standing orders

 

Rogers’ Rangers Standing Orders
By Major Robert Rogers, 1759

Following up on my previous post, where I mentioned that perhaps instead of looking to foreign sources for “codes of conduct” and “warrior codes”, Americans could find similar resources in their own history. One of the more well known of these “American Codes” are the standing orders of Rogers Rangers. Although the Rangers fought for British during the French and Indian Wars, many of the former Rangers fought for the colonials during the American Revolution. The US Army has provided a list of these rules to students attending Ranger School from the 1950’s to the present day. From the “I learn something new everyday files”, I learned something new about this famous list of “Ranger Orders”. One of the most common versions you will come across on posters, T-shirts and the internet is as follows:

• Don’t forget nothing.
• Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minute’s warning.
• When you’re on the march, act the way you would if you was sneaking up on a deer. See the enemy first.
• Tell the truth about what you see and do. There is an army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all you please when you tell other folks about the Rangers, but don’t never lie to a Ranger or officer.
• Don’t never take a chance you don’t have to.
• When we’re on the march we march single file, far enough apart so one shot can’t go through two men.
• If we strike swamps, or soft ground, we spread out abreast, so it’s hard to track us.
• When we march, we keep moving till dark, so as to give the enemy the least possible chance at us.
• When we camp, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps.
• If we take prisoners, we keep ‘em separate til we have had time to examine them, so they can’t cook up a story between ‘em.
• Don’t ever march home the same way. Take a different route so you won’t be ambushed.
• No matter whether we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to keep a scout 20 yards ahead, twenty yards on each flank and twenty yards in the rear, so the main body can’t be surprised and wiped out.
• Every night you’ll be told where to meet if surrounded by a superior force.
• Don’t sit down to eat without posting sentries.
• Don’t sleep beyond dawn. Dawn’s when the French and Indians attack.
• Don’t cross a river by a regular ford.
• If somebody’s trailing you, make a circle, come back onto your own tracks, and ambush the folks that aim to ambush you.
• Don’t stand up when the enemy’s coming against you. Kneel down. Hide behind a tree.
• Let the enemy come till he’s almost close enough to touch. Then let him have it and jump out and finish him up with your hatchet.

Now, it turns out that this version actually comes from Kenneth Roberts’ novel, Northwest Passage. The actual list the Army hands out is as follows:

 

