Heritage of Ages 2012
Dear Ladies and gentlemen,
We invite you to participate in the II International festival of medieval historic reenactment «Heritage of Ages» which will take place on June 29 to July 1 in the Mir Castle, Belarus.
The participants will experience three days of unforgettable Middle Ages competitions and entertainments - reenactment of a Knights Tournament with unmounted and equestrian fights based on medieval traditions, as well as mass group combats and tactical bugurts.
The highlight of the festival will be a grand reenactment of a medieval battle involving up to 600 warriors armed with field and hand-held artillery, siege and engineering equipment and archers.
The visitors of the festival will also be able to take part in the archery competition, attend medieval music concerts and a fire show, visit a medieval tavern and buy souvenirs at the crafts fair. Every night a big concert of medieval music for the participants will be held, accompanied by a fire show and medieval dances and lasting until morning.
The «Heritage of Ages» is the biggest medieval historic reenactment festival which is second to none in Belarus. The festival belongs to the major events of such format in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2011 the festival was attended by about 600 participants from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. In 2012 we expect up to 1,000 participants from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and other countries.
Participants:
Clubs and individuals having an interest in Middle Ages historic reenactment are invited to the festival. Availability of a complete outfit and authentic household items for stay in the marching camp, as well as participation in the festival events programme, are obligatory. The festival is a restricted-access event (admission of participants with confirmed applications). The applications will be considered by responsible representatives of the organizing committee. The chronological limits of the festival are the 14th - 15th centuries.
Organizers: Youth Public Association "Living History"
With the support of: "La Grand Compagnie de la Russie”
Please, send your applications to the e-mail Mirskyzamok@knight.by before the deadline: June 24, 2012
Telephone for enquiries: +375 44 550 40 50
Detailed information is available at: www.knight.by

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II International Festival of Medieval Historic Reenactment
“Heritage of Ages”

June 28, Thursday

Camp
08.00 – 20.00 Arrival, accommodation
16.00 – 20.00 Registration

Castle complex (main site)
12.00 – 18.00 Festival site preparation

June 29, Friday

Camp
09.00 – 12.00 Registration
10.00 – 03.00 Historic tavern
13.00 – 17.00 Free townsfolk contests
00.00 – 02.00 Folk bands concert, fire show

Castle complex
12.00 – 14.00 Commanders’ council
15.00 – 20.00 Medieval entertainments and games for participants and spectators
15.00 – 20.00 Medieval fair

Castle complex (courtyard)
21.00 – 23.00 Medieval theatre

Castle complex (main site)
12.00 – 14.00 Equestrian tournament training
14.00 – 16.00 Archers’ training
16.00 – 18.00 Staged battle rehearsal
18.00 – 19.00 Tactical bugurts
19.00 – 20.00 Negotiated bugurts

June 30, Saturday

Camp
10.00 – 03.00 Historic tavern
21.00 – 23.00 Free townsfolk contests
23.00 – 01.00 Folk bands concert, fire show

Castle complex
11.00 – 20.00 Medieval entertainments and games for participants and spectators
11.00 – 20.00 Medieval fair
11.00 – 23.00 Historic tavern

Castle complex (main site)
12.00 – 12.30 Opening ceremony
12.30 – 13.30 Archers’ tournament
14.00 – 15.00 Equestrian tournament
16.00 – 20.00 Unmounted knights’ tournament

July 1, Sunday

Camp
10.00 – 18.00 Historic tavern
18.00 – 21.00 Packing, departure

Castle complex
11.00 – 18.00 Medieval entertainments and games for participants and spectators
11.00 – 18.00 Medieval fair
11.00 – 18.00 Historic tavern

Castle complex (main site)
12.00 – 13.00 Archers’ show
13.00 – 15.00 Mass staged battle
15.00 – 16.00 Mass bugurts
16.00 – 17.00 Tactical bugurts
17.00 – 18.00 Closing ceremony
18.00 – 20.00 Folk bands concert, fire show

The Tournament Concept
Tournament reenactment will take place on the jousting ground at the walls of the Mir Castle on Saturday, June 30, 2012. Festival participants will be divided into two parties: the Instigators and the Defenders. Throughout the tournament numerous competitions will pit the supporters of both parties against each other, and let the best man win!

List of Tournament Competitions:
- unmounted personal combats;
- unmounted bugurts with blade weapons;
- equestrian tournament;
- archers’ tournament.

Tournament Scenario
The Instigators and the Defenders enter the jousting ground
Two columns advance from the field camp: the Instigators followed by the Defenders. When they approach the jousting ground, they line up on the opposite sides. A Herald enters the ground and announces the Instigator of the tournament. The Instigator enters the ground with his court, makes a welcome speech and takes his honourable seat in the central box. The Herald announces the Defender tournament. The Defender enters the ground with his court, makes a welcome speech and takes his honourable seat in the central box. The Herald introduces the Marshals of the tournament one by one. The Marshals of the tournament come out to the jousting ground and take their places beside the coat-of-arms shields. The Marshals’ Aides take their places. The Herald reads out the credentials of the Instigating Knights and the Defending Knights in turns. The Knights called out by the Herald enter the stadium with their court, welcome the participants, take places along the ground, while their ladies take their seats in the central box and the servants set the heraldic shields.

