Sports – Chivalry Today

Historical sword-combat instructor Devon Boorman was asked to give an inspirational talk at a TED Conference. His presentation drew upon the historical values of confidence, prowess, and humility – ideals of the code of chivalry! In this conversation, he describes the process of bringing historical ideals of honor to the TED stage. TED Talks are all the rage today – luminaries of all sorts have appeared on stage at “technology, entertainment, and design conferences” held all around the world, including Bill Clinton, Filmmaker James Cameron, Rev. Billy Graham, Stephen Hawking, Malcolm Gladwell, Julian Assange, and Bill Gates – all to present their talks, focusing on their own fields of expertise as a means of sharing their passion, their vision, and their inspiration – in 18 minutes or less! In fact, it might be said that no trend, no fashion, no movement can really “hit it big” today until it’s been presented in a TED Talk. But in all the archives of more than 30,000 live presentations (with the marginal exception of one about conquering fear and the art of sword-swallowing) only a single TED Talk involves sword work on stage, and that was presented at the 2016 Vancouver TED-X Conference, and was given by Devon Boorman. Mr. Boorman is the co-founder and director of Vancouver’s Academie Duello, and has studied and taught medieval and Renaissance martial arts all over the world. He has won more than 40 European martial arts competitions, and has worked as a fight choreographer and stuntperson on stage and screen. He teaches combat with rapier, longsword, spear and other historical weaponry in a 6000 sq ft facility, and he leads a team of more than 30 instructors, working with more than 2000 new and repeat students every year. But though his presentation was titled Swordplay and the Lost Art of Knighthood what Devon brought to the TED stage wasn’t a talk about the latest interpretations of Fiore or Capo Ferro – but rather his own thoughts about inspiration, mastery, courage, and the power of physical movement. Mr. Boorman joins host Scott Farrell in a conversation about the challenges of bringing the ideals of chivalry to a TED Conference (who might know little to nothing about the historical practice of swordsmanship, and the code of honor that went along with it) as part of his talk about movement and mastery.  

Conversations With Chivalry Today #2: Oplomachia trainer Gemini Asonte Gemini Asonte, whose techniques of historical sword combat can be seen on the new Oplomachia: Basic Sword And Shield DVD, in his training studio at Knight’s Quest Academy as he contemplates the question, “Can a knight have too much armor?” If you want evidence that chivalry isn’t dead in today’s world, all you need to do is visit a quiet suburban neighborhood in the Calif. town of Turlock, just east of San Jose, where you’ll find a school called the Knight’s Quest Academy of Chivalry. There, on pretty much any afternoon or evening, you’ll see the school’s founder Gemini Asonte, teaching students of all ages – from 5 up to 50 and beyond – his particular brand of combat with swords and other medieval weaponry, which he calls oplomachia. Gemini himself has more than 30 years of experience in martial arts of all sorts, and, as you might expect with such a background, his method incorporates a variety of foundational techniques in a very systematic approach to learning the medieval sword-fighting skills. Beyond his considerable talents in sword combat however, Gemini’s program also involves teaching medieval arts and sciences, and exploring the values and ideals of the code of chivalry. In that way, Gemini’s medieval combat school creates truly Renaissance men and women. Fortunately you don’t have to make a pilgrimage to the Knight’s Quest Academy in order to begin your study of oplomachia – Gemini’s teaching can be seen on his video podcast The Modern Medieval, which you can find on YouTube, as well as on his first instructional DVD, Oplomachia: Basic Sword and Shield, which has just been released by Knight’s Quest. Gemini Asonte joins show host Scott Farrell (the two are pictured here together at a recent medieval reenactment festival and martial arts tournament) for a conversation about his style of medieval combat, and how he goes about the task of teaching his students to – as he puts it – be safe, train hard, and be knightly … by following the code of chivalry. [divider style=\’centered\’] Quicklinks – Use the links below to find the on-line resources mentioned in this podcast: Purchase a copy of Oplomachia: Basic Sword And Shield at Amazon.com; Watch Gemini’s training videos on the Modern Medieval YouTube channel; Learn more about the programs offered, and find a calendar of Gemini’s upcoming teaching seminars and other appearances, on the Knight’s Quest Academy Facebook Page. [divider style=\’centered\’] Below – Watch Gemini’s training video on how to wield a spear in medieval knightly fashion: [responsive_video type=’youtube’ hide_related=’1′ hide_logo=’1′ hide_controls=’0′ hide_title=’0′ hide_fullscreen=’0′ autoplay=’0′]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRTO1OZlsz[/responsive_video]

