Sparks fly and lances shatter. How Myrtle Beach’s Medieval Times’ knights plan their fights

The two circled one another; the silence from empty seats where the raucous crowd of spectators would sit made each’s clash of weapons louder.

On one side stood Myrtle Beach’s Medieval Times Head Knight Samuel Tapia, wielding a titanium-two-handed sword. On the other, fellow knight David Jones at first utilized a flail, a weapon with two metal balls chained to a piece of wood that let out an ominous thud when it hit the sandy floor, but soon also turned to a two-handed sword once Tapia disarmed Jones.

Sparks flew as the two swords came together; they swung as if trying to inflict grievous wounds upon one another. A toss from Jones sent Tapia flying, while the head knight’s kick to his fellow combatants’ chest also sent him reeling. Yet, despite evoking much tension as the two struggled, the effort itself was something the pair had done multiple times.

The fight is one of seven that the knights in Medieval Times have in their repertoire, deploying depending on the crowd’s vibe. Tapia said in an interview with The Sun News Sept. 26, 2024, that every movement and strike in the show is pre-planned.

The swords are no more than 10 pounds and ground down every week to keep the blade from developing sharp edges that could harm a performer, although an occasional spark sometimes hits them. Tapia and Jones, who performed the dual slower than during the live performance, telegraphed each thrust or attack with their weapons.

“We have our basic strikes,” Tapia said. “We have the head, strike the leg, strike the shoulder, strike the cut. That’s our basics, and you’ll see some of that in every single fight.”

It takes much training to perform such a highly coordinated dance that suspends the disbelief of the maximum audience of 1,234. Tapia’s been at Medieval Times for 18 years and worked as a knight for 16, sometimes scripted to win and sometimes cast to be struck down by a foe’s blade.

He said prospective knights must undergo training before participating in a live performance. Designated as a squire, Tapia said these performers typically take six months to a year before completing their training, including performing the duels at slow, medium and fast speeds multiple times. His first fight saw him use a mace against a performer wielding a double-hand sword after more than a year of training.

“I only got to do one fight back then,” Tapia added.

Indeed, Tapia oversaw a knight-in-training perform one of the tests Sept. 26, 2024, before the show. Once a full-fledged knight, though, as the knight rehearses each day before a show starts.

“We practice every night before the show. We rehearse each fight,” Tapia added. “That way we can be able to swing as fast as we can in the show.”

This preparation extends to other parts of the show, particularly the joust. Medieval Times mostly used white and grey Andalusian horses for the joust, which also required training to get comfortable galloping toward another stallion with an armored knight upon its back.

When two armor-clad knights on horseback charge at one another in the joust, the tips of the lances they use are bamboo and shatter upon impact with a spray-painted shield, and the losing knight falls off their horse.

The knights prepare the horse for the joust by simulating the joust before the show. The knights get the horses comfortable riding past one another without weapons or armor before increasing the speed and adding props.

Jones added the horses learn to rear up and get comfortable with the lights and sounds of a show.

All these preparations go on as workers in the light control room prepare a show with 230 lights, music and smoke. Myrtle Beach Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament General Manager Chris Irizarry said the attraction began using a new show in March 2024.

He added that the installation of the sound and light system cost about a half million dollars. Natalie Bennett, the queen in the production and cast manager, added that the new show, which has a shorter run time, is meant to match the energy of the performers swinging swords at one another.

“This show is just faster paced, more action,” Bennett added.