The Ceremony of appointment of the tournament’s Knight of Honour
The Marshals and the Ladies pass along the line of knights and grant the white veil to the tournament’s Knight of Honour by tying the veil to the staff of his spear.

Knights take oath before personal combats
Knights and their armour-bearers stand along the ground, the standard-bearers hold banners, helmets and shields behind their backs. The Herald reads out the programme and the rules of the tournament. The warriors bow their knees and swear to fight honorably.

Unmounted personal combats
The Defenders’ armour-bearers or servants approach the heraldic shields in turn and choose the Instigator with whom their Knight will fight, by hitting the Instigator's shield with a spear. The Herald’s Assistant notes down the pairs of competitors and hands the list to the Herald. The first wave of one-on-one combats takes place.
The order of entering the ground:
- Before each fight the Herald announces the Knights who need to prepare for the next fight;
- The Knight approaches his side of the ground, accompanied by his court, his banner, helmet with a helmet-mounted figure and heraldic shield are carried out;
- The Marshals inspect the equipment;
- The Knight enters the jousting ground, the court stays outside the ground during the whole combat;
- After the combat and the delivery of judgment by the Marshals, the Knight returns to his party, accompanied by the court.
After the first wave the winning Knights repeat the circle until the Knights of one of the parties defeat all of their opponents.

Awards ceremony for the winners of the personal unmounted tournament
The undefeated fighters of the winning party are called out to the jousting ground. The Marshals accompanied by the Ladies enter the ground from the opposite side and deliver the prizes one by one.

Oath before the Knights and Armour-Bearers take oath before the bugurt
The Knights, armour-bearers and warriors line up along the ground, the standard-bearers hold banners, helmets and shields behind their backs. The Herald reads out the combat rules. The warriors swear to fight honorably.

Unmounted combats with cold weapons
The Marshals inspect the equipment and equalize the number of participants on each side. The parties are separated by a rope stretched between them. The Herald orders to cut the rope and announces the beginning of the bugurt. The warriors fight with cold arms until the fighters of only one party remain standing. The bugurt is repeated 3 times.

Equestrian personal combats
The Defenders’ armour-bearers or servants approach the heraldic shields in turn and choose the Instigator with whom their Knight will fight, by hitting the Instigator's shield with a spear. The Herald’s Assistant notes down the pairs of competitors and hands the list to the Herald. The first wave of one-on-one combats takes place.
The order of entering the ground:
- Before each fight the Herald announces the Knights who need to prepare for the next fight;
- The mounted Knight approaches his side of the jousting ground, accompanied by his court, his banner, helmet with a helmet-mounted figure and heraldic shield are carried out;
- The Marshals inspect the equipment and start the fight;
- After the combat and the delivery of judgment by the Marshals, the Knight returns to his party, accompanied by the court.
After the first wave the winning Knights repeat the circle until the Knights of one of the parties defeat all of their opponents.

Equestrian melee
The Marshals inspect the equipment and equalize the number of participants on each side. The parties are separated by a rope stretched between them. The Herald orders to cut the rope and announces the beginning of the melee. The warriors fight with cold arms, each rider with a helmet-mounted figure. The knight who loses the figure leaves the combat. The combat lasts until one of the parties defeats all of its opponents.

Awarding the Best Knight of the tournament
The knights and their Armour-Bearers line up along the ground, the Ladies descend from the central box, announce the “Best Knight of the Tournament” to the Herald and hand him the prize. The winner chooses the "Queen of the Tournament" and accompanies her along the ground.


Archers’ Tournament
During the tournament the archers will compete in speed-shooting, shooting moving and falling targets, shooting from behind cover, in motion, riding, as well as demonstrate their ability to act as a team and walk a hunting trail.

Requirements for Participants
Requirements for the participants of the unmounted personal tournament:
1. Armour, shield, buckler, one-handed sword, bastard sword.
2. Heraldic coat of arms, banner, shield, helmet.
3. Standard-bearer.
4. Armour-bearer, a maximum of two.
5. Heraldic credentials:
- knightly name and family name;
- image of the coat of arms;
- information about the region the Knight comes from;
- additional information, legend.
6. Costume of the appropriate status.
7. The court may include a lady who will participate in the “court of the beautiful ladies.”
8. The court may include a personal herald, servants.

Requirements for the participants of the equestrian tournament:
1. Ability to fight with a spear and a sword on horseback and readiness to prove it before the start of the tournament.
2. Armour, shield, one-handed sword.
3. Heraldic coat of arms, banner, shield, helmet, heraldic horse-cover.
4. Mount for a standard heraldic figure.
5. Standard-bearer.
6. Armour-bearer, a maximum of two.
7. Heraldic credentials:
- knightly name and family name;
- image of the coat of arms;
- information about the region the Knight comes from;
- additional information, legend.
8. The costume of the appropriate status.
9. The court may include a lady who will participate in the “court of the beautiful ladies.”
10. The court may include a personal herald, servants.

