The rise of softcombat in Catamarca: a discipline that mixes sport and fantasy

Friday, May 24, 2024

11:59

In dialogue with Radio El Esquiú 95.3Lucas Noriega, one of the organizers of softcombat in Catamarca, shared the details about this activity that combines sports with role-playing games. “Softcombat arrived in Catamarca approximately 14 years ago,” revealed Noriega, emphasizing that, although they do not get together frequently, the Catamarca community keeps interest in this practice alive.

This sport, as Noriega explained, arises from the taste for the role and the role acted, a kind of improvised theater, where the participants become actors within a story. “Softcombat is soft combat, it is combat with a rubber sword so that it doesn’t hurt, even though, if you saw the combats, the blows are quite screaming,” he commented.

Without a doubt, participating in these combats evokes epic and medieval fantasies. “We want to give the sensation of being able to hit another with a blunt weapon, without the other obviously receiving any damage,” said Noriega. In addition, he highlighted that the fights can be very visual and acrobatic, especially when the practitioners are in good physical condition.

Regarding the relationship with other disciplines, Noriega mentioned that softcombat could be considered a martial art due to its techniques and rules. “It has rules, you have to have a certain physical condition because anyone can obviously practice it, but from there to practicing it for more than 5 minutes is something else,” he clarified. Regarding one of the combat weapons, the sword, he stated that it weighs around “300 grams, maybe less.”

Softcombat also has a link with cosplay, although Noriega warned that it is not ideal to use costumes: “We ask the people who participate to take off their necklaces, watches, and take their cell phones out of their pockets, because they break.” . In this sense, he insisted: “Can you participate with cosplay? Yes, but it’s going to end up breaking, so in the end it’s kind of useless, it’s more sporty. If you wear sports clothes better.”

As he explained, softcombat “is recognized as a sport,” but of an amateur nature. In this sense, he clarified: “It has regulations, it has leagues in other parts of the world where there are more people, like Spain, which has its own league. Germany, which is one of the places where it is practiced the most, has its own league, has its own regulations, has its own tournament sponsored by the Government, has all that. “We’re just getting started.”

The softcombat community in Catamarca until now has not had the opportunity to consolidate as much as in other places. However, events such as the Medieval Fair that took place last Sunday serve to publicize this discipline. “During the event they came very close to us to ask us if we get together, when we get together, if we have social networks and from there there always comes some handler like us who wants to join,” Noriega said.

Despite these challenges that arise at the provincial level, since here it is a sport whose practice has not fully established itself, the group remains active. “Yes we get together, the issue is that it is very, very random,” he explained about the difficulty they have in coordinating regular meetings. However, social networks are the fundamental tool that helps them stay connected and organize meetings.

On the other hand, he highlighted that this sport has several costs to maintain: “It is a cost to transport all the weapons, it is also a cost to maintain the weapons because in each combat session one or another ends up breaking and carrying all of them. “These expenses do not pay off for us in the long run.”

Regarding the age limit, he assured that there is none. However, in the case of the youngest ones, she stated: “We try to ensure that the children are of a similar age.

Finally, he reported: “You can always find us at Softcombat Catamarca,” both on Facebook and Instagram. Furthermore, he invited those interested to make their own weapons and join.

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