Have you ever wondered what it would be like to stand on the battlefield next to William Wallace and take place in some of the epic battles like those seen in the movie “Braveheart?”

If people have ever told you that you are from another era, an era when a sword and a shield were the only battlefield weapons, then Belegarth wants you.

The Belegarth Medieval Combat Society is made up of about 100 groups of people from all over the country whose sole purpose is to compete in medieval combat, said Dan Frey, who has been running the DeKalb chapter for seven years.

But there’s a hitch – the weapons have to be covered in foam.

“It’s an absolute riot – we go to tournaments where there are 3,000 people on either side,” Frey said.

Frey, a.k.a. Murdock the Mad, teaches a class for beginners on how to use the weapons they fight with during combat.

“If people want to learn how to use a sword, or a shield, javelins and great weapons, they should take the class on Mondays,” Frey said.

The medieval combat training class costs residents of DeKalb $35 and non-residents $45, said Alene Fagan, building supervisor for the Haish Gym.

The class is offered through the DeKalb Park District at the Haish Gym, 303 S. Ninth St., Mondays at 7 p.m., she said.

“Once you have a basic knowledge of how to use the weapons and how to defend yourself, you can battle,” Frey said.

And battle they do. The Belegarths meet on Saturdays at 2 p.m. in the Haish Gym to battle.

“Everyone pitches in $5 and we rent the gym for as long as we can,” Frey said.

The turnout was a little low last week, so the group fought for an hour, he said.

“We need about 20 people every Saturday, then we can rent it for a few hours,” he said. “That’s when it gets real fun.”

Frey said he would like to start a club at NIU to help boost turnout, but he has a problem.

The only member of the group who attends NIU is currently unable to participate, Frey said.

“I cannot participate right now because I am pregnant,” said Tracey Larsen, an NIU freshman. “It makes me real sad that I cannot go out there right now and beat on some people.”

Other than paying for gym rental costs and the occasional frosty beverage, it is not a money intensive activity, Larsen said.

“All the weapons, all the armor – you can make everything yourself,” she said. “It saves a lot of money.”

For more information on the Belegarths, contact the Haish Gym at 756-8560 or visit their Web site at www.belegarth.com.