An ax blow to the head leaves Grant Kessler dizzy and staggering – and with a dent in his helmet. The 37-year-old is locked in battle with an opponent named Simon, and Kessler quickly gathers himself. He delivers a few strikes of his own, the ax clanging off his foe’s armored body. But Simon is one of the hardest hitters around. Ah yes, the sounds of modern-day knight fighting are really something to be experienced in person.

The battle lasts about a minute, but there is plenty of action in those 60 seconds. A massive blow eventually sends Kessler to the ground, leaving Simon the victor. While he may be down, Kessler will live to fight another day.

Knight Fighting 101

This isn’t a scene from Excalibur or Game of Thrones, and these two fighters aren’t trying to defend Lady Guinevere’s honor. Kessler is part of a group known as Full Steel Combat, an unscripted and unchoreographed medieval fighting group complete with suits of armor, battle axes, swords, and almost every ancient weapon you can think of. This “medieval martial arts” sport is growing worldwide, and guys like Kessler can’t get enough of mixing it up knight style.

“I was always kind of a nerdy kid – video games and RPG (role-playing) style video games,” he says. “That’s what got me into fencing originally, but I always wanted to be a knight, and now I have five weapons, a suit of armor, and I’m actually pretty good at it.”

Swords & Shields

Armored sports aren’t for the faint-hearted. While there are choreographed exhibitions at Renaissance fairs and other events, much of the action is real, and there are many real competitions and tournaments. Combatants don suits of armor and wail at each other, and competitive groups can now be found all across the country.

In these full combat sports, the goal in a match is to take an opponent to the ground to be declared the winner. Points are also awarded so that the fight can be judged if that doesn’t happen, like boxing but with swords and shields. The action can be intense, with blades rattling off shields, axes striking body parts, and the general rattle of the armor as fighters duke it out.

“It’s based on medieval tournaments when knights would fight between wars just to see who’s best or train to keep up their skills,” Kessler says. “The sport has just kind of slowly carried on through the years into a more modern version of what it is now.”

The Sport Called Buhurt

The sport is officially known as buhurt – the English iteration of the old French word béhourd, meaning “to wallop.” There is plenty of walloping in these modern-day matchups. But even in medieval times, Kessler says, the tournaments and matches featured rules and tournament structures. Today’s fighters also don’t have to worry about losing limbs as weapons feature dull edges – but those thundering strikes can definitely leave some bruises.

“Even the hits that don’t ‘hurt,’ it’s a lot of pressure,” he says. “It’s like someone punches you, but most of the time, the armor does its job, so you just come out with bruises.”

“Most of the time” are the keywords. These armor-plated pugilists can see concussions as well as torn biceps, triceps, pecs, and occasionally broken and fractured ribs, hands, and fingers.

“One guy had an ax go in between his gauntlet and forearm piece, and it completely shattered his forearm,” Kessler says. “I’ve had my hand ripped open, catching an ax to the palm. We get hit pretty badly. I’ve had it to the point where I’ve been tip-toeing several times. And I’ve had my helmet ring literally like the Taco Bell bell.”

TV shows and Fame

Kessler says the sport is growing, and he and some other fighters recently auditioned for America’s Got Talent. His crew is even featured in a promotional ad that’s been running on NBC. He remains tight-lipped on that as contestants are sworn to secrecy.

Another steel combat-themed show is also being developed and may be coming to Amazon Prime. Kessler says the show is similar to Ultimate Fighter, with real fighting in tournament-style battles, with a fighter eliminated in each episode. Another show was featured on the History Channel several years ago, and possibly more are on the horizon.

“It’s boomed big time, I’d say, in the last three to four years,” he says. “There were probably 14 teams at the International (competition) last year from all over the world.”

Becoming an Armored Combat Sports FIghter

Kessler grew up around Conroe, Texas, and may be typical of many involved in armored sports. He’s a married father of three and works as an inventory manager in the oil manufacturing industry. He also happens to enjoy the thrill of fighting like a knight.

There’s also some real camaraderie among those in the sport. While others may choose to grab a fishing rod or golf club in their spare time, Kessler prefers a steel blade. He fights for the San Jacinto Knights team in Houston, and competitions are held by several overarching medieval combat sports groups nationwide. Some teams have even built their medieval dojos to train and compete.

The competitions feature several categories of fight, including differing weapons to pound opponents, and jousts are even mixed in. Combatants are grouped by skill level. Even group combat mimics real battles, from three-on-three scrums to giant 30-on-30 clashes that might leave Mordred envious and ready to jump into action.

“​​It looks like a war, quite literally,” he says of the bigger throwdowns.

The High Price of Knight Fighting

Becoming a medieval knight is a costly undertaking. A suit of armor and a few combat weapons can cost $2,500 or more. Most suits are now made of titanium and a bit thicker than what knights of old wore. There are soft kits to practice with as well, and Kessler recommends training with a team before purchasing a complete outfit.

After taking a fencing class in college, Kessler now sees steel combat as a step up from that experience. It has also allowed him to step into the ring of physical competition. Wielding a sword and shield has now become his sport of choice.

Ready to rumble with some knight fighting yourself? Contact Armored Combat Sports or Full Steel Combat to give it a shot. Grab a sword and get in the game – don’t forget how to duck.