Study on the Book of Chivalry - 9

The study on the Book of Chivalry by Sir Geoffrey de Charney continues with the discussion of conduct towards friend and enemy.

The author, on the conduct to be shown towards friends and enemies states the following:

....be humble among their friends, proud and bold against their foes, tender and merciful toward those who need assistance, cruel avengers against their enemies, pleasant and amiable with all others...

...you should not converse at any length nor hold speech with your enemies, for you should bear in mind that they do not speak to you for your own good but to draw out of you what they can use to do you the greatest harm.

You should be generous in giving where the gift will be best used and as careful as you can that you let your enemies have nothing that is yours.

Love and serve your friends, hate and harm your enemies, relax with your friends, exert yourself with all your strength against your foes.

You should plan your enterprises cautiously and you should carry them out boldly.

....no one should fall into despair from cowardice nor be too confident from great daring, for falling into too great despair can make a man lose his position and his honor, and trusting too much in his daring can make a man lose his life foolishly; but when one is engaged on an armed enterprise, one should dread vile cowardice more than death.

....refrain from saying anything unpleasant things and to make sure that what you say is of some profit rather than merely courteous.

....you should treat your friends in such a way that you have no need to fear lest they become your enemies....

....when moving against your enemies to meet them in battle, never admit the idea that you might be defeated nor think how you might be captured or how you might flee, but be strong in heart, firm, and confident, always expecting victory, not defeat, whether or not you are on top, for whatever the situation, you will always do well because of the good hopes that you have.

The quotes give a sense of balance between to different forms of socializing.  The first being on how a warrior is to conduct him or herself towards their friends.  The second being on how warriors are to act towards his or her enemies or the enemies within. 

In regards towards friends, the Warrior treats friends as brothers or sisters in friendship and as allies or confidants in which the Warrior can relax and be his or her gentle self. 

In regards to to this balance of gentle and strong; one must understand this.  The Warrior is a balanced individual who knows the time and occasion to be either gentle or firm.  The Warrior is not an emotionally unstable or mental ill individual.  The Warrior is an amiable friend in times of peace and is also a force of justice in times of war.  Even in war, the Warrior is one who does not hold back on his or her prowess to achieve victory over the enemy or enemies. The Warrior is one that fights the inner enemies of fear, cowardice, doubts and overthinking to triumph over the physical opponent who is betting on an act of terror or intimidation. 

How does one achieve this mental/emotional balance?
The answer is this: by knowing oneself, knowing one's friends and creating the emotional balance by studying the ancient Warrior texts to understand this balance.

Yet one will ask the question: "Why need this balance when one can be aggressive or calm in two different modes of thinking?"
The answer is this: Thinking in two different modes of personalities is nothing short of being double minded, which can translate to moralistic double standards.  What affects one's mind will affect one's morals.  Therefore, a balance of the two extremities in personalities is vital to creating within oneself a complete and balanced human being. 

Therefore, the best lesson from this study is to know yourself and self introspect yourself so you can find the point of balance and build in time from there mentally and emotionally.  A saying of mine is this: "Fight your battles with your head, forget the heart."  Why do I say this?  A Warrior who is balanced is one who is able to fight his or her battles with his mind (which must utilize Logic, Reason, Wisdom, Knowledge) to fight the battle without having the Heart (the emotions) being involved.  This does not mean that a Warrior is a cold, killing, heartless, violent individual; rather the Warrior is balanced internally so as to not be swayed or influenced by emotions or motives that would unbalance the mind.  It is essentially being mentally and emotionally strong to withstand attacks on one's mind or emotions. 

Ask yourself this Brave Warrior: Am I swayed by my emotions or do certain things trigger my emotions?  Do I really know how to act between two extremes?  Can I fight my battles without feeling doubts or uncertainty?  When you ask yourself these questions, you begin your journey to balancing your mind and building a foundation of mental and emotional discipline.  Fight every battle with your mind full of Reasoning, Logic and Wisdom, do not rely on the Heart full of emotions.

Onward Brave Warrior!

Study on the Book of Chivalry - 8

The study of the Book of Chivalry by Sir Geoffrey de Charney continues with the understanding of why a Warrior must be conditioned physically and mentally.

The author begins to tackle the subject by first examining what causes an individual to want to become a glutton or one who avoids martial deeds for fear of suffering in the following:

In the first place, if you have this bad tendency for being excessively fond of cosseting this wretched body in your youth, you will want to go to sleep early, and wake up late, and if your hours of sleep are interrupted, you will suffer greatly from this, and the longer you sleep the less time you will have to acquire knowledge and to learn something of value.

