Rage Against Normality – Sports de Combats

Admittedly, throwing axes and knives, shooting arrows at my friends, and smashing the crap out of stuff isn’t my typical Sunday afternoon but when have I ever been interested in typical? Since moving to Montreal, I found an enchanted forest, golden lanterns set ablaze at the botanical garden, an aerial obstacle course set in pirate ships, and now a place where I can use bows and foam-tipped arrows in an arena of inflatable obstacles. I love this place! Sports de Combats is a recreational sports and entertainment facility offering massive NERF and archery battles, a Rage Cage, a knife and axe throwing range, and archery lessons. I tested them all on Sunday and left so full of adrenaline that I felt like I’d just jumped out of a plane.
We started the afternoon at Sports de Combats learning the skills of medieval warriors and Vikings. Seriously, is there anything more “The Purge” like than learning to wield an axe as a weapon, especially a few days before Halloween? Don’t get me wrong, I was pretty good and I liked it. The fact that Cord was exceptionally good might have been a little disturbing though. Let’s hope in an apocalypse, he’s on my side.
Next up was the Rage Cage. I’ve never had the urge to break something before but one hit of a delicate glass vase and I was ready to smash something and watch it fly. I used the baseball bat at first and noticed it just made dents but the crowbar did some serious damage. We destroyed a computer tower until it was tiny pieces scattered all over the room. You really have no idea how satisfying it is until you try it.
An arrow was always my favorite weapon of choice so archery lessons was the highlight of my afternoon. We learned the basic safety concepts, basic archery form, and an understanding of the way of the bow and equipment. I won’t lie and say I popped that balloon. I also won’t lie and say Cord didn’t, but I really felt like it was something where I could become more skilled and accurate. I’m ready to take more lessons and already planning my return visit.We put our new skills to work in an archery battle. Combat Archery uses bows and foam-tipped arrows in an arena of inflatable obstacles. We were competing against teens and each other but it was a healthy dose of fitness and competition. I felt exhilarated every time I shot someone. They were moving targets and had places to hide. Who wouldn’t smile after shooting someone in those conditions? I was like a professional. I could audition for the next Hunger Games. (You weren’t there to see just how terrible I was so I may need to point out that I’m being sarcastic, but I loved every second of it.)
My adrenaline was jacked up as we made our way back to the car. Sports de Combats is a testament to stepping outside of your normal for an amazing new experience. I loved the combined competition and fitness and take pride in learning something new.