Watch Knights Battle Then Dance in Bushwick on October 16th
Get your Halloween started early this Thursday when 3 Dollar Bill goes medieval with two Bushwick locals leading the charge. The LGBTQ+ venue will host The Armored League’s combat tournament on October 16, featuring eight fighters in authentic 80+-pound armor battling with blunted steel weapons. Party-goers are encouraged to arrive in their Halloween best, browse local vendors including Kaleidoscope Studios and media partner Bushwick Daily, and watch the tournament before the space transforms into a dance floor with sets by Anthony Romano and DJ Umfang.
Among the competitors are Bushwick’s own Russel “Stormrider” and Jesse “Shortbread” Mooney, who locals might recognize from viral social media videos or from spotting them in full armor around L Mo’s Market and the Jefferson L stop. Now they’ll be putting that armor to the test, representing the neighborhood in full-contact combat at one of its most iconic venues.
The sport has evolved rapidly in recent years. “It’s interesting seeing the evolution,” says Orion “The Starry Knight” Goodman, who competed at a recent Maryland tournament. “Last year I never really encountered a lot of trips and throws out of weapon binds. And then this year at this event, every single time a competitor bound up their opponent’s weapon, they immediately tried to follow it up with a trip or throw.”
This is just the beginning of what we have planned,” says Damion DiGrazia, head of The Armored League. “Real combat, real DJs, real Halloween madness—Brooklyn has never seen anything like this, and we’re not done announcing surprises yet.
Tournament and Market Details
The evening kicks off at 7 PM in The Yard, 3 Dollar Bill’s outdoor space, where Russel and Mooney will face off against six other fighters including Orlando “Bronx Brawler” Mendez, Nic “Nuyorican” Crespo and Abeid “MANDO” Mitchell in full-contact bouts following a modified set of international Buhurt rules. The sport is “essentially MMA in medieval armor with grappling, takedowns, boxing in full armor, the sport has it all.”
Mitchell, a former Army combatives instructor who found the sport after struggling with depression and traumatic brain injuries, explains the appeal: “I’m able to fight using the same body mechanics that work in kickboxing, boxing, and Muay Thai, but it keeps my head safer because I have my helmet on. It’s another format where I can basically go all out every fight with very little risk of serious injury.”
The vendor market runs alongside the single-elimination tournament, featuring Kaleidoscope Studios, a Bushwick-based creative collective. Kaleidoscope artists Arah Worm (@worm.scape) will sell trinkets, Emma (@apothocene) will offer jewelry, and the studio will have tea, candles, prints, and small art pieces available. Bushwick Daily, the event’s media partner, will vend discounted Bushwick passports, merch, and prints.
Costume Contest and Raffle
At 10:30 PM, costume contest participants will take to the catwalk for judging by Eros Alen, a singer and producer whose eclectic sound has made waves in NYC’s underground scene. The winner will be announced immediately following the catwalk and will receive $100 cash plus free tickets to NYC GOES POP at 3 Dollar Bill on Saturday, October 18. A raffle drawing for a sword will also be announced at 10:30 PM.
Dance Party Takes Over
Following the announcements, Anthony Romano, known for his Lounge Sessions events and genre-spanning sets across NYC warehouses, takes over, playing the room from 10:30 PM to midnight, followed by DJ Umfang, the Discwoman co-founder who’s performed at Berghain and MoMA PS1. Their contrasting styles—Romano’s high-energy house and disco meets Umfang’s minimalist techno—promise to keep the 1,250-capacity venue moving until 2 AM.
Fighter Dynamics
The tournament will showcase different fighting philosophies and evolving strategies. Mitchell draws on Bruce Lee’s philosophy: “I fear not the man who has practiced a thousand kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick a thousand times. For me, I keep it with my simple head tosses or my sweeps—that’s my bread and butter, ready to fire.”
Meanwhile, Goodman is adapting to the sport’s grappling evolution. “It’s become a bigger part of my training than I expected,” he says. “I’m working with a jiu-jitsu gym near me on private classes, just basics like mount escapes. I look to other fighters in the community as mentors.”
Why This Matters for Bushwick
For 3 Dollar Bill, located at 260 Meserole Street, the partnership represents another boundary-pushing event for the venue that’s become central to Brooklyn’s queer nightlife scene. The 10,000-square-foot space has hosted everything from drag pageants to punk shows, but medieval combat is a first.
For Mitchell, a Black veteran and former Army combatives instructor, competing at 3 Dollar Bill holds special significance. “3 Dollar Bill, I believe, is a queer-positive space, LGBTQ venue. And so I think it’s great for us to be there because representation is important for all groups, whether it’s Black, white, Hispanic, minority, LGBTQ+, whatever,” Mitchell explains. “Representation in the sport [armored combat] is key, the more the merrier, right? Because it’s already kind of small, and the more people that can be in it, the better. Being in those communities and being in those places, we get more eyes, we get more lives, because essentially people are looking for community. People want to be a part of something. And [armored combat], in my belief, a community for everyone.”
Mitchell adds that he’s excited to meet people at the venue and talk to them about the sport, hoping to bring more members of the LGBTQ+ community into armored combat training.
Tickets and Details
Early bird tickets are currently $25 including fees but will increase as the event draws closer, so grab them now at 3dollarbillbk.com. General admission will be $25 in advance, with a $125 VIP option that includes premium tournament viewing and artist meet-and-greets.
Doors open at 6 PM on October 16. The venue is a five-minute walk from the Meserole St L stop. Get your $25 early bird tickets before the price increase at 3dollarbillbk.com.
For more news, sign up for Bushwick Daily’s newsletter.
Join the fight to save local journalism by becoming a paid subscriber
