An Amazing Ten Days in Europe!

This has been an amazing ten days of medieval and European experiences and accomplishments!

First, I and my lady went to Malbork, Poland for the International Medieval Combat Federation world championships. She went as part of the support staff for USA Knights, America's team n the tournament. My reasons for going were twofold: 1) I was producing a documentary of USA Knights at the event, and 2) I was doing the on-air commentary of the action for half of each day on the steaming webcast.

Both experiences were highly rewarding. I had contracted two camera peole, Tadej Znidarcic and Nawojka Cracke, and though I haven't looked through all the footage yet, what I have seen so far is very promising! The video will be called "American Knights." Watch for it at http://www.captainzorikh.com/usaknights2014

Calling the play-by-play of a sports event has been one of my lifelong dreams. Ever since I was listening to Phil Rizzutto on WINS 1010AM radio as Reggie Jackson and Thurman Munson were leading the Yankees to the World Series I wanted to be in the booth calling all the action. But I never could figure out the career path, aside from being a retired professional athlete.

This year, being as I would not be fighting due to my injured knee, I sort of lived up to that carer path, and took my baptism of fire in the booth. I had a few rough patches, not knowing all the fighter' names, for instance, but by the time I was done, people all over were telling me that I did a great job and I really brought something valuable to the broadcast.

I intend to do more of this. It is possible that I might be doing some broadcasts later this year. But I learned from  my mistakes this time. I will be doing a little more homework on the teams and saying "um" a little less often, for starters.

As a result of all this, it appears that I have become a bit of a celebrity in the world of medieval armored combat. When I came across the French team as they were hanging out with the Spanish team and a couple of Poles after a hard day of fighting, when I asked to take a picture with one of them, the next thing you know they were saying "Everyone get together for a picture with Captain Zorikh!"

When this was all done, my lady and I headed down to Prague for a little vacation. We visited the famous astrological clock tower, St. Vitus' cathedral and Prague Castle, the gardens of the Senate, St Charles' Bridge, took a tour to Kuna Hora with its "bone church," silver mine, and high Gothic cathedral and another tour of Konepiste Castle, the home of the lade Archduke Ferdinand, and its magnificent armor and hunting trophy galleries, and another tour about WWII in Prague, saw "La Traviata" at the National Theater and "The Magic Flute" as performed by the National Marionette Theater, dined in some excellent restaurants, did a little shopping at the Battle of the Nations, drank good beer (including the "real Budweiser"), and finished off the week with a river cruise with dinner on the Vlatava.

I shot loads of pictures and video over this trip, and will be posting them on Facebook and YouTube as soon as I can.

Watch This space for more details!

Report from the Battle of the Nations 2013 part 1

Report from the Battle of the Nations 2013

Last year we were rock stars. We were superheroes. We were Rocky, the Bad News Bears, the Karate Kid, the Muppets all rolled into one glorious, made-in-America, only-in-America story.

This year we were warriors.

America loves an underdog but at the end of the day, it wants a winner, and we wanted to win. For nineteen of us, this was a return. We had been here before. By “here,” I mean international full-contact medieval armored combat with rebated steel weapons at the Battle of the Nations, although this was a new location, the tiny walled village of Aigues-Mortes on the southern coast of France. For the other twenty-nine it was the first time, but they had the benefit of our experience, our game films, and a training program and battle plan devised by veterans.

We had popped the cherry of Americans being in the sport and had surprised everyone with out toughness, passion, and, to some degree, our good sportsmanship and pleasant natures (not that anyone thought anything bad of us, but everyone remarked how much fun we were). So now here we were, better prepared, with a bigger team, and ready to literally take on the world.

The atmosphere for the event was very different from last year. The city of Aigues-Mortes, and much of France itself, is defined by the words “quaint,” “charming,” and “beautiful.” Just walking down the street put you in the mindset of a medieval town. As a good start to the week we took a tour of Carcassonne, the famous medieval castle. Though it was much more “touristy” than Malbork last year, there is just no avoiding the majesty of looking up at medieval walls and towers, looking out over the landscape from medieval walls and towers, and of course, the stained glass windows and flying buttresses of Gothic cathedrals.

