Two questions on having gladiatorial fights

First question is I know that not all the gladiator fights were to the death. But these people used very lethal weapons like swords. How do you have a non-lethal sword fight?

Also, even if they weren't all lethal some would be, and are thus outlawed. Would it be realistic in modern day if someone organized a Blood Sport that was held in a boat in international waters, heavily televised and no attempt to hide it. Would he be arrested as soon as he came back to the States or any other civilized country? Or could he operate in the open as long as all deaths happened on international waters and thus on neutral territory? (Or if not in the ocean, then in a heated bunker in Antartica)?

Non-lethal swordfights could be achieved by simply giving both parties sufficient protection (armor, shield, e.t.c) and cut low on the Absurdly Sharp Blade for everyone. Duller blades and protection do wonders.

Of course, there's also the fact both gladiators were plainly aware their job was to please the crowd, not butcher one another. So presumably they also put up a show based more on Rule of Cool and less on efficiency.

As for your second suggestion. Depends on the extent for the "televized" part. Man Of Tai Chi features a underground televized fighting tournament, but it's only televized to a select few group of people who paid a hefty amount to watch those battles.

A more widely televized tournament would be both too expensive and too impractical in general.

For the first question, IIRC gladiators were trained to fight in non-lethal combat, so they really knew what they were doing.

For the second, I'd have to ask: how many people see this broadcast? If bloodsport is illegal, then the culture probably doesn't enjoy it (though it could be an open secret).

edited 22nd May '14 4:19:42 PM by UmLovely

My idea for the modern gladiators was to have it televised almost as much as the Super Bowl. The public would watch it partly for the cool factor and partly for the in believability of it all (wow they really kill people?! I gotta see this!).

However, setting people up to die is still illegal. So would the organizer be arrested even if his crimes were committed outside the country?

If I remember right, true professional gladiators actually had a little bit of a gut to them and all the sword strikes were shallow cuts across the stomach and Standard Bleeding Spots. It was all just a big theatrical performance. Think Professional Wrestling.

The fights between slaves, criminals and prisoners of war were the lethal ones.

edited 23rd May '14 7:17:02 AM by LeGarcon

Unless the organizer can somehow produce his games from the moon's orbit, then yes, he'd promptly be arrested.

The logistics here are the problem. Where would he film these fights? Who'd he employ to transmit his signal across the entire world? Who'd be the fighters? All those are weak links. Few (possibly none) countries would cover for him, the signal transmission would promptly be traced back to him within weeks (or even if it didn't, it'd at least trace back to the signal source, thus dismantling the entire televized element of his operation), and the countries of the participating fighters would also be seeking his blood.