It was a beautiful day for armored combat. As I walked into the beer garden of the Bavarian Bierhaus on Saturday afternoon, I had some idea of what I would see. I participated in a class at the Medieval Combat Center to learn buhurt, the martial art that emulates medieval fighting techniques. The center is also the headquarters for our local team, the Milwaukee Iron Stags.
In that class, we trained with foam weapons, but today I’d see the team in action with real steel swords, axes and shields. Cream City Clash IV featured the Iron Stags, dressed in their people’s flag inspired colors of blue and yellow, taking on the Chicago Hydras, two teams of Twin Cities Wyverns, Detroit Fight Club, Iowa’s New Order and an unaffiliated team of “mercenaries” called the Lost Boyz.
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Approaching the enclosed beer hall, I saw the “list,” a square fighting ring made of plywood borders and sitting outside was Volivia Bogust, sipping on a plastic water bottle and dressed in a metal suit of armor. Bogust was one of the people I sparred against at the Medieval Combat Center, where she easily danced around me, striking me with a foam sword. She’s one of two women on the Iron Stags roster and was there to compete in the women’s single longsword duel competition.
The one-on-one duels are like a round of fencing, with hits recorded by referees (called “marshals” in this sport) with a clicker. The crowd pleasers are the multi fighter “melees,” and this evening had several 5-on-5 challenges, with the winning team decided by the last player standing.
“I’m excited and nervous, mostly because I’m still pretty new to this,” Bogust said, just minutes before her first round started. “Duels can be slow, so I’m worried about the crowd not liking it as much versus worrying about my opponents.”
As it turns out, she didn’t need to worry about the crowd — who cheered loudly, or her opponents. Bogust took both of her matches to win gold and when she accepted her medal, Bogust used her mic time to encourage other women to join the sport. Her hope is that enough will join to start a women’s melee team.
Bogust says she signed up to learn buhurt because she wanted something that would push her physically. She was never really into sports, but now she either runs, hits the gym or trains for armored combat almost every day.
“It pushes me physically and it’s given me a good outlet to get some rage out and it’s very empowering, because I get to learn techniques to throw guys who are bigger than me around,” remarked Bogust.
After Bogust’s first duel, the Milwaukee Iron Stags entered the list for their first melee against the Twin Cities Wyverns. Unlike the duels, the melees are wild and look more like a demolition derby. Often two or three fighters will target a single opponent, thrashing them to get closer to victory. Once knocked over, the player can’t get back up, adding to the appearance of a medieval battlefield.
The crowd cheered as they heard the whack of weapons hitting armor. However, as entertaining as this is, it can be dangerous, like most sports. One of the Iron Stags was hit and although he was up and moving, he was taken away in an ambulance over concerns of a neck injury. Later, a marshal was carried out and given an ice pack after being accidentally whacked in the leg. Regardless of the risk, for many of the players, this was clearly a calling; an adrenaline rush far beyond waking up covered in bruises.
After 24 rounds, the Iron Stags found themselves ranked fourth out of seven teams behind the Lost Boyz, New Order, and one of the Wyverns teams, who placed first, second, and third place respectively. The Iron Stags will next swing steel in the “War in the North” tournament Oct. 10, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
