I got caught up in SCA some time ago, learned swordfighting and armouring (and got married, divorced, married, divorced, etc). From that, I got together with buddies, and started fighting with Shinai (bamboo slatted swords) which do not really require armour. Later, as a fire tool maker, I tried a lot of failed steel weapons until the reno kids showed me how they had wrapped a shinai with kevlar for fighting. the LAFC had a combat crew the very next year.

Our routine got cut short due to a series of errors, so we tried it again in 2006. After seeing us doing combat twice in a row, Crimson asked me not to have any more fighitng (at least this year). Now, before people get in a huff, remember, it's her show. Besides, I donn't think it's a global request.

So, with a bunch of combat people, and no place to vent that part of their art, I needed a way to vent those urges. Well, as it happens the answer came from Thunderdome. A couple of years ago, we started doing post-burn fire fights in thunder dome. Last year, they had their own in-house people fighting and cut us off . *sigh* ...their loss.

That decision spawned the whole plan for the FNFF. First, we'd oblige Crimson by venting the fire combat elsewhere. Second, we can steal a little of the Thunder on friday night by being out in the open playa.

I'm over both of the original reasons for FNFF, but now with the momentum growing and new fighters training every day here in LA, I think this is gonna be a great event.