In the first event of its kind since 1929, swordsmen from three continents converged on Emerson Culture Center in Boseman, Montana, to participate in the Inaugural Full Contact Tournament. In front of a capacity crowd, competition opened with a series of 3-minute pool matches meant to determine the seeding for the main event: a single-elimination, winner-take-all tournament. Action during these initial rounds was fast and aggressive, all matches but one ending in decisive "killing" blows.

Ian Glazer of Washington, D.C., proved himself the best man during seeding, earning himself a first-round bye. The main bracket decided, competitors then squared off in longer, 5-minute rounds for each direct elimination bout. After several rounds of cagey, aggressive play, the field of competitors was narrowed to two: Hendrik Kivirand of Talinn, Estonia and Brian Szura of New Jersey, USA. In the second longest match of the tournament, Kivirand defeated Szura to capture the title, scoring a "killing" blow to the head after several close exchanges.