AEMMA Public Armoured Combat Tournament

[Brian McIlmoyle]

This past Weekend AEMMA conducted our first Public Passage of Arms at the Royal Ontario Museum

The Event was Sponsored by the Royal Ontario Museum and the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada. The tournament's patron was Robbie D Sprules, Lord of the Manor of Wrentnall.

AEMMA Toronto, Scholar Aldo Valente, along with Free Scholars David Murphy, and Kel Rekuta with Provosts, David Cvet and Myself held the lists against all comers.

Accepting the Challenge were scholars from the Ottawa Medieval Sword Guild, John Woods, Chris Penny and Matt Ravignat, Joining them were Jeremy Oneail Principal of the Academy of Knightly Arts and Dale Geinow President of the International Jousting Association (Canada )

Combats were conducted with Spear, Pollaxe, Sword and Dagger to agreed victory conditions.

The conditions were. Timed bouts not exceeding 3 minutes in duration or until one of the following conditions were met.

1. 3 landed blows with the point within the limbs
2. Unbalanced and cast down
3. Forced from the lists
4. Disarmed

Presiding over the combats was Free Scholar Frank Williams who was responsible, with the assistance of 4 in the lists marshalls, of judging the fights and awarding points for good blows.

In all there were 20 combats conducted throughout the day, each appellant free to choose the defendant and the weapon they prefered to fight.

In the end the outcome was an equal number of victories for the Appellants and the Defendants.

The combats were spirited and at times quite aggressive, in the end all combatants escaped with only minor hurts and little blood spilled, having earned great honour for the exploit.

Matt Ravignat from the Ottawa Medieval Sword Guild was awarded , By Lady Lucinda, Wife of the Lord of Wrentnall A ceremonial Scottish Greatsword as "the best of equals" having faced each defendant and been victorious in all his fights.

We retired to the AEMMA Salle D'Armes for a banquet and much needed drinks thereafter.

Thanks in particular to David Cvet for organizing and making this event possible.

As photos and Video becomes available I shall post it.

[Gregory Mele]

Hi Brian,

Congrats on the successful outing! I know that a lot of prep-work went into this event and I’m sure that with the regalia and the venue it was quite the site to behold! Probably not what the audience was used to seeing….

Congrats again.

Greg

[Brian McIlmoyle]

Originally Posted by Gregory Mele

Hi Brian,

Congrats on the successful outing! I know that a lot of prep-work went into this event and I’m sure that with the regalia and the venue it was quite the site to behold! Probably not what the audience was used to seeing….

Congrats again.

Greg

It was... to say the least quite a splash... the heraldry.. the pavilions set up inside the main gallery of the museum...

as to what the audience was used to seeing... this was a typical response

Mother sees the flags.. and "knights" says to her 6 year old son "Oh billy do you want ot go over and see the "knights" ? Billy beams.. and says "oh yes mummy can we please"

Mother and son come up just before a fight is to start, Mom" See billy.. they are dressed in armour.. lets watch them fight" Billy " Ok mommy.. can we please?"

As the fight starts.. the mother recoils in horror at the violence of it..Billy's stares rapt at the two armoured fighters striving in earnest to stab one another.. right up to the point that his mother claps her hand over his eyes and pulls him away... saying "OH MY GOD.... THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER!!!!"

[Sean Hayes]

Brian-

Congratulations! Can't wait for the video.

Best,

Sean

[Michael Olsen]

Congratulations! It sounds like it was a good experience for those who participated and a frightfully entertaining event for those that watched.

I look forward to seeing some videos!

[C B Penney]

Brian, thanks again to you, Dave Cvet and everyone at AEMMA who helped make the event what it was. It was a pleasure to face of against you guys (even when Dave swatted me aside like an annoying fly!)

[David A Teague]

Huzza, Huzza, Huzza!

Here's to the Challengers and the Answerers.

Well done all.

I too, look forward to the videos and pictures.

Cheers,

[Dan Sellars]

I would just like to say that, from a spectators point of view, the tournement was awesome.

It was the right mix of pomp, ceremoney and outright fighting!

So well done to the organisers it was obvious how much time and effort went into it and it paid off.

Finally a very well done indeed to all of the competitors! you fought honourably, bravely and hard.

[Brian McIlmoyle]

http://www.aemma.org/misc/events/200...nament_ROM.htm

and a bit of a write up... video... sometime in the future