CombatCon 2011: Where History & Fantasy Meet
The times that were, the times that are, and the times that may be… and how to kick butt in all of them!
Is that the coolest convention summary or what?
CombatCon is an event combining 1) exploration of Western martial arts from various times and cultures, 2) love of sci-fi and fantasy, and 3) film making. Most of the martial arts focus is on melee, from various European blade schools to the cane fighting of bartitsu.
Panels cover the gamut of speculative fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, horror) plus pirates, and the Western martial arts. Their topics range from “Weapons and Wounds” to “History of Film Fight Directors: Pre-Star Wars“. From “Making Independent Sci-Fi Films” to “Creating your Steampunk Universe – Living an Alternate History“.
Then there are the classes at CombatCon: “Deconstructing The Duel: Princess Bride Done Right“, “Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy: Surviving a Canteena Fight“, “Victorian Cane” (taught by Tom Badillo who rocked the bartitsu demo at Gaslight Gathering), “Repelling Boarders Against Sky Pirates“, “Cool and Unusual Weapons of the Western Martial Arts“, and many more.
The range of activities is quite diverse as well. There are the martial arts demos, monster makeup makeovers, the stage combat competitions, a film expo, the tournaments, a Time Traveler’s Ball, costume contest, games, and more.
Whether you’re a Jedi looking for some refinement in your lightsaber technique, an SCA fighter, a writer, a steampunker looking to add some pizazz to your character, or just a fan of pointy metal sticks, CombatCon is a good time to be had.
And I SO wanna go! I’m going to have to take a serious look at my budget to see if we can fit CombatCon in this year. Because with both my Taller Half and I being SFF fans AND having a fondness for the martial ways there’s no way one of us could stay home while the other capered off to have fun with THIS convention.
CombatCon 2011 will be held June 24 -26 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Tuscany Hotel. Registration is currently open and ranges in price from $35 to $150.
