10 Buhurt Terms You Should Know

Learning about a new sport can be intimidating, especially when everyone is throwing around terms you don’t know. Here are the top 10 buhurt terms you should know!

Buhurt

Originating from the French word “béhourd” meaning “to wallop,” buhurt is a sport that began in the 12th century and was brought back in the late 1990s in Russia and Ukraine. Buhurt is the sport IAC participates in. Other terms for buhurt include Armored Combat and Historical Medieval Battles (HMB).

Duel

A buhurt competition where two fighters compete one on one. Duels are points-based so the goal is to hit your competitor with your weapon more than they hit you. Common duels competitions are longsword, sword and shield, sword and buckler (a smaller type of shield), and polearm.

Two fighters engaged in a duel.

Melee

A buhurt competition where two teams of multiple fighters compete to bring their opponents to the ground. Melees can be any size, but they are most commonly 5v5. The teams compete in a best two out of three. When a fighter has three points of contact touching the ground, they are considered down and cannot return to the fight for that round. If a melee becomes 3v1, 4v1, or 5v1 at any point, the fight is over and the team with three or more remaining fighters is the winner of that round.

A 3v3 melee.

Profights/Outrance

Best described as medieval MMA, profights (also called outrance) are a buhurt competition where two fighters compete one on one. Similar to duels, profights are points-based. However, in addition to weapon strikes, punches and takedowns are also factored into the scores. Profights can also be won by technical knockouts. Profights are the only buhurt competition where competitors are separated by weight class.

Two fighters in a profight.

List

A wooden framed arena where buhurt fights happen. The size of the list depends on the type of fights being completed. Outside of the list there is an additional space where spectators cannot enter, marked off with a rope, as sometimes fighters or weapons will fall outside of the list.

There are two common types of lists, a rail list, typically made of 4”x4” boards, and a tabletop list, typically made of 2”x4” and 4”x4” boards and topped with wide plywood. Tabletop lists are required for Buhurt International official events, while rail lists are more commonly used for less competitive events.

A rail list and a tabletop list.

Pell

A piece of equipment used for training buhurt. A pell is a tall stack of tires with a wooden center post and base to hold them upright. Fighters will hit a pell with a weapon repeatedly to practice techniques and increase stamina. The pell is referenced in one of IAC’s team slogans, “die on the pell, live in the list.”

Marshal

The referees in buhurt are called marshals. Marshals wear yellow while knight marshals (head marshal for an event) wear black and yellow stripes. Events have numerous marshals in different positions to count strikes, determine winners, and look out for fighter safety. Depending on the event or league rules, marshals might wear modern yellow clothing or they might wear yellow period clothing.

A group of marshals.

Support

Sometimes called “squires,” support are team members who assist with the non-fighting needs of an event. Support members will help fighters put on their armor, make quick repairs to damaged armor, replace weapons when they are dropped or damaged, ensure fighters stay hydrated, and provide other necessary support.

Other non-fighting positions typically held by team members include photography, merchandise sales, marshaling, medical aid, and administrative positions.

Support providing water for a fighter.

Soft Kit

Equipment used to practice buhurt techniques. Typical soft kit equipment includes items such as lacrosse-style helmets, boxing gloves, MMA shin guards, and other soft padding. Soft kit weapons include foam and wooden weapons, which are typically not used for striking, but for technical experience.

The counter to soft kit practices are full kit practices where armor is required to be worn in full.

A soft kit Rat Pack practice.

Period

Period refers to the medieval timeframe in which armor, weapons, and equipment used in buhurt are based on. Armor must be based on academically acknowledged source material from the years 1300 A.D. to 1600 A.D. and must be comprised of elements of the same region and within a 30-year period. This term is often used in reference to period clothing and period shoes. Depending on the league, marshals may also be required to wear period attire.

An example of source material for armor and weapons.

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