SALT LAKE CITY – Liberty Park was full of people wearing armor and swinging swords on Saturday.
The United Clans Swordsman Association held its first sword fighting competition of the year, and it got pretty competitive.
Participants have been taking lessons from the association, and on Saturday they put their skills to the test in five different categories: long sword, short sword, dagger, unarmed fighting and defense. The weapons they used were wooden, but the participants still wore armor for protection as the event is a contact sport.
Marta Osuna Gallardo was one of those at the competition, and he said it was an opportunity to get a taste of life in another time period.
"I've always been quite the nerd when it comes to history,” he said. “I'm fascinated with fantasy swords, horses and dragons and the middle ages, so I wanted to learn how to sword fight to get the feel of how life was back then.”
The association holds classes each Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. on the East side of Liberty Park. For more information, visit the association’s website or Facebook page.
