A fighter struck on the leg fights on!    A bout with pole-arm and two swords.

Armoured  Combat (Heavy Weapons)
           
Heavy weapons combat allows us all the fun of a fast, full contact, tournament style fighting, with a great safety record. It’s a huge amount of fun, and is based loosely on training tournaments from the 15th century.  If your 18 or over and would like to give it a try contact your local Knights Marshal. Click here for local listings.

In heavy weapons combat the fighters wear protective armour that ensures a good safety record for the sport.  They fight with rattan swords and recreate the practice tournaments of many fighting groups from the 15th century.  Knights would train with wooden weapons and hold contests with them, so as to still be alive when real weapons were needed upon the battlefield.  It is this tradition of full contact tournament with replica weapons that we recreate. We use swords, spears, pole-axes, and a variety of other weapons, that allow for great variety and fun in combat.

  Fighters rely on an honour system of calling the blows that strike them.  If a blow that strikes you is of sufficient force then you call the blow good and are defeated.  This system of honour leads to quire a safe form of combat and to a more chivalrous society. It is upon the honour of each participant to call the blows honestly.

Before one may take part in a tournament, he or she must learn the rules and take instruction in how to fight safely.  Once one has proved that they are safe to be allowed to fight they are authorised to do so by trained marshals who enforce the safety rules and act in a small way like referees.

The other things that are required before fighting are safe armour and weapons.  The weapons are taped to avoid them breaking onto jagged edges and they have padded tips for thrusting as that is one of the more jarring aspects of the style.  The person fighting must wear safe armour as defined in the rules.  This includes elbow, knee, neck, head and kidney protection among other places.  Each time you fight your weapons and armour should be inspected by a marshal to ensure that it is safe.  This is done for your own protection so please assist the marshal when he/she inspects you.

The society also holds melees where groups of fighters form sides and fight together.  These can range from a handful of people to hundreds on either side at big events in the USA.  In Insulae Draconis, one can find melees involving between twenty and forty fighters.  For more information on Heavy Weapons fighting, please contact the Knights Marshal.

The rules and further information can be found on-line here. To be updated