But even before we got there, my lady and I spent a couple of days in Paris. There I met with a cousisn I did not know I had. He invited us over to dinner, at which we had a wonderful home-cooked French meal and met his wife and children. He showed us old family photos and some family documents going back hundreds of years. Some of the most fascinating were a Legion d'Honneur certificate from 1857 that also had a letter from the Sultan, and a scroll from the King of France from 1732!

After Paris we drove down to Carcassonne with Rich Elswick, one of my fellow Team USA knights, stopping off for lunch in Tours, where we checked out another cathedral and an art museum.

It was fascinating to see an At Museum in a small town in France. This was apparently a private collection being shown in a large mansion. Most of the fine art I have ever seen has been in museums in America or art history books. There you get the feeling that what you are seeing are the most important works of at in the world, that the artists did this one or these two or three paintings and that's it, there is no need to see any more. And since these museums cover such a broad spectrum of history and geography, you get the sense that there was only a few pieces of work in any place or period that are worth looking at.

But in the Beaux-Arts Museum in Tours I saw lots and lots of paintings from the same period, all from western Europe, including a Rembrandt. This made me realize that these famous artists did not do just those one or two or three paintings w all know, but lots and lots of paintings over the course of their life. And there were lots of lesser-known artists working also. And people commissioned this art and hung it in their hoses. This was the “pop art” of its period. These were the magazine subscriptions and the TV shows of the nobility and the bourgeoisie. It gave me a new perspective on the history of art and made me wish I had done more art in my lfe. It kind of makes me want tp pick up a pencil right now...

To be continued.

Battle of the Nations hits the local news!

As some of you may know, I am, once  again, on Team USA for the Battle of the Nations!

I don't have time for a full-length post and essay right now, but I do want to mention that this year around I am starting to get some press coverage! Here is an article in the Brooklyn Paper from last week, and just today a photographer came from the NY Daily News to take pictures for an article coming out this Sunday!

Here is the text of the article, just in case it disappears of the 'web someday...

A real Brooklyn knight: W’burg warrior heading to Europe to do battle

By Danielle Furfaro

The Brooklyn Paper

Photo by Stefano Giovannini

Knight fight: Zorikh Lequidre will go to Europe to compete with the rest of Team USA in the Battle of Nations — an international sword-fighting tournament.

Photo courtesy of Zorikh Lequidre

Lequidre designs his armor himself, and trained in jiu jitsu and wrestling before dedicating himself the the medieval lifestyle.

File photo by Paul Martinka

One thing is certain: he's more legit than this Brooklyn Knight.

Sword-toting Williamsburger Zorikh Lequidre will represent the County of Kings — and the nation — in a fight for bragging rights between men who spend their weekends getting all medieval on each other.
The 44-year-old actor is taking his homemade armor to France, where he will fight for Team USA in the so-called Battle of Nations — a massive melee that will let him fulfill the dream of just about every boy since the Dark Ages.
“Who doesn’t want to be the knight in shining armor and the hero to look up to, serving your king and fighting against the best fighters out there?” said Lequidre, who added that, yes, it is his real name. “You are putting yourself in a tradition of noble elite.”

