HMBIA 2020 General Assembly final report

GA 2020 occurred at the height of the so-called second wave that led to the new restrictions in many countries and forced the HMBIA Office in charge of the organization to find a new way to make this important event possible and hold it online.

HMBIA 2020 General Assembly turned out to be one of the most unusual in the history of the Association. First of all it occurred at the height of the so-called second wave that led to the new restrictions in many countries and forced the HMBIA Office in charge of the organization to find a new way to make this important event possible and hold it online.

Then, taking into account various factors, including time zones, possible technical and online platform access issues, it was decided to allow GA 2020 participants an opportunity  to familiarize themselves with the reports recorded and uploaded in advance.

All participants to the HMBIA GA 2020 were invited and registered beforehand, 138 participants from 42 countries got access to the folder with the reports starting November 1st. And this brought another aspect of this year’s General Assembly uniqueness as apart from listening to the video reports, the participants additionally could study all presentations, tables, current versions of rules and regulations that were presented by the Head of the Marshals Committee. 

77 attendees from 31 countries managed to join the live Q&A session that was also recorded and uploaded later in the GA folder, so all National Federations representatives who somehow missed the live session could watch it before the voting for the adoption of the HMBIA General Assembly 2020 summary record. The voting link was sent personally to the representatives with the confirmed right to vote. So, in general the whole process and concept of the General Assembly was reformatted and adjusted to the world reality.

The plans for the next year were announced, established and approved, so now it’s the moment of revealing all news and changes.

 

The live session started with the greeting speeches of the HMBIA President Edouard Eme and Vice President Gavin Stewart. Also the information about the global HMB development was presented.

  •    Number of 18+ people participating in HMB over the world – more than 4200 athletes
  •    Men’s 5×5 teams – more than 226 teams (189 registered in Buhurt League)
  •    Total countries developing HMB – 41
  •    Number of Certified HMBIA Marshals – 108
  •    Number of Authenticity Officers – 14
  •    Number of Trainee AC officers – 10
  •   Tournaments registered in Buhurt League – 17

Also the new GDPR (general data protection regulations) document was presented to the National Federations representatives. HMBIA GDPR is based on European law and ISO 27 701 (HMBIA follows European law because it is based in Liechtenstein). Each national organization must make their own GDPR, according to the laws of their country and choose a person in charge of personal data.

 

Tournament Committee

Despite the fact this year was challenging and came to the absence of big tournaments and events, the Committee focused on some specific needs of HMBIA such as creation of educational and certification program for Tournament secretaries; creation of knowledge base for tournament organizers (tournament brackets, schedule recommendations, timings, guidelines). These educational programs will be proposed later as online courses mentioned the Head of the Tournament Committee Ivan Koryagin.

Despite the quarantine measures and lockdowns the rating system for the whole set of popular HMB categories is being tested. If you, as tournament organizer, are interested in participation in the testing of the new Duel League rating system – let us know and share with us your opinion and suggestions. The project is still ongoing. We are testing different kinds of approaches and the current concept and rating system may change significantly in future. For additional info regarding the Duel League project address the Head of Tournament Committee.

Of course, the work of the Committee will be focused on the Battle of the Nations preparation. Let’s have a look at the list of the categories announced by the Head.

Draw for BotN 2021 is preliminary scheduled for 05.06.2021. Registration will be completely closed on 20.05.2021. No changes or additions are allowed to National Team registration forms after the closure of registration. 

Please inform BotN 2021 Organization Team about any changes and withdrawals in your National Team as soon as you get confirmed information. Respect other participants, provide accurate info and make it on time.

Battle of the Nations 2021 Duel Categories 

  • Longsword Duel Category (Male and Female) 
  • Sword and Shield Duel Category (Male and Female) 
  • Sword and Buckler Duel Category (Male and Female) 

Each National Team can put one Male and one Female fighter into each of the categories listed above. One fighter can not register to multiple Duel categories. 

  • Triathlon Duel Category 

First three places from each of the Duel categories will be invited  to participate in the Triathlon Duel category. 

  • Polearm Category (Male and Female) 
  • Outrance Combat Category 

Please keep in mind that HMBIA and BotN organization team can not guarantee that categories will be separated in the schedule. Some of the categories will be held in parallel. Plan the participation and gear availability accordingly.

