Bloodstock Open Air Festival is excited to welcome feudal fighters, Full Contact Medieval Tournament Combat, to Catton Park in August 2013.
Bound to be a popular attraction, the medieval combatants will be doing a series of historical re-enactment battles and displays across the weekend in a special arena. The team is trained by Sussex-based Nikolaj Malnach, one of the top rated fighters in the world. See him in action in the Youtube video below.
This full contact sport revives the tradition of medieval tournament combat. It is fought to a strict set of rules and is rigorously marshalled. Four different event types have evolved – single combat (1 vs. 1), 5 vs. 5, 21 vs. 21, and ‘all against all’ - the mother of showdowns where the last man standing is quite literally the best in the world! Single combat is fought as three categories consisting of long sword, sword and buckler, and sword and shield. It is scored in a similar way to fencing, with the number of hits counting. The object of 5 vs. 5 and 21 vs. 21 is to get the members of the opposing team down on the ground! Once knocked down a team member is out of the battle and remains in place until one team has downed all the members of the opposing team.
Wondering what it’s like to be in the thick of the action? Check out this little clip below, which is filmed from inside a fighter’s helmet!
Full Contact Medieval Tournament Combat are also hoping to enter a British team,Team UK, into the legendary ‘Battle Of The Nations’ 2013 world championship for the first time. To be held in France over 4 days, with over 24 nations competing, the event is a festival of all things medieval, with troupes of players, authentic tents, crafts, and concerts. There could be up to 1,000 participants, with last year’s event attracting 17,000 spectators and over 300,000 viewers to the online broadcast. Have a look at last year’s trailer below.
The team are striving for a world championship warm up at one of the smaller European contests in Bernau, Germany in February 2013.
Team UK will be fundraising to aid their efforts and are organising a display team to tour castles, stately homes, and outdoor events such as music festivals, agricultural events, and county shows to raise money for the team. If you visit Ludlow Castle in Shropshire, you might even see the fighters in training, as the Castle has generously allowed the Team to use their grounds as an open air training venue and is donating a portion of the gate receipts as well. Keep an eye on the Bloodstock website for more info on how you can help.
Expect Full Contact Medieval Tournament Combat to show you just how hard British steel is!
For more information or to get involved, visit Team UK’s official site at battleofthenations.org