• All Rangers are to be subject to the rules and articles of war; to appear at roll-call every evening, on their own parade, equipped, each with a Firelock, sixty rounds of powder and ball, and a hatchet, at which time an officer from each company is to inspect the same, to see they are in order, so as to be ready on any emergency to march at a minute’s warning; and before they are dismissed, the necessary guards are to be draughted, and scouts for the next day appointed.
• Whenever you are ordered out to the enemies forts or frontiers for discoveries, if your number be small, march in a single file, keeping at such a distance from each other as to prevent one shot from killing two men, sending one man, or more, forward, and the like on each side, at the distance of twenty yards from the main body, if the ground you march over will admit of it, to give the signal to the officer of the approach of an enemy, and of their number, &c.
• If you march over marshes or soft ground, change your position, and march abreast of each other to prevent the enemy from tracking you (as they would do if you marched in a single file) till you get over such ground, and then resume your former order, and march till it is quite dark before you encamp, which do, if possible, on a piece of ground which that may afford your sentries the advantage of seeing or hearing the enemy some considerable distance, keeping one half of your whole party awake alternately through the night.
• Some time before you come to the place you would reconnoitre, make a stand, and send one or two men in whom you can confide, to look out the best ground for making your observations.
• If you have the good fortune to take any prisoners, keep them separate, till they are examined, and in your return take a different route from that in which you went out, that you may the better discover any party in your rear, and have an opportunity, if their strength be superior to yours, to alter your course, or disperse, as circumstances may require.
• If you march in a large body of three or four hundred, with a design to attack the enemy, divide your party into three columns, each headed by a proper officer, and let those columns march in single files, the columns to the right and left keeping at twenty yards distance or more from that of the center, if the ground will admit, and let proper guards be kept in the front and rear, and suitable flanking parties at a due distance as before directed, with orders to halt on all eminences, to take a view of the surrounding ground, to prevent your being ambuscaded, and to notify the approach or retreat of the enemy, that proper dispositions may be made for attacking, defending, &c. And if the enemy approach in your front on level ground, form a front of your three columns or main body with the advanced guard, keeping out your flanking parties, as if you were marching under the command of trusty officers, to prevent the enemy from pressing hard on either of your wings, or surrounding you, which is the usual method of the savages, if their number will admit of it, and be careful likewise to support and strengthen your rear-guard.
• If you are obliged to receive the enemy’s fire, fall, or squat down, till it is over; then rise and discharge at them. If their main body is equal to yours, extend yourselves occasionally; but if superior, be careful to support and strengthen your flanking parties, to make them equal to theirs, that if possible you may repulse them to their main body, in which case push upon them with the greatest resolution with equal force in each flank and in the center, observing to keep at a due distance from each other, and advance from tree to tree, with one half of the party before the other ten or twelve yards. If the enemy push upon you, let your front fire and fall down, and then let your rear advance thro’ them and do the like, by which time those who before were in front will be ready to discharge again, and repeat the same alternately, as occasion shall require; by this means you will keep up such a constant fire, that the enemy will not be able easily to break your order, or gain your ground.
• If you oblige the enemy to retreat, be careful, in your pursuit of them, to keep out your flanking parties, and prevent them from gaining eminences, or rising grounds, in which case they would perhaps be able to rally and repulse you in their turn.
• If you are obliged to retreat, let the front of your whole party fire and fall back, till the rear hath done the same, making for the best ground you can; by this means you will oblige the enemy to pursue you, if they do it at all, in the face of a constant fire.
• If the enemy is so superior that you are in danger of being surrounded by them, let the whole body disperse, and every one take a different road to the place of rendezvous appointed for that evening, which must every morning be altered and fixed for the evening ensuing, in order to bring the whole party, or as many of them as possible, together, after any separation that may happen in the day; but if you should happen to be actually surrounded, form yourselves into a square, or if in the woods, a circle is best, and, if possible, make a stand till the darkness of the night favours your escape.
• If your rear is attacked, the main body and flankers must face about to the right or left, as occasion shall require, and form themselves to oppose the enemy, as before directed; and the same method must be observed, if attacked in either of your flanks, by which means you will always make a rear of one of your flank-guards.
• If you determine to rally after a retreat, in order to make a fresh stand against the enemy, by all means endeavour to do it on the most rising ground you come at, which will give you greatly the advantage in point of situation, and enable you to repulse superior numbers.
• In general, when pushed upon by the enemy, reserve your fire till they approach very near, which will then put them into the greatest surprise and consternation, and give you an opportunity of rushing upon them with your hatchets and cutlasses to the better advantage.
• When you encamp at night, fix your sentries in such a manner as not to be relieved from the main body till morning, profound secrecy and silence being often of the last importance in these cases. Each sentry therefore should consist of six men, two of whom must be constantly alert, and when relieved by their fellows, it should be done without noise; and in case those on duty see or hear any thing, which alarms them, they are not to speak, but one of them is silently to retreat, and acquaint the commanding officer thereof, that proper dispositions may be made; and all occasional sentries should be fixed in like manner.
• At the first dawn of day, awake your whole detachment; that being the time when the savages choose to fall upon their enemies, you should by all means be in readiness to receive them.
• If the enemy should be discovered by your detachments in the morning, and their numbers are superior to yours, and a victory doubtful, you should not attack them till the evening, as then they will not know your numbers, and if you are repulsed, your retreat will be favoured by the darkness of the night.
• Before you leave your encampment, send out small parties to scout round it, to see if there be any appearance or track of an enemy that might have been near you during the night.
• When you stop for refreshment, choose some spring or rivulet if you can, and dispose your party so as not to be surprised, posting proper guards and sentries at a due distance, and let a small party waylay the path you came in, lest the enemy should be pursuing.
• If, in your return, you have to cross rivers, avoid the usual fords as much as possible, lest the enemy should have discovered, and be there expecting you.
• If you have to pass by lakes, keep at some distance from the edge of the water, lest, in case of an ambuscade or an attack from the enemy, when in that situation, your retreat should be cut off.
• If the enemy pursue your rear, take a circle till you come to your own tracks, and there form an ambush to receive them, and give them the first fire.
• When you return from a scout, and come near our forts, avoid the usual roads, and avenues thereto, lest the enemy should have headed you, and lay in ambush to receive you, when almost exhausted with fatigues.
• When you pursue any party that has been near our forts or encampments, follow not directly in their tracks, lest they should be discovered by their rear guards, who, at such a time, would be most alert; but endeavour, by a different route, to head and meet them in some narrow pass, or lay in ambush to receive them when and where they least expect it.
• If you are to embark in canoes, battoes, or otherwise, by water, choose the evening for the time of your embarkation, as you will then have the whole night before you, to pass undiscovered by any parties of the enemy, on hills, or other places, which command a prospect of the lake or river you are upon.
• In paddling or rowing, give orders that the boat or canoe next the sternmost, wait for her, and the third for the second, and the fourth for the third, and so on, to prevent separation, and that you may be ready to assist each other on any emergency.
• Appoint one man in each boat to look out for fires, on the adjacent shores, from the numbers and size of which you may form some judgment of the number that kindled them, and whether you are able to attack them or not.
• If you find the enemy encamped near the banks of a river or lake, which you imagine they will attempt to cross for their security upon being attacked, leave a detachment of your party on the opposite shore to receive them, while, with the remainder, you surprise them, having them between you and the lake or river.
• If you cannot satisfy yourself as to the enemy’s number and strength, from their fire, &c. conceal your boats at some distance, and ascertain their number by a reconnoitering party, when they embark, or march, in the morning, marking the course they steer, &c. when you may pursue, ambush, and attack them, or let them pass, as prudence shall direct you. In general, however, that you may not be discovered by the enemy upon the lakes and rivers at a great distance, it is safest to lay by, with your boats and party concealed all day, without noise or shew; and to pursue your intended route by night; and whether you go by land or water, give out parole and countersigns, in order to know one another in the dark, and likewise appoint a station every man to repair to, in case of any accident that may separate you.

