Happy April everyone! Our Fighter of the Month for this month is Lauryn Lueken who has been doing armored combat for a few years. Lauryn will also be leading Team USA as Captain for this year’s IMCF event! As quoted from AMCF from earlier this year: “We’re thrilled to announce Lauryn Doty as the first woman to lead Team USA as captain. Her exceptional skills, leadership, and determination have earned her this historic position. A trailblazer on and off the field, Lauryn inspires a new era of empowerment in sports.” Congratulations to Lauryn!
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TRAINING FOR ARMORED COMBAT?
Since August 2019!
DO YOU HAVE ANY BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE IN MARTIAL ARTS OR OTHER SPORTS?
Martial arts, no. But I used to play softball, basketball, and a little bit of soccer growing up. I think that having a sports background helped drive my dedication to this sport because, at the end of the day, that’s why this ends up being a sport!
HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT ARMORED COMBAT AND WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO JOIN?
We had seen an ad on Facebook for Warlord Combat Academy and went to check it out. I was truly, a little hesitant at first to even try. But as soon as I put on armor and did the thing, I instantly fell in love.
DO YOU REMEMBER HOW YOU FELT IN YOUR FIRST FIGHT? CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE?
I remember being excited and nervous. I didn’t want to look like an idiot but also I very much didn’t know what I was doing. The adrenaline kicked in and suddenly I was in it.
WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED WEAPON? DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR FAVORITE?
I normally fight with a 2-handed axe. I really like fighting with it since I have such a long history with softball, so the body mechanics actually crossover a lot in getting powerful hits. However, as of recently, I’ve been fighting more with a bucker and a 1-handed axe as I’ve been focusing on improving my grappling and overall fighting game.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS THAT COME FROM THE SPORT?
Self-confidence and strategic thinking. Also camaraderie. This sport has fostered some exceptional friendships that I cherish to this day.
WHAT IS YOUR FIGHTING STYLE – IF YOU HAVE ONE?
I’m definitely more of a defensive fighter than an offensive one. Because of that, I’ve been able to play around with different types of fighting and make myself a utility fighter of sorts. I will say, I’m having the most fun when my team and I are fighting and being strategic with our plays. Fighting in the women’s division, we’re a bit more strategic and technical with our fighting, less chaotic than the men. So we have to be on it and tuned in as a team.
DO YOU THINK FIGHTING CHANGES WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOU PERSONALLY?
I think fighting can help bring out parts of you that maybe you yourself don’t even know exists. This sport forces you to dig deep into yourself at times and to keep going even when things quickly physically suck. But there’s something so rewarding about overcoming that and proving to yourself that you can in fact do it. If anything, it’s shown me just how tough I am and what I can do when I put my mind to it.
WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE FOR NEW PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE SPORT?
You get what you put into it. Continue to learn and improve because this sport is always changing and adapting. Stay focused and find yourself a gang of people you love beating other people up with.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO FOR THE FUTURE OF ARMORED COMBAT SPORTS?
More femme teams! We’re starting to see a lot of different women’s division teams pop up as the sport grows and I couldn’t be more excited. Iron sharpens iron, so the more women we have, the more we can grow and improve.
ANY FINAL WORDS YOU WANTED TO MENTION?
We’ll see everyone in Mexico this May. Team USA is putting in work and is coming for gold all around!
