In this early galdiatorial bout Damien and I where going at it with dull Tromatina machetes in the rain. This was during an intermission in our soggy stick-football game in which we used a gladiatorial helmet as a football.

In our experimental bouts we were cobbling together gear, especially concerned with throat and neck protection. Note that no gladiatorial type had neck protection, and most had face-enclosed helmets that were proof against thrusts. Note that at the end of this brief lineal duel that the bout ends with a thrust to the face cage which gets deflected into the throat. The hockey neck guard was not 100% effective as the blade fishtailed down between the cage and the guard and into the collar bone. However, without a guard, this would have been a deadly blow, even with a dull weapon.

In these bouts we kept to an agreement not to strike for the spine or throat, and not to drop anyone on their head, deciding that face thrusts that would have deflected from a gladiatorial helmet would be used to simulate neck thrusts, not ever thinking that the helmet itself might deflect a blade into the pit of the throat.