((PKG))  MEDIEVAL FOAM FIGHTERS 
((Banner:  Softer Side of Battle)) 
((Reporter/Camera:  Mike Osborne))
((Adapted by:  Martin Secrest)) 
((Map:  Burns, Tennessee))

 ((NATS)) 
Are you ready to give it to them Tennessee and Kentucky?
((Nathan Larkin, Foam Fighter, ÔVanderÕ)) 
My name is Nathan.  Out here, I go by the name ÔVanderÕ. Out 
here, you're seeing a game called ÔBelegarthÕ.  It's a full contact, 
medieval-style, foam fighting game.  Each game is mostly just a 
pickup battle where itÕs just, we, kind of, split the teams evenly 
and weÕre going to fight it out. 
((NATS)) 
YouÕre chosen!  YouÕre chosen, not me!Ó 
((Nathan Larkin, Foam Fighter, ÔVanderÕ)) 
The hardest thing to teach people is not necessarily how to swing 
or the best way to hit someone, but fully just teaching them to hit 
somebody.  This is a full contact game, so we don't let just little 
taps, isn't what we're going to do.  It's got to be a full swing. 
((NATS)) 
((Nathan Larkin, Foam Fighter, ÔVanderÕ)) 
What you'll see is in the big fights that a lot of those small units, 
people who fight together regularly are going to yell commands to 
each other. 
((NATS)) 
Come across, come across, come across!Ó 
((Nathan Larkin, Foam Fighter, ÔVanderÕ)) 
The game is definitely a fantasy-based, medieval style game.  
There's no necessarily historical references used.  A lot of the 
games started or originated from people reading ÔThe HobbitÕ and 
ÔLord of the RingsÕ series, and wanting to be able to go out and 
relive that in real life. 
((NATS)) 
((Nathan Larkin, Foam Fighter, ÔVanderÕ)) 
It's a great way to meet people.  It's a great way to get out and 
exercise, get out in the fresh air.  Most of the people that I know 
are part of the community now.  They know my kids.  So, it's nice 
that you can have that tight group community with everybody, you 
know. 
((NATS)) 
Fighters, to the fields! Fighters, to the fields!Ó