Durban
It’s been a hard day’s knight for a KwaZulu-Natal woman whose valour in battle has won her bronze in a medieval fighting competition in Poland.
Christa Martin has been participating in the International Medieval Combat Championship in Malbork, which started on Thursday, and claimed the medal in the ladies’ polearm division.
The weapon is used in close combat fighting in which the main fighting implement is fitted to the end of a long shaft.
She is part of a six-person team consisting of her husband, Josh Suttie, fighting in the sword and shield category; Hylton Kleynhans, fighting in the longsword division; Ingo Teske in the men’s polearm; and Stephanie Roets in the ladies’ sword and shield division.
Martin and Suttie hail from the Durban Sword and Shield Club, while the others are from the Medieval SA – Orusta group, based in Gauteng.
Brian Topper, the team’s Durban-based captain, said this particular championship was being held for the second time. “There have been others, going under the name Historical Medieval Battle, but they were predominantly Russian.
“This is predominantly British, German, American and Polish.
“To date, we have no other placings, but are winning many fights,” he said.
Topper sustained a serious shoulder injury ahead of the competition so could not attend. “In fact, one of our team members (Kleynhans) is fighting with two broken fingers, sustained during training.”
Organisers of the competition said on their website that Malbork Castle Museum had been selected as the site of the competition because of its rich history.
They explained the “reality” of the sport meant not only true, full-contact fights, but also that the equipment, such as armour, had to follow strict historical authenticity rules.
“You won’t see Lord of The Rings or Conan the Barbarian armour here. The important rule of this sport is deep insight into historical details… Of course, as in many other sports, there are regulations to ensure safety.”
Topper confirmed this, saying it could be compared to mixed martial arts.
“It is seeing many converts from that sport. It is harsh, brutal and physically demanding, as the armour weighs in on average at about 25 to 30 kilograms.”
Organisers said there were about 500 fighters representing 30 countries from six continents. Competitors hailed from New Zealand, England, Argentina, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the US.