Requirements for the participants of the archers’ tournament:
1. Reconstruction or stylization of a bow of a certain period.
2. 10 combat and 10 “humanized” arrows.
3. Costume of the appropriate status.

gosh, seems like a looong one, this tournament

Participants’ Camp
During the "Heritage of Ages 2012" festival a field camp of the 14th – 15th centuries will be reconstructed on the fenced-off area closed to spectators and tourists, with lifestyle authenticity control. The campsite is located on the lake shore on the opposite side of the Mir castle complex.
The tents are placed so as to nominally divide the camp into two halves, one for the accommodation of the Instigators and the other - for the Defenders. A square and a medieval tavern are situated in the camp centre, where the participants will always be able to satisfy their hunger and thirst for a modest fee. It is the venue where medieval hockey matches, tug-of-war and wrestling competitions between the parties will be held, and medieval music concerts, fire shows, games, and other pleasant surprises for the festival participants will take place in the evenings. The strong and the skillful will have an opportunity to stand up for the honour of their teams and win trophies in a fair fight, while everyone else will be able to cheer for their mates and make new friends over a mug of beer.
The festival organizers provide the participants with a place to set their tents, as well as with drinking water, firewood and hay for stuffing mattresses. Regular catering can be organized upon request submitted in advance. A sanitary zone equipped with portable toilets and shower units is adjacent to the campsite. The stables and an area for horse training will also be located nearby. The territory of the camp is fenced off and supervised by festival security 24 hours a day. Only those wearing medieval outfits are admitted inside, upon presentation of participants’ tokens that they will receive during registration.

General requirements for the festival participants
Clubs and individuals having an interest in Middle Ages historical reenactment are invited to the festival. The festival is a restricted-access event (admission of participants with confirmed applications). The applications will be considered by responsible representatives of the organizing committee. The chronological limits of the festival are the 14th - 15th centuries.
Availability of a complete outfit appropriate for the 14th - 15th centuries, authentic household items to stay in the field camp, participation in the festival events programme, as well as observation of general festival and safety rules are obligatory for all participants. All male participants must take part in the staged battle. The performed role will depend on the availability of armour - the minimum set for a warrior includes a padded jacket and an infantry helmet. Those who do not have such equipment will provide technical support by moving the artillery and siege devices, performing field engineering work, etc. The female participants must be present at the jousting tournament as spectators at the grandstand, in order to create an authentic atmosphere and raise the morale of the competing knights.

ten turniej to bêdzie najwiêksza impreza na Bia³orusi, z niesamowit± opraw± i du¿ym naciskiem na rekonstrukcjê. jak tylko skoñczy siê zamieszanie z BN to zacznê organizowaæ chêtnych na ten wyjazd, na pewno warto! wiêc wstêpnie sobie zarezerwujcie ten termin, walcz±cy i rekonstruktorzy, mam nadzieje ¿e uda siê zebraæ autokar na wypad do naszych wschodnich s±siadów

pozdrawiam,

Hubert

Wcze¶niej tu by³o kilka spostrze¿eñ co do wspomnianej historyczno¶ci, ale postanowi³em wyedytowaæ...

Ciekaw jestem Waszych wra¿eñ z wyjazdu, bo sprzêt na 1302 czê¶æ z ekip XIII posiada. Warto by siê wyrwaæ czasem z ciep³ego kurwido³ka i polansowaæ za granic±, hehehe <oble¶ny ¶miech>.
W tym roku ze wzglêdów rodzinnych odpadam, ale chêtnie bym siê wybra³ za rok

Tournament rules


Equestrian tournament

1. General conditions

1.1. Hitting the opponent’s or the participant’s own horse with any weapon leads to the UNCONDITIONAL disqualification of the participant for the whole tournament!!!

1.2. Contestants aged 18 or older are admitted for participation in the equestrian tournament.

1.3.1. Fighters are allowed to participate in the equestrian competition only on condition of presence of historically accurate armour and weapons. All equipment must comply with the relevant synchronous and territorial historic complexes.

1.3.2. Participation in the tournament without armour is prohibited. The minimum thickness of armor steel plates is 1.5 mm.

1.3.3. Participation in the tournament combats without a helmet is prohibited. Facial protection during lance tilting is obligatory.

1.4. The horse should gallop during the performance of any exercise. If the horse drops into a slower pace during the exercise, the rider receives 0 points for this attempt at the simulator or the tilt.

1.5. The rider’s lance should be positioned over the horse’s neck to the left in the direction of motion (during the performance of any exercise or during the approach for lance tilting).

1.6. Delivering an amplitude blow with a lance at the opponent or the simulator results in disqualification of the tournament participant until the end of the competitions.



Tilting combat

2.1. Riders are armed with lances of equal length and equal shaft diameter during the combat. Lances shall be provided by the organizers.

2.2. The hitting area during lance fights is the opponent’s torso or shield.

2.3. The rider is awarded 2 points for a successful ram blow at the hitting area.

2.4. The rider is given 1 point for a sliding or weak blow at the hitting area.

2.5. The rider is awarded 3 points for breaking the lance at the opponent, plus 2 points are given for the ram blow at the hitting area (total 5 points).

