Last night I took Higlar and Edgethrop down to OSU campus to do a little cold weather ARMA. It was my second time with this group and Keith the instructor did a great job of explaining the concepts of ARMA; why they use the weapons the realism and technique they are trying to mimic. I had a blast. For fighting un-armored save the head and my knuckles I was very comfortable hitting each other with the hard plastic weighted blades, and their leather and duck tape boffers. Now don't take me wrong I never got fully blasted, 100% by one, nor did I fully blast someone else with one. Their takes a level of control to be able to participate, as I have been told.
After trying long sword, sword and small buckler, and rapier. I think that I like the rapier fighting the most. It reminds me heavily of my first days of fighting. In ARMA fighting they allow grabbing & swatting of the rapier blade with gloves and I was flabbergasted that the rapiers didn't hurt really at all even on full stabs, the blade bending like a giant spring.
I plan on going back and doing more rapier work for sure, as well as some more of the other styles. Coming home I had a sore week-side foot, I think it is from the 'L' stance lunges while fencing, and maybe some of the hits, and I have a couple minor bruises, all from wicked hits I received with the plastics I am pretty sure. I got gorged in the throat under my helmet and it hurts to talk and swallow slightly. In the future I think I will don my kydex SCA gorget while fighting, until I adjust to better defending my head and neck against stabs.