SÆXIA FYRD COMBAT TRAINING SYSTEM

(Above: FCTS Sword & Shield combat demonstrated at Tutbury Castle 2022)

 Reflecting SÆXIA's diverse range of formative skills, we have a unique competitive display combat style which is designed to parallel current trends in the early medieval reenactment world, and yet bring an additional quality of showmanship usually restricted to the stage and screen. 

(Above: FCTS Spear & Shield combat demonstration, Tutbury Castle Event 2023)

 The Fyrd Combat Training System (FCTS) comprises of a display combat style that has been around 25 years in the making, and developed from ICSC (Impro-Choreographed-Stunt-Combat) adapted to the kit & weaponry of our chosen reenactment time period of Anglo-Saxon Britain. 

(Above: Preparing to take to the field in heatwave conditions! Wareham Saxon Festival 2022)

 FCTS made its debut in early 2022 and has since become a well known and widely respected show combat and training system across the country, appreciated for its flexibilty and success at entertaining the public.

(Above: Fyrdsman Æds Watson engages with a combatant from a different group, Chiltern Open Air Museum 2022)

 The basics of the "SÆXIA FYRD COMBAT SYSTEM" are simple to learn, and are compatible with what is usually referred to as "Western Rules" reenactment fighting. This is essentially a controlled contact/point scoring system, using blunted steel weapons, and is likely what you would have observed if attending any large reenactment events such as those put on by Regia Anglorum or the Vikings! society. 

(Above: "Hærwud" Eakins, former member of Regia Anglorum, prepares for combat at an event in Corfe Castle, 2024)

 Some of the ways that the FYRD COMBAT SYSTEM differs from Western Reenactment alone is in our use of the round shield as an offensive attack weapon along with its better known defensive manouvres, the use of a more authentically sized spear, usually around 2m head & shaft combined, and the more developed spear combat techniques that we employ. 

 Thanks to the previous experience in standard reenactment show fighting that two of our formative members have, we are able to both combine FCTS work with live reenactment events, aswell as switch things up a bit for stage & screen performance. This is not a quick or easy system to learn, especially if totally new to either reenactment combat or stage & screen performance combat, however the FYRD COMBAT TRAINING SYSTEM is broken down into three Grades each made up of three Levels, and so no-one is expected to be thrown in at the deep end and become a weapons expert overnight!

 Some of what we do can be observed by viewing our Foundational (Grade 3) & Intermediary (Grade 2) level training videos on our YouTube channel by following the link at the top of this page.