Conversations With Chivalry Today #1: Matt Hiltman Apart from being a talented professional jouster, Matt Hiltman is also a philosophy student – a commentator with a unique perspective on the values of chivalry. Anyone who can be considered a professional jouster today is part of a fairly exclusive club – and if you’re one of the fans of the The History Channel’s recent television show Full Metal Jousting, you’ll know that Matt Hiltman, one of the show’s 16 participants, has definitely earned his membership. Anyone who can be considered a professional jouster today is part of a fairly exclusive club – and if you’re one of the fans of the The History Channel’s recent television show Full Metal Jousting, you’ll know that Matt Hiltman, one of the show’s 16 participants, has definitely earned his membership. Now Matt didn’t just pick up a lance for the first time on the set of Full Metal Jousting – he was selected as a participant, like all of the other jousters, because he brought a unique and intriguing mix of experiences with him. Matt is a long-time jouster at the well-known Medieval Times restaurant chain, where diners get to watch a display of equestrian skill, sword combat, and jousting stunt-riding along with their meal. But, most intriguingly, if you were watching the riders’ stats flash by on the screen in between bouts of jousting on Full Metal Jousting, you might have noticed that Matt also had the distinction of being labeled a “philosophy student.” He is, in fact, currently majoring in philosophy at Georgia State University. Well, as one of the top-placed jousters on the first American national sport jousting competition, who has a university-level background in philosophy, we knew we wanted to have him on the show to talk about the practice, ideals, and philosophy of chivalry – and that’s exactly why we invited him to have a conversation with Chivalry Today. [divider style=\’centered\’] Below – The History Channel provides a video lesson on the rigors and dangers of real competitive jousting. [responsive_video type=’youtube’ hide_related=’1′ hide_logo=’1′ hide_controls=’0′ hide_title=’0′ hide_fullscreen=’0′ autoplay=’0′]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh5Y_tX-E8U[/responsive_video] [divider style=\’centered\’] Also, watch the final episode of Full Metal Jousting (link no longer available) to see how Matt fares against fellow finalist, Josh Knowles.

The organizers of the 2012 Lysts On The Lake, Steve Hemphill and Scott Wilson, discuss this upcoming event that combines the sport of competitive jousting with the burgeoning interest in the field of Western martial arts and historical sword combat, and talk about what role chivalry will play in this year’s event. Plus: A look at the centennial of the Titanic’s sinking and the lessons of chivalry and courtesy to be learned from that fateful “night to remember.” Quicklinks: Use the links below to learn more about the books, programs, and products mentioned in this episode of the podcast: Learn more about the Lysts On The Lake and the Chivalric Martial Arts International symposium. Visit the website of Darkwood Armory, supplier of premium WMA and historical fencing swords. Titanic Disaster – Official Casualty Figures [divider style=\’centered\’] Recently the martial arts of medieval Europe have been undergoing nothing short of a Renaissance – moving away from the theatrical pomp and play-acting of scripted jousting shows, and staged sword-fight displays, and toward the more serious study and practice of real, authentic combat on horseback and foot, with lances, swords, and other realistic weapons. Steve Hemphill is president of A Plaisance Ltd., and coordinator of the Lysts On The Lake jousting tournament Not one, but two recent television series have focused on the growing practice of live, competitive sport jousting. And there is an exploding number of conventions and symposia for practitioners of 14th and 15th century fencing, wrestling, and armed combat. All of these martial arts were, of course, practiced by knights, and those of knightly status in the Middle Ages – back in the days of real chivalry. (That is to say, when chivalry was a current, contemporary concept – not a topic for debate about historical accuracy.) But for someone of “knightly spirit” in the 21st century, getting a solid grounding in all of these martial