About The Hydras
A Chicago-area buhurt team. Steel, sweat, and the people who show up every week.
Who We Are
The Chicago Hydras are a team of armored fighters who train and compete in buhurt — medieval armored combat fought as a modern full-contact sport. We come from every background you can think of: tradesmen, students, veterans, office workers, parents. What we have in common is a willingness to put on eighty pounds of steel and go at it.
We are not a reenactment group and we are not a stage combat troupe. There is no script. When we step onto the list the outcome is genuinely undecided, and that is the entire point.
What We Fight
Duels
One on one, scored by judges on clean strikes to legal target areas. Longsword, sword and shield, or polearm.
Group Melee
5v5, 12v12, and up. Last team standing wins. Wrestling, shield work, and holding formation matter more than fancy swordplay.
Profight
Rounds fought to a points decision or a knockdown, closer to boxing than to a melee. The most demanding format we train for.
The ARMOR
Every fighter wears a complete suit of armor built to a documented historical pattern from somewhere between the 13th and 16th centuries. Helm, gorget, arms, legs, gauntlets, body. Underneath it all is padding, and underneath that is you.
Armor and weapons are inspected before every event. Steel thickness, edge radius, weapon weight, and coverage all get checked against the rules of whichever federation is running the tournament. Gear that does not pass does not fight. That inspection process is why this sport has the safety record it does.
How We Train
Conditioning, technique drills, and sparring. New fighters start out of armor learning footwork, grip, and how to take a hit before they ever suit up. From there it is padded sparring, then partial harness, then the real thing.
Nobody gets thrown into a melee on day one. The people who last in this sport are the ones who built the base first.
The Team
Fighter profiles coming soon. If you want to know who you would be training with, come to an open practice and meet them.
Want In?
We are always looking for new fighters. No armor and no experience needed to start.