A serious accident involving historical re-enactors was inevitable given the lax standards of many practitioners, said the head of a leading group involved in the sector.
“There are many groups displaying sword fighting techniques to the public who haven’t studied or received the proper instruction,” Robert Grima, from Show of Arms, told the Times of Malta. “Unfortunately, at the moment there is no legal requirement to have a certain amount of training, so we have to regulate ourselves.”
Last Tuesday, an 18-year-old man was critically injured when he was struck by a sword during a historical re-enactment at Fort Rinella. He was kept in intensive care overnight due to fears of infection and was discharged yesterday morning. The freak accident occurred in front of guests during a scheduled daily tour, when the victim accidentally came into the path of his duelling partner’s sword.
Mr Grima said that while historical sword fighting was not inherently dangerous when practised properly, there was a need for safety and training protocols to be more widely enforced.
He said all fighters who formed part of Show of Arms were trained under a maestro d’armi, an internationally-recognised qualification that allows a person to teach specific techniques.
You can’t just pick up a sword and bash it against another one
While many re-enactment fights are choreographed performances, Mr Grima said that sword fighting was in effect a martial art, which included improvised duels based on historical techniques. “You can’t just pick up a sword and bash it against another one,” he said. “There is a big difference between a scene from a movie and the real thing.”
Although fighters use blunted swords, Mr Grima said they were also trained to apply minimal force and always donned enough protective gear to ensure their safety.
“Safety comes before historical accuracy. When we fight, we make sure we have fencing masks, padded jackets, steel helmets, gauntlets, stout leather gloves and all the necessary padding.”
Moreover, all members are handed a health and safety booklet drawn up by a qualified officer and all events are insured and covered by a police permit.
Mr Grima added that although many fighters were trained in both full-contact and semi-contact variants, full contact was not generally practised in Malta because of safety concerns.
When contacted, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna chairman Mario Farrugia said the foundation’s re-enactments were not fights but “choreographed displays”.
He stressed that all actors, who were paid employees, underwent training for the displays on a daily basis.
“Nevertheless, it’s an eye-opener,” he said. “No matter how many precautions you take, at that moment in time it’s down to the individual actor to remain safe.”