2.6. The rider is disqualified for the whole tournament for a direct hit at the opponent’s head.

2.7. If the lance slides and hits the opponent’s head during the blow at the hitting area, the rider who performed the blow receives one penalty point.

2.8. The rider is given 6 penalty points for falling down from horseback.



Equestrian melee

3.1. The opponents are divided into two parties with the equal number of participants.

3.2. Every fighter has a heraldic figure mounted on the helmet (a tower or an arm holding a sword – depending on the affiliation with the Instigators’ or Defenders’ party).

3.3. Heraldic helmet-mounted figures are provided by the organizers.

The fighters must prepare mounts for their figures. The 10 mm thick figure is attached by two screws with the diameter of 4 mm at the height of 10 mm from its bottom point.

3.4. The goal of each party is to chop down all helmet-mounted figures of the opponents.

3.5. The figure is considered chopped down when its stump rises above the helmet at the height of 10 cm or less.

3.6. The fighter whose helmet figure is chopped down is obliged to raise his sword with the hilt up and leave the battlefield.

3.7. The party remaining on the battlefield with their heraldic figures preserved wins the equestrian melee.



Unmounted one-on-one tournament

1. General conditions

1.1. One-on-one combats take place without weight categories.

1.2. The panel of judges consists of 4 Marshals and the Knight of Honour of the tournament.

In case of disagreement among the Marshals the decision on the fight outcome is taken by the Knight of Honour.

1.3. Combats are conducted with account of the number of accentuated hits on the opponent with the combative part of the weapon, delivered at the hitting area.

The hitting area does not include open face, groin, feet, back of the neck, knee bends.

1.4. The fight consists of 3 rounds, each conducted with a different weapon:

- 1st round “Bastard sword”;

- 2nd round “Sword and buckler”;

- 3rd round “Sword and shield.”

Each round lasts up to 5 points.

1.5. General weapon parameters:

1.5.1. Weapon parameters for the “Bastard sword” round:

- blade length (from crossguard to tip) - from 80 to 100 cm;

- hilt length (including crossguard and pommel) - from 20 to 35 cm;

- weight - from 1,500 to 2,300 grams;

- curvature diameter of the combative tip should be equal to 1 euro coin or more (25mm+);

1.5.2. Weapon parameters for the “Sword and shield” and “Sword and buckler” rounds:

- blade length (from crossguard to tip) - from 60 to 80 cm;

- hilt length (including crossguard and pommel) - from 12 to 20 cm;

- weight - from 1,200 to 1,500 grams;

- curvature diameter of the combative tip should be equal to 1 euro coin or more (25mm+);

- cutting edge of the blade should be at least 2 mm thick and rounded;

- maximum shield length - up to 75 cm;

- maximum buckler length - 35 cm.

1.6. Points are scored by the contestant for delivering accentuated and accurate blows at the hitting area.



2. Combat procedure

2.1. Every accentuated blow at the hitting area of the opponent is awarded with 1 point for the contestant who delivered the blow.

2.2. The blow is scored when it is delivered accurately and is not deflected by the opponent’s protective movement (shield or sword block). Scoring the blow is accompanied by awarding points to contestant who delivered the blow.

2.3. “Technical victory” with a score of 5-0 is awarded to one of the combatants in the following cases:

2.3.1. If the opponent refuses to participate in the fight before its start; if the opponent fails to show up at the jousting ground on time upon the Herald’s call; if the opponent fails to prepare his equipment for the fight within the time limits set by the Marshal. In the event when a fighter is suspended from further participation in the fights due to an injury, a “technical victory” is also awarded to his opponent.

2.3.2. If the opponent is not able to continue the combat due to an “accidental injury.”

Note: If the contestant is not able to continue the fight due to an injury receives as a result of a violation of the tournament rules by his opponent, the fighter who inflicted the injury is excluded from further participation in the tournament. “Technical victory” is awarded to the contestant against whom the rules were violated.



2.4.3. If the opponent receives three warnings during the combats.

2.4.4. In case of emergence of certain factors which prevent the continuation of the fight, according to the Marshal’s opinion, such as the damage / breakdown of any element of the equipment of one of the contestants (including the sword or the shield), if the latter fails to repair or replace the specified item in the given time (no more than 1 minute). In this case, a “technical victory” is awarded to his opponent.



3. Permitted and forbidden combat techniques

3.1. “Sword and shield” and “Sword and buckler”:

3.1.1. Permitted combat techniques are:

- chopping blows with the blade of the weapon at the opponent’s hitting area;

- blocking the opponent’s blows with the shield or the blade;

- pushing and pressing the opponent with the shield surface or the shoulder;

- hitting with the shield surface;

- deflecting the opponent’s blade, shield or hands with the shield surface or edge;

- deflecting the opponent’s shield or hands with the hands;

- hooking the opponent’s shield with the shield;

- hitting the opponent’s armed hand and torso (body above the waist and below the neck) with the shield edge;

- covering the opponent’s shield with the shield.

