Sometime I would like to see someone like Jessica Finley or Pamela Muir write up for academics that the 15th and 16th century martial arts which Sydney Anglo thought were so brutal often give choices like “now that you are safe, throw them to the ground like this or break their elbow like that” whereas the 18th and 19th century fencing which Sydney Anglo thought was so refined and friendly focuses on stabbing people through the head and torso. They are happy to give that rant to fencers but I don’t know who else they are reaching.
Roleplaying games often neglect these less lethal options which is why Doug Cole came out with different versions of improved grappling rules. But if players are used to attack attack attack, getting them to use less lethal options is tough.
