I am Jade Clarke, an Australian Women’s Team buhurt athlete, competing internationally in armoured combat. My journey began just over a year ago as a squire helping friends at tournaments. I quickly fell in love with the sport and community, and within three months I was competing at my first tournament in Barossa. Since then, buhurt has become my focus, challenge, and passion.

What is Buhurt?

Buhurt is a fast-growing full-contact combat sport fought in armour. It includes three main categories:

• Buhurt: Team battles, last person standing.
• Duelling: Points-based single combat with weapons such as longsword, sword and buckler, or polearm.
• Outrance: Armoured mixed martial arts.

The sport combines strength, strategy, endurance, and teamwork, and is rapidly growing in Australia and internationally.

My Journey

I now proudly represent the Australian Women’s Team and competed at the Buhurt World Championships in Hungary in July 2025, achieving 3rd place in the 12v12 category. I train four team sessions a week, including armoured combat, and five personal sessions focused on strength, conditioning, footwork, and pell work — all while completing my full-time PhD studies.

This year brought challenges as well as achievements. I have sustained two sporting injuries requiring medical treatment and physiotherapy, which have strengthened my commitment to resilience, safe training, and continuous improvement.

Why I’m Fundraising

As a full-time PhD student, my income is below minimum wage, making it difficult to cover costs for equipment, training, travel, competition fees, and recovery. Your support directly helps me train effectively, compete safely, and represent Australia on the world stage.

Achievements

• Barossa 2024: Buhurt 3v3 – 3rd Place
• Barossa 2024: Tournament MVP
• AMCF Nationals 2024: Buhurt 3v3 – 2nd Place
• AMCF Nationals 2024: Buhurt 5v5 – 1st Place
• AMCF Nationals 2024: Outrance Middleweight – 1st Place
• Rookie Rumble 2025: Prevailing Warlord
• Abbey Challenger 2025: Buhurt 5v5 – 1st Place
• Toowoomba Fight Night 2025: Buhurt 3v3 – 2nd Place, featured in The Chronicle
• Winterfest 2025: Buhurt 3v3 – 1st Place
• Buhurt World Championships 2025: Buhurt 12v12 – 3rd Place
• New Castle Cup 2025: Buhurt 3v3 - 1st Place
• AMCF Nationals 2025: Buhurt 3v3 – 2nd Place
• AMCF Nationals 2025: Buhurt 5v5 – 2nd Place
• Inaugural Queensland Buhurt Gala 2025: Specialised Award - Mercenary Tyrant

Upcoming Events (2026)

I aim to continue competing nationally and internationally in 2026, including:

• Abbey Challenger (Australia, April)
• Winterfest (Australia, June/July)
• Buhurt International (BI) Invitational (Romania, July)
• IMCF world championships (Denmark, July) - pending
• Southern Relms (Australia, August)
• Way of Honour (Germany, August) - pending
• AMCF Nationals (Australia, October)
• Trans Tasman Cup and Waihora Reborn Tournamnet (New Zealand, October) - pending

These events, along with other potential competitions, will help me develop as a fighter, gain international experience, and strengthen Australia’s presence in global buhurt.

Your Support

Your donation helps me train, travel, recover safely, and compete for Australia at the highest level. Every contribution, big or small, brings me closer to my goals — thank you for being part of my journey!

Links to check out

Personal

Sporting instagram to follow my journey: @jade_nick_buhurt

QUT media release: https://www.qut.edu.au/news?id=200751

LinkedIn to follow my academic journey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-clarke-1a5638274?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=andriod_app

Sporting

Club website: https://www.beasts.org.au/

National organisation: https://www.buhurt.org.au/

International governing body: https://www.buhurtinternational.com/

ABC news article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-31/female-fighters-training-medieval-combat-buhurt/105711582