And the event had all these badass dudes in it.
And of course me, attempting to push myself into their ranks.
It didn't go as well as I'd hoped, since... as you can see... I had to face Sauron.
Okay, his fighter name is actually Hartman, and yes, he's even more badass than he looks.
In a word, I had the rotten luck of being paired to fight probably the best armored swordsman in all the Baltics. Remember the word class fighters image from above? Yes, that's him on the left.
As I know his reputation of being a distance fighter and had seen him dealing brutal blows from a great reach, I decide to close in and deny him that advantage.
Of course, he's more agile than me. BAM!
I keep going, reach him. Clinch!
Now, I push him as hard as I can, disengaging myself, bringing the blade around and...
BAM!
I hit him! I hit him! Everyone saw that, right? They sure did!
Still, it was just one point though. And then he continued to hand my ass to me on a silver platter, which he did, I must say, without much effort.
I managed to get a few blows in over the three bouts, but that was pretty much it. He just dominated me.
...
Now, longswords. Probably my weakest discipline overall.
Again, I try to deny him the distance and put my arms on his arms to gain control -- a tip he gave to me just a few weeks back. But... Having spent my time on building armor, rather than training, I fail to capitalize on that success.
He defeated me quite swiftly.
...
Waiting for the buckler round.
Now, bucklers were fun. Way, way faster than the other disciplines.
That distance seems kind of safe, right? I mean, at least I can cover my head real fast if I need to?
Wrong! BAM! Right in the face!
I attempt to counter, he parries the blow with ease. Then counters himself.
BAM!
The yellow flag signals the end of the fight... and also my defeat. Still, it is my favorite image of them all.
Be sure to click on the image to get the full effect.
...
So, in my first round, I was eliminated from the contest. He was the guy that ended up claiming the first prize. And as he had the final duel after not only winning two fights first, but also participating in... nine (yes, NINE!) 5vs5 team matches, I'm saying there was no shame in it.
...
And here's me... beard disheveled from the helm strap, out of breath and covered in sweat... but way richer for the experience and eager for the next time!
...
Image credits: Elmo Riig, except the two tall images by Petro Tsigura.
If you want to see a gallery the whole event, click here.
We have less than a dozen clubs here, total.