Like many sports organizations, the Heavy Armored Combat Society of Alberta (HACSA) has had to get creative in order to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite facing the same limitations as any other association, they have managed to stay afloat and even thrive in recent months.

Earlier in the year, HACSA established "The List," a Calgary-based gym dedicated to full contact medieval-style combat.

HACSA's President Richard Mann says they've been able to offer classes for kids utilizing soft foam weapons, and have even been able to return to smaller tournament events.

"Because everyone's been enjoying it so much, we decided to put on a little mini-tournament and get a few people together while trying to stay within the restrictions, and keep everybody engaged in fighting, and it worked pretty well!"

He says interest in these smaller tournaments has exceeded expectations, and while events are kept fairly small, it's definitely drumming up excitement for their annual Winter Cup, though the exact date is yet to be determined due to uncertainty with the pandemic.

Mann says health precautions do have a significant effect on the combat itself, though there's a silver lining.

"You'll hear people say something funny like 'when you've got a sword, you can keep people six feet away pretty easily,' and while that's true, you do tend to end up in some grappling, because we're actually fighting. So keeping masks on and keeping distance forces us to work on technique more, which does actually make us better fighters."

Moving forward, Mann says there are plans to hold a few "soft kit" championships, making use of foam weapons and armour, with events available for younger kids as well.

For more information on HACSA, click here.

To view our story on HACSA's previous Winter Classic held at the Okotoks Agriplex, including an image gallery, click here.

 

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