 

Battle of the Nations 2021 5×5 Group Battle Category  Divisions 

  • Check your National Team Division in the right column of the picture (New Divisions, After BotN X)
  • Nations in Gold Division can register up to 3 (three) teams to participate in 5×5 Category. 
  • Nations in Silver Division can register up to 2 (two) teams to participate in 5×5 Category. 
  • Nations in Bronze Division can register 1 (one) team to participate in 5×5 Category. 
  • Nations that haven’t participate in 5×5 Category with  their own team, start from Bronze Division. 

Battle of the Nations 2021 12×12 Group Battle Category 

  • Number of 12×12 teams for the Category that National  Team can register is 1 (one). 
  • Maximum number of fighters for 12×12 team is 20 (twenty). 
  • Keep in mind that 12×12 team must consist only of  National Team fighters (no mercenaries). 

 

Battle of the Nations 2021 30×30 Mass Battle Category 

  • Number of 30×30 teams for the Category that National  Team can register is 1 (one). 
  • Maximum number of fighters for 30×30 team is 50 (fifty). 
  • 30×30 team may have legionnaires included, but still  participates under National flag (no neutral teams) 

 

Battle of the Nations 2021  Non-official and experimental categories 

  • Full Plate Harness Category 
  • Women All vs All 
  • Men 150 x 150 

 

Authenticity Committee

Milica Kovačević, Head of Authenticity Committee, explained more about the new AC structure and goals. The job of the Committee is to bring athletes kits in line with the highest level of safety and authenticity at the tournaments under HMBIA rules and requirements. It is done through developing documents and regulations with authenticity requirements and recommendations for the HMB athletes, monitoring of the approved requirements implementation at the HMBIA events and through educational activities aimed at increasing HMB community awareness of the AC requirements.

The main advisory body of the AC is Council. It consists of the Head of the Ac, Senior Officers and observers from the HMBIA Office, the Presidium and Advisory Board. The council’s main goal is to create documents, rules and regulations and recommendations regarding the HMB equipment. The committee is made out of Officers who work as multitasked teams, formed by the AC Council.

In order to have more positive outcome regarding historical accuracy, the AC expanded reach by making previously closed group of AС National Representatives open to AC members, AC national representative members, marshals, national team captains, Buhurt League captains where questions regarding equipment can be asked and discussed. Some of the AC national representative members asked what happens now when the group is open to more community members, what would be their role now.  The answer is simple, their role is like it always was, to be representative of their nation within HMBIA. These individuals do not need to be experts in history but they do need to learn to be one of the more knowledgeable individuals within their country to better help their competitors. It will be expected that they will be the first response to any competitors from their nation. They are the point of contact between the Authenticity Committee and their respective teams, and have a responsibility to share developments and decisions.

The work on the recruitment is still in progress. It would be ideal that every country has at least one officer, so we would make communication and local events equipment examinations much easier. Authenticity Committee Officers Trainees must be recommended by national federation representative, national team captain  or senior officers. For further questions and recommendations on the matter, contact: milica.kovacevic@hmbia.com

The presence of the Authenticity Committee Officers is obligatory at HMB events starting from 2021 season, since a great amount of the 2020 tournaments were canceled. Preliminary AC online check is obligatory for Buhurt Prime and all tournaments with Buhurt Masters class. Online check approval doesn’t replace offline AC check at the event Online check is the way to evade possible problems at the event during offline AC check and serves as a platform for consultations and finding out the deficiencies. Teams which haven’t passed the online check or haven’t changed some kits’ elements according to the AC recommendations can be refused from tournament participation. 

 

Marshals Committee

For the moment the total number of Marshals reached 108 people from 28 countries. According to the Head of the Marshals Committee Sergey Myasishchev, with the ongoing restrictions and lockdowns it was still necessary to continue educating trainees and working on the current marshals knowledge upgrade. Offline and online seminars were organized for marshals of Russia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, China, and the USA.

Creation of a system of regular distance   learning to improve the qualifications of  marshals was one of the goals to achieve as well.

The new edition of the IUDEX application will be useful not only for trainees willing to pass the test and get an international certificate but for all HMB fighters.