 

 

 

The Way of George Washington

“..and it may truly be said, that never did nature and fortune combine more perfectly to make a man great..”

– Thomas Jefferson, about George Washington, 1814

By age sixteen George Washington had copied, by hand, the 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation. Based on a set of rules composed by French Jesuits, they were most likely copied by a student Washington as part of an exercise in penmanship. A study of Washington’s life will show that the rules, and the environment that fostered these beliefs played a large role in the sort of man that Washington became.

To today’s ears, many, if not all of these rules, may sound somewhat silly. It’s easy to dismiss them as relics of an age gone by, believing that our society has moved past the 18th Century and all that they thought and believed in.

However, if one takes the time to read and ponder on these 110 Rules, they will quickly see that their focus is on other people rather than on our own self-interests.  A focus that too many of us seem to subscribe to these days and perhaps a fault that bears reconsideration.

I believe that many martial artists and people interested in martial history become so enamored with exotic philosophies and cultures that they miss the richness of  history available in their own countries traditions. I mentioned in a previous post that the M4 rifle and pistol are the equivalent of the Katana and companion sword to todays warrior. Perhaps the Kentucky Rifle and the Tomahawk are  the ancient weapons of the American Warrior and Rodgers Rangers Standing Orders and the 110 Rules are our Hagakure and Budoshoshinshu?

THE 110 RULES:

1st Every Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those that are Present.

2nd When in Company, put not your Hands to any Part of the Body, not usually Discovered.

3rd Show Nothing to your Friend that may affright him.

4th In the Presence of Others Sing not to yourself with a humming Noise, nor Drum with your Fingers or Feet.

5th If You Cough, Sneeze, Sigh, or Yawn, do it not Loud but Privately; and Speak not in your Yawning, but put Your handkerchief or Hand before your face and turn aside.

6th Sleep not when others Speak, Sit not when others stand, Speak not when you Should hold your Peace, walk not on when others Stop.

7th Put not off your Cloths in the presence of Others, nor go out your Chamber half Dressed.

8th At Play and at Fire its Good manners to Give Place to the last Commer, and affect not to Speak Louder than Ordinary.

9th Spit not in the Fire, nor Stoop low before it neither Put your Hands into the Flames to warm them, nor Set your Feet upon the Fire especially if there be meat before it.

10th When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, without putting one on the other or Crossing them.

11th Shift not yourself in the Sight of others nor Gnaw your nails.

12th Shake not the head, Feet, or Legs roll not the Eyes lift not one eyebrow higher than the other wry not the mouth, and bedew no mans face with your Spittle, by approaching too near him when you Speak.

