We had planned on going to the Academy of Arts today to see a Lego exhibit. There was also a medieval theme and we were happily surprised. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Since I was going to be missing my martial arts class today, I got up at 6 to get a quick hour and a half workout. My girls got up as I was part way through and joined me until they got tired. Then it was out for a family breakfast.

And on the the exhibit. The first thing we noticed was a bunch of weapons set up on a table and a guy in armor in front of it.







The guy tells me that they wear full armor...real armor, weighing between 65 to 80 pounds. They use fake weapons but stick with the pound per foot convention. And the go full speed and full contact. They use an honor system where if you get hit in a body part, you "lose" the part for combat purposes. Torso and head shots are kill shots. They play fully armored and trust their armor. Their fake weapons are made from rattan, leather, and foam for the striking tips.

It was fun to watch them fight and I wondered how I might do in there lighter and unarmored. But then, I have gotten hit with rattan sticks before and it's no fun. OK, it is fun, but it really hurts. And if you get hit on bone, you stay hurt for a long time. Plus some of those guys were pretty big so if they landed, it would hurt. I would just hate to carry all that extra weight in armor. I may go check them out one Sunday. But they start shortly after I finish my four hour Sunday workout, so I am not sure how I would be able to handle it.





My girls got some whacks in.





They both FINISH HIM!!




more to follow...