One of the most important things is the changes in Duel categories rules and regulations that focus on the new counting system of the strikes. Pay attention to the crucial changes in the scoring system of the Sword and Shield category that will definitely impact the way of the fights.

The Full Plate Harness category that was presented in Serbia as an additional tournament activity will be included in the program of the Battle of the Nations 2021 as an experimental category. Set of new rules and regulations for Full Plate Harness including Two-Handed Sword, Sword and Dagger, Poleaxe, Bataille de Lions categories was prepared by the Marshals Committee. All current versions of the documents will be uploaded this week on the official website in the Rules and Regulations section.

 

Buhurt League

Brand Manager Artem Vasilev shared the outcomes of the Buhurt League 2020 seasin. Even in these drastic times there were a lot of things to be proud of in 2020. On 25th of January the first edition of Buhurt Next Tournament was held in Laon, France.

The paramount of each Buhurt League Season is the Buhurt Prime Tournament that took place on 15th February in Monaco. The strongest 10 teams from all over the world got their invitations for this remarkable event. Here are just a few features of this outstanding event. Buhurt Prime 2020 had an unprecedented attention of local public and media, was honored by visit of His Serenity Highness Prince Albert II and set a completely new level for the organization of HMB Tournaments. In 2020 Buhurt League also organized special Season 2019 award ceremony on the 14th February in Monaco, just before the Buhurt Prime tournament.

The number of events reduced dramatically in 2020 in comparison with 2019. The major decision which was taken in response to quarantine measures and international lockdowns is to put the Buhurt League Season on pause, about 65% of tournaments this year were cancelled. It was decided to extend the Buhurt League season with the final tournament Buhurt Prime planned for February 2022. All the current rating points and standings will be saved and transferred to the prolonged Season. To mark the progress and efforts of the Teams from current standings Buhurt League will send intermediate Season awards to the teams that hold 10 top positions of Buhurt League Rating now.

Apart from the events Buhurt League put a lot of efforts into its image, branding, design and communication through different social media. More than 25 online streams with different fighters, marshals, influencers and other people well known in HMB community were launched..

 

WMFC

In 2020, the scoring system for the WMFC league fighters was modernized. The ELO rating system used in MMA, boxing and other sports was taken as a basis.

Innovations:

1. Uniting of Pro League and First Class League into a single ranking.

2. A completely new scoring system – the stronger opponent the fighter wins, the more points the fighter will get. The greater the difference between the starting ratings of fighters, the less the owner of the higher rating gets in case of his victory.

If the difference between the rivals’ starting ratings is equal to or more than the average arithmetic value between the rivals’ ratings, and this difference is equal to or exceeds 2000 points, then the holder of the higher rating will not receive any points at all if he win!

3. The losing fighter loses as many points as the winner gets (it is still impossible to fall below 0 points in the rating).

4. The number of rating points which fighter receives for winning a fight and loses in case of defeat depends on the following factors:

  •  initial difference in ratings between a fighter and his opponent;
  •  the number of rounds and their duration, as well as the duration and number of rests between rounds;
  •  the number of points (VP) earned by the fighter and his opponent in the fight.

The new system is used for both pro fights and Donjon Cup tournaments.

HMB Academy

As Brand Manager Igor Kravchenko explained HMB Academy focuses all the efforts on testing the concept within one country at the start. And based on the results of the experiments in one of the most developed HMB sport communities in Russia, it will be possible to analyze the weak points of the system and work on its further globalization. Of course this difficult year has had a major impact on the previously created plans of the development but on the other hand it was possible to force to adjust some of the ideas on a local level focusing on the inner ranking system, working with trainers and academy managers, and improving the system of tournaments for novice fighters.

For the moment there are 19 affiliated centers in Russia and 373 fighters in total joined the training process in the HMB academies.  About 30% of the total number are novice fighters who just came to the sport and started training in the academies. And 8% of the novice numbers managed to collect the HMB kit this year to start participating in HMB Academy tournaments for beginners. And 27% of the total number are experienced fighters who also chose HMB academies for their training. 

HMB Academies must have at least 1 approved and certified HMB instructor. Any HMB fighter willing to become more professional and grow into an HMB instructor one day must think of completing HMB Academy training courses and getting the HMB fighter 3rd category. With further training and passing more tests, you can get an HMB fighter certificate of the 2nd category and 1st category.

