If your weekend consists of a stroll through Queen's Park, keep an eye out for flying arrows.
It's all part of the Melee Combat Games - a recreational sport that runs every Saturday from 1 until 3 p.m. Participants, often dressed in medieval attire, will likely be running through the woods in an effort to ward off the enemy in skirmishes like capture the flag.
"Essentially, we're playing paintball games, but with padded swords, shields and bows, instead of a gun," said Blake Holmes, the brains behind the sport. "People play because it's fun. They either want to have fun with weapons or they enjoy the thrill of running away from people chasing them."
Holmes, who owns a new martial arts store called The Proving Grounds on Columbia Street, started the combat games in February. Despite poor weather and some other commitments, he said the sport has been well received by locals, especially those between the ages of 18 and 30.
"It was mostly guys at the beginning, but we're slowly getting more girls in here, now that they realize it's not just a bunch of macho men running around," he told the Record.
When asked if the fake weapons do much harm, Holmes said the worst injury to date was self-inflicted.
"If somebody's really trying, sure, but for the most part, you don't have time to run around and do baseball swings on people."
The New West resident said it's understandable some passersby mistake the foam weapons for the real thing.
"It's a really strange day when people don't stare at us," Holmes joked.
To be safe, he contacted the local police department before launching the games and gave them a head's up about the free weekend activity.
Besides selling padded weapons, The Proving Grounds is also a training facility for anyone interested in learning combat archery - most commonly known from the television show Arrow. Unlike traditional target shooting, combat archery involves hitting a human instead, before they hit you.
"You don't have a stationary stance that you get into. It's more about being able to fire arrows accurately and quickly," Holmes said.
Drop-in sessions are every Tuesday and Thursday at the cost of $10 per class or $60 per month.
The Proving Grounds, located at 317 Columbia St., will have its grand opening on Friday, April 10. There will be free popcorn and some lessons on how to sword fight. You can even catch Mayor Jonathan Cote taking a swing or two around 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.Proving-Grounds.ca.
