Modern-day knights do battle in bone-crunching combat
The sound of swords crashing on to steel armour resonates around the municipal sports hall as two teams of heavily-armoured knights commence a ferocious battle.
One combatant launches himself into another, hauls his opponent to the ground, then regains his footing to smash his sword into another’s helmet.
Welcome to Rise of the Knights III -- the third edition of a Medieval Combat tournament held in an innocuous sports hall in Bernau, near Berlin.
Teams from across Europe clashed in a day-long series of five-against-five battles on Saturday.
Forget about choreographed re-enactment battles where no one gets hurt.
Medieval Combat is a full-contact sport where armour-clad participants attack each other armed with an array of weapons.
A small team of referees ensure the strict rules are followed during the violent clashes in a fenced-off area.
Rather than kill an opponent, as in medieval times, victory means putting your opponent on the floor and the winning team is decided by who is left standing in the best of three rounds.
Blows to the neck, feet, back of knees, groin and throat are strictly prohibited, but punching, kicking and tripping your opponent is allowed.
The swords must not be sharpened, while the armour, which costs around 1200 euros (US$1357) for a set, has to all come from a specific historic period.
It’s neither for the unfit nor faint-hearted as each combatant carries roughly an extra 25 kilos of armour.
The weapons, ranging from long swords to polearms (wooden shafts with a blade on top), are blunt on all sides, but the fights are very real.
“We had one guy sent to hospital with a cut near the eye, lots of bruises, a broken arm and a broken leg,” organiser Adam Nawrot, Vice President of the governing body, the International Medieval Combat Federation (IMCF), told AFP.
The event has grown from a handful of teams in 2013 to 30 teams from across Europe this year.
Poland I defeated the 2014 champions Battle Heritage Lions, made up of the English and Welsh national teams, 2-1 in this year’s final.
The tournament served as a warm-up for the world championships held at Malbork Castle, a world UNESCO site, near Gdansk, Poland, from April 30-May 3 when the USA will defend their title.
“I used to be involved in re-enactment groups, but I got frustrated because I had a weapon I couldn’t really use properly,” said Frenchman Julien Roumaud wearing his replica 14th century armour.
The 33-year-old carpenter from Clermont-Ferrand had driven 18 hours across Europe with the French national team to compete.
“It’s the complete sport, you have to be in top shape to cope with running around carrying heavy armour -- it’s why I don’t drink anymore.
“I train for about eight hours per week, skills and strategy, plus lots of cardio work like boxing.
“The fights look like a big mess, but it’s very organised.
“The adrenaline takes over, sure you are afraid, but it’s a good fear, it focuses the mind.”