The Realm of Bethel, Rexburg’s Belegarth Medieval Combat Society

The Belegarth Medieval Combat Society is an international group with chapters in Mexico, Germany, Italy, Puerto Rico and across the United States.

According to Belegarth’s webpage, “Belegarth Medieval Combat Society is a fun, safe, and inexpensive sport where participants wear medieval or fantasy-themed clothing and fight with foam-padded weapons. The full contact fighting is hard and fast and has refined into its own brand of martial art. The rules are easy to learn, and after a few practices, you’ll be hooked!”

In the winter, Rexburg’s group gathers to fight at Madison Jr. High’s wrestling room. During the warmer months, the group gathers in Porter Park.

Meet Bethel’s President and Founder

David Bell, president of the Realm of Bethel, said he enjoyed fencing while attending Rick’s College and later joined the group to spend time with his son.

“He didn't want to play baseball or basketball anymore when he was about 12, and we wanted to do something together,” said Bell. “And this ended up being what it was, and he did great.”

Bell and his son originally joined Rexburg’s Live Action Role Play, or LARP group, but the group stopped gathering and “was killed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Michael Hansen, a BYU-Idaho alumni who studied elementary education, is the realm’s founder. He first got into the Medieval Combat Society when he lived in Idaho Falls.

“I was originally living in Idaho Falls, so I was part of the Idaho Falls realm, Ebonhold, and when I got married, we moved up here and started the realm,” said Hansen.

Hansen said he passed the position of president to Bell because he recognized Bell’s contribution to the group. Hansen’s decision was unanimously supported.

What’s the difference between the Realm of Bethel and LARPing?

The main difference between the Medieval Combat Society and “LARPing” is the concept of role-playing. Members of the combat society are expected to have a name, much like a gaming handle, and can create characters and lore of their own, but there is no story line the players use or follow. Bell said having the players create names gives everyone a fun way to get to know each other and can separate their combat from regular lives.

“This is just combat,” said Bell. “There's generally no storyline with it, nothing other than everybody's equal. It's very much a Dungeons and Dragons kind of idea. That there are different races and different species and things, and everybody has a fighting name or a fighting persona. My fighting name is Cien Fuegos.”

Homemade Weapons

While participants’ characters can be different creatures, like goblins, trolls or dragons, their alter-egos don’t give them a unique combative edge against other players because there are set rules and point systems created by the society.

There are many rules and regulations, but Bell said with time and a couple practices players will get the hang of it.

They fight using foam weapons, and Bell creates many of the weapons used by the local group. One of the standard weapons used by the group is a sword. Bell makes these from a fiberglass tube with foam over the top of it.

“It can stab you, and you can get hit pretty hard with it, and it doesn't hurt when you hit my head or anything else like that,” said Bell. “It makes it pretty safe that way, but you know you got hit. I mean, my forehead knows it just got hit pretty good, but it doesn't last that way. And that's why we check weapons on a pretty regular basis.”

Joining the Realm

Bell said there are many reasons one might join the group. One reason for him: it is a way to get some fun exercise.

“I do it a lot for the combat and for the exercise,” said Bell. “There are a lot of people who do it for none of that. A lot of people will do it just for being together, it's a different group of friends, for sure. I would recommend it to anybody. It's fun. We generally let anybody that can handle themselves join. They have to be 16 for insurance. But If you're interested in sword fighting, if you're interested in medieval combat, it is something to check out.”

Bell and Hansen agreed the group is made up of friendly individuals who welcome new fighters to the realm.

“Just show up and introduce yourself, and we'll teach you,” said Hansen. “We have plenty of loner gear, and you can just pick it up and go from there.”

Feature Photo: The Realm of Bethel in combat. Photo Credit: Mattie Johnson