A pair of armoured hi tech gladiators batter each other with an assortment of weapons; and if all goes according to plan no one gets hurt! It's being billed as the next big thing in competitive martial arts.
The key technology enabling the sport is a bodysuit loaded with sensors measuring the location and force of every blow, and then software that scores every strike based on a real time calculation of the injuries it would actually cause if the fighter was wearing no armour and unprotected.
Unified Weapons Master is an Australian and New Zealand business that's hoping to emulate the success of The Ultimate Fighting Championship or UFC whose owners have transformed a 2 million dollar business into a global brand worth a reputed 4 billion dollars in the space of 15 years.
UWM held its first test fights in Wellington in March and David Pysden is its Chief Operating Officer.
