Valkyries

The Valkyries

Biography of Group

The Valkryies were formed as an all-female fighting company on September 14, 2017 in the Kingdom of Dragonspine. Although many of us are strong in crafting, leadership, and service, the company’s focus is fighting, specifically training and promoting female fighters.

FAQ's

Why an all female company?

1) In the words of Dr. Stacy Sims, “You are not a small man. Stop eating and training like one!” The reality is, women’s bodies and minds respond differently to nutrition, training and the stresses of tournament fighting and battlegames. A simple example - most current fighting companies probably don’t spend a ton of time working on strategies for fighting against taller fighters. Since most women are, on average, shorter than their male counterparts, as a women’s fighting company, we can work on that challenge proactively and improve our overall performance. On the other hand, women tend to excel at group fighting. As a women’s company, we can capitalize on those skills and promote events that bring out our gifts.

2) Female support. Women face considerable challenges in a game created by (mostly) men that favors male strengths. Having a core group of women fighters for support and encouragement makes a difference!

3) We want to promote and lift up other female fighters, and our membership lends credibility to our message. There are a lot of men who know plenty about the challenges female fighters face, but it means something different to have a woman at the front of the group teaching. It means something different to have all-female instructors, fighters, reeves, and leaders showing you that women are capable (and belong) in those roles in Amtgard.

4) There's something powerful that happens when mixed companies dominate jugging, ditching, Phoenix League, etc. People say - "Hey! The team with the girl won!" or "Wow! That girl archer was pretty good!" Think how much more powerful it is to watch a team of all women roll the competition...or even shows UP to the competition. Can you imagine a ditch at Clan with 10 women side by side dominating the flank? When an all-female team wins, there is no way to say that the guys carried them... To young and newer female fighters - our fighting together as women sends the clear message that they too can be fighters in Amtgard.

Why a fighting company and not a household?

1) There is already a great household that supports female fighters: House Lionesse! Membership to that household is open (and encouraged!). There are other more selective households popping up across the country doing similar work.

2) In our game, there’s a cultural difference between households and companies. Companies are organized for fighting, while households tend to be organized around other interests. Although there are households with high barriers to entry, in general, households are more loosely organized.

3) We’re dedicated to FIGHTING. We plan to take the field together at events. We are by every definition a fighting company.

What’s your stance on all-female tournaments and segregating awards for women?

Each member has a slightly different stance on where the future of women’s fighting is headed, but we all agree that more support for female fighters is needed. As a company, we are reading as much as we can and researching the benefits of same-gender competition, and we’re actively involved in the wider conversation happening in Dragonspine and Amtgard International; however, the company has no official stance on these matters at this time.

This fighting company is a great idea! How can support it?

There are many ways to help! Here are some ideas:

Tell people about us in your kingdom or at your local park.

Host a women’s tournament in your area.

Offer to help our members get to SKBC! It’s an expensive venture, but it’s a priority for us! Pm one of our members or email us at [email protected] to ask how you can help.

Donate fabric (Kona cotton Storm or Medium Grey are our colors).

Donate garb, shields, or swords. We’ll rep your work, and you’ll contribute to helping a women’s company shine!

Send us tips and tricks for how you’ve either overcome unique challenges as a female fighter or capitalized on strengths.

Come fight with us when you’re in the Albuquerque or Santa Fe area!

I’m in another fighting company. Can I join Valkyries?

Maybe. Assuming that your current company allows dual membership (Asura, for example), it is possible. Some companies that have a strict policy of one-company-only have also considered allowing current members to join Valkyries, because they do not see it as interfering with their company’s goals. In these cases, the company typically has a broader conversation about an alliance with the Valkyries so that the Valkyries never take the field against the person’s other company.

All of the current full members belong to one company only, Valkyries.

I live in Alaska / Iowa / California / somewhere far from New Mexico... can I join?

Maybe. We are currently considering one person who lives outside of New Mexico, but she is exceptional... We are cautiously open to national membership; however, petitioning also requires that you get to know our current membership, which lives and fights primarily out of northern New Mexico. If you are unable to travel to fight with us, this company is probably not the best fit for you. Ideally, petitioners who live far from our home base would find at least one other woman interested in the company to partner with for training. We are open to conversations and creative ways of connecting if you are passionate about making things work and it becomes clear that you are a good fit for the company.

What does the petitioning process involve?

First step requirements:

1. Be a fighter! There are lots of GREAT companies that stress leadership, service, etc. We’re fans. And we do that too. But if you’re not training and working to improve your fighting, this isn’t the company for you.
2. Get to know the current membership - reach out to one of us online to inquire about what that might look like for you. It's particularly important if you live far away that you make the effort to travel to events to get to know us and play with us. Knowing members of Wheel and getting along with them doesn't hurt either. They don't get a vote, but they're our bros, and we take their opinions seriously.
3. Meet up with us in person, fight with us, and see what the chemistry’s like. Super important. We travel a lot to events, so this might be easier than you think. If you’re far from Albuquerque, we recommend considering if there is another woman in your area that would also be good for the company that you can petition with. Having two women in the same area is much preferred to having just one floater out there by herself. We all attend the Gathering of the Clans and Lucha (we run Lucha), and some of us also attend SKBC, Keep, Rakis, and other inter-kingdom events throughout the year.
4. Be clear about why you want to join the company.
5. Be clear about your goals as a fighter and have a clear training plan in place.

The next step:

1. Pass a vote. In order to be welcomed as a petitioner, the Valkyries must vote 100% to take you on as a petitioner. We are not interested in growing quickly as a company, and we want to make absolutely sure that the people we bring in are a good fit! We are currently only taking one petitioner at a time, so you may have to wait a bit to start the program. In the meantime, get to know us, hang out with us, and fight with us as much as possible. The decision to take you on as petitioner will then be much easier.
2. Complete the petitioning program, which includes increased self-awareness, education, and opportunities to get to know the current members. The process does not have a set time (ex: 1 year), but rather depends on how quickly petitioners complete a set number of assignments. Some assignments may vary based on the particular needs of the petitioner. The Valkyries have a strict no hazing policy.
3. Pass another vote, this time for membership!
4. Receive your colors and fight as a Valkyrie!