & knife
Linked knife [fighters hold 5 foot rope in offhand]
Stick [29-28 inch]
Double stick
Stick & knife
Sword [30-32 inch]
Sword & long knife