The pampering of these wretched bodies also requires white sheets and soft beds, and if these are sometimes lacking, such men's backs and ribs ache so much that they can nothing all day.  And these good beds encourage rest and an abundance of sleep, which prevents them from hearing much that would be of profit to them.  

And in addition, to sustain these wretched men's bodies, which have little time to live, they have to be provided with the best food and wine that are to be found, and require to eat at the right time, or otherwise they will be in too much distress because of the great delight they take in such things.

The author makes it clear that when it comes to things that we live off of such as food, comfort, and easy life or sleep, these things can become a harmful addiction.  In fact one can say, that root of these addictions is mental apathy which can also be rooted within being lax with one's convictions.  Most people seek to enjoy the good life, but no one wants to enjoy the life with Cause and Purpose.

For the warrior rest, food and comfort have their respectful places and must not be goals or the ends to a goal.  Rather these things must not valued over making the choice or decision with integrity.  The author states his answer on the matter with the following:

It is quite the opposite for those who want to win honor, for they adapt to the seasons: when it is cold, they endure the cold, and when it is hot, they put up with the heat.  And they are prepared to accept all this for the great pleasure they experience in winning honor and in living honorably. 

And we learn from the above mentioned men of worth that the practice of arms always gives back what is put in whatever the delay.

Now you can see that these wretched people who are so fainthearted will never feel secure from living in greater fear and dread of losing their lives than do those good men at arms who have exposed themselves to so many physical dangers ad perilous adventures in order to achieve honor; for they are so accustomed to and familiar with such things that they are quite unaffected by such pathetic fears to which these wretches are so often subject.  And while the cowards have a great desire to live and a great fear of dying, it is quite contrary for the men of worth who do not mind whether they live or die, provided that their life be good enough for them to die with honor.  

It is evident that the manner a Warrior conducts his or herself is to perfect the body while sharpening the mind simultaneously.  Notice a specific pattern in the quotes, when one becomes accustomed to good food as opposed to food portioned enough to survive, physical laziness settles in, this leads to mental apathy which creates the desire for a relaxed lifestyle of extra sleep and avoiding anything dangerous.  The Warrior does the exact opposite.  How?

The Warrior takes every opportunity to condition his or her body to endure pain, hardship and danger to achieve one result, one goal: honor maintained or heightened, a life (or lives) saved from danger, or achieving a deed of heroism.  This means that physical training, conditioning, strict dieting, busy  are the trademarks of the Warrior Lifestyle. 

The key concept to keep in mind is Vigilance.  Vigilance of mind and spirit is what keeps a Warrior from falling into the traps of physical and mental apathy which ultimately leads one into the pit of moral collapse.  Keeping true to the Warrior Lifestyle, staying focused on the Vision for Cause and Purpose is the drive for Warrior to stand up and push themselves past the threat of danger and hardship to overcome the prison of laziness to achieve honor and heroism realized. 

Brave Knight, condition your body and soul for the battle to come.

Study on the Book of Chivalry - 7

The study of the Book of Chivalry by Sir Geoffrey de Charney continues with the discussion and insight into the influence and charisma of the right Lady in relation to the Warrior.

The author begins with the following questions:

Which one of two ladies should have the greater joy in her lover when they are both at a feast in a great company and they are aware of each other's situation?  Is it the one who loves the good knight, and she sees her lover come into the hall where all are at table and she sees him honored, saluted, and celebrated by all manner of people and brought to favorable attention before ladies and damsels, knights and squires, and she observes the great renown and the glory attributed to him by everyone?

And if one of the other ladies loves the miserable wretch who, for no good reason, is unwilling to bear arms, she will see him come into that very hall and perceive and understand that no one pays him any attention or shows him honor or notices him, and he remains hidden behind everyone else, for no one brings him forward. 

The author uses the example of two ladies who support two different knights.  Both knights having different affects on other people.  The question is asked: how does this pertain to me?

The answer is this: the saying "behind every powerful man, is a more powerful woman" is true pertaining to Warriorhood and living the Warrior lifestyle.  In other words, who you (as a Warrior) trust with your heart, will be an influence on your training and your deeds of heroism. 

What do I mean by this?  The Warrior is not just a fighting individual, he is a cultured man of Wisdom, Discernment, Stoic Reasoning and Honor. The decision he makes, will have a positive or negative impact on his lifestyle.  This pertains especially to his choosing a girlfriend or wife. 

