On Friday, Dec. 8, Schulz Bräu Brewing Company hosted “The Knights Before Christmas,” a promotional event featuring the local buhurt team, Dauntless, led by Alex Heder, a graduate student studying costume design with UT’s theatre department.
Buhurt is an international sport that adheres to the European traditions of historical medieval combat. The sport’s original competitions began in the early 12th century, and back then, real knights would fight each other.
“Put simply, though, it’s an organization where you brutalize your friends with real steel swords and axes wearing 50 to 100 pounds of historical steel armor — I’ve heard it called ‘medieval MMA,’” Heder said.
Heder discovered buhurt as he was surfing YouTube one day and found it fascinating.
“At first, I couldn’t believe it was real,” Heder said. “When I learned just how real it was, I wondered if there was anything like that near me. I was living in northern Utah at the time, and turns out, there was. I showed up to practice, and their team immediately welcomed me in and made me the fighter I am now.”
Heder is well-experienced in the world of buhurt, having fought in many national competitions and placing highly.
When Heder came to Knoxville for grad school, he didn’t want to leave buhurt behind, so he found like-minded enthusiasts and created his team, Dauntless, and, of course, in typical medieval fashion, the team has its own flag of a white horse and sun, representing discipline, camaraderie and fortitude.
At the event on Friday, they not only featured fights, but they held a soft sparring opportunity for children and adults interested in the sport. Clad in foam vests and helmets and armed with foam swords, parents, siblings and friends were invited to hash out all their anger and get a taste of what it’s like to be a real buhurt fighter.
While the mock fights were a crowd favorite, nothing compared to the excitement of the real deal.
Will Dyke, a junior studying marketing, was there in support of his friend, Jackson Ahern, a junior studying theatre as well as a buhurt fighter on Heder’s team.
“I just like the energy everyone has, you know?” Dyke said. “Everyone is very excited and very loud, and it’s just a great way to spend a Friday night.”
Zach Swartz, a sophomore studying finance, was also there to see the fight and expressed his admiration for the sport.
“I think it’s really crazy seeing them do all that stuff — it’s just awesome, and I just can’t fathom being in that ring,” Swartz said.
Seeing large, grown men wallop one another with real swords and axes invited a primal reaction from the audience. There’s nothing quite like it, but although the fighters all wear strong, steel armor, they’re not entirely safe. Even the audience has to make sure to stand a few feet back from the ring in case weapons come close to the edge.
There are many rules and regulations in place to make sure every buhurt fighter comes out of their fight alive and unharmed. In the first round of the first fight, Ahern experienced an armor malfunction when his opponent, J.W. McKinney, one of the team founders, broke his visor strap. They had to stop the fight, and Heder let Ahern use his helmet so he could continue fighting.
Although Ahern claimed that Heder’s helmet diminished his performance because it didn’t fit him as well, so it was harder to see and breathe through, he still managed to take down McKinney and even broke his steel sword pommel.
McKinney noted that this was frustrating as the average sword costs $180 or more, so he made sure to grapple Ahern to the ground in the last round as revenge before the fight was over.
Heder and the Dauntless team are looking for new members and are encouraging anyone interested to join.
“Buhurt is for everyone,” Heder said, “First things first, come to a practice. Heft some weapons, put on some armor and take a few hits. Then, when you’re hooked, we’ll help you find a kit.”
The average armor kit costs no less than $2,000, but this is because most kits are handmade in Ukraine, and they’re made to fit your person precisely. However, for beginners, there are other means of receiving kits through donations from other Buhurt fighters in the United States.
“Getting started is the greatest challenge, but once you have armor … it all gets very simple,” Heder said.
Buhurt is open to all people. The only requirement is that you are 18 or older, but those younger than 18 can act as squires. Heder stressed that they always need help getting guys in armor, running events and reffing, so you don’t even have to fight to join the team.
Dauntless will make its team debut at one of the biggest buhurt competitions in the country, Carolina Carnage, in February 2024 hosted in Clemson, South Carolina. Dauntless also works closely with Schulz Bräu and consistently holds fights and events there.
If you are interested in learning more about buhurt and would like to join the Dauntless team, you can reach out to them via Facebook or Instagram.
“My favorite part of buhurt is honestly the people,” Heder said. “There’s a level of respect and friendship that comes from standing shoulder to shoulder with someone giving and receiving the same punishment. It’s unlike any bond I’ve ever experienced. Buhurt really is love.”
This story has been edited to correct the spelling of Zach Swartz’s name.