But unlike his medieval ancestors, Lequidre will fight with a dulled blade.
The swords aren’t sharp, meaning participants ought to escape with all of their limbs — but other than that the reenactments are full-scale and full-contact, with teams from 14 countries gathering in May in Aigues Mortes to behave as knights did in the 12th century.
And that extends far beyond just slashing people with broadswords, according to Lequidre.
“You have to take on squires and train them. At events, you have to marshall and make sure that everyone is wearing the proper armor,” said Lequidre, who joined the national team last year after participating in other reenactments with the Society for Creative Anachronism for more than two decades. “And you have to engage in chivalry, the definition of which we love to debate over a campfire and drinks we all made ourselves.”
Lequidre is the only Brooklyn knight on the national team, and he earned his spot on the 50-fighter roster by beating out 100 other applicants and training in jiu jitsu and wrestling.
And he lays it all on the battlefield, according to Team USA officer Jaye Brooks.
“Where Zorikh really stands out is determination,” said Brooks, who judged the try-outs on skill, strength, and spirit. “He has a ton of heart.”
That’s because he is fighting for love.
Lequidre met his lady, Maria Dedvukaj, three years ago at a Halloween party where he dressed as a knight in armor — and since then his damsel has become an integral part of his recreational combat, serving as a team administrator and coordinating travel, lodging, and food for American warriors.
“It’s history coming alive, it’s adventure and there’s also this pride of having a team come from the U.S.,” said Dedvukaj, who sews all her own outfits.
Adventure doesn’t equal victory: and that’s all that matters in this not-so-bloody bloodsport. In fact, Team USA came in last in 2012’s 21-on-21 melee.
This time, Lequidre says the United States boasts its finest lineup of knights in the nation’s 236-year history, but it’s unclear if America can keep up with the superpowers such as Poland and Ukraine, which placed first and second last year, respectively.
Win or lose, he will return to Brooklyn a knight — even if that lofty title, granted to him by other members of Team USA, is not recognized by the Queen of England or any other kingdom.
“My knighthood and a MetroCard will get me on the subway,” he said.
The Battle of Nations will descend upon Aigues Mortes, France from May 9 to May 12. Video of the battles will be available at www.youtube.com/user/battleofthenationsTV.
Reach reporter Danielle Furfaro at dfurfaro@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2511. Follow her at twitter.com/DanielleFurfaro.

Reader Feedback

Zorikh Lequidre from Williamsburg says:

Thank you so much for putting this article out! I am very proud of what I am doing with Team USA at the Battle of the Nations!

This is an expensive undertaking, between the airfare, hotel, food, armor, weapons, training etc., so to raise funds I have created an illustration that will be available in an art print, t-shirt, or hoodie sweatshirt. you can get it, and other nifty items and perks, by sponsoring me through http://www.gofundme.com/zorikhbotn2013

You can also see videos I have produced myself about Team USA and Battle of the Nations at http://www.youtube.com/captainzorkh

This is a very well-written article and truly captures the spirit of what it is about. Just to clarify one thing, the description of knighthood in the 7th paragraph is a description of knighthood in the Society for Creative Anachronism, not necessarily Team USA or the Battle of the Nations.

Thanks again for writing and posting this article. This is very important to me and I am happy to share it with as many people as I can! 

March 21, 11:04 am

 

Eric Bentley from Tucson says:

Give em hell and safe returns!

 March 21, 11:26 am

 

Violetta from formerly LIC says:

DevonEliz (Laura) sent me this. God send thee well Sir Ervald.
- Vi (exiled in Midrealm)

March 21, 2:03 pm

 

Hipster from Williamsburg says:

you look like an idiot

March 21, 3:20 pm

 

Hagit Barzilai from Seneca Lane says:

Once a King, always a King, but once a Knight is enough.

March 21, 4:31 pm

 

JAY from NYC says:

wanna fight, then join the army.

March 21, 6:20 pm

 

The Real Zorikh from India says:

You spelled your name wrong. In the link. Left out the "i"

March 22, 4:35 pm

 

Tom from Propa PH says:

It's like game of thrones, but where all the knights have vaginas.

March 22, 4:37 pm

 

Sarah from Slope says:

Hey, I think it's kinda cool. Good luck Zorliek.

March 22, 4:37 pm

 

Captain Zorikh from Williamsburg says:

Thanks TRZFI. I thought I was the only Zorikh out there ;) Here is the corrected link to my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/captainzorikh
BTW, I set of a web page where info about me, the Battle of the Nations, my fundraiser, and videos can all be conveniently found at http://www.captainzorikh.com/botn2013

March 22, 4:41 pm

 

JAY from NYC says:

sorry but you are NOT a warrior and this is NOT a battle.

March 22, 6:38 pm

 

Brad from burg says:

Hey Jay from NYC your prozac ran out might wanna hide the rope.

