All in all, Belegarth was a fun, get-out-of the comfort zone activity. I walked away knowing that these people had a passion to fight, but also knowing that the welfare of their teammates took top priority. At first, I did not know how welcoming they would be to newbies; In fact, I was almost expecting them to make fun of me for not being a good fighter, and not be very welcoming.

I suppose some of my apprehension could be attributed to my past experience in sports and year spent learning Tae Kwon do (a self-defense art, much like Karate). I found that in activities such as these, there was an unsaid tension of expected perfection from players. Those that struggled to keep up with activities such as these were sometimes shunned by their teammates and faced pressure from themselves and their peers to be better. Then there were those that were ranked better than others, and had to keep up appearances, despite falling behind occasionally. I had been on both of these spectrums, disliking certain aspects of them both. It was those reasons why I was so wary of this new sport; who knew how driven these people were, and how they would react to someone new like me who did not have a clue what they were doing?

My expectations were proven wrong. I learned that Belegarth, even with its aggressive practice hitting each other with foam swords, was more than just a sport; it was like a giant family, meeting for a large violent reunion.

In a way, Belegarth provides a haven to the weird and the geeky. I think that it is a place for outcasts to find unity with one another, and for friendships to start. The people there were very encouraging and considerate, not calling people names or messing with them unless they felt comfortable with it. That just showed the consideration they had for each other. It was a great experience where I gained some new fighting skills and some new friends. That day, I not only walked away from Belegarth with an aching body and a horrible sunburn, but also with a solid knowledge that if I were to return to play Belegarth with these people again, they would welcome me warmly with swords in their hands.