arts is difficult. After all, few of us have a castle courtyard where we can go for private lessons with our masters of horse and sword. But, on May 8th through the 13th, if you’re in the vicinity of Austin, Texas, you can have the next best thing – because that’s when both of these styles of medieval chivalric sports are going to come together in Taylor, Texas at the East Williamson County Event Center, and the Taylor Rodeo Association Arena as spectators, students, and competitors come for the Chivalric Martial Arts International convention, and the Lysts On The Lake jousting tournament. Scott Wilson is chief sword maker at Darkwood Armory, and coordinator of the Chivalric Martial Arts International Symposium. Of course, watching these instructors, students and competitors gather to wrestle, hammer, slash, stab, and joust with one another is certainly exciting and colorful. But in these practices of the martial arts of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, will they be exploring the ideals of chivalry, or simply proving that a sense of honor goes out the window once the swords are drawn and the lances come down? Will spectators come away with greater respect for the ideals and practices of chivalry in a competitive environment – or is this merely an exhibition of the obsolescence of the knightly code. Scott is joined by Steve Hemphill and Scott Wilson, organizers of the event, to discuss how the ideals of chivalry are viewed by the participants in these events. You can purchase tickets to the event in advance (at a discount) through the Lysts On The Lake website. See the promotional video for the 2012 Lysts On The Lake jousting tournament and Chivalric Martial Arts International Symposium below. [divider style=\’centered\’] [responsive_video type=’youtube’ hide_related=’1′ hide_logo=’1′ hide_controls=’0′ hide_title=’0′ hide_fullscreen=’0′ autoplay=’0′]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYhdz1bPTAE[/responsive_video]

Visit the Higgins Armory Museum to learn about their new exhibit Extreme Sport: The Joust as Scott is joined by Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng, the museum’s curator of arms and armor, and one of the coordinators of the exhibition. Dr. Forgeng is one of the world’s few professional scholars of the history of European martial arts. His books include Joachim Meyer’s Art Of Combat and The Medieval Art Of Swordsmanship, and he is one of the lead trainer-interpreters with the Higgins Sword Guild. He is the Paul S. Morgan Curator at the Higgins Armory Museum, and an Adjunct Associate Professor of History at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Quicklinks: Use the links below to learn more about the books, programs, and products mentioned in this episode of the podcast: Donate to Chivalry Today in the Choose Your Rewards listener support drive; Learn more about the work of the Higgins Armory Museum, or plan a visit. [divider style=\’centered\’] Chivalry To The Extreme: The Higgins Armory Museum’s Exhibition “Extreme Sport — The Joust” Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng is an internationally recognized expert on European martial arts, and one of the organizers of the new exhibit The Joust. Anyone interested in medieval history or the code of chivalry knows that jousting has been used as a focus for dramatic tension in practically every work of fiction set in medieval times – from L’Morte Darthur, to Edmund Spencer’s The Fairy Queen, to Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe. Lerner & Lowe’s musical Camelot brought a jousting match right up onto a Broadway stage; and more recently, A Knight’s Tale gave us a movie that was, in fact, entirely set in the jousting arena. But recently there’s been a shift – away from the dramatized depiction of the joust as a set piece of conflict and hero’s journey, and more towards restoring the jousting match as an honest, unscripted athletic competition. Live, competitive jousting events, such as the World Joust Tournament of the Phoenix, and international jousting competitions held at castles and museums in Europe, are creating an audience that is no longer satisfied with sparking swords, fake blood, and gymnastic stunts. This new interest in jousting has also given rise to not one, but two television shows that focus on the sport in a “reality TV” sort of way: Nat Geo’s Knights of Mayhem, which took a behind the scenes look at a sport-jousting troupe, and History Channel’s Full Metal Jousting, which is currently on-air, that takes more of a game-show approach to the sport by inviting sixteen athletes and riders from various disciplines to “come on down” and see which one of them can become the best jouster after 30 days of training. So, what does this new interest