March 22, 10:08 pm

 

Captain Zorikh from Williamsburg says:

Jay, you are entitled to your opinion of the definition of "warrior" and "battle." If you are more comfortable thinking of me as an "athlete" in a "sport," go right ahead. There will be an exhibition on April 13-14 at the Renaissance Faire in Mercer Co. Park in West Windsor, NJ Come on down and check us out. And feel free to talk with the current and former US military personnel who are on the team.

March 22, 10:15 pm

 

Charlie Andrews from Eagle Mountain Utah says:

Jay and Hipster why don't you come out of your Mom's basement and meet us on the field I promise it will be a battle and you will fully believe we are warriors !!! Or you could just suck it and leave it at that :)

March 23, 1:26 am

Final report from Battle of the Nations

Polish TV and a local documentary crew interviewed me. I tried to give them the best answers I could regarding why I am doing this, what I thought about the fights, how I would compare SCA combat with this full-contact fighting, if my BJJ experience helped me at all, etc.

Here's the TV show that interviewed me. The segment on the Battle of the Nations starts at 5:10...

Interestingly, it seemed that every interviewer asked why Americans would do this when the United States has no medieval heritage. The stock answer for this is that the majority of Americans come from Europe, and thus do have a medieval heritage. I would also add that Asian-, African-, and even Native American-descended Americans also have some sort of chivalric warrior heritage. There is a sort of universality to the concept of the "warrior elite," just as there is a universally to the hero myth. Medieval entertainments have been very popular in America for decades, as has physically challenging contact sports and martial arts. The Battle of the Nations is a challenging combination of these things, and Americans don't like to back down from a challenge!

My lady joined me in Warsaw the day before the competition began. She helped the team greatly with water bearing and fighter support and helped me by holding the camera to shoot video. She had been unsure about coming to this event. She had wanted to go to Italy, and there was thought that we might do both. But the seriousness of the Battle of the Nations preparations started to make it look like that plan would be unlikely. However, she was won over by the passion and the adventure of this endeavor, and by the end was extremely happy she came.

The team was likewise glad to have her. Her help enabled the fighters to concentrate on their fighting without having to worry about hydration, nutrition, and other aspects of staying alive at an event like this.

Many people on the team told me that I had done very well over the course of the week. In fact, several times I was told that I was awesome, a superhero, and had a pair of brass ones the size of (fill in the blank). That made me feel really good about myself, that this trip, and all the effort was worth it. Here were these guys, most of whom were bigger or stronger or more skilled or tougher or had more badass cred than I, and they were accepting me as one of their own, simply because I was doing what I wanted to do. I wanted to fight. I wanted to fight and not give up. I wanted to have a good time fighting. I wanted to have a good time fighting in front of a lot of people and cameras, and I wanted to have as much fun as possible during this trip, to make people laugh, to entertain them. I wanted to make history. And I wanted to be accepted. I have two words for the result: Mission accomplished.

This was the first time that Americans had competed in an international medieval armored combat competition of this scale. We came as a team and every man fought to their utmost. We all sweated and bled out there, and we came together as a team of Americans. I have never been prouder to be part of something. This is something no one can take way from us.

Dream: Bill Clinton stole my boot!

Last night Bill Clinton stole my boot in my dream.

I was hanging out in a city (Warsaw?) with some friends when we ran into former president Bill Clinton who was with a couple of girls and other friends. He said he really liked my boots, the boots that I wore for the Battle of the Nations. He asked if he could try them on, so I took off my left boot and let him put it on.

After he put the boot on, he said it was cool and then he and his friends wandered off, and I was left there with one boot off, with my left foot in a sock and nothing else. I thought that Bill Clinton was being a bit of a douche. He was acting like that obnoxious, alpha, leader-of-the-pack type after a few drinks who drives the direction of the group of drunk friends who wander the streets on party night.

I and my friends looked around around the corner to try to find him. When we did, he was there, continuing to laugh and joke with his girls and friends, but someone said he was not really Bill Clinton, but an impersonator. So I tried to imitate his voice to see how easily it could be done.

The dream ended before I ever got my boot back, but I don't think that was the real Bill Clinton.