In today's times, the concept of love and relationship has been pulled in every direction imagined.  Yet we also see the darkness of divorce and it's impact on families and other people; marital strife, crimes committed within marriage, loss of direction, ungratefulness within a marriage.  The list is endless.  Yet in spite of all of this, the Warrior does not waver or falter to the darkness.  he fights against it with the weapons of Stoic Reasoning, Discernment, Wisdom, Vision, Cause and Purpose. 

The question that arises is: How does the Warrior go about finding or choosing the right woman?

The answer can be given or drawn upon by the author's comments in the following:

How do such people dare to love when they do not know nor do they want to know about the worthy deeds that they should know about and ought to perform, especially those who for good reason should undertake them?

Therefore, men should love secretly, protect, serve, and honor all those ladies and damsels who inspire knights, me at arms, and squires to undertake worthy deeds that bring them honor and increase their renown.

And these noble ladies should, as is their duty, love and honor these worthy men at arms who, in order to deserve their noble love and their benevolence, expose themselves to so much physical danger as the vocation of arms requires from those who aim to reach and achieve that high honor through which they hope to deserve to win the love of their ladies.

The comments made by the author give the qualities and the expected consequences from a relationship with the right woman for the Warrior.  In the first comment, the question is aimed at the woman who is self centered and does not care for what is important to the Warrior namely living by the lifestyle and following its every precept.  And it also points the consequences of a relationship that does not have vision for the short and long term goals.  A couple brought together that do not share the same vision are bound to suffer much.  For the Warrior is a leader guided by Vision and Purpose.  Therefore, the woman that the Warrior should seek must be a woman who shares the same Vision as him. 

The second comment is a directive given by the author.  The Warrior (after finding the right woman)  must love, honor, cherish serve, protect and value his love with everything within him and must be inspired to strive for betterment of himself and of his relationship to his girlfriend or wife.  The Warrior must take every initiative to better the relationship and seize any and every opportunity to better his life by means of work, training or deeds of heroism or prowess done with inspiration from his lady love. 

Yet the question arises that says: What qualities in a woman must I look for so I don't end up with the wrong woman?"  The answer is given in the third comment.  According to the author, the woman that that the Warrior must find and make his life partner must be a woman who loves and cherishes her love, one who inspires if not pushes him to be the better Warrior or the better man.  One who shares the same vision for the short and long term goals of the relationship.  She must be a woman who understands her love and who is willing to accept the reality of life and the Warrior Lifestyle.  In fact it is the ideal for Warriors to find women who are Warriors themselves and marry them (provided they share the same vision regarding marriage and family).  However, if the woman who you as a Warrior to compromise in any way living by Warrior Wisdom or following the Warrior lifestyle or she blatantly tells you to drop it for her sake; it is better to leave her rather than to stay and wither away into an empty of your true self. 

I am not preaching to order you to do what I tell, rather I am giving the directive and example of how Warriors must conduct themselves in regards to Love, Relationships and even what to look for in a woman.  For those that are convinced that they do not need a woman to help fulfill their mission in life as Warriors, I commend them.  For those that seek a relationship, use discernment and follow Warrior Wisdom when choosing the woman whom you want to open up to. 

Brave Knight, choose wisely your Lady Love.

Study on the Book of Chivalry - 6

The study of the Book of Chivalry by Sir Geoffrey de Charney continues with the discussion of the responsibilities of the Warrior.

The author states the following:

And he who bears such a burden should fear lest he let it fall, for with great effort and endurance, in fearful danger and with great diligence, for a long time, stretching over a number of years, he has devoted himself to bearing this responsibility on his shoulders, and in one brief moment he may fall and loose everything,...So it must seem to everyone that such people should strive with the utmost diligence to ensure that they suffer no reproach against themselves nor against the bounties God has bestowed on them.   

The passage mirrors what in today's society calls "honor vs. shame."  What I mean by is that society gives exultation if not near worship to an individual who embodies a certain value or virtue that is celebrated.  However when that one individual does an act of what society considers unlikely or unthinkable from that individual, they hurl shame and disgrace upon that individual even when that individual is penitent.  For the Warrior, this is all the more true.  Therefore the Warrior must be one who is consistent and the same both in public and in private.  The Warrior on that same note, disregard the praise adoration given by the public, the reason being that societal praise can be compared to cheers given at a sport event with no genuine credit given or honor emphasized for the deed or virtue shown by the Warrior.  Humility to the Warrior is what car insurance is to the car driver.