3.1.2. Forbidden combat techniques are:

- stabbing blows (any stabs) with the blade of the weapon;

- blows at the non-hitting area of the opponent;

- blows at the fallen or rising opponent;

- blows at the opponent who lost the weapon;

- hitting the opponent with the shield edge below the waist, at the head and neck;

- hitting with the head;

- kicking with the feet and knees;

- sweeps, wrestling throws and holds;

- punching with the hands and elbows;

- hitting with the crossguard and hilt of the weapon;

- grabbing the opponent with the hands by the torso, head and limbs, as well as grabbing his equipment elements, including the weapon or the shield, with the hands.

3.2. “Bastard sword”:

3.2.1. Permitted combat techniques are:

- chopping blows with the blade of the weapon at the opponent’s hitting area;

- blocking the opponent’s blows with the blade of the weapon;

- pushing and pressing the opponent with the blade of the weapon or with hands;

- deflecting the opponent’s hands with the hands;

- attacking the opponent with the sword held in one hand.

3.2.2. Forbidden combat techniques are:

- stabbing blows (any stabs) with the blade of the weapon;

- blows at the non-hitting area of the opponent;

- blows at the fallen or rising opponent;

- blows at the opponent who lost the weapon;

- hitting with the head;

- kicking with the feet and knees;

- sweeps, wrestling throws and holds;

- punching with the hands and elbows;

- hitting with the crossguard and hilt of the weapon;

- grabbing the opponent with the hands by the torso, head and limbs, as well as grabbing his equipment elements, including the weapon or the shield, with the hands.



4. Penalties

4.1. A remark is a penalty imposed on a contestant during one fight for:

4.1.1. Falling as a result of active attacking moves of the opponent, provided that the attack was carried out within the rules.

4.1.2. Damage or breakdown of any item of the contestant’s protective equipment which takes place during the fight and prevents him from continuing the combat, according to the Marshal (in case the damage is repaired within the time given by the Marshal, the fight can continue).

In the event of breakdown of the contestant’s weapons (i.e., the shield or the sword), no remark is given.

4.1.3. Losing the weapon during the fight.

4.1.4. Passive conduct of the combat. Passive conduct of the combat is the fighter’s refusal to perform active attacking actions over a long period of time (no less than 30 seconds) during the fight.

4.1.5. Leaving the boundaries of the jousting ground or falling behind them.

4.1.6. Imposition of any remark on one of the combatants is accompanied by awarding the first additional point to his opponent.

4.1.7. A fighter who receives three remarks in the course of one combat loses this fight automatically, while his opponent is awarded a “flawless victory.”

4.1.8. Remarks are NOT recorded in the Protocol of the Tournament.

4.2. A verbal warning is a penalty imposed on a contestant for a minor violation of the rules, aimed at drawing the contestant’s attention to his actions. In is not recorded in the protocol.

4.3. A warning is a penalty imposed on a contestant for violation of the rules which is recorded in the Protocol of the Tournament. A contestant can receive the maximum of three warnings during the tournament. Warnings are given to fighters:

4.3.1. for any use of forbidden blows or techniques;

4.3.2. for misconduct, rudeness and shouting at the Marshals or competitors;

4.3.3. for starting the combat before the signal “Fight!”;

4.3.4. for continuing the attack after the signal “Stop the fight!";

4.3.5. for ignoring the Marshal’s instructions.

It should be noted that the contestant can receive one or two warnings for any of the above violations, depending on the rudeness of the violation and at the discretion of the Marshal.

4.4. Disqualification is a penalty imposed on a contestant for gross or systematic violation of the rules recorded in the Protocol of the Tournament. Disqualification results in the exclusion of the contestant from further participation in the tournament. Disqualification is applied to contestants:

4.4.1. for systematic violation of the rules, when the contestant has received three warnings;

4.4.2. for injuring the opponent with a forbidden blow or fighting technique;

4.4.3. for gross and systematic arguments with the judges, ungrounded challenging of the judges’ decisions, for a rude insults and disrespectful behaviour towards the opponents, as well as any other participants in the tournament.



Unmounted bugurts with cold weapons

1. General conditions

1.1. The panel of judges consists of Marshals and their Assistants and the Knight of Honour of the tournament. In case of disputes the decision is taken by the Knight of Honour of the tournament.

1.2. Knights and armour-bearers of the opposing parties fight in the jousting ground, everyone against everyone.

1.3. All the combatants fight only with “cold weapons” (any bladed weapon).

1.4. The parties should be approximately equal in the number of participants.

1.5. The combatants’ armour must comply with the technical requirements. A fighter is allowed to have no more than two weapon items. At the time of weapon change fighters may not perform attacking actions. A fighter may not enter the jousting ground with the second hand unarmed (e.g. without a shield or a buckler).

1.6. Contestants aged 18 or older are admitted for participation provided they have passed examination by the Marshals before the fight.



2. Combat procedure

2.1. The combat lasts until all fighters of one of the teams fall down or signal that they are not able to continue to fight, or it can be stopped by the Marshal. “Falling” is understood as touching the ground in three points: foot-foot-knee or foot-foot-hand or foot-hand-hand.