The person who passed the HMB fighter certification test can later become an approved instructor after completing HMB Academy training programme which was created by the joint efforts of HMB trainers and Academy managers. During the course one will learn correct training methods of all the basic techniques, and will get certain sets of training systems for duel and mass categories. After completing the course and getting the HMB Academy certificate, HMB instructors will have the right to prepare HMB athletes, and will be added to a public registry which is open to everyone. 

HMB Academy is constantly working on improving training methods and developing short programs of master classes, seminars, demonstration training. You can choose among the leading HMB instructors who are preparing new fighters and have visible results of their programs efficiency. In case you want to join the certification program or want to organize seminar with approved HMB instructors send a request to academy@hmbia.com.

 

PR & Marketing

Facing pressing need to protect our intellectual rights and taking into account the request from HMB community representatives willing to create their own content based on the footage belonged to the HMBIA, it was decided to suggest a simple way of content usage agreements signing for HMB bloggers, national organizations sources content managers and so on.

While the lockdown was challenging, for many, it has been about picking up a new hobby and we were glad to see new faces among HMB bloggers. 10 personal agreements with representatives of different countries were signed, also one more collaboration agreement was signed with the cable channel Weapon which has more than 12 million subscribers in Russia, the CIS and Baltic countries with total audience over 30 million viewers for TV series based on the Battle ot the Nations 2019 live.

And one more agreement was signed with the Bullpen sports network which gave access to Wave TV audience and for the moment more than 26 million views of the HMB videos on their platforms. Please bear in mind that being a national organization doesn’t mean you have the right on the content downloaded on HMBIA official pages. In case you want to use it, you’ll have to sign an additional content usage agreement.

Press accreditation is obligatory for work at the Battle of the Nations 2021 for representatives of any media. All national team support members who want to take pictures at the event also need to apply for accreditation. Taking into account the increasing number of individuals and media representatives willing to film the event it was decided to adopt a tighter media representatives access policy. System of preliminary agreements will be mandatory for all participants. No foreign media with professional film equipment will be allowed without a prior content license agreement. 

HMBIA brands identity policy:

brand identity is the visible elements of a brand, such as color, design, and logo, that identify and distinguish the brand in consumers’ minds.

  • the lead logo of HMBIA should be used at any HMB tournaments 
  • without any additional concerns can be used HMBIA lead logo in conjunction with other brands and brand partners logos mentioned in the Association structure that is published on all official sources. These visible elements of brands can be used together in the design of the venue, printing, awards, photo materials, video footage, electronic and communications resources.
  • without any additional concerns can be used HMBIA lead logo in conjunction with the national organizations’ graphic marks, emblems, symbols or stylized names used to identify them.
  • The use of the HMBIA brands and brand partners visible elements in conjunction with any other logos should be agreed not later than 30 days prior to the event with the HMBIA 
  • Commercial use of the HMBIA brands and brand partners logos and visible elements is expressly denied without an additional agreement
  • In case the HMB tournament takes place within the other event (city holiday, festival, fair, championship etc.) the organizers are obliged to inform the HMBIA about any other contact sports disciplines planning as a part of the event program to agree on how to proceed with the brand identity policy
  • these restrictions apply to brands (symbols) of sports, competitive disciplines, organizations and individuals that may enter into a competitive conflict with the HMBIA brand

HMB Women Communication Strategy

Already 34 countries have joined the project to form a dedicated structural unit HMB Women. It’s an honor to work with these amazing ladies and after a certain time of discussion with representatives of various countries, tried to analyze their local situations, discussed solutions and made plans for the future, it was created an information strategy aiming to popularize HMB among women, as well as support the existing female community, codenamed #SheFights.

It is a set of activities aimed at influencing the female audience. In the context of the project and the slogan, we take into account the role of all women in the movement, in general, since many of them are marshals, supporters, artisans, doctors, etc. It covers primarily the fighters, but doesn’t focus on them. The project is long-term, moving to the type of certain content on an ongoing basis. This campaign will be started with a short video that was already presented to the HMBIA Women national representatives.