in athletic jousting tell us about our understanding of medieval knights and the culture they created? Do these new “sport jousting” events provide a more authentic picture of this uniquely medieval sport, or are they creating a new sort of mythology about jousting that is no more realistic than the bombastic Renaissance Fair jousting performances we’re all familiar with? And, perhaps most importantly, does seeing jousting as a sport provide us with a more complex understanding of the ideals and practices of chivalry – or does that, rather, reveal that chivalry was (and is) nothing but idealistic window dressing that needs to be set aside in order to excel in a real competitive activity? For anyone who wants to explore such questions – or just plain learn a little more about the jousting in both its historical and modern forms – the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, Mass., is the place to go. Their newly opened exhibit, called The Joust (link no longer available), gives visitors a chance to see, and even feel the sport of jousting in a very up-close and personal way. Scott talks with Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng, one of the museum’s curators, about the exhibit. [divider style=\’centered\’] While the idea of jousting may conjure up images of ancient castles and knights of long ago, there’s been a remarkable interest in reviving the sport for a modern audience. Here’s what the participants on History Channel’s Full Metal Jousting have to say about this medieval spectacle as a 21st century sport (Editor’s Note:  Video no longer available). [divider style=\’centered\’]

Scott speaks with Brett McKay, founder of the Art Of Manliness and co-author of Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom And Advice On Living The 7 Manly Virtues, about the gentlemanly arts and the place of the code of chivalry within the framework of manly philosophy. Plus: A message of generosity from one of the great coaches of college basketball; and you can send a Pledge Of Chivalry to a friend as a holiday gift for as little as $20. Quicklinks: Use the links below to learn more about the books, videos, products, and programs mentioned on this episode of the podcast: Visit the Art Of Manliness website to learn more about the skills of being a modern gentleman (even if you’re a woman!); Purchase the book Manvotionals by Brett and Kate McKay; Buy a copy of John Feinstein’s new book One On One. [divider style=\’centered\’] Manvoted To Chivalry Brett McKay (left) with his wife, Kate, are the authors of the new book Manvotionals, a collection of thoughts on the art of manliness. Chivalry is often defined as the “lost art of being a gentleman.” Why don’t young men act like gentlemen anymore? people – particularly young ladies – often complain. The days when gentlemen used polite manners, stood up for what’s right, took pride in being confident and self-reliant, and lived up to their word seem to be a thing of the past. Recently there have been a variety of efforts to recapture what might be called “The Art of Manliness” – and to teach young men (or, actually, men of all ages) what it is to be a man who lives with a real sense of discipline, honor, industry, and courage, rather than just to be couch-potato playing World of Warcraft in your man-cave. But part of the challenge in this reclamation of the art of manliness is the understanding of the difference between what a man does and what a man is … you can learn to run a bulldozer, hunt big game, and sail the seven seas all you want,  but the trappings of manliness are nothing without the ideals, values, and principles of manly character. So just what is it that makes a male into a man? How does one achieve not just the skills, but also the philosophy of a modern gentleman? Are the qualities of chivalry still relevant to the contemporary practice of the art of manliness, or has the notion of the chivalrous knight been eclipsed by the more up-to-date profile of the cosmopolitan man-about-town? These are the questions Scott explores with Brett McKay, author of Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom And Advice On Living The 7 Manly Virtues. [responsive_video type=’youtube’ hide_related=’1′ hide_logo=’1′ hide_controls=’0′ hide_title=’0′ hide_fullscreen=’0′ autoplay=’0′]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvu1VonCNNY[/responsive_video] [divider style=\’centered\’] Bobby Knight – A Slam-Dunk Lesson In Gratitude A clip from a recent episode of the on-air talk show Fresh Air, hosted by Dave Davies, provides a memorable lesson on the value of generosity and gratitude in a fiercely competitive environment as sports commentator John Feinstein talks about his observations of coach Bobby Knight in his new book One On One: Behind The Scenes With The Greats In The Game. (Listen to the full broadcast of the show on NPR’s Fresh Air website.) [divider style=\’centered\’] Coming Up On Episode 57: Scott will be joined by Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng, curator of arms and armor at the Higgins Armory Museum, to talk about the newly opened exhibit The Joust. [divider style=\’centered\’]