The author then gives a source of where one who draw upon an example to derive how one must conduct themselves with this burden of responsibility/accountability:

We therefore learn from the good knights and men at arms whose great achievements and honorable deeds of prowess and of valor, have been related, described, and told above and which they have accomplished through suffering great hardship, making strenuous efforts, and enduring fearful physical perils and the loss of friends whose deaths they have witnessed in many great battles in which they have taken part; these experiences have often filled their hearts with great distress and strong emotion.

One will ask the question: "Why use the examples of soldiers?"  The answer is this: The Warrior is a soldier who fights the battles within his/her country or outside the country in service of the noble cause of Freedom and Justice (Freedom and Justice defined by both Law and Ideal and not according to current day politics).  The life stories from soldiers instills in the listener the somber reality of life and the renewing of the appreciation for the things taken for granted in regards to life.  For the Warrior, the individual bests learn from the deeds and conduct of soldiers and those who performed deeds of heroism with the intention of applying the lessons he/she has learned.


The author continues with the the value and importance of honor with the following:

....it is to be understood that one should not fail in any way to put great effort into anything which  might improve one's chance of winning an honorable reputation at any moment of the day or night; for the most precious thing there is to loose is time which passes, and cannot be won back nor can it return; and it can happen that such honor is won in an hour which one might fail to find in a year or indeed ever.

In our times when the notion or the concept of honor has come under the microscopic lens of scrutiny or outright attack due to anger stemming from feeling betrayed by a hypocrisy; it is of great importance to the Warrior that his/her Honor is to be guarded as a scared treasure.  True Honor is seen in our times to be synonymous with Integrity (which is true to a degree), however True Honor is Bravery in conduct towards friend and enemy.  True Honor is Self Accountability and Self Introspection which leads the Warrior with the desire for Self Excellence.  Indeed True Honor is in essence, living one's life with Excellence of Self.  Since in today's time, people if not society is quick to judge and even slander with or without cause, the Warrior must take every opportunity, whether it is a simple action or a choice with the positive consequence of making a better impact on people to build and refine his/her Honor.

The author makes this point when he states that:

That means that by your manners, your behavior, and your personal bearing you should so present yourself that your renown may be so good, so noble, and so honorable that you and your great deeds are held in high esteem in your quarters and on the field, especially in feats of arms in peace and in feats of arms in war where great honor wins recognition.

In summation, every action that the Warrior takes; whether it be a simple act of courtesy or a deed of heroism; must be done to maintain and increase True Honor within the Warrior.  The responsibility of the Warrior is the commitment to living by the standard of Excellence of Self, True Honor and Self Accountability. 

Remember this Brave Knight, the Honor that you have today can potentially be lost in a moment.  Guard it well, this is your burden, your mantle for life.

Study on the Book of Chivalry - 5

We continue further into our study of 'The Book of Chivalry" by Sir Geoffrey de Charney.

In this section, we will touch on the author's take on the valiant influence of a Valiant Lord and how does this relate to the modern warrior.

The author Sir Geoffrey explains how a Valiant Lord's influence has a positive effect in the following passages:

Thus you can see that one hundred men skilled in deeds of arms make themselves a name all the sooner through one great and worthy lord than would ten by two poor men of great worth...

for the great lord has them in his company and loves, honors, and values them and rewards them, and they respect him, love, honor and esteem him for the great valor they see in him in addition to the love, honor, reward that he has bestowed on them.

Nor are the valiant poor men as much respected and obeyed in time of action as are the great lords; but this does not mean that the good reputation does not belong to and remain with those who have earned it, whether rich or poor, and he who does most, the more lasting benefit there benefits there remains for him and the more worthy he is. 

The influence of those in command or who take upon the mantle of leader have the ability to influence his followers positively or negatively.  The warrior must be a leader who is aware of his/her ability to influence people to greatness or great deeds of heroism. The warrior is one who uses his position of leadership to the benefit and betterment of his/her followers and by people.


Yet the debate if not the argument is this: power corrupts, so being a leader is a gateway to becoming a tyrant or a wicked individual.  The answer to this argument is this: The warrior that is a leader is an individual who does not allow the temptation of power for self to get to his/her head.  Rather the Warrior Leader is one who uses his/her position to the advancement of heroism and the betterment of all people.  Vision ad Purpose guides the Warrior Leader in his/her thoughts and actions.

People in general always look towards action rather than a charismatic speech.  If this is true in our times, how much more true it is in regards to Warriorhood in our times.  The Warrior is an individual of action guided by Vision, Purpose and the Noble Cause.

The Warrior Leader exhibits the virtue of Humility and credits his/her followers for their actions or participation in a heroic deed.  The credit is shared to the group, and not allotted to the Leader.  While today's society gives praise to the single individual for a heroic deed, the Warrior Leader credits his/her followers along with himself.