Battle of the Nations Report part 2

(This is a continuation of the post from a couple of weeks ago about my experiences at the Battle of the Nations)

But I did more that week than just fight.

The team took a trip to the castle at Malbork (Marienbourg), the former fortress of the Teutonic Knights. While I had seen rooms and chambers and furniture and art from the middle ages at museums, it was fascinating to see them in their regional context. There is no real "tourist logic" to a real castle, as there is in the floor plan of a museum. Rooms have multiple entrances and exits to other rooms and hallways and stairs. The deadliness of the defensive architecture is revealed. the opportunity was had to take the seat and stand in the place of honest-to-goodness medieval knights.

We ate good Polish food. One of the best eating experiences was at a roadside restaurant on the way to Malbork. nobody in the place spoke English, and the menus were all in Polish, so we struggled through with a dictionary and trying to figure out what was what based on a few known words ("pierogi," "kielbasa," "hamburger," "feta"). A couple of people just said "I am hungry. Give me food." and got a plate of delicious pierogis. One person found a picture of bacon and eggs on his smartphone and got a kielbasa with scrambled eggs. The hamburger turned out to be a delicious, double-pattie affair with toppings that was a unique and most excellent hamburger experience. The person who recognized the word "feta" got a wonderful salad with delicious, creamy feta cheese (have you ever had creamy feta cheese before? If I ever had I would eat it far more often).

Back in Warsaw we found a bar a couple of blocks away from the hotel at which we were made to feel very welcome. They gave us shots of some sort of cherry wine and became "our bar."

I happened to have my harmonica with me at the event site, and one of the bands on the stage adjacent to the list field happened to be playing some blues n the same key as my harp. I waved my harp at them and they indicated that I could come up and jam with them. The crowd loved it. Cameras clicked and rolled. Unfortunately the team member who had video-recorded the performance on his digital camera had it stolen during the week.

One night several team members and I stayed late at the event site rather than going straight back to the hotel. Many of the other teams were camping out and partying, and we joined them. One of the highlights was the Italian camp, where the Italians were singing, drinking, and making merry well into the night. Then they asked for an American song. I bought them "Swing Low Sweet Chariot for the Hearing Impaired" and how to dance the Maltese Branse, and they loved it! We wound up doing those numbers the next day before the battle and after the closing ceremonies.

(More to come)

First blog report from Battle of the Nations

Blog report for Battle of the Nations 2012

So here I am, flying home from the Battle of the Nations, the world championships of medieval armored combat, 2012, in Warsaw, Poland.

This was an incredible and wonderful experience. I had wanted to do it because I wanted to challenge myself, I wanted to go beyond what I had done in the Society for Creative Anachronism, I wanted to be a part of something new and exciting and daring, I wanted to find camaraderie and brotherhood, and I wanted to be able to promote myself as an adventurous badass. I succeeded on all fronts, but the proportion of importance of those reasons came out somewhat different in the end than it was in the beginning.

I had earned some "badass points" back at the tryouts in Springfield. I had proved to the team that I would not quit, that I could take the punishment, and that I would be a valuable addition, surprising several people even more than I surprised myself. I knew that I did not want to give up, but I did have a fear that I would get hurt. I had found out that my armor protected me from any major hurt, and the fear went away.

So I arrived in Warsaw looking for an opportunity to crash into and knock down my opponents. In my first battle my commander got in between me and the enemy, and then my teammate's fallen body, and I hit the ground without coming into contact with the enemy. If I had left right then I would have felt disappointed. In successive battles I managed to avoid tripping over my own men, and with each battle I learned a little bit more about fighting under these rules.

At times I felt like Eddie the Eagle Edwards, Catfsh Hunter in the 1977 World Series, Rudy from the the movie "Rudy," Dennis Doyle from "Run Fatboy Run," Spike Dudley, and a boxer in an early MMA match. At other times I felt like a knight, a warrior, a fighter, and a rock star.

I fought in the 21-on-21 matches. I tripped, I stumbled, I fell. I lost my weapon. I crashed into people. I held up huge Russians and Beloyrussians for a few moments. I lost my helmet  when my chin strap broke.

