Tough Traveling: Practice/Combat Rings
The Thursday feature “Tough Traveling” is the brainchild of Nathan of Review Barn, who has come up with the excellent idea of making a new list each week based on the most common tropes in fantasy, as seen in The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynn Jones. Nathan has invited anyone who is interested to come play along, so be sure to check out the first link for more information. Compulsive list-maker that I am, I’m very excited to take part!
This week’s tour topic is: Practice/Combat Ring
PRACTICE RING OR COMBAT RING is a sanded circle used for sparring and WEAPONS practice… It can be found attached to any school of weaponry, outside mercenaries’ winter quarters, and quite often on the outskirts of aggressive towns.
Practice rings and combat rings are pretty common in fantasy novels, but this week’s list is still a toughie — it’s sometimes difficult to remember which books have ’em!
Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
One of the more memorable scenes in Yarvi’s tale comes early on in the novel, in the training square of Master-at-Arms Hunnan. Ordered to spar with king, Keimdal and Yarvi fight with practice swords and shields, the latter doing the best he can with his crippled hand. Yarvi is bested in the first bout, but in the next he asks Hurik, the queen’s Chosen Shield to stand in for him, and that was considered a canny move.
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
Shardbearers routinely hone their skills and train in practice rings, invaluable experience for when they challenge each other for their shardblades and shardplates. And in one of the most epic, EPIC, EPIC dueling ring scenes I have ever read, Adolin is manipulated into fighting four shardbearers at once.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Defense Against the Dark Arts is a subject taught at Hogwarts in which students learn how to defend themselves against dark magic, creatures, or other charms. In the fifth book of this series, Harry, Hermione and Ron initiate a secret organization called Dumbledore’s Army to teach and practice proper DADA lessons with their fellow students after Professor Dolores Umbridge refuses to teach anything useful in her classes. The group uses the Room of Requirement as their headquarters and practice/dueling area.
The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley
Emperor Sanlitun’s younger son Valyn trains with the Kettral (an elite group of the empire’s warriors — think of them as the emperor’s special forces) leads a brutal life, forced to go through dangerous tests in order to earn his place on a Wing. Recruits are frequently assigned groups and told to spar in practice rings, and several times Valyn and his friends are bested by their nemesis and their opponent’s magic user, whose source of power is closely guarded secret and remains a mystery for much of the book.
Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell
I debated whether or not even to include the practice swordfight rings of the “false” Greatcoats that Falcio encounters, considering their mere existence and “play fights” are a mockery to the once great order. But that scene where Falcio teaches the foppish leader a lesson and makes his exit by kicking a lady between the legs is just too damn good to pass up.
The BiblioSanctum 
Awesome list! Funnily enough, my Stormlight Archive pick was TWoK and not WoR, but you’re right, that fight counts! I expect Half a King to hit almost everyone’s list this week, so I made sure to leave it off mine 😀
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I’m actually surprised to see HaK on a couple other lists than mine, it was a small scene and easy to miss 😛
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True, but it’s fresh in most people’s minds. I completely forgot about it -.-
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Wow. You really had no problems this week did you?
I really need to get to Words of Radiance. Being, you know, the only blogger in the land that hasn’t read it.
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I think the more I thought about it, the less trouble I had – though it was still a challenge to come up with memorable scenes to feature.
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I would have so much problem with this one
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It took a while, but I came up with a few!
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GAH. I didn’t even think of Half a King, and that was one of the best scenes in the whole book. *headdesk* But how ’bout those Aiel? Those guys take training/combat rings to a new level 😉
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It was a very short scene and came very early on in the book, easy to miss 😉
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It is just me, or do your topics get more difficult each week? 😉 Then again, I always visit before I’ve had my first cup of coffee, so that might have something to do with it…
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Yeah, I blame Nathan! He gives us a few easy ones in a row then follows it up with a toughie, just to keep us on our toes.
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Dumbledore’s Army! Just hearing the name makes me all nostalgic and emotional. Ugh, I’m such a sap. Although I think I’d rather be in McGonagall’s Army.
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A lot of folks chose Chamber of Secrets, but DA was just too good to pass up…Order of the Phoenix FTW!
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Oh yes I loved the World of Radiance, it was a great book!
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Me too, LOVED IT.
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Awesome scene in Traitors Blade! Loved that one 🙂 Great choices! And I have to say, this might be the first list I’ve seen where I’ve read every single book 🙂
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I love it when that happens! I have yet to read every book on everyone else’s list 🙂
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Yay, two of the same choices and I was so going to add The Room of Requirement – didn’t have much time this week as we were away so scheduled my post in and add to stick to the three I first came up with – then of course started remembering more – but, you know!!!!
Great list.
Can’t wait to read Traitor’s Blade – I bought it ages ago and still haven’t made time – much badness 😦
Lynn
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Oh my goodness, you must read Traitor’s Blade! Get on that, stat! 😀
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Some excellent choices you’ve got there!!
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