To: mitgaard@MIT.EDU
Subject: Pell in the office
Date: Thu, 04 Nov 1999 23:18:31 EST
From: Cyrus R Eyster <cyruse@MIT.EDU>

Hi! There's a pell in the Mitgaard office.

It's the concrete block with the carpet-wrapped metal pole stuck into
it.

It's for fighters to hit.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry about it. (Unless it
sounds interesting, in which case, send me personal email.)

Here are some guidelines for use:
- Don't hit it with anything heavier than an SCA weapon.
  Rattan, foam-covered pvc, kite rod good.
  Hard wood and live steel BAD.
  Ask me if you're unsure what I mean.
- When you're hitting it, only swing your weapon with one hand, and don't
  thrust.
  Otherwise, you stand a good chance of knocking this thing over, which will
  be a hassle for you (it's *heavy*), and, if the pell gets damaged, will be
  a hassle for me. I have enough hassles already.
- Start slow and gentle and work up in speed and force gradually.
  I fight, and I couldn't knock this over without either thrusting, using
  a weapon with 2 hands, or swinging something heavy at it, but there are
  people who are *much* stronger than I am. Maybe you're one of them. So work
  up your speed slowly and watch to see how badly the pell's rocking. Catch
  it if it starts to fall.
  This will also tend to minimize injuries. If your form is bad, and you start
  fast, you can hurt your joints pretty badly pretty fast. So take it easy and
  listen to what your body's telling you.
- Have fun, dammit! :)

(Also, just so you know, dust leaves the carpet when you hit it, so some amount
of mess will result from use. If there's a big mess, sweeping it up is nice.)

Yours in service,

Federach