Unveiling the World of Padded Combat: A Journey to Finland

Last week, selected students from the LAS Padded Combat Club ventured to Finland to attend a competition training camp. These students delved deep into the realm of padded combat, or as it’s known in Finland, “Pehmomielkailu,” and enjoyed learning more about a craft they have been honing since the start of the year! This fun sport simulates handheld combat (but with padded gear and armor) and is a fun way to get involved in live-action role play games. Their journey wasn’t just about physical training but also about embracing the ethos of competition and camaraderie, and they learned a lot as a result of their trip!

The students' experience at the training session was diverse, encompassing three distinct training sessions. They immersed themselves in fencing and dueling, armored line combat, and a hybrid of both disciplines. Despite their youth, our students impressed the event hosts with their skills and understanding of the sport's rules and intricacies. Alexi Holtari, one of the events organisers, noted that “the students did well considering their age, but what impressed people was that they were the first international guests who knew the rules and integrated themselves seamlessly. They represented the school with character and maturity.”

The LAS staff (and alum!) involved in training the students, Travis Finneran '05, is a key figure in bridging the linguistic gap for English speakers wanting to get involved in this fun sport. Travis emphasized the scarcity of English resources on padded combat and was one of a group to first translate the rules into English, along with Mr. Holtari and a multi-lingual translator. The students have grasped not only the technicalities of this sport but also its ethos of mutual respect and healthy competition!

Looking ahead, our students are really excited to continue their love of the sport and have been invited to participate in Sotahuuto 2024 in Ikaalinen, Finland, scheduled for July 2024. This is a very exciting opportunity, and our students are really looking forward to competing and meeting new people from around the world! 

Well done to Elijah ‘26, Nathaniel ‘27, Chase ‘26, and Jacob ‘27 for their commitment to this sport and for representing LAS as international pioneers! This sport has never been applied anywhere outside of Finland, and so we are really proud of our students for their seamless integration into the Finnish community and their embodiment of the values of respect and sportsmanship that are integral to padded combat. Well done!