Two armored men or women collide, Medieval Extreme swords hitting steel making a loud sound. The racket of fighting resembles a drawer full of cutlery thrown on the floor, and the piercing sound of metal grinding against metal covers the whole area of the battle. The nearby spectators are curious about the source of the unusual noise and shrillness and hence slowly turning their heads, as such a thing is not common in the middle of a city.
Buhurt, a sport that has its roots in Europe about 15 years ago, is the teams’ next event that they are getting ready for. The difference between buhurt and historical reenactments is that the fighters use blunted steel weapons of the Middle Ages and “swing for blood”.
The Rise of Buhurt in the 21st Century
Buhurt is a contemporary sport of full-contact combat where participants are equipped with blunt steel weapons and wear protective medieval-style armours. The word “buhurt” is derived from the Old French “béhourd” meaning “to wallop”. The tournaments and gatherings of buhurt are held all over the world but it is mainly practiced in Europe. The players who dare to engage use knockdown techniques of mixed martial arts to defeat their rivals.
The battles are refereed by knight marshals with specialized training and fighting expertise to guarantee that the sport’s strict rules and safety standards are followed. There are several forbidden striking zones, and dislocation and weapon thrusting are severely prohibited. Competitors’ armour is also examined closely. One’s entire set of armour must come from the same location and within a fifty-year time frame. It must also be in the style of armour worn from 1200 to 1699 to assure medieval authenticity.
Training Like a Medieval Warrior
Epitoma Rei Militaris of Roman Vegetius – a work on warfare and the art of military training – was one of the most important writings of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Vegetius in the first of his four-book treatise gives a detailed account of the training activities for the soldiers and recruits. They can be classified into four categories.
- physical labour,
- hand-to-hand combat,
- ranged combat,
- and horseback combat.
In terms of physical combat, he argues that recruits should be able to march for around 25 kilometers in five hours. They should also sprint and hop on a regular basis, most likely to avoid obstacles. During the summer, he encourages swimming whenever possible. And he mentions that it was typical to have three sessions per month in which recruits would march roughly 12 km carrying close to 20 kilograms. Finally, Vegetius suggests that all men at arms become accustomed to physical labor, such as chopping woodor crossing ditches.
In reference to hand-to-hand fighting, he emphasizes the significance of training recruits in armatura, or weapon use. They should practice hitting a pole with wooden weapons that weigh roughly twice as much as the real ones. Vegetius also states that recruits should be trained twice a day in this manner: once in the morning and again in the afternoon after their supper. Meanwhile, veterans should do it once each day.
Similarities with modern military practices
Even while steel armor is no longer utilized on a regular basis, tactical gear is, and it is critical that each recruit become accustomed to carrying it, therefore full gear foot march and other drills are conducted. Carrying large things is also part of current army training; for example, the Combat Fitness Test from the United States Marine Corps asks the applicant to carry two ammo cans weighing approximately 30 pounds apiece, and this exercise is employed in various field drills. Other examples of carrying big objects come from basic underwater demolition training for Navy Seals hopefuls, in which a six-man group must carry a log weighing approximately 200 pounds and complete various exercises with it.
It has to be taken into account that the medieval mindset regarding bodily workouts was, like many other things, a complete reversal of the modern one. Concerning professional soldiers, it should be pointed out that their rise took place around the middle of the 15th century and that there is no evidence of any type of training akin to the contemporary military practices.
Innovation Meets Tradition — Inside Medieval Extreme
We provide production lead times (“Basic Armor and Basic Armor Kits: 16-20 weeks; Advanced Armor 30+ weeks; Helmets 12-18 months”). Here’s the production process:
- The labor of the specialists is divided into forgers, polishers, locksmiths, and designers.
- Water-powered hammers and rollers are used to produce steel sheets from the metal blocks.
- Plates are pattern cut, cold-forged, and heat-treated to ensure strength and shape preservation.
- Polishing and surface finishing are done with abrasive wheels or contemporary power equipment.
- Prior to quality testing, the final assembly involves riveting, lining, and decorative engraving.
Medieval Extreme’s manufacturing process mixes antique workmanship with modern precision engineering. Armor plates are forged employing processes similar to those employed in 15th-16th century workshops, with each specialist focusing on a specific component, but with the addition of electric tools and temperature control. This ensures consistent hardness, flexibility, and fit while maintaining traditional shaping and connecting techniques.
Following the stamping of metal, the resulting metal parts of each element are expertly refined, polished, and then put together. The joints that are articulated create a range of motion that knows no limits, and at the same time, the surfaces are provided with coatings that can resist corrosion.
The Global Community of Modern Knights
All over the world, the chivalry spirit is maintained by a new breed of warriors. Buhurt teams share the same language of steel and discipline through training, competitions, and using lifetime friendships as a bond across nations, from Europe to Asia and America. Fighters go through a lot of logistics to reach the top and take part in battles that have been going on for centuries, thus bringing history to the present.
It doesn’t matter if you fight for glory, honor, or love of the sport; you belong to a brotherhood that is alive: the world of knights community. Get ready to witness history at Medieval Extreme in the making.