20. Do not blow off shots. People good enough to hide a shot that they have blown off are usually good enough to parry that same shot. Newbies who cheat are seen by everyone, and it hurts to get a bad reputation when you are just starting out. Like any sport, Amtgard has gray areas, and disputes do not necessarily mean anyone is in the wrong. Do not cheat, even if you fool yourself, it is like the Emporer's new clothes - there are those who see the truth, even if many are deluded. You know, Rob Roy was right in the movie; "Honor is a gift a man gives to himself".
21. Do not kowtow or kiss ass. There are many knights out there without honor, and any self-respecting white belt does not want someone else's lips touching his butt (you knever know where that mouth has been, but probably the gutter). Also, kowtowing is bad for your health. I have seen many spinal deformaties caused by Amtgarders spending years crawling around to fit thier lips to posterior extremities. I call this "red belt syndrome", a disease that renders one incapable of being at thier best as they are incapable of standing up to be counted.
22. Do not lord over those weaker than you. There are 2 possiblities when makin someone kneel and kiss up: 1) if the person is the same gender as you, this makes you a homosexual (which is fine if that is your medice, but why advertise falsely), 2) if the person is of the opposite gender, you are a pimp who cant get (it) without bribery or force. In life, they might follow you in fear, but in death, they will follow you out of love. In Amtgard, death is nt forever, but love is. Draw your own conclusions.
23. Be an elf, not an orc. Everyone knows that the darklord is supposed to lose. And Tolkein was right when he portayed elves as maintaining gardens and orcs as cutting down trees. Come on guys, do you want to be one of the faceless minions, "Sarumon's tens of thousands", or do you want to be one of those glorious few hundred Rohan knights who held them off? There is magic in light, in creating, in building. Be a builder, nt a destrioyer. Being a destroyer, well, tends to get you destroyed. Remember, death is not destruction in Amtgard, but what comes before your next life.
24. No dork weapons! Be original, be yourself, do not be a D.O.R.K. (Dead Or Rapidly Killed). Master may feed Larry, but despiration is not a powerful aphrodisiac. Lizard drool and misshaped symbolic sexual organs do not facinate, the disgust. Respect yourself and get some decent equipment. Get some good attention from others instead of bad kind.
25. And finally, ignore rules 1-24 after you have learned them thoroughly. Rules are only guidlines, and life is more complex than anything se to paper (i.e., the map is not the territory). In Amtgard i've learned and forgotten far more than what has been written here. Read this, think about it, apply what works for you. Learn, search, ask your own questions, and make your own rues as you grow and evolve to work with others. In Amtgard, you live forever, as does spirit and hope.
Newbie Guide Page 1
Newbie Guide Page 2
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