A Tournament for the Queen...

The following is an excerpt from Ashmolean MS., No. 837, fol. 245, an Elizabethan manuscript. It was brought to my attention  by the redoubtable fencer-researcher Chris Vanslambrouck (who has one of the coolest surnames in history), who wanted me to render it into modern English for him so that he could include it in an article he's currently working on. I gladly obliged, and with his kind permission I share it with you here:

For as much most noble Queene, as ther ar within this yor maties

Courte a greate nombre of noble menne and gentlemenne excellent men of Armes, and yet (as it wer) of late fallen a sleepe from eny kinde of such exercyse : Therfore by your ma"" lycense, to revyve theim withall, ther ar fower Knightes Errant which haue thought goode to challenge all commers at Shrovetyde next as followeth. Videlicet.

Tilt

Vpon Shrouesonday at the Tylt, six courses a pece. And who so doth best of the Defendanntes in those six courses, shall have for his prize a cheyne of gold.

Tourney

Vpon Shrovemonday at the Tourney, two blowes at the passage, and tenne at the ioyninge. All grypes, shockes, and fowle playes forbidden. And who so doth best of the Defendantes at that feate, shall haue a Diamonde.

Barriours

Vpon Shrouetuesday at the Barriours, three pusshes with the short pyke, and tenne blowes with the sworde with open gauntlet: no Barriours to be layde hande vpon, nor eny weopen to be taken holde of. And he of the Defendantes that doth best ther at, shall haue a Rubie.

This is an interesting bit of text for several reasons. For one, it's technically in Early Modern English, but there are some prominent holdovers from Middle English. Secondly, we find herein "grips," refering to Kampfringen-like wrestling actions, corroborating Silver. Moreover, we also encounter "shocks," and "foul plays," affording us new terms to add to the English Chivalric Lexicon. We are also granted a glimpse of the remaining gallants of a fading culture, desperately attempting to hold on to that culture before it fades into complete obscurity, or - little better - is irredeemably relegated to the twilight of pure tradition. It was already too late for all that, of course. Far too late. It was beginning even in Fiore's time. And, of course, we see the omnipresent parallels with the Continental traditions of the the Chivalric Arts; yet another testament to the dreaded "pan-European theory."

My translation (and a few cursory notes) follows:

"For as much, most noble Queen, as (indeed) there are within this your Majesty's Court, a great number of noblemen and gentlemen. Excellent men of arms, and yet, as it were, of late fallen asleep from any kind of such exercise. Therefore, by your Majesty's licence, to revive them withal, there are four Knights Errant which have thought good to challenge all comers at Shrovetide next, as follows. Videlicet:

"Tilt:

Upon Shrove Sunday, at the tilt, six courses apiece. And whosoever does the best of the Defendants in those six courses, shall have for his prize a chain of gold.

"Tourney:

Upon Shrove Monday, at the Tourney, two blows at the passage, and ten at the joining. All grips, shocks (perhaps akin to the bonne secousse of Le Jeu de la Hache, which Anglo translates as a "sudden push, or jolt"), and foul plays (think Fiore's hollowed-out bec-de-corbin, filled with blinding powder, amongst others) forbidden. And whosoever does best of the Defendants at that feat, shall have a diamond.

"Barriers:

Upon Shrove Tuesday at the Barriers, three pushes with the short pike, and ten blows with the sword with open gauntlet. No barriers to be laid hand upon, nor any weapon to be taken hold of. And he of the Defendants that does best thereat, shall have a ruby."

-B.

Total Control...

http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/05/04/meditation-produces-opposite-effect-of-fight-or-flight/54449.html

In our understanding of the value and context of the Chivalric Arts, this is an aspect I find to be very undervalued in it. When not just monks, ascetics and hippies practice these things on a regular basis, but elite warriors as well, it has a major affect on personality, interaction and behavior; and when one's profession is combat, it creates a unique personality synthesis not seen in mere monks. - Benjamin "Casper" Bradak.

http://www.catholicspiritualdirection.org/cloudunknowing.pdf

A personal note:

When the mind is controlled, the body, and its actions follow suit. This doesn't mean freedom from fear. Fear is a necessary component of daily life, without which we'd be in serious trouble. Rather, it means the ability to operate under fearful conditions. The human will, which many - myself included - consider to be identical to the human "spirit," or that spark of the divine in all of us, that which elevates and ennobles Man, is greater than mere biology, or physiology, for they can be transformed by the will. Moreover, often the will remains when the flesh has withered.

-B.

Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means strong desire to live, taking the readiness to die. ‘He that will lose his life, the same shall save it,’ is not a piece of mysticism for saints and heroes. It is a piece of everyday advice for sailors or mountaineers. It might be printed in an Alpine guide or a drill book. This paradox is the whole principle of courage, even of quite earthly or quite brutal courage. A man cut off by the sea may save his life if he will risk it on the precipice. He can only get away from death by continually stepping within an inch of it. A soldier surrounded by enemies, if he is to cut his way out, needs to combine a strong desire for living with a strange carelessness about dying. He must not merely cling to life, for then he will be a coward, and will not escape. He must not merely wait for death, for then he will be a suicide, and will not escape. He must seek his life in a spirit of furious indifference to it; he must desire life like water and yet drink death like wine. No philosopher, I fancy, has ever expressed this romantic riddle with adequate lucidity, and I certainly have not done so. But Christianity has done more: it has marked the limits of it in the awful graves of the suicide and the hero, showing the distance between him who dies for the sake of living and him who dies for the sake of dying. And it has held up ever since above the European lances the banner of the mystery of chivalry: the Christian courage, which is a disdain of death; not the Chinese courage, which is a disdain of life. - Chesterton

A Presentation by Michael Chidester...

The Flower of the Battle - Connecting the Dots

An Excellent Series...

I remember this wonderful series from my childhood. It was, in fact, one of the very first things that kindled a love of history in me (and, in particular, that of Western Civilization). Now, it is certainly not without its faults. Indeed, many sorry and rather tired tropes are encountered here. That said, the host is charismatic, fluid, and engaging. The lover of history will find much to appreciate here. I thought I'd share them.

Enjoy,

-B.

The Western Tradition Episode 1

The Western Tradition Episode 2 

The Western Tradition Episode 3

The Western Tradition Episode 4

The Western Tradition Episode 5

The Western Tradition Episode 6 

Brilliant Interpretation

Here is further proof that this man, Anders Linnard of Göteborgs Historiska Fäktskola, is one of the most intelligent and charismatic technical interpreters of Kunst des Fechtens today:

Enjoy!

JH

Gripping the Longsword

If you correctly learn to do Zornhau plus the Vier Versetzen with the longsword, then you also shall learn proper gripping of the longsword.

You do that by training with those who fight you in sparring.  You do that by solo work that lets you discover things on your own.  You do that by thinking for yourself. 

There.  The secret is out.  It is that simple.  I must be a fucking genius.  You are so welcome. 

J.Hull

Choke-Slam the IOC

I am outraged—this is an outrage:

The International Olympic Committee has chosen to forsake Wrestling (Freestyle & Greco-Roman) for inclusion at the 2020 Olympics—as may be read in these three journalistic articles:

IOC drops wrestling from 2020 Olympics

Jacques Rogge to meet with wrestling leader

Dan Gable joins Gov. Branstad in fight to keep wrestling

Some characterise that it was either a choice between either Modern Pentathlon (fencing, riding, swimming, shooting, running) or Wrestling.  I think that is mischaracterisation.  Whatever politics or favours were played successfully on behalf of Modern Pentathlon, it would be a shame to have lost either it and/or Wrestling.  Both are worthy martially founded sports of European heritage with transnational appeal and participation.

If anybody wants to suggest some phony sports to nix or disconsider, then how about golf, squash and wushu?  Now let me focus again upon the loss of Wrestling.

Here are my fourfold reasons for keeping Wrestling as a primary Modern Olympic sport:

1. Wrestling has heritage all the way back to Ancient Greece and its Olympics

2. Wrestling is a sport of complete physical & mental fitness whose performance relies only upon the athlete’s own body & mind.

3. Wrestling is the most primal of sports that teaches the athlete useful self-protection.

4. In any event Wrestling should not have validate itself beyond that with concerns of modernising, or fashion, or lucrativity.

Here is my argument as to why the IOC “vote” was nothing more than self-invalidation:  The vote was utterly undemocratic, i.e. the affected people got no vote.  Wrestlers were not allowed to vote—i.e. every wrestler everywhere did not get to vote, yet every wrestler everywhere is expected to abide this decision.  The vote was made secretly by an elite group of corrupt politicians called the IOC. The IOC “president” Jacques Rogge was too cowardly to vote at all.

Here is what I think should be the way it is decided:

If Jacques Rogge were man enough to wrestle and beat any singular living past Olympic wrestling gold-medal champion of his weight class and approximate age, then the IOC gets its way.  Yet if the champion wins, then Wrestling gets its way.  Perhaps the challenger could be the legendary 1972 Olympic wrestling champion Dan Gable?  I for one would enjoy witnessing DG choke-slam JR in a match of Ernst-Ringen.

So what do you say, JR?  Shall this be decided in true & heroic Olympian spirit by a real athletic competition?  Or are you and your IOC cronies going to decide this by the usual Machiavellian/Byzantine/Clementine machinations?

I mean really:  What kind of people are they?  As the song says:

They’ve only got their job to do
That's why they’ve got it in for you

By J.Hull