Armored fighting is gaining popularity in New York, particularly through organizations like Santa's Knights, which offers free weekly fitness classes. The classes, akin to gladiator boot camps, focus on basic sword techniques and aim to prepare participants for group fighting. The sport has seen a rise in interest, with public events hosted by Gladiators NYC. Participants learn in a supportive environment, focusing on fitness and combat skills while progressively working toward dueling in full armor, which requires significant preparation and practice.
"It's just getting bigger and bigger," Damion DiGrazia, who founded Santa's Knights in 2016, said about the popularity of armored fighting classes.
The two-hour course starts like any other workout course - with stretching - then gets more specific as attendees learn the basics of using a sword.
"It's full-contact MMA [mixed martial arts] with steel weapons and group fighting," said DiGrazia, who also started Gladiators NYC in 2013.
Armor is an ordeal to practice in, and requires significant prep. It was not used at the class I attended but the instructors bring this out for duel practice with advanced team members.
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