Pretty common too. There's a paintball field where I go and airsoft/paintball, and about once a month or so they have a big medieval LARP event where people wack on eachother with swords and stuff. I haven't actually seen it and it's a newish thing, but apparently it's getting more popular too.

There's also zombie themed LARPing where they use airsoft guns.

They hit each other with steel swords and halberds?
Where have I been all these years?
lol

That's a good question. I've only heard about it through a random conversation I struck up with someone who does it. I didn't actually ask, but I just assumed they used wooden or rubber swords or something. I think the folks that do it around here aren't quite this hardcore. Maybe, though. I'm kind of curious now and want to go see what they do.

A set of plate armour can't be cheap. I had a friend who made chainmail to sell at renaissance fairs and a... uh... smock.. whatever they call it... (jerkin?) of that costs about $1000. That's hand-made though, if it's popular there's probably a Chinese factory churning it out by the ton. Airsoft is a new hobby for me this summer, and I thought I was dumping too much money into gear, but I bet it isn't a fraction of what these guys invest.

So you have to be crazy AND rich to do this?
lol

Almost looks like SCA but according to their wiki they only started doing this in 09 and SCA has been around since 1966.

SCA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_Creative_Anachronism

BOTN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Nations_%28Medieval_Tournament%29

I used to be really in to the SCA. They have two types of fighting . Heavy like what you see in the video and rapier combat. (light combat)
It can be a hell of a lot of fun. If you don't mind the occasional broken bone or wound.
The Drunken tourny is the most common cause for an ER visit.

It can get expensive but they do have loaner gear that you can use if you want to try it.

If you guys think this looks fun, you should check out this scene that seems semi-*related=http://videosift.com/video/Inside-Competitve-Longsword-Fighting

http://www.kronmartialarts.com/

Inside Competitve Longsword Fighting has been added as a related post - related requested by artician.

Well, I guess if it's your primary hobby/activity, putting a few thousand into it isn't all that ridiculous. I've got friends that don't make much more than minimum wage but own a $1500 bicycle. On the other hand, I don't see how you could start cheap. Step one is buy a suit of plate armor.

I'm probably all wrong about what goes on at the events near me. Comparing it to paintball, for instance, there's the local level where you rent guns and nobody takes it super seriously, and then there's the competitive international level that's sponsored by Red Bull or whoever and is broadcast on TV (granted, probably on ESPN17 at 3 in the morning).

OK---logical question---why isn't this a reality show?
I mean---forget American football; just send guys into the arena in armor with real swords---then TV would have gone the full Roman!

Looks kinda like Battle of Nations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A4-TIvKCNw

I did light contact steel combat for about 4 years, but it was basically show fighting (pulled blows etc). I would not step in to the ring with these crazy nuts...

edit: and yeah, the Slavic/Russian states really excel at this shit. Fucking nuts.

Crazy describes poor people, rich people are eccentric.

Moving this video to SFOGuy's personal queue. It failed to receive enough votes to get sifted up to the front page within 2 days.

*promote

Promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued - promote requested by Payback.

Because then TV producers would try to enact stupid rules and put the entire thing under a microscope. Someone would cry about a bunch of people getting drunk and going camping and beating each other with weapons and broadcasting it on TV. Then some republican would cry about there being to much government and that if elected he would shut it down because government rules should only apply to things he does not like. Then anarchy with dogs and cats joining forces to wipe out humanity. It would just be a downward spiral.

This. I liked it went you went to this.
lol

Damn i left out the whole and a Democrat would complain that there is no reasonable use for the 14' Clamor and how we would have to worry about kids with concealed swords at school....

sigh... I can't use the out of coffee excuse...

My neighbors do this type of heavy combat (no idea about leagues, etc.). The first time I saw them practicing in the front yard it was funny for about 10 seconds, until I realized what was going on. Then I was in awe.
The frighteningly loud sounds of weapon impacts is enough, then consider the weight of the gear, and the heat. Seriously hardcore.
It's a neighborhood event now anytime they get together for skirmishes.

Your neighbors---can you imagine if a cop gets called and has no idea that it's---play?

Anyway, it's the whole sense that I'm watching what infantry combat might actually have been like in that era (dull clunks; body blows; etc) that gives it a whole Game of Thrones/medieval fascination...

You're right! at 5:57, the guy is wearing a set of "Battle of Nations" blue credentials. Nicely done.