Communication Committee

With the expanding growth of the HMB sport and the whole HMB movement, and considering a new approach to work with National Federations, local Leagues and Buhurt League clubs and teams, it seems clear that there is a need for greater coordination regarding the international community’s capabilities to deal with the exchange of information. That’s why a review of the working methods of the Communication Committee was proposed. The main task of the Communication Committee is to enhance communication between the HMBIA Executives and members, and among members to support the Association’s mission. As it is not possible to maintain the information spread and exchange efficiently without being involved in it on a local level, it was decided to split the information field into Conferences according and by analogy with Buhurt League divisions.

New Communication Committee work key elements would also include the goal of closer interaction between Buhurt League managers and Committtee officers, based on a comprehensive and efficient strategy aimed at resolving specific problems, including events advertising, registered teams promotion, events review and news exchange.

Each conference will have 2 official HMBIA Communication officers (more for Europe: 4-6) which makes 14-16 persons in total that will be united as the Communication Committee Council. In the beginning, while the structure and process are being built, it will be organized by the HMBIA Office. By the next General Assembly or after BotN 2021 the proposal is to choose a new Head of the Committee among these Conference officers who would take the lead in coordinating the Committee’s work. The Conference leaders will be provided with a bonus system which includes trips to the largest (most important) events within the conference (Masters, Next, Prime) and trips to the Battle of the Nations. The tasks of the Conference leaders will be discussed with the candidates.

And of course the main priority for the next year  is the promotion of the XI World Championship Battle of the Nations that takes place on 1st till 4th July in Oradea Fortress, Romania.

 

Battle of the Nations 2021

Evgeny Galushin, Head of the HMBIA Office and the main organizer of the upcoming World Championship shared some information about the venue and conditions, he assured that the place is excellent for organizing the Battle of the Nations and meets all the requirements.

  • Oradea City – Population 205 000 
  • Local International Airport – 5  km
  • Debrecen International Airport – 80  km
  • Destination to Bucharest – 600   km
  • Destination to Budapest – 300   km

The fortress itself is really huge with the total area exceeding 150,000 m2. It’s a constantly developing place and the local authorities pay a lot of attention to the renovation and preservation of the fortress. On its territory there are 2 museums, conference areas and spaces, craft interactive sites, a hotel, three restaurants, vast and flat open fields that are perfect for lists and camps. In addition, there’re 2 prepared amphitheaters with seats for visitors and the ability to mount lists for duel categories.

The concept of the main arena location is pretty similar to one that was implemented at the previous Battle of the Nations in Serbia. The main difference is the fact that tribunes for the audience are planned for mounting on a hill and one of the main arena borders is a solid stone wall. For the moment it is planned to proceed with the same plan of the 3 lists building next to each other for 5 vs 5 category with a sand surface, there will be small tribunes for the fans and participants, commentary booths. In the gap between these sites and the walls of the fortress we’re planning the fighters rest area. So, almost the same picture as in Serbia.

As usual it is planned to organize a large historical camp for participants. This year it’s possible to place it pretty close to the main arena and due to it’s dislocation, it will be completely closed for the event visitors. On the one side of the camp there’s a separate entrance for the participants’ cars which is also close to some nearest shops and a big local market. Toilets and showers for participants will be located on the camp territory. 

Following the previous Battle of the Nations experience the modern touristic camp is also planned. As usual, participants from overseas countries will be provided with tents and furniture so they can stay in the historical camp. All participants will be provided with hay, firewood and water. Also the small returnable fee for all participants living in the camps will be kept. 

Apart from some basic conditions that are available for all participants there’s a possibility to get some extra options such as additional showers and toilets for the team. Teams from Europe can rent tents and furniture for staying in the historical camp. There’s also an option to pre-order food for the teams in the restaurants of the fortress.Exact prices for all these options we will give you later.

Unfortunately, it is necessary to keep in mind possible additional requirements due to the restrictions caused by the Covid-19. First of all it is  recommended that you buy returnable tickets. Next, follow the official sources for the relevant information about the PCR test requirements. For the moment the necessity and validation time varies depending on the country. It’s also possible that it will be required to take one more test after arrival in Romania which will cost from 30 to 40 euros. All current requirements will be announced in advance. 

 

 

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