It is the last month of 2022, and to wrap up the end of this year, we will recognize Shelby Golden as our December 2022 Fighter of the Month. Shelby, a fighter from the Tulsa Free Company, was anonymously nominated by a fighter (whose name I shall not disclose out of fear of getting extra burpees. Hehe!) who felt Shelby deserved recognition for “working so hard this past year to get our team to the point it is at now and we are all so proud of her!! She is also the Women’s Team captain and an absolute ✨unit.✨” We congratulate Shelby on her achievements in developing a strong women’s ✨unit.✨in the steel fighting community.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TRAINING FOR ARMORED COMBAT?
2 years
DO YOU HAVE ANY BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE IN MARTIAL ARTS OR OTHER SPORTS?
No martial art experience until I started Buhurt.
HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT ARMORED COMBAT AND WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO JOIN?
I learned about Armored Combat from my now husband (then boyfriend). He was on a team so I started coming to support him. I thought the sport was a bit too nerdy for me but one day I got mad at someone and I said let’s put some armor on and go! I’ve been training and fighting ever since.
DO YOU REMEMBER HOW YOU FELT IN YOUR FIRST FIGHT? CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE?
I felt super anxious during my first real fight. I kept thinking why am I doing this? But after training and getting more comfortable I really enjoy it. It is a great stress reliever for me.
WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED WEAPON? DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR FAVORITE?
My preferred weapon combo is a hand axe and a strapped buckler.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS THAT COME FROM THE SPORT?
There are so many positive aspects of this sport and community. Since being on the Tulsa Free Company, we have built our foundation on teamwork and camaraderie. TFC is like my extended family now. We share meals together and a huge part of our lives. It’s actually what makes this worth it because I know I can step inside the list and those people have my back every time. The community is also very uplifting. Everyone just wants to see you improve and for the sport to grow. I also use this as a stress relief from my daily life. I am a healthcare worker in real life and the stresses from my job have increased exponentially in recent years so this sport is a great way to decompress and destress.
WHAT IS YOUR FIGHTING STYLE – IF YOU HAVE ONE?
I guess you could say that my fighting style is a more grapple-heavy fighting style. I am generally placed on the rail and I am very comfortable in that role.
DO YOU THINK FIGHTING CHANGES WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOU PERSONALLY?
I don’t think fighting necessarily changes you as a person but it enhances things about yourself. When I first started fighting I was very timid and was somewhat hesitant to get in there. Partly because I didn’t want to hurt anyone and the other because I didn’t have confidence in myself. The last year I have really focused on increasing my training level and getting to training camps to learn more about the sport. Since then I have really gained a lot of confidence in myself and try to help build those up around me.
WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE FOR NEW PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE SPORT?
My advice would be to give it a try. You won’t fully know if you like fighting till you are smack dab in the middle of a fight! Try to find a team close to you and give it a shot. This sport isn’t for everyone and that’s ok. We still need fans for this sport to grow. Go to training camps too!
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO FOR THE FUTURE OF ARMORED COMBAT SPORTS?
I’m looking forward to more fights. The future of the sport right now has so much potential. I am seeing more and more fights get scheduled and sometimes there are so many that my team has to decide which ones we can make it to and which ones we have to skip. It makes me happy to see it!
ANY FINAL WORDS YOU WANTED TO MENTION?
I want to thank the women/femme community in ACS. They have been very welcoming and this league doesn’t make the women/femme fights as a last thought or just a break for the men’s fights. I really like the effort that is being made to build up that side of the sport.
