About Pages and Man-at-Arms
"I think being a man-at-arms is a good way to learn. Sure, maybe you don't get that much recognition as a page might, since our belts almsot look like everyone's when they first start, but it's the fact that you have a job to do. Any lower belt should respect their liege, whether they're a squire or a knight. A man-at-arms also works on getting better, and trying to do their best in the game. The same goes for a page. Essentially, we're the same thing, but our belts are much cooler."
"When I got my yellow belt, it was funny. I'd been playing for a few years already, and not really going anywhere in the game. Then, Sir Alucard walked up to me, sat me down, and we talked about knighthood. The gist of the discussion was that I wasn't 'ready to be squired', but that I could be with some work. The next week, I got my new belt, which I am still wearing, and I like it. To me, being Paged is a sign that I'm going somewhere in the game, and that I should feel proud of what I have done and what I still plan to do in the future. It's kind of like a sign that I'm more or less on the right track with things, and it feels good to know that.
As it was explained to me by my knight, the difference between a page and a man-at-arms is that a page can fight, whereas a man-at-arms is all limp-wristed and needs help learning the ropes of combat. After such an explanation, I feel much better that I got a yellow belt instead of a black one."
"I see a small and slight difference in the two belts. I think that a MaA needs to be someone that others can look towards to seek basic knowledge of Amtgard, and more specifically the combat aspects. Pages are more someone I am trying to mentor in many aspects of Amtgard. It pains me to see pages look upon at times as 'lower' than MaA in the belted line. They are the same, although one has shown a penchant towards combat above some of the other areas of Amtgard."