I fought in the 5-on-5 matches. I crashed into Israelis, Italians, Austrians, and Baltics. I ran around the end and attacked their line from the rear. I was the last man standing three times. I tripped, I stumbled, I fell. I found myself beset upon by as many as four men smaller than I. I lost my weapon and went running fack to get a new one multiple times, only to return several times to find that I was the only man left standing on the field.

I was the first American to fight in the "professional" bouts at the Battle of the Nations. I faced a Ukrainian champion with lighter armor and much more experience. I tried a cautious, point-scoring approach, but when he knocked me down and then knocked me over when I was down, I got up and changed my game, taking the fight to him. But my armor was heavy, and my sword too heavy, and the match was called due to fatigue.

Before the match, however, there was some "dead air time" on the list field. The band or was playing the Maltese Bransle, a simple renaissance dance that I know. I was in full armor holding my pole arm and I decided that the audience needed to be entertained, so I stepped into the middle of the field and started doing the dance. the crowd loved it. As the dance sped up, the crowd started clapping along. By the time I was done, I had completely won over the audience and they were on my side. Thus, when the inevitable beatdown occurred, there was great applause and appreciation for my spirit and my effort. I don't know about the fight, but I was told my dancing made the news reports that night.

I fought in the "all-on-all" matches. I got hit about as hard as the hardest hits I have taken in the SCA. I crashed into people. I enjoyed it.

The leaders and members of the team said that I did very well in the fighting, that I was one of the heroes in the field. That made me feel good.

More to come!

How the Muppets are inspiring me at Battle of the Nations

I just saw the newest Muppet movie.

I am sitting on a Lufthansa 747 in cramped economy class on my way to Poland to fight in the Battle of the Nations, the world championships of medieval armored combat, and the first movie they showed on the in-flight entertainment was the newest Muppet Movie, and it affected me as no other movie has.

I suppose I have been getting a little emotional lately. I have a beautiful woman whom I love and who loves me, I have found  new sport I love in Brazilian jiu jitsu/submission grappling, I have found some new friends and creative objectives with my video work, and now I have embarked on the craziest, riskiest, most personally and culturally significant thing I have ever done with the Battle of the Nations. And this was the perfect time to see the new Muppet Movie.

This movie was about two brothers, one who wants to find where he belongs, and one who has to decide where he belongs. through the course of helping the Muppets put on a show to save their old studio, they each come to terms with their desires.

But also this movie is about how it feels to do what you love to do and be appreciated for it. In the film, the Muppets have all disbanded and gone onto success or failure in their various carer paths, but come together to raise the ten million dollars they need to buy back their studio from the evil rich oil baron who wants to tear it down to get at the oil underneath it.

First off, let me say that the movie hooked me early on by bringing out beloved muppet characters and cultural references rom the 1970's and '80's. The "'80's Robot" was particularly amusing. There were also many moments of "lampshade hanging," to get through ridiculous plot devices and film techniques characteristic of Muppet movies. There wee also lots of obligatory celebrity cameos. Since I already cared about these characters, and had familiarity with the jokes, I was emotionally vulnerable to their cares and passions, and the irreverent humor kept it fresh and entertaining.

Now the current journey I am on is a remarkable confluence of elements of my life, and there had ben significant episodes along the way. I have been doing medieval armored combat for 25 years with the Society for Creative Anachronism. I have won a few tournaments and awards, I have travelled to several events, and have had life-changing events occur as a part of my SCA life, but recently I had been less and less involved. Certain relationships (and their ups and downs) and the natural tide of social forces within the organization have taken some of the thrill out of the game for me. I do not have much realistic hope of accomplishing much more than I already have. I was also developing career paths and objectives that the SCA was taking me away from.

Then I met Maria. When I tad her about he SCA she was interested, and after king o her first few evens, and Pennsic, she was hooked. Now she is making it a big pat o her life, and that is giving my SC inerest a new lease n life. I shot a documentary at the last Pennsic War (a follow-up of one with which I was involved 20 years ago) and found out a lot more about the SCA and why people are part of it than I never knew before. Thus I gained a new appreciation for it.

