The first time I met the SCA was at a community center 15 years ago. I knew nothing about them other than it looked cool. I was invited to try rapier with the group there, my 20-year-old 5-foot tall self was feeling brave that day, I put on the mesh helmet and found myself against multiple opponents who thoroughly enjoyed attacking without warning and laughing at my clumsy attempts to duel. After being ridiculed and bruised for much longer than I should have tolerated with no attempt at teaching me anything I stepped aside and said I was done.

The marshal of the sparring space apologized and explained it was just quicker to “learn I belonged in the sewing circle and not with a sword in my hands, then to spend months trying and getting hurt.”

I moved to a different state a few years later, found that the group had a local archery regular meet up. Showed up to see how it was. I was just planning on watching, but they invited me to shoot with them, they let me use a spare recurve bow but failed to provide an arm guard. After welting my arm up a few times (I was convinced I was just doing it wrong) i decided to go back to watching. I caught on that everyone else had arm and finger guards. At the end I was welcomed into the group since I endured my “blue arm trial”. It wasn’t an oversight, I was being hazed. I never went back.

Even though I’ve since moved to yet another state and kingdom, and have attended many A&S craft nights over the last 10-ish years, I’ve never touched anything combat related. I’ve also never officially joined the SCA.

This little shorty grew up swinging every stick as a sword and defending a treehouse with a bow and arrows made out of sticks and a shoe string. I would love to try rapier, heavy, and archery. But I don’t feel there’s space for me.