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Translation: Young Knight learn to love God and revere women so that your honour grows. Practice knighthood and learn the Art that dignifies you, and brings you honour in wars. Wrestle well and wield lance, spear, sword, and dagger manfully, whose use in others' hands is wasted. Strike bravely and hard there! Rush to, strike or miss. Those with wisdom loath, the one forced to defend. This you should grasp: All arts have length and measure. Whatever you undertake, use deliberation. In earnest or in play, be of good cheer and vitality, so you may be attentive and with good courage ponder what action you should take, so that none may touch you, since good courage and strength make your enemies hesitate. Keep in mind to give no-one any advantage. Avoid foolhardiness, do not attempt to match four or six opponents at once. Restrain your ambition, this will benefit you. He is a courageous man who can stand against his equal, while it is no shame to flee from four or six.

Johannes Lichtenauer#2

Martial artsCourageEthicsMoralitySelf discipline

About this quote

What does it mean?
Young knights should love God, honor women, develop martial arts, act with deliberation, avoid foolhardiness, and restrain ambition for true courage.
In plain terms
Knights must love God, respect women, train wisely, think before acting, and keep ambition moderate.
What can you take from it?
Cultivate spiritual, moral, and tactical discipline while tempering pride.

Where it applies

  • military education
  • personal development workshops

Putting it to work

  • incorporate ethical reflection in training
  • set limits on competitive challenges

Questions to consider

  • How does one balance courage with caution?
  • What modern roles echo the knight’s code?

Another view

Excessive restraint can lead to missed opportunities.

More from Johannes Lichtenauer

  1. Jung Ritter lere / got lip haben frawen io ere / So wechst dein ere Uebe ritterschaft und lere / kunst dy dich zyret und in krigen sere hofiret Ringens gut fes…

    Permalink to quote #1
  2. David Lindholm & Peter Svard, Sigmund Ringeck's Knightly Art of the Longsword, Paladin Press (2003), ISBN 1-58160-410-6

    Permalink to quote #3
  3. Christian Henry Tobler, Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship (2001), ISBN 1-891448-07-2

    Permalink to quote #4

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