captain of “Martel” club (France),
captain of the National Team of France
 
 
 
– Tell us, please, about your way to HMB sport. What does full contact fighting in armor mean to you? How long have you been engaged in it?
– For me, fighting in armor is the most beautiful and most chivalric way to practise a combat sport. I especially like the team aspect which you don’t find in most other fighting sports. I have been engaged in this business since 2010.– What armor do you have (geographical area and period)? Why did you choose it? What weapons do you prefer and why?
– I use a West-European armor dating back to the end of the XIV century. I chose it because it reflects my cultural heritage, and it is very convenient for fighting and travelling. I prefer to use the shield and
falchion in “5 vs 5”, because I can hit hard with the shield when I want to be aggressive, or use it to protect myself when necessary. The falchion is a solid, polyvalent weapon, useful in any situation. I have a scabbard to carry it on my belt when I’m not fighting, which is very convenient. I think two-handed weapons suit bigger and stronger fighters more, while I am a lightweight one.

– Do you practise any other sports (if yes, for how long)? How does it help on the lists?
– I practise fitness on a daily basis, and from time to time I practise Muay Thai or Savate in a club, but I travel a lot and it doesn’t help.

– How do you prepare for tournaments? What is the focus of your training?
– I try to make sure that all my equipment is completely ready, and that I won’t miss anything at the crucial moment. The focus of my training is on strength and gaining weight, because that’s where my weakness is – when I joined the sport, I was 58 kg. Now I managed to reach a 66-kg level.

– Do you have any unique techniques? Can you tell us about them?
– I have a lot of unique techniques, from poisoning to irresistible seduction powers, but, as you understand, I need to keep them secret!

– What qualities are essential for a good HMB fighter?
– Aggressiveness, good mental state, historical accuracy.

– What are your favorite categories? Why? Is there any difference between categories for you?
– My favorite category is “5 vs 5”, because there is a teamwork, tactics. This category is unpredictable, anything can happen. The fighters are not drowned in a big mass, so you can really see beautiful actions and every competitor’s valor.

– Can you give us some information about the job you have done in 2014?
– In 2014 we managed to organize two new events, they were “The Siege of Château-Thierry” in July and the “Iron Clash Tournament” in August. The first one featured profights according to the WMFC rules and mass battles in different parts of the castle of the Counts of Champagne to simulate a siege. The second one took place in the central region of France – Auvergne, in a beautiful castle, and was a regular “5 vs 5” and “1 vs 1” tournament.

– What were the problems you faced?
– We’d like to have more participants and more funds at our events.

– What are the ways of solving the problems?
– Work in a closer partnership with other teams and associations, and plan everything in advance is required.

– The season is over, share your impressions about it. In what tournaments, in addition to “Battle of the Nations”-2014, did you participate?
– We fought in the National qualification tournament, where my club “Martel” took only the 4-th place, after being an undefeated leader of France for more than a year. Then we took part in the Championship in Spain as team “France-3”, where we got good results until the quarter finals.

We fought in Trogir as a mixed team with the “Brotherhood of the Wolves”. They got the 2-nd place at our National qualifiers. Then, we cooperated with “wolves” in the mass battle event of Château-Thierry in July.

Our fighters did well in profights, with only one loss. In the end of August, “Martel” formed a mixed team with the “Brotherhood of the Wolves” again for the “Iron Clash Tournament” to end up in the first position.

In September, we took part in the “Black Falcon Tournament” in Montbazon where we took the 4-th place.

– How did your National Team appear, where and when was its debut? What categories did you take part in?
– Our National Team was officially formed for the first time in 2013 for the Championship in Aigue-Mortes (France). We took part in every category.

– What conclusions can you make after participation in “Battle of the Nations”-2014? How much are you satisfied with the result? Will you change anything concerning the armor, organization of the training process, tactics?
– We are satisfied with our results in “5 vs 5”, it showed that France is in the top 5 of the nations practising HMB, ahead of us were only teams from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Poland. Next year we hope to bring more better-trained fighters, and maybe we will mix fighters from different clubs to form a “dream team” like some other nations already do.

In “1 vs 1”, results were good but I think our champions need to participate in more tournaments during the year to gain more experience.

– What would you wish novices of HMB sport (any recommendations, any instructions you can give)?
– Fighting in tournaments is the best training you can get, and the best way to earn experience, so get yourself an armor and off you go!

Interview by
Nina Valeyeva,
HMBIA News