Hello and welcome to the Royal Armouries, my name is Andy and the boy here is Mike.
I have mocked Mike up in armour to explain to you
what you're likely to see if you come to see a tournament here at the museum.
Invitation jousts have been going on since 2000
and some of the greatest jousters from around the world come to the Royal Armouries,
and the audiences are always excited to see men in gleaming armour,
horses crashing about, and the sound of great hits from the lance.
I was going to use a moment of your time just to explain
some of the nuances of the scoring.
Here at the Armouries it's very simple.
In the joust, you have two competitors on horseback coming towards each other
they lower their lance and they aim to strike their opponent.
Generally, the purpose is not to unhorse your opponent.
You'll be pleased to hear that Mike.
However, scoring is almost as brutal.
What you aim to do is smash your lance on your opponent.
So, I'm going to give you an example.
Five points are available to any rider on any single run.
It works like this:
This is the end of the lance and I'm going to strike Mike so you get an idea.
In a perfect world, your horse comes nice and close to the rail
so you get that perfect angle - about fifteen degrees across the rail.
If you're kind you look to hit your opponent on their "targe" or target - the shield.
If you strike here you will get three points.
Also, which is my preferred target
you can aim here.
I assume Mike will have his visor down or a jousting helmet on, not an open face.
I would get three points for hitting the face or the targe.
If I miss the targe and I hit the chest or stomach.
It will be two points.
However, if I get an extremity like the lower arm it will be one point.
So how do you gain the other points?
A point is granted for good horsemanship and lance skill.
Now, the final point is down to breakage.
For that you need one of these.
The lady of the tournament will be holding her baton.
I need to break my lance shorter than her baton.
So as it comes in, the force of the horse smashes the lance into your opponent.
Breaking it into shards of wood, and if if there is anything left to measure the lady of the tournament will do so.
You get one point for breaking your lance on your opponent no matter where it hits.
And that's it, one point for horsemanship and your ability to hold the lance and use control.
Up to three points for striking your opponent on the head or on the targe
Two points for the body, one point for the extremities, and remember don't go too low.
In our tournament this Easter, and our great tournament, we have introduced the mounted melee which is my favourite.
You get a nice club made out of ash
and you career around looking for the perfect strike on your opponent.
As the defender you look to defend your body and head
against numerous opponents - in this occasion up to six other people -
all trying to strike you with this club
Now in a perfect world - may I just borrow you for a second -
In a perfect world you take the club and you smash it.
I'm very pleased with myself because I've managed to break my club on my opponent.
So to repeatedly strike your opponent on the head is very good.
To strike them on the back is a good thing.
To strike him in the face is a good thing.
So, if you enjoy your competition rich in violence come and see the melee.
If you want to see a great tournament of jousting, obviously the Royal Armouries is the place to be.
Hopefully I've explained the ins and outs of the scoring in the tournament.
I'd like to thank Mike,
and I'd like to see you all at our next tournament.
I think that went alright, do you? Good.