Fighters used swords and axes to battle it out in 20 combats at Onet-le-Chateau in the Aveyron region of southern France.
Fighters used swords and axes to battle it out at Onet-le-Chateau in southern France © Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP
The local council described the fights as the modern-day equivalent of "what was effectively the mixed martial arts of the Middle Ages".While most of the action involved men from France, Poland and Britain, some women fighters were also on the bill.The fights were held in a local club that organises this kind of armoured combat, known as behourd.
This kind of fighting is known as 'behourd' from the old French term © Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP
Organisers say it includes not just weapons combat but wrestling, ground work and strikes with the fists, feet, elbows, knees, the head and the shield."The word 'behourd' comes from Old French," said Clement Carsac, president of the local club."It was a recreational activity practised by men in the Middle Ages, It’s where history and combat sports meet."
