International Tournament of Chivalry Armored Combat Event in Springfield, IL

parade of fighters

The International Tournament of Chivalry II was held in Springfield, IL on October 1st, 2016. I have been working really hard to prepare myself for this upcoming international tournament. Fighters came from Russia, Austria, Mexico, Canada, and all over the US to fight in singles, and 5 on 5 melee matches. I joined the Palmetto Knights and fought for the Rhinos.

Hey Ma', I am a Rhino!

This was my first experience fighting at this level and it was a true eye opener. Having been a successful heavy weight kickboxer, and martial arts instructor, I am used to fighting and full contact. However, putting on full armor, add weapons, and take away a lot of your awareness due to limited visibility, and all that training and experience doesn't adequately translate. I will say that I am hugely thankful for the armor I chose to wear and made over the given months to fight this weekend. I came away 'fairly' damage free. I have a few pretty bruises, and a huge respect to my fellow fighters who are brave enough to suit up fight in such a brutal, yet fun, sport.

Jeff Galli teaching us how to generate power with the polearm

One of the great things about these types of events is not just the fighting, it is the overall educational experience you get. Some of the top fighters and teams will put on clinics to help fighters improve on their skills, and learn how to be better fighters. Iron Phoenix put on a great clinic on how they train weekly to be the top US team. I was greatly impressed with their methods and cannot wait to get in the gym with my local Durham Dragons to mix it up and get us to the next level. Jeff Galli taught a great clinic on polearm. I didn't record it all, but I got some great information from him. Interesting enough it mimics a lot of the training from my Bong Sool days (staff fighting sport created by the late Grand Master Dong Hi Choi) with my dad.

you dirty rats....

 An adventure such as this would be remiss if I didn't mix it up a bit with the other teams. One of the new teams that fought this weekend was the New York Plague Rats. Their coat of arms and logos are the absolute best. I had to buy a shirt as soon as I saw it. They brought a huge crew down to fight and it was a pleasure meeting so many of them. After Friday night's duels, I went to Walmart to pick up food and hydration for the next day when I stumbled across some rat traps. It was too good to pass up. So, I placed these rat traps in front of their hotel door that had a great sign on it that said 'Rat's Nest.'


Below is videos from our fights for your viewing pleasure....

Rhinos Vs Russia round 1

Rhinos Vs Russia round 2

Rhinos Vs Iron Rook round 1

Rhinos VS Iron Rook 2

Rhinos VS Iron Rook 3

Rhinos VS Ursus round 1

Rhinos VS Urses Round 2

There are a few videos I have yet to find. As they become available, I will probably post again to share with everyone. This weekend was an amazing experience that I will use to make myself better. I don't think I did too bad for my first International tournament. I will say that I have a lot of work to do and cannot wait to step on the field again to prove myself. To the men and women on the Palmetto Knights /Rhinos team, it was an honor!

Ready for Battle!