Would you like these event formats to continue?

Dear living history enthusiast and fellow sword-and-shield fighter,

Your opinion is needed. But first, please accept my apologies for sending yet another email this week.

You’ve already received messages about the launch of our latest online course—necessary, of course, to make a living. Now, I find myself writing to you again—this time about something that ought to be all about enthusiasm and community: our training events.

Practising historical martial arts with like-minded people from around the world—in Berlin or at Hedeby—is, as many of you have told me in person or on social media, a true highlight of the year. Feedback like that keeps me going. It fuels the commitment required to plan, organise, and run these events—often in partnership with world-class museums.

But here’s the issue: while the enthusiasm is clearly there, actual responses are increasingly slow, vague, or absent altogether.

Take the Hedeby Bouts, scheduled for 12–13 April—just three weeks away. I still need to complete the paperwork with the museum, yet so far only half a dozen participants have registered. That’s not enough to run the event. The same is true of the Berlin Buckler Bouts in May.​

The registration process is unchanged and simple:
​Download the waiver, sign it, and return it by email. Done.

It’s frustrating to feel left hanging when enthusiasm has been voiced. As an organiser, this erodes motivation more than anything. These events are free, and they rely entirely on timely and reliable communication from those who wish them to happen.

So I’m asking myself—and you—an honest question:
​Are four events per year too many?​
Would fewer events, spaced further apart, help everyone—myself included—reclaim focus and excitement?

At the moment, I’m leaning towards running only one Viking-themed event and one BBB per year. The Berlin Buckler Bouts would move to late November, when sign-ups have traditionally been more reliable, and Hedeby and Ribe events would alternate annually—assuming the museums remain open to that rhythm.

Please understand: it took years of networking and trust-building to gain access to these extraordinary venues. Hedeby, a UNESCO World Heritage site, welcomed our martial arts work only after I formally presented my approach to former director Ute Drews. I remain grateful to her and to the current directors at Wikinger Museum Haithabu and Ribe VikingeCenter who continue to support our efforts.

I would truly appreciate hearing your thoughts. If you value these events and wish to attend the upcoming Bouts at Hedeby or in Berlin, please do sign up now. Your prompt commitment is what allows these gatherings to happen.

Yours in arms,
​Roland

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