It is my pleasure to announce that Ira Bolshakova has been appointed as the Swords of Cygnus’ Vice Captain. Her contributions as a fighter and strategist have been invaluable and have kept the heart of our women’s team beating. So, let’s see what she has to say about the women’s movement in Historical Medieval Battle and her own aspirations.
- Firstly, Ira what is it that you love about buhurt?
I’ve always been a curious individual, who is up to trying something new. I have had so many hobbies that I can’t even count them all on my hands now, but HMB is the only one that developed from a regular weekend hobby thing into something truly serious. It is the constant challenge it offers you. And the drive you get, entering the lists. And people you get to know thanks to it, because they all are truly amazing — where else on Earth you’d find someone who’d be okay with beating each other up, and then sharing a beer together?
How much time do you dedicate to buhurt?
I have forgotten what it is like taking a day off that is not for a tournament or training.
- What do you think has changed for the women since you joined the sport?
I’m not that long in the sport to make some deep analytical judgements, but there are surely many more of us now. When I left the UK in autumn 2017 there were only 8 armoured female fighters here; in a bit more than a year later there were already 13 armoured women and at least 7 of those who were just starting their soft kit training — isn’t that amazing? And that’s just within the UK.
I have also noticed that women have raised their voice, so now we start seeing more and more women friendly tournaments, where even such things as female mass battles have become a reality. I see it as a great achievement and a good sign for further development.
- Has fighting in buhurt initiated more of an interest in medieval history for you or have you always been a medieval enthusiast?
I always found history to be a very amusing subject. To be honest, I was never an expert! Although being around knowledgeable people certainly does help and I love thinking that I am not completely lost to it. In addition, thanks to the recent authenticity regulation changes I pay much more attention to medieval visuals. Medieval animal drawings are my new favourite art form.
- Can you talk us through the armour that you wear for buhurt?
The kit I’m wearing is a late 14th century European style armour — the most common combination amongst buhurt fighters. I love it for being simple (easy to fix or replace), but smart looking. What is most important, is that it is comfortable to wear and very protective. I’ve been wearing the same kit for over two years now and never had a single issue with it! When I feel it is time for an upgrade, I’ll probably go for articulated legs though, as they give even more protection for your knees - the most vulnerable body part of a buhurt fighter.
- And what weapons do you have in your arsenal? What do you look for in a weapon?
At the moment I am the proud owner of two falchions, a buhurt one and a profight one, and an arming sword. And I’m in love with all of them! A good weapon is surprisingly hard to obtain, as the key to it is a combination of weight, length and balance point all at the same time — if one of those aspects is wrong, and the sword becomes no better than a simple metal bar.
- You have competed extensively across the Western and Eastern European Conferences, what has been your favourite tournament and why?
Oh dear. It is hard to pick just one! I really enjoyed both Winter Fight Cups we’ve been to in 2018 and 2019 — even despite its being so cold! Its venue is probably one of my favourites, the organisers are very welcoming and teams coming were also very good both years. Performance wise, I think this year’s Battle of the Nations was the best for us, as we all did really well — and were even “rewarded” with a mass battle afterwards!
- In the past 6 months (or year?) you have developed the team Armoured Combat Gloucester, what aspect of your captaincy have you found most challenging?
All of it! Being a captain, you suddenly find yourself responsible for all sorts of things, from making sure your teammates have a full set of authentic armour and train regularly, to checking if they stay hydrated in between fights. But what I was completely unprepared for was field managing. I was more used to following commands, not giving them; so I still remember the first time me, Demi and Claire fought together as a team: we were stood there in the lists, when they both looked up (or should I say down) at me and asked, “Okay, what are we doing?” And I was like – ‘Omg, what do I say?’, “Hit them with the pointy end” is definitely not good enough! I feel like I’ve developed my leadership skills a bit since then, which is a good thing to have outside the lists, too, so I’m quite happy I’ve taken this role. Also I might not say it out loud enough, but I am very grateful for having them by my side: they are very driven and dedicated folk, and I am so excited to see where this journey will take us.