2.2. The following actions are equaled to falling:

- continuing the fight without a weapon (shields are not considered weapons);

- falling together with the opponent in case of total loss of balance;

- stepping beyond the boundaries of the jousting ground with both feet if hard fencing of the ground is present;

- damage or loss of head protection (including facial protection), neck protection, hands protection and other elements of the armour that cover large sections of hitting area. A fighter whose equipment is damaged should independently leave the battle or be taken away from the ground by the Marshal;

- in case the Marshal records the fighter’s inability to perform active attacking actions near the hard jousting ground, when the fighter’s body takes a horizontal position with respect to the ground surface, or when both of his feet lose touch with the ground surface at an angle of at least 45o.

2.3. The situation when a fighter makes the opponent fall down and leans upon him with a knee and/or hand is not considered a fighter’s fall.

2.4. A contestant is not entitled to pick up the weaponry which was lost (knocked out of his hands).

2.5. Victory is awarded to the team which has at least one participant standing on his feet, while all participants of the opposing team have left the combat.

2.6. The fight is stopped by the Marshal in case of a real threat to the health of the contestants, for example, when one of the teams is significantly dominating in the number of participants.



3. Permitted combat techniques

3.1. The following techniques are permitted:

- any blows with the combative part of the weapon in all parts of the hitting area. The hitting area does not include open face, groin, feet, base of the neck, knee bends;

- pushes and kicks with the feet, knees, head, shoulder and torso;

- throws, sweeps;

- pushes and hits with the shield;

- hooking the opponent’s shield, arms and weapon with the shield and the weapon pommel;

- covering with the shield surface, pinning the opponent’s arms with the shield, putting the shield edge under the armed hand;

- using the free hand in the attack;

- attacking the opponent’s active arm with the free hand, without grabbing the wrist;

- active action in the clinch (no more than 10 seconds, afterwards the fighters are separated by the judges).



4. Forbidden combat techniques

4.1 The following techniques are prohibited:

- delivering blows at the non-hitting area (open face, groin, feet, back of the neck, under the knees) with the weapon and the shield;

- any kick under the knee aimed at breaking the joint;

- kicks in the groin;

- wringing the opponent’s limbs against the natural direction of their flexion;

- hooking the opponent’s helmet with two hands;

- grabbing the edge of the helmet with the hands, accompanied by active attempts to remove the helmet from the head;

- grabbing with pole-arms and two-handed weapons from behind;

- stabs;

- attacking the fighter who has certain equipment elements broken (head protection, neck protection);

- grabbing the combative part of the opponent’s weapon;

- hitting the lying opponent.



5. Penalties

Contestants who violate the rules of the tournament shall be excluded from participation in the combats or expelled from the tournament, depending on the seriousness of the offense. The decision is taken by the Knight of Honour of the tournament.



6. Technical requirements for weaponry

6.1. Weight characteristics (total weight of the assembled and ready-to-use weapon is indicated).

Bladed weapons.

One-handed swords, sabers, broadswords: maximum weight 1,500 grams +/- 300 grams.

Falchions: 1,500 grams +/- 300 grams.

Bastard swords (up to 1,400 mm), sabers, broadswords, maximum weight: 2,000 grams +/- 300 grams.

Two-handed swords of the 14th -15th cent.: 3,500 grams +/- 300 grams.

Weapons of greater weight and stabbing weapons are not admitted to the tournament.

6.2. Humanization

The edges of all striking elements of combative parts of weapons should be rounded with a chamfer of 2 mm in diameter (including possible chips and dents).

These weapon admission parameters for the event can be toughened by the tournament organizers at their discretion, to provide adequate safety regulations.

6.3. Technical requirements for protective equipment:

- the contestant’s torso must be covered with plate armour, or at least mail armour with hidden rigid protection;

- along with the armour, the contestant must be equipped with under-armour protection covering the entire body and limbs, or the armour must have a quilted gambeson;

- participation in the tournament wearing only a quilted gambeson is not allowed;

- the contestant’s head must be protected by a metal helmet;

- the contestant’s helmet must be equipped with a helmet lining at least 2 cm thick or a leather hanger – “parachute”;

- the contestant’s neck must be covered by a steel armour element, or a high and thick collar of the under-armour protection with the minimum thickness of 2 cm. The collar should necessarily cover the front of the throat, i.e. it should be closely fastened without gaps or overlap. Neck protection should necessarily be supplemented with mail protection (hood, necklace), camail, hidden helmet lining protection or rigid collar of the armour;

- the contestant’s hands should be covered with, at least, mail gloves;

- the contestant’s limb joints must be protected with armour elements;

- the contestant’s groin fighters should be protected with armour elements;

- if the contestant’s equipment does not have historically grounded protection elements of the above areas, from viewpoint of conformity to historical sources, these areas should be reliably covered with hidden (non-visible!) protection. For example, in case of absence of historically grounded reliable protection of the groin, it is necessary to wear a hidden (!) “shell.”