Therefore Brave Knight, be humble and guided by Vision, Noble Cause and Purpose when you take upon yourself the mantle of a Leader.  Your followers look up to you, therefore be the example.

The German School of the Knightly Arts

In the study of HEMA, the Italian school is studied as well as the German school of Knightly Arts.

The Rhineland housed many masters of Medieval combat, I will not go through all of them, but I will mention the name of several masters whose names stand out in popularity in study, but also those who have more than one fight book to their name.

The first one I will mention is Johannes Liechtenauer.

Johannes Liechtenauer is the master of the Knightly Arts from whom the German fight books derive their source from.  In fact, most of the fight books are commentaries of the prose verses written by Liechtenauer.  In fact you can read the verses here.

His verses specialize in the utilization of the Longsword, the Sword in Armor or Half Swording, and Mounted Combat.

The second name I will mention is Hans Dobringer.

Hans Dobringer is the earliest German source for Liechtenauer's verse that can be traced and his commentary captures the the Art that Liechtenauer taught during the Mid to Late 1300's which is crucial in recreating the Art of Medieval Knightly Combat.

The third name I will mention is Sigmund ain Ringeck
.
Ringeck is one of the most studied and practiced in the many HEMA communities.  The reason being is that Ringeck's commentary on Liechtenauer's verses is straight forward and easy to understand.

The fourth name I will mention is Peter Von Danzig.

While Von Danzig is credited for his commentary on the verses pertaining to the Sword in Armor, the often mistaken text (Cod.44.A.8) which is another commentary on the Liechtenauer verses provides insights into the verses and techniques not mentioned  by Ringeck.

Other names within the study such as Paulus Kal, Hans Talhoffer, Peter Faulkner etc.

Yet one will ask the question, why bring up this subject?

The answer is this: the study of the German Knightly Arts adds depth and repertoire to the study of HEMA and its focus on verse interpretation adds richness to mental training which is a benefit to the modern warrior.

Now Brave Knight, study and apply, learn all and apply everything.

Warrior Mental Training

The Warrior of today is a well rounded individual. One that can fight the external and internal battles with wisdom and vigilance.  While a fighter can be one who excels in winning physical battles; a Warrior is one who fights the battles with the mind and the weapon of choice.

Yet the question is offered, How does the Warrior think?  Is there such a thing as training of the mind?

The answer to both questions is this:  The Warrior trains not just the physical body for combat, the Warrior trains his/her mind in equal balance.  The body for physical combat, the mind for strategy and mental prowess.

How does one go about training the mind?

The Warrior will train his mind in many aspects of life such as reading, mental strategy training, usage of logic and wisdom, usage of one's vision for life, reminding of one's purpose as a Warrior.  All these things are the components that make up the Warrior Mind.

Yet how does one start the training?  How does one keep motivated?

The answer is this: the training starts by taking control of emotions, thoughts, and will.  Exerting or initiating mental control brings about the mental change that is needed.

Next, the Warrior will begin to read books, not just pieces of literature, books on strategy, warfare, logic, history, martial training, ethics, .  The purpose of the readings is to fill the mind with knowledge and build the foundation for the Warrior Mind to operate.

After the readings, comes the application of said knowledge.  The knowledge can be applied to further one's self education to learn how to live independently and how to sustain and maintain one's self.  Examples of this can range from maintenance/repair of a car, growing a garden for food, cooking, finances, woodwork, living off the land or survival training.

The application of knowledge must lead one to full, committed action.  This action varies from what goals the Warrior sets to accomplish based on his/her environment or living conditions.  What must remain constant is commitment to one's vision and purpose, commitment to the lifestyle and his/her goals, and vigilance.

Yet with all of this, various situations arise which may prevent all this such as illness or days where one cannot do the physical training.  The answer is the training does continue within the realm of the mind.  How one may ask?  The answer is what has been detailed only minus the physical training.

Another will ask, "how does all this tie in with the physical martial training?"

The answer is this: physical action are manifestations of mental thought. Thus when a warrior drills a punch, a kick, a joint lock, evade or throw, the mind is what makes the strategies of the fight or series of battles in the mind of the warrior.  This can also be a mental set up or prep up for a battle/tournament match/street fight/or survival scenario.  Thus when one trains and refines their prowess, it is to be a preparation for the real thing: the fight for life and preservation of life.

Brave Knight, your mind must be equally sharp as your sword, for a sword without a hand guided by the mind, will lead to no action.  Train well Brave Warrior!