People who want to experience old fashioned combat might want to consider the History of Chivalry. The group meets every fourth Sunday at T.Y. Park in Hollywood for an afternoon of knightly combat.
And this is not an activity for the faint hearted. The fights are similar to boxing and are very strenuous. Members wear armor similar to knights who fought in medieval battles and they use medieval fighting instruments in their combats. Most of the members make their own armor and some of it is very sophisticated. And they train to become better fighters. When they have meetings, members will participate in knightly tournaments where they have competitive sword fights. There are tournaments for more experienced members and tournaments for less experienced members. They also participate in archery competitions and have contests for the most artistic armor. When the History of Chivalry participates in a festival event, members will have a fight to the draw. It is usually a short competition where the competitor who gets too tired to continue is considered the loser and surrenders.
But even though the fights are physically demanding, all the members are good friends. Will Wygant said, “I do this because it is a lot of fun and I get a good workout. It takes a lot of practice to become a good fighter.”
Harold Cruz agreed. “This is a lot of fun and we have a lot of camaraderie,” said Cruz after a fight presentation.
Chris Bagnall, the president of the History of Chivalry said members enjoy the chance to get together and develop their fighting skills. And they usually become good friends in the process.
Kaila Mears supervised the fights to the draw during the recent Camelot Days Medieval Festival. She gave an entertaining presentation and made sure that all the participants were safe. “I have a theater background and this is something I love to do,” said Mears.
The History of Chivalry also meets on the second Sunday of each month at Tree Tops Park in Davie.