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Librarian

About this sparring stuff
replied on: 9/4/2003 10:00:03 PM

There are several discussions at the moment on the AR boards about sparring and its relevance in Gor. Much of what i write here, will relate to various posts made in those threads.

Sparring may not exist in the books, the word "sparring" anyway, but the concept of training and honing skills, and learning and practicing with weapons, and pitting oneself against peers and those with greater skills - does quite thoroughly exist.

It exists in the caste of Warriors, from the very first book with Tarl and Older Tarl. It exists in the mentioning of guard training areas in several places - slave houses, merchant houses.

It exists strongly as part of the way of life for Warriors - shown here in a quote from Assassin -

quote:

"Surely there are many Warriors in the city," said Kuurus.
"Yes," said Portus, "but they do little they are well paid, more than twice what was done before, but they spend the mornings in practices with arms, and the afternoons and evenings in the taverns, the gaming rooms and baths of the city."
"There are swords for hire?" asked Kuurus.
"Yes," said Portus, "and the rich Merchants, and the great houses, those on the Street of Coins, and on the Street of Brands, hire their own men." He smiled. "Further," said he, "Merchants arm and train squads of such men and rent them, for high wages, to the citizens of given streets and cylinders."

The concept of training and honing skills carries through the cultures of the Nomads, and the deserts, and indeed across Gor.

And we see the concept of a First Sword of the city of Ar revealing that it was within gorean realms to work ones way up the ranks, to become the best.

quote:
Kamchak's sword was at his throat. "Six years," said Kamchak, "before I was scarred was I mercenary in the guards of Ar, learning the walls and defenses of that city for my people. In that time of the guards of Ar I became First Sword."
- Nomads

Not all men were First Sword. Not all men even attempted to be. But it was there, to be had, for those with the interest, determination and persistence to hone their skills and pursue the goal.

One question asks which is more important - sparring or being a Master? It is important to me that a man can hold his own - can survive and thrive - in his environment. This is our environment.

How might men hone and practice and grow and develop in the arts of battle and defense, if not in some arena with their peers - like sparring?

Whether it has too many rules or whatnot i leave for them to decide, those who partake in such things, it is not my arena but theirs.

So in the books of Gor, men took up weapons regularly and practiced against each other. There was some method of tracking those more skilled than others, and a method of determining who was worthy of "First Sword".

That online we see men from all across Gor, thousands of pasangs apart, getting together for "spars" is a bit of a stretch, but hardly worth singling out in a society where even slaves pop on up to the Sardar Fair for breakfast and a trinket as if it were the Gorean Kwickie Mart right next door. Or the caste of Merchants operating on the business model of the Avon Lady, appearing at your door with a lil package in hand ~s~

In any case, i am not sure when the epidemic of spars occurred. i've not seen any in a long while. But if some choose to portray that facet of life for gorean men, and have a system to work within to determine if a sword really does swing in a fantastic figure eight before connecting with said muscle, what is the harm?

Others might choose to try to be the best paga drinker, or a FW escort, or a million other things. Does the activities of those who choose to gather and practice skills in the method of sparring somehow hinder these others?

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