Archers’ tournament

1. Participants who have their weapon and arrows are admitted to the competition.

2. All weaponry is examined by Marshals prior to admission to the tournament.

3. Participants armed with sports bows are not admitted to the competition.

4. Shooting sports arrows is not allowed.

5. The required minimum number of arrows is 10.

6. Participation is only allowed for competitors wearing historical clothing appropriate for the period of the festival.

7. The disputes in case of several archers scoring the same number of points are resolved by additional shots appointed by the tournament manager.

8. If the arrow recoils upon hitting the target, the shot is scored as a miss.

9. Shooting is performed only upon the instructions of the tournament manager. A violation shall be punished by warnings. A repeated violation shall result in the exclusion of the participant from the tournament. The shooting distance is from 20 to 60 meters. All stages of the archers’ tournament are of applied nature. The tournament will last two days. During the tournament the archers will compete in speed-shooting, shooting moving and falling targets, shooting from behind cover, in motion, from horseback, as well as demonstrate their ability to act as a team and walk a hunting trail.


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www.knight.by

od¶wie¿am temat. nasi przyjaciele z Bia³orusi na Bitwie Narodów jeszcze raz serdecznie zapraszali Polaków na Mirski zamek. Jak widaæ datowanie jest bardzo szerokie, od trzynastki po pó¼n± piêtnastkê. ma byæ to turniej o wysokim poziomie rekonstrukcyjnym, wiêc zachêcam rekonstruktorów do wziêcia udzia³u w tym przedsiêwziêciu. proszê kontaktowaæ siê ze mn± w tej sprawie wszelkimi mo¿liwymi drogami, priv, fb, lub na maila pswr@op.pl. popytajcie swoich kolegów z ekip, zachêcajcie do tego wyjazdu. Organizatorzy zapewniaj± zwrot kosztów dojazdu, bezp³atne wizy na Bia³oru¶ i go¶cinê podczas trwania turnieju. Tylko co istotne, musimy siê ogarn±æ z list± osób wcze¶niej, bo wystawienie zaproszenia i wyrobienie wizy na Bia³oru¶ trochê trwa.

czekam na chêtnych

Hubert

Polecam zg³osiæ siê do Instytutu Polskiego http://www.instpol.by Pani Elena Zdobnikowa która organizowa³a nasz pobyt w Miñsku w szczególno¶ci by³a bardzo pomocna, równie¿ przy za³atwieniu wizy, ubezpieczeñ i skróceniu czasu oczekiwania na granicy (¶rednio 5 godzin).

We will prepare green channel for festival participants and you will not stay for a long time in custom area. We have prepared such arrangements in 2010 during Cup of Challenge in Minsk for Hubert and his team.

Autobus idzie po osobnym kanale, i jezely jest oficijalne zaproszenie na fest bedzie cie stac na granice nie wiêcej ni¿ godzinê na ka¿dej stronie.

Kurcze, mo¿na pojechaæ na Wschód. Kto by³ w Kijowie ten wie jak mo¿e wygl±daæ ta impreza, a kto nie by³ ten niech ¿a³uje. Fajnie by³oby zebraæ srog± ekipê

Ladies and Gentlemen,
We begin to accept applications for the Heritage of the Ages 2012 and invite you to get acquainted with the main festival events and the requirements for participants based on the current programme. This will allow to better understand which clubs may be interested in attending our festival.
Main events
1. Equestrian tournament
Full-contact equestrian tournament under the rules as close to medieval ones as possible. There is an agreement for the provision of 12 trained horses. If there is greater demand among participants, the number of cavalry can be increased.
2. Unmounted tournament
Full-contact unmounted tournament under the rules as close to medieval ones as possible. Poland 2-4 courts (participation confirmed); Lithuania 1 court (invitation sent, waiting for confirmation); Belarus 2-4 courts (the organizers’ team will ensure adequate level); Ukraine 2-4 courts (participation confirmed), the instigators’ party is headed by Andrei Kurkin; Russia 2-4 courts (the highest-quality representation at the last year’s tournament), the defenders’ party is headed by Vladimir Radomsky.
3. Staged battle
A large-scale staged battle is planned. The Russian party has confirmed that a pike square of about 50 fighters will be formed. Belarus and Ukraine will form the second, opposing pike square. In accordance with the advance applications, the battle will involve from 400 to 600 persons, as well as artillery, siege machines, archers, cavalry, pyrotechnics, etc. All male participants of the festival will complement the back ranks of the squares (ranks 5-7). Training sessions will be held directly during the festival, which will allow to increase the size of each battalion by 100-150 participants. As the result, the first ranks will consist of armoured men-at-arms from clubs oriented at this type of activity, while the back ranks will consist of militiamen in gambesons and kettle helms.
4. Bugurts
Traditional mass and tactical bugurts will be held in Friday and Sunday for everyone who wishes to take part. A white-arms melee will be held for festival participants on Saturday.
5. Archers’ tournament
Various archery competitions during the three festival days, as well as archers’ participation in the staged battle.
6. Fair
Throughout the festival the fair ground will provide the buyers with a chance to purchase different goods, and the merchants and artisans – to demonstrate their crafts and skills.
Requirements for participants
We invite for participation:
1. Knight courts for the tournament (all knightly attributes and an accompanying team are required for all tournament participants, as well as riding equipment and the ability to fight on horseback for the participants in equestrian combats).
2. Participants for the staged battle in large numbers, but in proper outfits/armour (the required minimum for militiamen are a gambeson and a kettle helm).
3. Bugurtsmen with appropriate armour, outfits and understanding of the necessity to observe the combat rules.
4. Archers with proper costumes and weapons.
5. Profile teams oriented at playing a special role at the festival (heralds team, combat engineer squadron for the staged battle, seignior’s escort, halberdiers team to guard the seignior, group of pikemen to build up the core of the pike square) – we will seek to compensate travel costs for these participants.
6. Merchants in appropriate costumes with authentic goods.
The regional and chronological limits of the reenactment comprise the second half of the 14th century – the middle of the 15th century. Apart from traditional Western European complexes, a court from Belarus will represent a reenactment of the Great Duchy of Lithuania (references to GDL knights’ participation at Polish tournaments date back to the end of the 14th century), thus clubs engaged in Eastern European reenactment are very welcome too.
Clubs and individuals having an interest in historic reenactment of the Middle Ages are invited to the festival. Availability of a complete outfit and authentic household items for stay in the marching camp, as well as participation in the festival events programme, are obligatory. The festival is a restricted-access event (admission of participants with confirmed applications). The applications will be considered by responsible representatives of the organizing committee.
Please, send in your applications before June 24, 2012 to the e-mail: Mirskyzamok@knight.by
Contact phone number: +375 44 550 40 50
Detailed information is available at: www.knight.by
Official communities in social networks:
http://vk.com/nasledie_vekov
http://www.facebook.com/groups/193710384064873/
Download the application form: http://knight.by/archiv/template_eng.xls

