GUIDELINES SUGGESTION
– Your first post should not contain an attack. At the start of a match you're predominantly establishing your starting position, and this is commonly referred to as a "stance post".
Both fighters post their stance post, which serves to let their opponent know what weapons they have equipped, how they are holding them, and the general opening positioning of their body.
The stance is important to the judges because it gives them some vital information that they will keep in mind while going over the spar, like each fighter's size (which may come into play at some points if there is much of a disparity), what weapons will be used, if any armor or protective clothing is worn, etc. In the event of a fight at a higher power level, abilities like the capacity to breathe fire, shoot lasers, and the likes should also be made known so as to avoid ass-pulls. Character profiles can make the description of arsenals not be as necessary, which may be preferable as it'll avoid each starting post being an exercise of repetition during a tournament.
Your stance should have a purpose. Think carefully about how you would set yourself up before a serious fight, where are your hands, where are your feet, how is your torso aligned, how are you holding your weapon, what is your intent with the weapon (think ahead to whether you have first attack or first defense as these should influence your set up). Clarity and detail (two words you are going to get awfully sick of hearing) are key. Conciseness is also important- in a serious fight, leave out any flowery description, or any unnecessary comments- they often only serve to annoy the judge who is trying to read the fight and give a verdict based on all the elements therein, which is not a good thing. Focus on saying what you need to say to let the judge see your movements- this is not the time to be concerned about how sexy you look in your tight leather pants if you want to be taken seriously, by your opponent and by the judges.
A good stance post, should contain:
1. Height
2. Weight
3. What you're wearing (brief description of any relative items)
4. Weapons on your person, and this part should include:
-Type, relative description (overall size, size of blade, single/double-edged, etc.)
-Where on your person (you can have hidden weapons IC, but OOC in the description they must be stated, example: "2 six-inch long double edged daggers hidden in their left boot")
5. How are you holding the weapon (if you are), which may include:
-Grip (over/under hand)
-Always include your hand's position relative to your body, and the weapon's position in your hand (Example: "Holding her knife in her right hand, her thumb near the hilt, she positions her right hand near her heart, the single-edge of the blade facing her right, the point aimed at [opponent's name]'s heart.")
6. Position of your feet/legs:
-How far apart?
-Orientation (which way are your toes pointing?)
-Knees bent, straight, outward pointing or inward?
7. Position of your torso:
-Facing opponent square on, or turned to side (state which way they're leaning if applicable)
-Straight up or slightly bent at waist/crouched?
8. Distance from opponent (feet? Paces? Generally a pace is equal to 3′) This would generally be left for the second poster to determine, as its poor sportsmanship to make assumptions about the other's character and their location without giving them the chance to describe it.
– Clarity is of vital importance. Be concise, and leave out any flowery description that is not necessary for the judges to judge the fight. Judges will appreciate a clean, concise script without any unnecessary detail.
– Focus on the positioning and movement of your body, your weapons, and movements, and describe in as much detail as possible to show the judges and your opponent what you are attempting as clearly as possible. If they can't understand or see what you're doing, it can lead to confusion and point deduction. Also, if they deem it to be unrealistic in the context of the given RP's rules, they will disregard it.
– Get used to clarifying directions such as left and right, and specify "[my character's] left", or "[my opponent's] left" when applicable. Be as specific as possible about this.
– Also, describe the intended path of your attacks, left/right, up/down, diagonal, counter clockwise, clockwise, etc. as well as the intended effect you want to happen ("hoping to nick their chest and draw a bit of blood" vs. "aiming to plunge the blade into their chest and puncture their left lung").
– Always keep stated distance from your opponent in mind. Try to state each post how far away you are from them, and be realistic in what you attempt in regard to that (for example, a punch thrown at 1 foot away is likely to land, but a kick thrown that close might not be as effective as you don't have as much room to maneuver, the average leg being about 2'6" to 3' long.) Keep the length of your weapon and your reach in mind as well.
– It's a good practice to try to use your strike to reset your weapon at the end of your post. This can be tricky, because if you try to do too much, it will be tossed out. Something like using the momentum of your swing to follow through to bring it back into defensive position is what you're aiming for, or bouncing it off of your opponent to reset it, but what you're going for is being able to say where your weapon ends up so that you're ready for an effective defense/attack for your next post, as judges will keep the position you were in at the end of your previous post in mind.
– Follow the battle closely and check your last post and your opponent's last post before posting your next. You want to build on what's just happened, and to do that you have to know where your weapons and limbs are according to your last post, and also where your opponent's weapons and limbs are, as well as your body positioning and theirs, and the current distance between you.
– Don't worry about time limits at first. Concentrate on a simple, clear, realistic post. Don't worry that it's not fancy or wordy enough, focus on one good defense, and one good attack. Starting off, your main task is to learn to describe how your body moves, now your weapon moves- in a simple, clear, realistic fashion. Once you get that down, the rest will follow.
– Never get angry or argue with a judge about a deduction or a judgment. If you disagree, do so politely, and discussion can take place. There's nothing wrong with asking a judge for further clarification on why they deducted, judges should be glad to offer more feedback. Read the judge's comments carefully, this is the best way to learn. If you're not sure about something, ask for clarification. But keep in mind that judging is a lot of work (I've tried my hand at it and it took me about 2 hours to judge one fight with ten posts total), and the judge is doing it for your benefit. Starting a pissing match with a judge just because you don't like the outcome is a great way to come off as an ass and get yourself removed. We're trying, ultimately, to have fun and to improve our role-playing and description skills.
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