If you’re interested in coming along but you have some questions, maybe we can help. If we don’t answer it here, feel free to contact us via our Contact Page.
1) When do you meet?
We tend to meet on Sundays for training and sword-fighting practice while the dates and times are subject to us being at events. Check out the events page or get in touch with us to confirm when the next training session is taking place. Your first session is free, and every session after that is just £5.
2) How old do I have to be?
This is a contact sport and does involve possible injury with heavy, blunt weapons if you are not careful. We also do not have insurance or DBS checks for children, For these reasons, we require you to be at least 16+ to be able to take part. If you are 16 – 18, we also need you to have an adult with you to supervise your training.
3) What do I need to bring and what clothing should I wear?
You don’t need to bring any equipment with you to training sessions but we do recommend some thick gloves, loose clothing suitable for physical activity is best. Ideally, clothing should cover the full length of your arms and legs. When you have been to a few sessions you may wish to start obtaining your own equipment, tailored to you – we can help advise you on what equipment to buy and where to get it from.
4) I’ve never done any martial arts before, will I be ok?
There is a level of physical exertion involved but knowledge or experience of other martial arts is not a requirement for getting full enjoyment from medieval sword-fighting. We show you how to carry out reenactment combat in a safe way, avoiding injury wherever possible. The weapons are blunt and armour and padding are thick enough to absorb most of the energy from an accidental hit. Your muscles will probably feel a bit sore after a workout though!
5) Participating in Re-enactment
This is a progressive hobby for those interested in 15th century history. If you are interested in taking part in historical events, we encourage new members to concentrate on obtaining their “soft” kit which is 15th century civilian clothing.
This consists of:
- 1. Hose
- 2. Pourpoint or Doublet
- 3. Shirt
- 4. Boots
- 5. Head covering
This will be enough to get you through your first season at minimal outlay, whilst you learn how to arm a knight in a timely and efficient manner and experience the living history aspect of re-enactment.
Your next step would include a padded jacket, helmet and gloves. This will be enough to allow you to enter the battlefield after weapon training and competency checks to ensure safety. You can also start as an archer and progress to man-at-arms as you find and purchase more armour.
If you wish to concentrate on living history, that’s just as essential to the group, whether that’s as a squire or deep-diving into some aspect that fascinates you that you’d like to demonstrate.
6) Where do I get this kit from?
There are several Medieval Markets held in the UK including TORM, ARM and the Cambridge Living History Fair. There are also many places online but we recommend speaking to the club before buying kit to confirm it is safe and is suitable for our period.
7) Can I book you to appear at my event?
You can. Please contact us to discuss the event and what we can do for you.
8) How much does all that armour weigh?
The weight of a full suit of armour can be anything up to, or over, 5 stone (32kg).The foot combat armour made for Henry VIII when he was 28 years old and was entering the Field of Cloth tournament, weighed over 6.5 stone (94lb 42.7kg). It’s also interesting to note that modern steel armour is estimated to be about 1/3 heavier than the original medieval plate would have been!