'Pure pain': Medieval combat takes competitors from Yukon village to battles around the world

The Yukon village of Mayo may seem like a quiet place, but just below the surface, it's full of surprises. Loud, medieval surprises.

The community of 200 people sits 325 kilometres north of Whitehorse a five-hourdrive up the highway from the Yukon capital.

Recently, on a warm weekend in March, the Company of the White Wolf arrived to train. Six men from across the territory congregated at their captain's cabin on the outskirts of town. Over the course of an hour, they helped each other don 35 kilograms of steel and titanium armour. Then they attacked each other with swords.

"It's pure pain.I'm constantly injured," said John Hanulik, from Dawson City.

The 30 or so men and women who make up the Company of the White Wolf arefull-contact medieval-style fighters.

Medieval combat is a full-fledged international sport. Hundreds of competitors from dozens of countries compete annually intwo major world championships: the Battle of the Nationsand the International Medieval Combat Federation World Championship.

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Fighters must only use blunt steel weapons and armour that meets strict standards, using historical materials like steel, wool and leather. The full ensemble can easily cost $2,000.

Knocked out, sliced open

These Yukon fighters have been knocked out and sliced open in some of their battles.

Company of the White Wolf trains for medieval combat

7 years ago

Duration 1:01

Medieval combat takes competitors from Yukon village to battles around the world

The rounds are fast, normally a minute at most. Scores are point-based or, in the case of group melees,it's the last team standing.

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"There's your longsword duels, your sword-and-shield duels, the sword and buckler, which is just a tiny metal shield," said Steven Pearson of Whitehorse.

"Then there's also polearm duels, which are really long halberds or poleaxes, and the group fights, which are five on five, 10on 10, and the numbers rise from there."

Members of Yukon's White Wolves have made up much of Canada's national teams at global tournaments over the last two years.

'Just hitting each other in the head' with axes, swords

The Company of the White Wolf formed four years ago after a chance encounter at the territory's first gaming and comics convention, YukomiCon.

Hanulik was playing a game of Dungeons & Dragons with his friend Dale Braga when they saw a man walk by in full armour.

"He showed us footage of some European teams and they're just hitting each other in the head with axes and swords, and running around falling down, and it seemed interesting," laughed Hanulik.

Jose Martinez Amoedo,captain of the White Wolves,fights for Spain at international tournaments, but trains with his fellow Wolves.

"In the last two years, most of the fighters that made Team Canada were my Wolves here," he said.

'Get to go to really nifty castles all over the world'

Championships are typically held in castles across Europe. Braga says the events tend to be "fantastic" opportunities to meet people from all over.

"And you get to go toreally nifty castles all over the world," he said, adding the pure novelty of the sport is also certainly a draw.

"I just really enjoy getting in armour and hitting people with axes."

Others join for the confidence the sport brings. Pearson said medieval fighting teaches him how to drum up the mental fortitude to finish rounds, even if it feels like his body is failing.

It teaches you perseverance, tenacity, and makes you a tougher person in the long run.- Steven Pearson

"It teaches you perseverance, tenacity, and makes you a tougher person in the long run," he said.

Personal endurance is one thing developing camaraderieis another. Martinez Amoedo said the group has adopted the medieval values of knighthood as their own through a system of meritocracy.

"What we value most is moral fortitude: doing the best you can always, even when nobody is looking," he said.

They're still a fairly new team, but the Company of the White Wolf is looking forward to this year's world championships in Scotland and Rome.

Braga hopes to make it to the semi-finals this year.

"Just putting up a good fight is all you're able to do. But we'd like to better last year and get two wins."