Armoured Fighter USA

Hello and welcome. You’re early. We are just getting started and almost everything is still in the planning stage.

The goal: To create a combination of a workshop to widen peoples’ experience base as well as a good networking event to meet people from different aspects of medieval and early renaissance armored fighting. We hope to make this event similar to and in cooperation with the Armoured Fighter Workshop at Historic Equitation in England, but to do it in the USA so more fighters from America can attend without the hassle of international travel.

The Current Situation: We have a tentative venue picked out in Massachusetts and a tentative date of the weekend of 5-7 June, 2026. This will likely be a three day event.

Who is organizing this? I am Brian Chabot. I run the Aspiring Knight website. I train at The Knights Hall, and I participate in buhurt, HEMA harnischfechten, and in the SCA, I do fencing, Cut & Thrust, Heavy List, Rebated Steel, equestrian games, and the new, experimental Harnischfechten. I attended the Armoured Fighter Workshop in 2023 and found it to be an incredibly educational event that was also excellent for networking.

What we are working on right now:

• The venue requires a $600 down payment to secure the reservation. I, your organizer, am currently underemployed and this is a challenge till I upgrade my day job. The venue I have in mind is available got the tentative dates mentioned above.
• I am working on lining up instructors on both sides of the Atlantic. I have just (10 March 2025) begun contacting some of the people I hope to be headline instructors.

What is the Armoured Fighter Workshop? Historic Equitation hosts an annual, weekend long workshop featuring top experts in the field teaching workshops, classes, and presentations to armoured fighters from all disciplines – reenactors, HEMA harnischfechten fighters, buhurt fighters, and anyo0ne else who participated in medieval armoured combat in its many modern forms.

What kinds of activities are to be expected?

• Hands-On workshops run by some of the top experts from around the world. These will be both in and out of armour.
• Deep dive classes into various topics related to medieval armoured combat, taught by top academic experts in their respective fields.
• Unique lectures presenting the latest research of interest to people who recreate any type of medieval armoured fighting.
• Food will likely be included in your ticket price. There will be a question about any special dietary requirements when you purchase your ticket. We will make every attempt to accommodate your needs in this regard.
• Networking! Meet the experts, but also meet others who participate in your style of combat and perhaps explore other styles as you meet the people who practice those.
• Fun! The tentative venue is normally a site for LARP games and we expect we will be having some fun outdoors, weather permitting.

Who is this for? Anyone who fights in recreations of medieval armour. This is not restricted in any way to any individual practice nor organization. We are open to people interested in medieval (and renaissance) reenactment, HEMA and SCA harnischfechten, SCA heavy list, SCA Cut & Thrust (especially armor as worn), and even LARPers interested in fighting in armour.

What do we need to bring?

• Accommodations: If you are camping on site, you’ll need whatever camping gear you want. It is likely there will be space to set up a medieval style encampment, but modern camping gear is fine. There are also cabins on site that may be available if they aren’t full from traveling instructors. There are also hotels near by.
• Armour: Bring your armour and expect to wear and use it. As this is open to all kinds of armored fighters, we will adjust any combat workshops to your level of protection to ensure you remain safe and comfortable.
• Weapons (simulators): Bring the weapons simulators you are used to using. Unless you are confirmed as participating in a cutting exercise, we ask you to not bring sharps. We do expect workshops to include techniques for at least longsword and poleaxe. We may have some extras you can borrow, but please bring what you have for the workshops and classes you expect to attend.