Jouster Dominic Sewell demonstrates the elegant (and difficult) art of armored horsemanship. Dominic, along with Jeffrey Hedgecock, will be on hand at the Historical Horsemanshp Roundtable to do their best to demonstrate the link between horsemanship and chivalry In this episode, Scott is joined by Gwen Nowrick and Jeffrey Hedgecock, the founders of Historic Enterprises, and organizers of the World Joust Tournament of the Phoenix competitive jousting event, to discuss medieval horsemanship and its relationship to the ideals of chivalry. Gwen is the author of an article on the competitive sport of jousting in the Fall edition of Elite Equestrian magazine, and Jeffrey will be one of the competitors riding in the jousting event. They are also the coordinators of a roundtable discussion and demonstration of historical horsemanship that will be conducted by internationally acclaimed trainer Patrice Edwards, and Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng, curator of arms and armor at the Higgins Armory Museum. Before listening: Please make a donation to help support the production of our podcast in its new “Simply Chivalry” format for Season Six. Donate at one of the following levels and you’ll receive the appreciation gift listed: Donate $25 to Chivalry Today and you’ll receive a Chivalry Today T-shirt or travel mug (your choice); Donate $50 to Chivalry Today and you’ll receive a shirt with the logo for the 2011 Tournament of the Phoenix jousting event, two one-day passes to the joust (Oct. 21, 22, or 23), as well as a Chivalry Today T-shirt; Donate $100 to Chivalry Today and you’ll receive a family four-pack of three-day passes to the joust (good all three days, Oct. 21, 22, and 23) as well as Chivalry Today and Tournament of the Phoenix T-shirts. You can make a donation of any size by using the donation button on the right-hand side of your screen. Saddled With Chivalry: Equestrian researchers Gwen Nowrick and Jeffrey Hedgecock discuss riding and the knightly code. Gwen Nowrick’s article on the competitive sport of jousting appears in the Fall Edition of Elite Equestrian Magazine Armored knights on horseback competing in the spirit of chivalry may seem like something out of a medieval history book – but don’t call jousting “a thing of the past” when Gwen Nowrick and Jeffrey Hedgecock are around. Gwen and Jeffrey are organizers behind World Joust; Gwen is an avid student and practitioner of historical equestrian riding and training practices; Jeffrey is a skilled horseman himself, who is one of the best-known competitors on the jousting circuit today. For these two, jousting is a sport that’s a blend of both traditional pageantry and exciting contemporary relevance – no different from polo, steeple jumping, or even horse racing. (And if you think that clanking chain mail and long medieval gowns automatically disqualify this as a modern sport … well, those wild outfits you see in the stands on opening day at the races aren’t any stranger than medieval armor or 15th century lady’s fashions.) In coordinating the judges and field staff at the jousting tournament, Gwen’s focus is not so much on the skill and accuracy with the lance or sword, as with the control and grace between rider and horse. For Jeffrey, of course, the jousting matches are an opportunity to put academic research into practice – to see how historical riding skills hold up when it’s time to start breaking lances. Gwen’s article on jousting as a modern sport appears in the most recent issue of Elite Equestrian magazine. As part of the 2011 Tournament of the Phoenix, she and Jeffrey have helped put together a forum on historical horsemanship and equestrian training that will be led by internationally acclaimed trainer Patrice Edwards and medieval scholar Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng,that will kick off the jousting event on Thurs. Oct. 20 at 4pm. Scott spoke with Gwen and Jeffrey in their working offices (just steps away from their stable and armor workshop) to talk about chivalry’s role in the skills of medieval horsemanship. Read Gwen Nowrick’s article in the Fall 2011 edition of Elite Equestrian magazine; Get a copy of The Royal Book of Jousting, Horsemanship, and Knightly Combat by Dom Duarte, cited by Jeffrey and Gwen in the interview; Learn more about the Historical Horsemanship Roundtable at the WorldJoust Facebook Page.