New Gladiator Group for adults and children

[Aurelianus]

May I present you my gladiator school?

But please be gracious with my really bad English wich isn't my secon language at all (I speak just German and French).

I'm the teacher of the Primary Class 3/4a from Switzerland.
I've started with gladiator combats three years ago - after a long time of preparation works - according to my roman project.

I target to give pupils an understanding of the roman world

Past summer I have made made with my own class a Roman camp in Augusta Raurica – a Roman town near Basel! A lot of the material we have made by our self (by my self, my father, some friends, …).

We have lived like legionairs in a tent camp. Our school-janitor and I have presented gladiator comats in the original amphitheater. After then the pupils had been able to check it out by them self.
One morning they have been waked up by a "real" legionair of LEG XI -(Vindonissa). We have joined also at excavation with the archeologist. It was a great time for all of us!

Our roman camp - particularly the gladiator comabts - released a big echo. In the same summer we have been engaged by the "Römertage" in Augusta Raurica. And so was born my gladiator school.

This school is for adults and for childrens! If anybody is interested to take part of it: Please give me a pm



This picture is from the "Römertage" in Augusta raurica

[Aurelianus]

Retiarius against Secutor

[Aurelianus]

Murmillo against Thraex

[Aurelianus]

Can anybody help me! I like to post some more pictures but I get this message:

Sorry, you have reached your maximum Upload Quota Limit of 1 MB

[M. Demetrius]

From what material are your youth helmets made? We're starting a Gladitorius Iuventus team, and just wondering.

[Aurelianus]

The helmets from the children are a "self-development"
They are made very simple. I can send you some photos by email if you wish (in this case give me please your email address by a pm)

I try to explain it as short as possible with my quite bad English:

1. Take a balloon and make at least 10 layers of "mixture" of paper and paste over it. Then let it dry very good!

2. Set up the crest with styrofoam or balsa wood. Then put a mesh of metal over all (the mashs should be as small as possible). At the same time you preform the ending from of the helmet incl. the brem.

3. Now it needs again at least 10 leayers of paper and paste over it.

4. If erverything is dry enough you can cut out the neckline and the notches for the eyes.

5. For the grid of the eyes I have taken parts of an old camouflage-net of the Swiss Army. Cut it into the right form. Now put it in to a mixture of good glue and water. Then put it on the helmet. Give it the right form. After the glue is dry the net is quite strong. You can use metal net too of course. Even parts of unihockey balls are not too bad after some preparations.

6. Now you can perfect everything with priming material

There are of course lot of other posibilites too to make the helmets (glass fiber, resin, etc) But most of these other materials are not harmless because the children would inhale the vapors inside of the helmets for a long time!!!!!!.

The best would be to make the helmets out of metal. But I had to look after the time exposure and the costs because I hade to make the equipments for a whole class :wink: Everything was paid by my self. I didn't get any money from the school ....

How ever. The helmets have survived all the fights until now! And its making is very cheap an easy!!!!

[M. Demetrius]

Well done. And I totally understand the problems caused by financing everything from one's own pocket. That's what is going on here, too. But we will get to the match.

We made our kid helmets from construction site hard hats, and polycarbonate face shields, painted. Not as correct as far as appearance, but the kids don't mind, the crowd doesn't seem to mind, and they're strong as can be. The face and neck just have to be utterly protected when you're dealing with children, especially.

[Martin Moser]

Very good project, Patrik! Laudes for the energy you put into this!

[M. Demetrius]

There's a plus from me, too.

What kind of sword/shield training do you do with your young gladiators? How do you structure the classes?
How many youth in your school?

[Et tu brute]

I think this is a great idea and an excellent way to get kids intrested in history! I wish there were something along these lines near me But i'm hopefully going to join Quinta reenactment group in the next couple of months or so when they start displays again.