Youth Swordfighters Learn Values
Boffer Combat Group Order of the Roc Teaches Honor, Chivalry
The connection is easily made between medieval weapons, such as swords and pole arms, and medieval values like chivalry, according to director Arnold Tompkins. Copying the weapons forms of medieval knights makes it easy to emulate their values, as well.
Chivalry from Two Cultures
The Order of the Roc encourages chivalry, the European knightly code, and bushido, the ethical system of the samurai. Members are expected to develop their own personal code of honor and write it down, at least if they wish to become knights themselves. In addition to becoming accomplished with a number of different types of weapons, a member is expected to perform service to the community and demonstrate that he or she lives by that written code of honor. It's the hope of the instructors that these ethics will make gang membership less likely down the road.
Mastering Weapons and Ethics
The path to knighthood parallels the course to weapons mastery. Colored belts are used to designate the level of the fighter’s skills, as in eastern martial arts:
- Red is worn by novices.
- Yellow denotes a student, who has shown an understanding of basic weapon forms.
- Green is worn by martial artists, all of whom have mastered approximately fifteen different required weapons and may have focused on some specialty weapons, as well.
- White sashes are reserved for instructors.
Path to Knighthood
As the fighter obtains more advanced belts, he may proceed towards knighthood, as well.
- Pages may be asked to serve by squires. Pages are expected to learn fighting skills from their squires, and must serve at a feast (usually a soup kitchen).
- Squires must have achieved their student (yellow) sash and must seek a knight for themselves. Squires are expected to master weapons under the instruction of their knights, and to serve a full year as a volunteer in some capacity.
- Knights have received their martial artist (green) sash and completed their study of chivalry, as well. New knights are created when the existing knights of the Order of the Roc agree that a candidate emulates chivalry.
Focus on the Future
According to Tompkins, the Order of the Roc hopes to incorporate and move its message beyond its Kingston, New York home. With head instructor Lance Meyer, Tompkins has standardized safety requirements and figured out the best way to explain the Order to curious parents. Kids thirteen and up are welcome, but they require a parent or guardian to attend the first sparring session, to sign a waiver and see how the group operates. They hope that these systems will enable them to grow and spread better values to teens in other areas.
