Wednesday, May 10 was the second day of the Chivalric Martial Arts International symposium (CMAI) that is leading up to the "Lysts on the Lake" international jousting tournament. As mentioned in a previous article, the CMAI is a three day clinic teaching a variety of Chivalric Martial Arts including classroom instruction, armoured foot combat and equestrian instruction.
For Wednesday, the equestrian classes were:
Beginner Rider 2: with Tina Walsh
Jousting 3: Riding in Armour with Luke Binks
Beginner Rider 3: with Tina Walsh
Jousting 4: Weapons Handling in Armour with Luke Binks
Mounted Combat 2: Riding for Combat with Theresa Wendland
...and later that night there was the first jousting practice for the competitors at this year's "Lysts on the Lake".
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend or get pictures of either of the Jousting classes taught by Luke Binks. However, I was able to watch the Mounted Combat class taught by Theresa Wendland and her assistant Douglas Wagner. Since most of her students for this session were not expert riders, Theresa concentrated on the basics, such as getting close enough to your opponent to actually strike them. She explained that if you tried to attack your opponent from too far away, you would simply throw yourself off balance and possibly off your horse.
Theresa demonstrates what not to do when attacking an opponent.
She had her students practice passing close enough to slap each others hands while keeping their elbows bent at apx a 90 degree angle. (click on the thumbnails to see the full sized pictures.)
It may look like these students are simply giving each other the "high five", but they are actually practicing towards being able to do mounted combat.
Later in the class, Theresa used Douglas to demonstrate how to pull your opponent off balance and possibly out of their saddle. (click on the thumbnails to see the full sized pictures.)
Theresa pulls Douglas off balance
Finally, she and Douglas demonstrated some of the kinds of riding at speed that you would need to be able to do in order to compete in mounted combat.
Theresa and Douglas simulate riding against an opponent at speed
While the CMAI classes were being taught, volunteers were helping to get things ready for the upcoming jousting tournament -- such as spray painting the coronels that go on the tips of the lances.
Just one of the many tasks that need to be done to prepare for a tournament
And practicing actually putting the tips on the lances.
Capable ground crew are an essential part of any jousting tournament
At the very end of the evening, it was time for the competitors of "Lysts on the Lake" to practice going through the complicated sequence of steps necessary to run a smooth tournament. Arranging for the right people on the right horses with the right equipment to be at the right place at the right time isn't easy.
Every jouster needs squires to help them prepare to joust
And it is not just the jousters that need to be in place. The squires, ground crew, judges, King of Arms, Lady of Honour and the announcers all need to work together as well. The logistics of it all are rather staggering.
Just a few of the many people required to produce a jousting tournament
The announcers and stage manager planning how the tournament will go
The jousters may be the most visible participants in any jousting tournament, but there are a great many people working behind the scenes to make the tournament a success.
For Wednesday, the equestrian classes were:
Beginner Rider 2: with Tina Walsh
Jousting 3: Riding in Armour with Luke Binks
Beginner Rider 3: with Tina Walsh
Jousting 4: Weapons Handling in Armour with Luke Binks
Mounted Combat 2: Riding for Combat with Theresa Wendland
...and later that night there was the first jousting practice for the competitors at this year's "Lysts on the Lake".
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend or get pictures of either of the Jousting classes taught by Luke Binks. However, I was able to watch the Mounted Combat class taught by Theresa Wendland and her assistant Douglas Wagner. Since most of her students for this session were not expert riders, Theresa concentrated on the basics, such as getting close enough to your opponent to actually strike them. She explained that if you tried to attack your opponent from too far away, you would simply throw yourself off balance and possibly off your horse.
Theresa demonstrates what not to do when attacking an opponent.
She had her students practice passing close enough to slap each others hands while keeping their elbows bent at apx a 90 degree angle. (click on the thumbnails to see the full sized pictures.)
It may look like these students are simply giving each other the "high five", but they are actually practicing towards being able to do mounted combat.
Later in the class, Theresa used Douglas to demonstrate how to pull your opponent off balance and possibly out of their saddle. (click on the thumbnails to see the full sized pictures.)
Theresa pulls Douglas off balance
Finally, she and Douglas demonstrated some of the kinds of riding at speed that you would need to be able to do in order to compete in mounted combat.
Theresa and Douglas simulate riding against an opponent at speed
While the CMAI classes were being taught, volunteers were helping to get things ready for the upcoming jousting tournament -- such as spray painting the coronels that go on the tips of the lances.
Just one of the many tasks that need to be done to prepare for a tournament
And practicing actually putting the tips on the lances.
Capable ground crew are an essential part of any jousting tournament
At the very end of the evening, it was time for the competitors of "Lysts on the Lake" to practice going through the complicated sequence of steps necessary to run a smooth tournament. Arranging for the right people on the right horses with the right equipment to be at the right place at the right time isn't easy.
Every jouster needs squires to help them prepare to joust
And it is not just the jousters that need to be in place. The squires, ground crew, judges, King of Arms, Lady of Honour and the announcers all need to work together as well. The logistics of it all are rather staggering.
Just a few of the many people required to produce a jousting tournament
The announcers and stage manager planning how the tournament will go
The jousters may be the most visible participants in any jousting tournament, but there are a great many people working behind the scenes to make the tournament a success.
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