Some say he is the silent killer. Someone who would show up from out of nowhere, ready to pounce on the nearest victim with his sweet fighting moves. The Smiling Assassin – Brian Juranty is his name. This individual is a character of his own and his smile is known to be deadly. He has traveled long and far for steel competitions, as well as competing in and winning episode one of History Channel’s Knight Fight. In all honesty, Juranty is just your typical fighter with a strong personality and overall great attitude for the sport.
Photo Credit: Jojo McCarvill
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TRAINING FOR ARMORED COMBAT?
About 6 years.
DO YOU HAVE ANY BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE IN MARTIAL ARTS OR OTHER SPORTS?
My most extensive background is in football, I played that for 10 years as a child. Aside from that was a host of other activities: track & field, mountain biking, snow boarding and hiking to name a few.
HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT ARMORED COMBAT AND WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO JOIN?
I learned about armored combat when I witnessed a demo fight put on by the folks from The Knights Hall in Nashua, NH. They had a few fighters kitted up fighting with some swords and shields at a large area event that I happened to be at. It was love at first sight; the perfect blend of my two passions, physical competition and ancient weaponry! I got their information and started training a few weeks later. Two weeks into training I bought my first suit of armor second hand off of a fighter who was getting out of the sport and never looked back.
DO YOU REMEMBER HOW YOU FELT IN YOUR FIRST FIGHT? CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE?
My first time in armor specifically was pretty laid back; it was some fights organized at a Renaissance fair in Connecticut. I felt lost! The sport requires immense awareness, while your senses are dulled, which is not easy. I got to fight some 1v1 and 3v3. I was hit from all directions and got a little taste of multiple formats which was very nice.
WHAT IS YOUR PREFERED WEAPON? DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR FAVORITE?
My preferred weapons are axes! I have a lovely one handed axe, which was the first weapon I ever purchased. It hits hard and has a lung beard, convenient for going things. I also have a fast striking dread axe, the hallmark of The Knights Hall where my teams call home.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS THAT COME FROM THE SPORT?
The most positive aspect of this sport for me is the community, it’s very welcoming and helpful. You can come out here, test you self physically and mentally against a bunch of other fighters and all you’ll get after is advice and war stories. Aside from the people, a great part of this sport is traveling. There are teams all over the world putting on sweet events and traveling to fight is always a good time! Last, but certainly not least, armored combat is an absolute blast; no matter where your fighting or how many fighters there are.
WHAT IS YOUR FIGHTING STYLE – IF YOU HAVE ONE?
I like to be a set up guy. I enjoy fighting defensively and trying to tie up multiple opponents so that my team mates have a numbers advantage. If I can’t tie up a few fighter quickly though I am pretty dangerous on the run.
DO YOU THINK FIGHTING CHANGES WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOU PERSONALLY?
I think that physical competition as a whole changes a person, or you don’t last long. When you start with a sport as physically demanding as armored combat your realize pretty quickly that talk is cheap, and people care about what you do far more than what you’ve done; I find this to be a refreshing change of pace, as I think most others do to.
WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE FOR NEW PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE SPORT?
Fight as often as you can. I find soft kit and full armored combat time to be the limiting factor in growth as a fighter. Often there are limited opportunities to gather with your team to fight so you should try hard not to miss them. Obviously you should be training plenty on your own but I find the large leaps in combat effectiveness come from helmet time.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO FOR THE FUTURE OF ARMORED COMBAT SPORTS?
The things I look forward to most in the future of Armored Combat Sports are the same things that have kept me coming back for years: fighting, fun and revelry!
