AEMMA is pleased to announce the second annualunarmoured free-fencing tournament weekend.
Date:Oct 25, 26 Location:AEMMA salle d'armes (Dupont&Ossington) Time:9-5 Saturday Sunday Weapons:- Sword on Saturday in round-robin format, spear, sword and buckler, mixed weapons, on Sunday Eligibility:Scholar
So, any would be scholars out there - you now have an objective. More details will be announced later, but book this in your calender! We also hope that the DVD from last year will be ready for viewing this year (no promises here however!).
Tournament is being organized byDavid B. Murphy,AEMMA Guelph.
Incredulous as it sounds, but it's true. TheAcademy of European Medieval Martial Arts(AEMMA), along with theRoyal Ontario Museum(ROM) and theRoyal Heraldry Society of Canada(RHSC) successfully delivered a colourful and heraldic pageantry of armoured combatants, heralds, pursuivants, marshals and even a Patron, the Lord of Wrentnall. This event was hosted at the ROM in their large Currelly Gallery on March 15, 2008. The museum was at capacity that day with over 10,000 people in the museum, with hundreds spectating the tournament. There were hundreds upon hundreds of people lined up along Bloor Street and south on Avenue Rd. awaiting their entry into the ROM.
Figure 1:Robbie Sprules and his wife, Lucinda lead the opening procession into the fighting lists - photo by Gail J. Smith
The tournament focused entirely on "combats on foot", with the defendants (the home team) comprised of 5 armoured combatants, being challenged by the appellants (the visiting team) comprised of 5 additional armoured combatants, one combatant coming from Gravenhurst, while another from Boston, Mass, and the rest from theOttawa Medieval Sword Guildor OMSG. The opening procession displayed a spectacular array of heraldry in the form of banners, standards and colourful tabards depicting the coats of arms of the combatants. To add, the combatants themselves, accompanied with their standard bearers, also worejuponsemblazoned with their coat of arms.
Figure 2:David Cvet battling Dale Gienow from Muskoka with steel longswords - photo by Jim Atack
The bouts were configured to three landed blows, by any weapon or weapons chosen for that bout. The blows were required to create visible displacement of the target in order to be counted. The bouts were extremely intense, with a good number of combatants choosing the spear as their weapon of choice.
Figure 3:David Murphy battling Mat Ravignat (OMSG) with poleaxe - photo by Jim Atack
At the end of the tournament, Lady Lucinda, the Patron's wife selected a combatant deemed to be the "best amongst equals" and was presented with a gift, a classic claymore sword. Following the tournament, most of the combatants, their significant others, volunteers and friends and relations attended a medieval banquet at AEMMA's salle d'armes. A glorious day for all involved.
Figure 4:Mathieu Ravignat accepting the award from Robbie Sprules and Lady Lucinda for "best amongst equals" - photo by Gail J. Smith
Figure 5:One side of the tournament medallion depicting the AEMMA arms, the reverse indicting date and location of the tournament. These were presented to each of the combatants at the banquet. Designed and created by Nicolas Facundo-Rico.
After the tournament, a good number of combatants and other participants, friends and family attended the medieval banquet at AEMMA's salle d'armes. With the salle beautifully decorated with arms of all of the combatants depicted on wooden shields, standards, banners, wrought iron candelabras, a medieval musical ensemble and demonstrations of medieval dancing, the banquet achieved what it may have been like in the medieval period. After some remarks and short speeches, Lady Lucinda awarded to each of the armoured combatants a tournament medallion. The medallions were created by an AEMMA student Nicolas Facundo-Rico.
