Turkey’s first and only female sword and shield team, founded this year in Bursa, is preparing to perform the show game inherited from the Ottoman Empire abroad.
Members of the Akıncılar Traditional Archery Sports Club, which was established in 2018 by Akın Ahu to popularize traditional martial arts among young people, participated in many competitions at home and abroad.
Wanting to contribute to the survival of the sword-shield game, which was born when Muslim Turkish soldiers performed sword-shield shows during the siege of Bursa by Osman Gazi and his son Orhan Gazi and which required strength, Ahu decided that the team should consist of women.
The 15-person team, consisting of girls from middle school, high school and university ages, who performed at events in some cities, is preparing for their first experience abroad, where they will perform in 3 countries in the Balkans.
The team, coached by 73-year-old Ayhan Severgün, who has 64 years of experience in the sword-shield game, trains in the garden of Panorama 1326 Bursa Conquest Museum and in the archery club on certain days of the week.
They also receive support from their families
Akıncılar Traditional Archery Sports Club President Akın Ahu told AA correspondent that sword and shield games are usually played by men and that women are also strong enough to perform this game.
Stating that they perform shows for training purposes 3 days a week, Ahu said, “We started lessons with our teachers as Turkey’s first and only women’s sword and shield team. Shields and swords are heavy. We formed this team at the beginning of the year with the success, determination and desire of the girls. They achieved the necessary performance in 3-4 months. We have been in events in 7-8 provinces in the last 4 months.”
Ahu stated that the families of the team members also supported their daughters and that they were pleased with her staging this play.
Ahu said that they contributed to the survival of the sword and shield game, which is the symbol of Bursa, and noted the following:
“The number of sword and shield teams has started to decrease due to lack of demand. While there were 15-20 teams in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, there are currently 4-5 clubs in Bursa. With the advantage of our archery, we offer them the sword and shield team when we go to various cities and abroad. They are curious. We will be performing these games with our girls in Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Greece between September 19th and 25th. There is also an excitement about opening up to Europe because most of our girls have not been abroad. With this opportunity, they will have the opportunity to see Bulgaria for 4 days, North Macedonia and Greece for one day each.”
“Since we worked at an intense pace, our muscles got used to it”
One of the team members, university student Eslem Nur Karaaslan, expressed her pleasure in being a part of Turkey’s first women’s sword and shield team.
Karaaslan, who stated that they continue their training intensively and have received invitations from many places, said, “When we first started, we had muscle pains, but since we work at an intense pace, our muscles got used to it. We can both present our shows and travel. I do not want to give up the sword and shield.”
High school student Zeynep Sena Öztürk also stated that they work two days a week with their instructors.
Öztürk also said that he has been practicing archery for 6 years and noted the following:
“Our teacher said that he would form a women’s sword and shield team. He suggested that there is ‘nothing women cannot do’. We accepted, it was good for us. I am very excited. We will go abroad. We are proceeding with the philosophy of ‘Every Turk is born a soldier’. There is nothing we cannot do if we work hard.”