- As it stands in the UK you have the fastest growing contingent of female fighters. How do you train and prepare them for battle? Does the format of training differ from the men’s?
At the moment we have 5 women training together, and three of them are fully armoured. We are also very lucky to have Toni, Medieval Combat Wales fighter, at our training every other week, which gives us an opportunity to have female-only 3v3 soft buhurt and, 2v2 steel fights. Regular team training is our strength.
As for the training process, it’s very similar to men’s training in ACG: we do basic warm up, then go into warm up grappling and sparring. Then we move forward to practising new throws or dive straight into group fights or duels. The advantage we’ve got is that one out of three ACG weekly training is dedicated solely to women, so the coaching is focused on what we need to practice more — and we can practice it as long as it needs to be and until we do it right, not worrying about slowing someone down.
- What are your future aspirations for Armoured Combat Gloucester?
Conquering the world, obviously! If seriously, we are aiming for two main goals really. First is having a full team, regularly — and successfully — competing at both domestic and international levels. For now I’m talking about a full 3v3 team, which we’ll then eventually upgrade to a full 5v5 one. And secondly, I want my team to become a solid part of the UK National Female team, bring home some shiny BotN medals and make ourselves proud.
- I know you to be a very driven and focused individual in all aspects of your life so do you have your more personal goals in Historical Medieval Battle?
*turning red from head to toes* Thank you! I’m glad to know someone sees me that way. And yes, of course — as why compete at all if not for winning?
Representing the UK in Sword in Shield nomination at Battle of the Nations this year gave me a big push motivation wise: I made it out of my group losing only to a very skilled fighter who would take silver later, and was eliminated in the next step after a very close three round match, which proved that I actually can give some hard times to my opponents, but I am just not good enough to win yet. It was that “not good enough” made me, a person who is a perfectionist with every cell of their body, so angry with myself! And that anger and disappointment can only be relieved by working out even harder at duels-focused training and finally becoming someone who wins.
- At BOTNX you represented the UK in Sword and Shield, 5v5 buhurt and the mass battle. What were your favourite moments from the 10th anniversary of Battle of the Nations?
Oh dear. It was quite intense, so it’s a bit patchy in my head. I do remember the moment we learnt that we won our first fight against Ukraine though. That was unbelievable. I think it was our most important win, as I don’t know about you, but it pumped me up so much, it gave me this drive lasted for all the rest of the fights that day. Oh, and definitely the moment we were getting in the lists before the mass battles. Here goes one, two… forty-two women enter the lists. Then we all started moving towards each other!
- What were your impressions of the women’s mass battle?[1]
That. Was. Awesome! Why haven’t we tried it earlier? I feel like all my previous life was pointless and dull now! Obviously, considering it was done for the very first time in the entire history of female HMB, both teams were struggling with the proper mass battle tactics execution, but give us more time and practice, and I am sure female 12v12 category will be a most welcomed nomination at any tournament.
- Do you have a routine or ritual that you do before a fight? Can you tell us what it is?
I know some fighters like listening to certain music to get in the right mood, others go for a run, but personally I don’t do anything specific. Normally I try my best to have a good night's sleep, make sure I had a proper breakfast, arrived on sight in time to warm and armour up with no rush — and that’s it, I’m ready for war!
- What would you say to any women wanting to start buhurt? What advice would you give to any woman coming into Historical Medieval Battle?
I’d say — don’t waste your time, cancel all the stuff planned for the rest of the week and go for your first session as soon as you learn it exists. Because if you don’t, you’ll hate yourself later. Seriously, the best advice from me would be — don’t hesitate. Don’t drown yourself in doubt whether you are fit or strong enough to do it — because you are. We all have that fight in us, and appropriate fitness level is just a matter of time and training. Buhurt is fun. Buhurt is friends. Buhurt is love’
