Military testing[edit]

After the Vietnam War, military planners developed a concept of "Casualty Reduction". [45] The large
body of casualty data made clear that in a combat situation, fragments, not bullets, were the greatest
threat to soldiers. After World War II vests were being developed and fragment testing was in its
early stages.[46] Artillery shells, mortar shells, aerial bombs, grenades, and antipersonnel mines are
fragmentation devices. They all contain a steel casing that is designed to burst into small steel
fragments or shrapnel, when their explosive core detonates. After considerable effort measuring
fragment size distribution from various NATO and Soviet Bloc munitions, a fragment test was
developed. Fragment simulators were designed and the most common shape is a Right Circular
Cylinder or RCC simulator. This shape has a length equal to its diameter. These RCC Fragment
Simulation Projectiles (FSPs) are tested as a group. The test series most often includes 2-grain
(0.13 g), 4-grain (0.26 g), 16-grain (1.0 g), and 64-grain (4.1 g) mass RCC FSP testing. The 2-4-16-
64 series is based on the measured fragment size distributions.
The second part of "Casualty Reduction" strategy is a study of velocity distributions of fragments
from munitions.[47] Warhead explosives have blast speeds of 20,000 ft/s (6,100 m/s) to 30,000 ft/s
(9,100 m/s). As a result, they are capable of ejecting fragments at speeds of over 3,330 ft/s
(1,010 m/s), implying very high energy (where the energy of a fragment is 1⁄2 mass × velocity2,
neglecting rotational energy). The military engineering data showed that, like the fragment size, the
fragment velocities had characteristic distributions. It is possible to segment the fragment output
from a warhead into velocity groups. For example, 95% of all fragments from a bomb blast under 4
grains (0.26 g) have a velocity of 3,000 ft/s (910 m/s) or less. This established a set of goals for
military ballistic vest design.
The random nature of fragmentation required the military vest specification to trade off mass vs.
ballistic-benefit. Hard vehicle armor is capable of stopping all fragments, but military personnel can
only carry a limited amount of gear and equipment, so the weight of the vest is a limiting factor in
vest fragment protection. The 2-4-16-64 grain series at limited velocity can be stopped by an all-
textile vest of approximately 5.4 kg/m2 (1.1 lb/ft2). In contrast to deformable lead bullets, fragments do
not change shape; they are steel and can not be deformed by textile materials. The 2-grain (0.13 g)
FSP (the smallest fragment projectile commonly used in testing) is about the size of a grain of rice;
such small, fast-moving fragments can potentially slip through the vest, moving between yarns. As a
result, fabrics optimized for fragment protection are tightly woven, although these fabrics are not as
effective at stopping lead bullets.
By the 2010s, the development of body armor had been stymied in regards to weight, in that
designers had trouble increasing the protective capability of body armor while still maintaining or
decreasing its weight.

International Medieval Combat

Federation
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The International Medieval Combat Federation is a global historical full contact sport

fighting revival movement, in which combatants use historically accurate
reproduction medieval and early modern armour and blunted weapons to engage in
competitive fights according to authentic historical tournament rules. Founded in 2013,
the organisation now attracts hundred of fighters from 26 countries at various fighting
competitions around the world. Most events are open to the public and major
competitions are regularly seen by tens of thousands of spectators. [1] The league holds
dozens of smaller events throughout the year as well as a world championship
competition in which national teams, selected from local or regional clubs in their
respective countries, assemble at a suitably historical venue to compete. These events
take the character of a medieval tournament, with historical attractions and exhibits
beside the competition, as well as market stalls selling historically-themed foods, goods
and souvenirs. Competing teams are billeted in reproduction medieval camps and must
wear authentic clothing.[2] Somewhat unlike the medieval competition, fighting is
exclusively on foot, and strict rules are enforced to ensure the safety of competitors and
fairness in the competition. The fighting can be between individuals or teams of up to 16
fighters per side.

History and background[edit]

The IMCF was founded in 2013 in response to a dispute between national teams and the organisers
of the Battle of the Nations competition, founded three years previously. [5][6] Dozens of national teams
attended the first IMCF world championship competition at the 15th century Belmonte Castle, in
Spain.[7][8][9] The next world championship competition was held in 2015 at Malbork Castle, Poland.
[10]
 The location for the 2016 IMCF world championship was in Portugal. In 2017 the tournament was
held in Spottrup, Denmark.[11]

Rules and objectives[edit]

Rules for competitions draw closely on original medieval texts outlining sport (i.e. non-lethal)
tournament combat, such as King René's Tournament Book from 1460. Where original information is
not available, or would present too great a risk to those fighting, new rules can be devised by an
international team of referees, or marshals, to be voted upon by fighters. As a young sport, rules are
regularly updated in response to observations during competitions and subsequently rules of fighting
may vary somewhat year-by-year.

Armour[edit]
All fighters must wear historical steel armour that encloses the torso, limbs, head & neck, & hands,
and beneath this a padded layer, known as a gambeson. Helmets must be analogous to the rest of
the armour, must cover the face and must be closed with a strap to prevent removal during combat.
All armour must be of a style traceable to a historical period and location, no piece may date from
more than 50 years of another. Fighters may wear a supplementary third layer of protective
equipment beneath their gambeson, provided it is not visible and does not replace any armour
above it, such as a Protective Cup or mouthguard.

Weapons[edit]
All weapons are reproductions based on historical originals. These originals may be found in
museums or drawings traceable to the period. All weapons must be blunt and within a set weight
and size category, dependent upon the weapon. Metal maces, axes, swords (including falchions)
and polearms are all permitted in group fights, while war hammers and weapons with hammer
attachments may not be used in international events.

Shields[edit]
Shields are commonly used as weapons as much as swords and other such medieval arms, with
fighters choosing to combine strikes from their primary weapon alongside punches with their shield.
Subsequently, shields are regulated as weapons. While being historical in design, shields must also
meet a minimum weight requirement and not have narrow, sharp or metal edges.