Rather than the clang of steel, the whooshing of a synthetic sparring sword fills the air at base camp in Haliburton Forest.
Instructor Mark Wight of Dual Crown Haliburton and students, Logan McCreedy and Kaylea Mills, are engaged in sword fighting during a Medieval Monday at the Forest.
Wight, who works at the Forest, has brought his passion for sword fighting and armoured combat to anyone who wants to learn about the discipline.
Originally from Sarnia, Wight moved to Peterborough to attend Trent University. A longtime fan of video games, including Legend of Zelda, he said he walked into a thrift store and saw an ad for sword fighting lessons. He began training with Blades of Glory out of Hastings.
Wight said during his first time out, he “got raked over the coals; just doing the basics, learning how to stand, move, swing a sword, and that’s all you did for two hours.”
He’s now been doing it for 10 years, even building his own armour, including handmade chain mail. He said the average shirt takes 100 hours to make.
He said the folks attracted to the sport are generally fans of fantasy novels, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. “It all comes down to, basically, swinging a sword-like object at somebody … what little boy hasn’t picked up a stick and swung it like a sword?”
Medieval Mondays at the Forest emanated in the spring of 2024. Clients called looking for a bachelor party event in the spring. However, the roads were closed because of snow and mud and nothing much was going on. He told management he could throw a medieval combat experience together and it was a hit.
He said Medieval Mondays had been slow to catch on. He will run it until the end of the summer, but, “if I have enough local people, I’m just going to keep going.”
He loves the teaching, saying it’s “one of those times where you really get to test if you actually know what you are doing. I have so many things built into my muscle memory; how I move and walk and handle things. I have to stop and go all the way back to the beginning.
“How do I show someone who’s never done this before? Swinging a sword is not like swinging a baseball bat or a tennis racquet, things you can draw on but not the same. So, it benefits me. I have to start from scratch. I might have skipped something, so it’s reteaching me.”
When a student “gets it” he adds, “it’s a giant swell in pride.”
His pitch to get more people out?
“There’s the physical benefits, there’s the mental benefits. For me, it’s my outlet, my release from life. It’s getting out that passion; something they’ve always wanted to do even if they don’t have any desire to go beyond just hanging out.”
He said in his experience, a big tipping point for students is when they haul on armour, which can weigh 60-plus pounds and feel constrictive. Some go on, some do not.
Locally, he just wants to get a club going.
“If you even have any idea you want to come out and try it, come out and try it. I’m not expecting someone to dedicate their lives to this or be as passionate as I am.”
Mills, another Forest employee, has been coming this summer.
“Sword fighting is cool,” she says. “You watch a movie, you see sword fighting, and think ‘I want to try that one day’ but there is nary the opportunity to. It’s a good activity. I just find it fun. I’m a very introverted person, so I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things. When I saw this, I thought that seems like a great idea. I was in need of a hobby.”
Training starts about 6:30 p.m. at the seminar building at base camp. It is $25 per person for drop-in lessons, cash only.
Contact mwight@haliburtonforest.com