At the same time as this was going on, I was getting more involved with BJJ. I had gotten into grappling through  relationship (that didn't work out) but used what that relationship had started to make a movie. Through this movie I got more involved in the world of competitions and training, and noe I make videos for East Coast United BJJ while training there, and am a sponsored competitor at ACOM Sports tournaments. I have found a whole new bunch of people who like me for who and what I am without the baggage of the past (however many) years of my life. I have broken out of several comfort zoned and done things I always wanted to do.

I have also gotten opportunities to be a part of the world of pro wrestling and discover new levels of fitness through my friendship with G.A West, who had been part of my grappling movie (see how it's starting to come together?). He was part of the new Pennsic War documentary.

I don't actually recall when I found out about the Battle of the Nations, or why I thought it might be something I would like to do, but I do know that once I looked at my resources and realized it was possible if I simply dedicated myself to it, then it was full steam ahead, no turning back! I went out to the training camp in Springfield Il. in February and surprised a lot of people with my courage, toughness, heart, brains, and lack of "quit," and I made it onto the third 5-man team a the Battle of the Nations.

I may have surprised myself a little, but really, I did not think that quitting was an options. I came there to fight, so I was willing to take what it took to fight!.

Now I m going to represent my nation in an international competition with the best and the toughest in a particularly rough and tough sport from around the world. From what I have ben hearing from people following myself and the team, there are people who appreciate this, people who are following this, and people who hope we do well. They want someone to cheer for, to make them feel proud to be American, to make them feel like there is someone willing to dedicate their time and energy and risk their body in the name of their country.

Why can't that person be me? Why shouldn't that person be me?  I have the love and support of a wonderful person of my preferred gender; I am reaching new levels of aggression, strength, testosterone, and badassery through bjj; and somehow my sword fighting has gotten stronger too. Dammit, if I can make other people feel good by challenging myself on the biggest arena of my martial art of greatest experience while I am peaking at multiple aspects of my life, dammit I'll do it!

And it doesn't matter whether I win or lose, I have already won something by committing this much so far. I am on a freakin' airplane to Poland! And so long as I leave it all out on the field, no one will be able to say that I didn't do my nation proud!

At the end of the Muppet movie, the Muppets do not reach their goal of raising the money to save their studio, but they did put on a successful, entertaining show for a packed house and national TV audience, won the charts of the nation, and exited the theater to the sound of thunderous applause from crowds that filled the streets. The brother who was looking for his place to belong found it with the Muppets (he was a muppet, after all), and the other brother chose life with his long-term girlfriend, and she came to terms with his relationship with his brother.

And I cried, even more than I did at "Role Models.`I started envisioning myself at the Battle of the Nations. Over the course of the movie I had found myself visualizing the fights and my performance and attitude in them in anticipation of the day (I believe this is called "psyching myself up"). This put me in a frame of mind to equate the action on the screen with the experience of the coming event. I could practically feel myself sharing the mount with my teammates, entering the arena to the cheer of the crowd, being saluted for our efforts by our fans, friends and loved ones. And the tears came streaming down my face.

Am I ready for this? You bet I am!

Help me Represent the US at the Battle of the Nations

So yes, I made the team! In a few short weeks I will be heading out with the rest of Team USA to compete in the international medieval armored combat world champioships known as the Battle of the Nations.

This is a very big deal. Thsi is the first time there has been an American team at this event. this event is going to be twice as bick as it was last year. There is international coverage. I (and many of my teammates) will be fighting with steel for the first time. Russia is the defending champion, and is looking forward to meeting us.

This is easily the most daring, challengin, risky thing I have ever done, but I won;t spend a whole lot of space here talking about it.

But I will say that the risks and challenges are mental, physical, emotional, and financial. Therefore, I have opened up a new Indiegogo campaign to help defray the cost. In this campaign I describe the event and what it means to me n great detail both in text and video. Please check it out. There are many valuable "perks" offered to contributors, and every little bit helps, so please contribute at a level that represents a fair balance between how much you believe in this, and me, and how much you can afford.

Captain Zorikh's Battle of the Nations Indiegogo Campaign