In medieval Europe, from 1000-1500 AD and Renaissance Europe from 1500-1800 AD, tournament jousting really was the Sport of Kings. King Henry II and King Henry VIII jousted in many tournaments throughout Europe. Tournaments were, for the most part, where knights came to show their battlefield skills which were made obsolete by such inventions as crossbows that fired heavy bolts and firearms. Both could also penetrate the early armor. Along the way the fortunes gained by tournament victories made many Knights extremely wealthy. To this day, there are families throughout the world that can trace their lineage and good fortune back to these tournament Knights and their winnings.
Many different styles of Jousting evolved through its long history. The most common styles used by the Lords of Chivalry are:
" French- The style of jousting in which the Knight carries a shield and the shield is the target area for the opposing knight.
" Northern Italian- The style in which the left paldron worn on the knight's shoulder is the target area.
" Welshgestech- The style where the knight wears a smooth grandguard with a buff on the left side; the grandguard being the target area with the buff as head and neck protection.
" Realgestech - One of the most popular styles then and today in which the Knight wears the buff and a gridded grandguard (this grandguard consists of no less than 9 squares with the grids no less than 1/8th inch high ). With this grandguard the opposing knight's lance often locks in creating a very devastating strike.
French and Northern Italian are not authentic names.
" French- The style of jousting in which the Knight carries a shield and the shield is the target area for the opposing knight.
" Northern Italian- The style in which the left paldron worn on the knight's shoulder is the target area.
" Welshgestech- The style where the knight wears a smooth grandguard with a buff on the left side; the grandguard being the target area with the buff as head and neck protection.
" Realgestech - One of the most popular styles then and today in which the Knight wears the buff and a gridded grandguard (this grandguard consists of no less than 9 squares with the grids no less than 1/8th inch high ). With this grandguard the opposing knight's lance often locks in creating a very devastating strike.
French and Northern Italian are not authentic names.
Our armour is most typically made of stainless steel, with weights well over 100 pounds, and is patterned from the jousting armour of the late Renaissance for safety. It takes many different pieces of armour to make up a full harness, from the helm (now called Helmets) down to the sabatons (the footguards). Each piece from head to toe is made to certain tournament requirements. They are: Helms, min 14 gauge with locking visor, Gorget, min 18 gauge, Breastplate, min. 14 gauge, Back Plate, Min 18 gauge, Elbow and Knee Cops , min 16 gauge, Vambraces, Rearbraces and Cuisses, min 18 gauge, Paldron, left side, min 14 gauge, Gauntlets (French word for glove) left hand 14 gauge, right hand, no minimum gauge. The Brayette generally consists of a very heavy leather skirt overlaid by steel chainmail.
