Fighting Styles:

FRAT FIGHTING is full-scale warfare, fought with padded wooden weapons.There are three types of fighters: heavies, lights and archers (who qualify as a type of light). Heavies wear "real" armor (i.e. plate mail), and can fight with any weapon. It also takes a stronger blow to kill a heavy. Lights wear very little-to-no armor (except for their helmets). A weak touch from a weapon means death for a light, and they are limited to very long or very short weapons. Archers are also expelled by a weak touch, but they exclusively use missile weapons.

STEEL (REC) FIGHTING is a choregraphed fight with live steel (real swords). It takes a lot of practice to become steel qualified, and even longer to become a qualifier. The fighters' weapons never make contact with their opponents, until one "dies".

PERIOD FENCING is fencing done in the 11-13th century style, from all countries. You can score points by thrusting or cutting (a thrust or two cuts to the torso or head results in death; loss of limb to a limb).