A bit of everything today; mounted and foot-fought WMA/HEMA and reminders as to where our history comes from (and where sometimes it can unexpectedly be found).
Knocked-Down, Down Under
SOUTH COAST REGISTER (Shoalhaven, Australia) 08 February 13 Modern renaissance sport comes to show (Robert Crawford)
Australia hosted Rod Walker and the team from Full Tilt Jousting as they demonstrated the mounted art of medieval mayhem.
“Unlike the movies where stuntmen and fake armour are used and they have weeks to make the shot, at Full Tilt we do it for real – the lances are real, the armour is real, the horses are real and the hits are most definitely real,” Mr. Walker said.
And before you write this off as another ‘lads-day-out’ by the people who brought you Australian Rules Football, please note that Sarah Hay was also armoured-up and riding with ‘women-forgive-but-they-never-forget’ intent against her male teammates.
Preparing for a Pounding
EASLY PATCH (S Carolina) 05 February 13 Medieval Fighting Competition Brings Past Alive (Jason Evans)
A local paper details the efforts of a favoured son to qualify for a spot on the USA team competing in the Battle of the Nations, a full contact medieval fighting tournament
Attorney Trey Sutter describes the event “as medieval mixed martial arts” and “It’s the Super Bowl of Western Martial Arts.”
This article is by far the best ‘Battle of the Nation’s Guide for the Insane’ that We’ve seen in press, and if you want a snap shot of what is involved in this event and preparation for it, you should copy the URL into your fight favourites.
Russia, Sutter says, gives serious attention to its Battle of the Nations team, providing them with housing and a monthly allowance … “That’s their job.”
Not all Irish Treasures are found in a Crock
CONNACHT TRIBUNE (Ireland) 31 January 13 School clean-up reveals 18th century sword – hidden in teacher’s drawer! (Declan Tierney)
A janitor cleaning a long-deserted office in a secondary school found what appears to be an officer’s sword from the late 1700’s … hidden away in a drawer.
History teacher, Ollie Conway has taken on the task of trying to find out more about this blade.
Snippet
And for a short description of medieval weapons effects on armoured knights, or rather, those parts of the knights that might be for what-ever reason temporarily unarmoured, we recommend …
DAILY MAIL (London, UK) 04 February 13 500 years on, the grisly secrets of Richard III's lost grave are revealed (Nick McDermott)