I am excited to feature Will Alloway as September’s fighter pick. I have gotten to know Will over the course of two years, and in these two years they have transformed into a phenomenal fighter. They exclusively train in longsword dueling and recently have been expanding the toolbelt in sword/board. They also have been working hard in expanding a Vermont team as well as helping in hosting local events in the area. Only a rookie in this sport and Will has proven their worth as a duelist after being inducted into the New England Executioners earlier this year!
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TRAINING FOR ARMORED COMBAT?
April 2020.
DO YOU HAVE ANY BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE IN MARTIAL ARTS OR OTHER SPORTS?
Growing up, I didn’t have the temperament for team sports. So I did karate, budo taijutsu, Capoeira Angola, and Aikido. We moved a lot when I was younger so I bounced around doing a lot of different disciplines. But my uncle is a martial artist and he really encouraged me to stick with it. As a teenager, I went to LARP camp, and really focused on sword work, but had no idea there was an actual sport – this was as close as I thought I could ever get.
I trained in Muay Thai, at Sitmangpong gym in Leverett MA under Kru Aaron, for about five years before finding armored combat and I believe that conditioned me well for this sport.
HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT ARMORED COMBAT AND WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO JOIN?
It was March 2020 in early lockdown and I found the Knight Fight TV show videos on Youtube and binge-watched every episode in a matter of days. I wish I’d known earlier that this was a possible sport to train in. I looked for local training opportunities and saw that the Knights Halls in Nashua, NH was half an hour away, messaged Ringo (shot in the dark, he replied and was so amazingly helpful and generous with his time), and set up my own training practice at home. The rest is history. I think my wife thought this was a pandemic phase, but really I just got lucky enough to find the sport I’d been waiting for my whole life.
DO YOU REMEMBER HOW YOU FELT IN YOUR FIRST FIGHT? CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE?
My first fight was at Blood and Steel up in NH in Ringo’s kit which was way too big for me. I knew I just needed to get in armor and get a feel for it. I was in a longsword round robin with Mike Johnson, Brian Jurantey, and Jack Young. When I fought Juranty, or more like he fought me and I stumbled around not really being able to see, he broke my thumb. I think people watching, including my trainers, thought that might be the end of my passion for the sport, but honestly I was just more excited – I know everyone begins somewhere.
WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED WEAPON? DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR FAVORITE?
I’m all about the longsword. I trained almost exclusively with that for my first 1.5 years in the sport, and I’m just now starting to train in arming sword as I expand my range as an Executioners duelist. What can I say… I’m a specialist. My love is not fickle.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS THAT COME FROM THE SPORT?
For me this is really a daily practice. I train almost every day and it just helps me get my mind right. I’m somebody that if I’m not moving, I’m grumpy. So this has been a really positive outlet for my relationship with myself. I don’t do melees so much of my experience in the sport is in my own head or with one opponent. And then of course there’s the community – my experience has been so incredibly positive with folks being inclusive, celebratory and really wanting to see each other win. My time in the sport really wouldn’t have been possible without more experienced fighters being so generous with their time, energy, and gear.
WHAT IS YOUR FIGHTING STYLE – IF YOU HAVE ONE?
I am a short, small , left-handed fighter – so what that means is it’s usually like I’m fighting a mirror that is bigger and stronger than me. So, I tend to focus on speed, level changes and moving laterally.
DO YOU THINK FIGHTING CHANGES WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOU PERSONALLY?
I feel more myself. I think the fighting practice created more space inside myself and in my community for me to feel more safe being my expressed self.
WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE FOR NEW PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE SPORT?
Reach out to the fighters you admire – that’s where I started. They were so helpful. Beyond that it’s really about your own motivation – this is you with you – you’re only going to be successful in this sport if you’re committed and show up regularly. There’s no fast track to being good at this. Put in the work. This is a growing sport, so wherever you are in the world there might not be a ton (or any) local community yet – that’s ok. Show up online, and then build something locally. There are so many people like me who are just waiting to hear that a sport like this actually exists – find them!
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO FOR THE FUTURE OF ARMORED COMBAT SPORTS?
I’m really excited to keep building our local community and events in Vermont. I’ve just started leading a weekly class in Brattleboro, VT and our second local event is coming up September 3rd at Retreat Farm in Brattleboro (come through fighters and families!). People are pumped, and I’m excited about the natural momentum that’s building.
