Hello one and all I am Julius

I wish to thank any one in advance for any help they may be this was a very lengthy thougth process on if this was something i really wanted to do so after about fore seconds my quest has began.

I will not be in the country on the first meeting in january but would love to meet up for the second one wich is the forth Sunday I belive. look forward to the excitment if any one in the mean time wishes to point me on the right path toward what i need first i will gladly post a smiley face in your honor

Julius,

Welcome, again, to the Ordo forum!

You'll find we do a lot of different things here. We train multiple martial disciplines using many kinds of simulators and types of equipment, much of which we make ourselves. If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask, and someone will probably have an answer for you.

The very first thing you need to do is come out to a training day and a tournament to make sure you're actually in to what we do. Lots of people get super excited when they watch us only to find out later that they really don't like getting clubbed in the head like a baby seal after all. We try to be reasonably safe, but you're going to take hard hits, and you're going to get bruises, scrapes, cuts, and, eventually, probably even broken bones. One of the biggest things that distinguishes us from other medieval combat clubs is that we're fighting for real.

Gear is usually what ends up stalling people out, so you should make it a point to save your cash, keep an eye out for materials, and start working on gear ASAP. The first thing we usually recommend people get is a good helmet. Most other gear can be borrowed in the beginning, but helmets are usually customized to the owner and don't fit anyone else very well. A HUGE word of caution:

Don't buy ANYTHING without first consulting us here on the forum!

Did I emphasize that enough? It's happened too many times that excited new members will drop their hard earned cash on a piece of gear that isn't made for what we do or just won't function properly. Always post a link to the gear in the forum so you can get some feedback from more experienced members.

If you would prefer to make your own gear, that's perfectly acceptable. There are several members on the forum who have experience with armoring in leather and steel (myself included) who have shops you can work in and the knowledge to help you make just about anything you want. There are also several good posts in the Armor and Weapon Construction forum that talk about tools, materials, and how to make stuff. Give those a read when you get a chance.

That should get you started. Remember to ask questions when you have them.

Eric