Boffing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that Boffer be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

For the slang term for sex, see Sexual intercourse.

Boffing is the act of fighting with padded weapons called boffers. Boffer groups construct weapons such as swords, bows, catapults, and other armaments. Boffing is done purely for entertainment, as an alternative to modern fencing and kendo, and is practiced across the globe. The term Boffing is not widely used outside of the US.

The general goal is to score a touch of some kind with your weapon upon your opponent, but the rules of boffing vary widely from group to group, with disagreements on such points as:

1. Padding on the weapon, and amount thereof

2. Legal target areas

3. Grappling

4. Weapons and designs allowed

5. Swing strength needed to score a valid hit

6. Roleplaying elements included

The most common reason for these disagreements is liability, since lawsuits and waivers often shape a group's outlook on safety.

Many boffing groups have their own methods of construction for their weapons and shields, but most sword construction in the US follows the same basic principles. Most are built by attaching foam, often pipe insulation or camp padding, to a core of PVC, fiberglass or wood, and covered with cloth, duct tape or latex to both soften the blow and protect the padding. The padding is most often attached to the core using either more duct tape or some sort of glue, most notably DAP contact cement or spray adhesive. Most also have some sort of handle and/or pommel construction for grip, safety and aesthetics, and some use a golf club shaft as a core, leaving the finished weapon with a convenient grip already attached. *It should be noted that the heavier metal shaft of a golf club or wooden dowel will be illegal weapons in most boffing groups.

It should be noted that in Europe and the UK, the construction methods and standards are different, and the use of pipe insulation, wood, duct tape or cloth coverings as weapon components would result in the weapon being banned from most events for safety reasons.