Sincerely yours,

z przykro¶ci± zawiadamiam, ¿e nie uda³o siê skompletowaæ wystarczaj±cej liczby osób ¿eby pojechaæ na ten wspania³y turniej

nie wiem gdzie le¿y przyczyna, byli¶my na Bia³orusi ju¿ 2 razy i oba wyjazdy by³y niesamowite - nasi przyjaciele ze wschodu zawsze potrafili nas piêknie ugo¶ciæ, walki by³y na super poziomie, atmosfera tak¿e.. Do tego organizatorzy zapewniali nam zwrot kosztów dojazdu, wizy darmowe w ramach wymiany kulturowej.. a chêtnych i tak nie by³o.

My¶lê ¿e g³ównym powodem jest jednak bliskie s±siedztwo w kalendarzu Grunwaldu. Prawie wszyscy siê ju¿ wtedy przygotowuj± do najwa¿niejszego dla nas polskiego turnieju, rezerwuj±c i organizuj±c swój wolny czas tak by jak najwiêcej go spêdziæ na Grunwie. W zesz³ym roku ten bia³oruski turniej odbywa³ siê tydzieñ przed Grunwaldem, co skazywa³o próbê wyjazdu tam od razu na pora¿kê. W tym roku jest 2 tygodnie czasu i efekt jest ten sam. Có¿, bardzo ¿a³ujê ¿e siê i tym razem nie uda³o, dziêkujê jeszcze raz naszym przyjacio³om za zaproszenie i proszê nie zapominajcie o nas przy kolejnych turniejach w Waszym kraju.


Na koniec uwaga ogólna - ludziska, poróbcie sobie paszporty Bo zdarzy³o siê wiele sytuacji takich, ¿e zg³asza³y siê osoby które paszportu nie mia³y, albo mia³y ale ju¿ "przeterminowany". Z wyjazdami na Bia³oru¶ jest tak, ¿e trzeba wyrobiæ wcze¶niej wizy, na które znów odpowiednio wcze¶niej organizatorzy musz± nam wystawiæ zaproszenia. To wszystko trwa. Nie mo¿na wiêc wyrobiæ paszportu tu¿ przed wyjazdem, bo w zaproszeniu trzeba ju¿ podaæ dane uczestników, zawieraj±ce m.in. numer paszportu. W praktyce oznacza³o to, ¿e na ten wyjazd najpó¼niej mo¿na by³o z³o¿yæ wniosek o wydanie paszportu pod koniec kwietnia, ¿eby z tym wszystkim siê wyrobiæ na czas.

Na Wschód bêdziemy jeszcze je¼dziæ nie raz, tak wiêc nie zostawiajcie sobie tego na ostatni± chwilê, tylko grzecznie pójd¼cie do urzêdu i z³ó¿cie odpowiednie wnioski ju¿ dzi¶. Bo potem tylko ¿al, jak za pó¼no siê orientujecie, ¿e nie macie tego dokumentu i przez to nie mo¿na wyjechaæ na tak fajny turniej jak ten na przyk³ad.

tyle z mojej strony, pozdrawiam

Hubert

Szkoda, mocno siê nastawi³em na wyjazd

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