Frequently asked questions

What is a boffer?

The term "boffer" refers to a contact weapon (swords, spears, clubs, arrows, hammers, etc.) that is made from light weight materials and padded with foam to prevent injury.

What are boffers used for?

"Boffering" or "boffing" is the act of using boffers to play a form of mock combat. The combat is used for different reasons by different people. The most common reasons to use boffer weapons include:

• It is a great means of exercise.
• It lets you get out your aggression in a safe way.
• It promotes teamwork and active play amongst groups.
• It allows people to reenact historic battles without the dangers of real weapons.
• It allows fans of movies such as Braveheart and Lord of the Rings to enjoy the stories in a "real-life" way.
• It allows people to practice a martial art in a safe way.

Does boffer fighting hurt?

Boffering is a contact sport and because of this it is not entirely painless. It is possible to get a bruise or welt if you are playing too rough. However, with properly padded weapons, there is very little chance of injury. The pain in boffering, depending on the equipment used and how serious the players are, can range from what you'd expect out of a pillow fight to a few bruises or scrapes every once in a while. Other sports, such as football, baseball, or hockey, are ironically more dangerous than boffer fighting; there is no such thing as a padded hockey stick. If you can handle those games, you should be able to handle boffering with ease.

Sounds like fun, how can I get involved?

There are groups of people all over the world that use boffer combat as an exciting means of recreation. A boffer directory will be created soon where you will be able to find a boffer group in your area. If there aren't any groups in your area you can always start up your own.

How do I make a boffer?

The techniques used for making boffers changes depending on what type of boffer you're making. If you've never made a boffer before, you should start with the my first boffer guide to learn the basics, and then work your way up from there.

What is a LARP?

LARP stands for Live-Action Role-Playing. It's similar to the traditional table-top RPGs except everything is done in real life. Because LARPs often utilize live combat, they often use boffers for safety reasons. This BofferWiki will not cover LARPs, but it will give you plenty of information about how to make boffers that can be used in LARPs.

Is this some sort of cult? Do you kill people? Are you Satan worshipers?

As silly as these questions sound, they are legitimate, so here is the answer: People from any walk of life may enjoy boffers. Any race, creed, culture, religion, or ethnicity can enjoy the benefits of boffering withou fear of it having a negative impact on their life. The founder of BofferWiki has been boffering for ten years and has never met a single person who thought it was "real".

There was an incident in Port Angeles, Washington, in which a boffering league was shut down because of violence. From what I hear, people were stabbed (with actual knives). However, this cannot be applied to Boffering as a whole. In fact, a former member of the PA group quit the league (because he saw what was going on) and formed a peaceful group in Sequim. We meet every Saturday, and would love to have new members (it's nothing official, so don't get put off with thoughts of membership cards and fees and stuff. All you need to join is a safe boffer weapon (under 8 feet long and completely padded in striking areas), a good attitude, and transportation to Carrie Blake Park in Sequim. "The guys" are a little crass but it's all in good fun.

What exercises can I do to keep in shape?

Most people don't like playing in the winter and can slowly fall out of shape. Also, when you're without a sparring partner it's hard to mimic the intensity of combat. There are many ways to keep in shape. Fencing, is similar to boffering, although a little more constrictive in its rules, but it will give you a great targeted workout. Dancing is also very useful, especially ballet. If you have access to a Dance Dance Revolution game it will really help build up your leg muscles and provides great aerobic exercise. Step aerobics, in-line skating, ice skating, and running are all very good ideas as well. Note: on DDR if you can,do the workout mode and dance till you drop. See how far you can build yourself up!