13th Kill no Vermin as Fleas, lice ticks &c in the Sight of Others, if you See any filth or thick Spittle put your foot Dexterously upon it if it be upon the Cloths of your Companions, Put it off privately, and if it be upon your own Cloths return Thanks to him who puts it off.

14th Turn not your Back to others especially in Speaking, Jog not the Table or Desk on which Another reads or writes, lean not upon any one.

15th Keep your Nails clean and Short, also your Hands and Teeth Clean yet without Showing any great Concern for them.

16th Do not Puff up the Cheeks, Loll not out the tongue rub the Hands, or beard, thrust out the lips, or bite them or keep the Lips too open or too Close.

17th Be no Flatterer, neither Play with any that delights not to be Play’d Withal.

18th Read no Letters, Books, or Papers in Company but when there is a Necessity for the doing of it you must ask leave: come not near the Books or Writings of Another so as to read them unless desired or give your opinion of them unasked also look not nigh when another is writing a Letter.

19th Let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave.

20th The Gestures of the Body must be Suited to the discourse you are upon.

21st Reproach none for the Infirmities of Nature, nor Delight to Put them that have in mind thereof.

22nd Show not yourself glad at the Misfortune of another though he were your enemy.

23rd When you see a Crime punished, you may be inwardly Pleased; but always show Pity to the Suffering Offender.

24th Do not laugh too loud or too much at any Public Spectacle.

25th Superfluous Complements and all Affectation of Ceremony are to be avoided, yet where due they are not to be Neglected.

26th In Pulling off your Hat to Persons of Distinction, as Noblemen, Justices, Churchmen & make a Reverence, bowing more or less according to the Custom of the Better Bred, and Quality of the Person. Amongst your equals expect not always that they Should begin with you first, but to Pull off the Hat when there is no need is Affectation, in the Manner of Saluting and resaluting in words keep to the most usual Custom.

27th Tis ill manners to bid one more eminent than yourself be covered as well as not to do it to whom it’s due Likewise he that makes too much haste to Put on his hat does not well, yet he ought to Put it on at the first, or at most the Second time of being asked; now what is herein Spoken, of Qualification in behavior in Saluting, ought also to be observed in taking of Place, and Sitting down for ceremonies without Bounds is troublesome.

28th If any one come to Speak to you while you are are Sitting Stand up though he be your Inferior, and when you Present Seats let it be to every one according to his Degree.

29th When you meet with one of Greater Quality than yourself, Stop, and retire especially if it be at a Door or any Straight place to give way for him to Pass.

30th In walking the highest Place in most Countries Seems to be on the right hand therefore Place yourself on the left of him whom you desire to Honor: but if three walk together the middest Place is the most Honorable the wall is usually given to the most worthy if two walk together.

31st If any one far Surpasses others, either in age, Estate, or Merit yet would give Place to a meaner than himself in his own lodging or elsewhere the one ought not to except it, So he on the other part should not use much earnestness nor offer it above once or twice.

32nd To one that is your equal, or not much inferior you are to give the chief Place in your Lodging and he to who ‘is offered ought at the first to refuse it but at the Second to accept though not without acknowledging his own unworthiness.

33rd They that are in Dignity or in office have in all places Precedency but whilst they are Young they ought to respect those that are their equals in Birth or other Qualities, though they have no Public charge.

34th It is good Manners to prefer them to whom we Speak before ourselves especially if they be above us with whom in no Sort we ought to begin.

35th Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive.

36th Artificers & Persons of low Degree ought not to use many ceremonies to Lords, or Others of high Degree but Respect and highly Honor them, and those of high Degree ought to treat them with affability & Courtesy, without Arrogance.

37th In speaking to men of Quality do not lean nor Look them full in the Face, nor approach too near them at lest Keep a full Pace from them.

38th In visiting the Sick, do not Presently play the Physician if you be not Knowing therein.

39th In writing or Speaking, give to every Person his due Title According to his Degree & the Custom of the Place.

40th Strive not with your Superiors in argument, but always Submit your Judgment to others with Modesty.

41st Undertake not to Teach your equal in the art himself Professes; it Savours of arrogance.

42nd Let thy ceremonies in Courtesy be proper to the Dignity of his place with whom thou converses for it is absurd to act the same with a Clown and a Prince.

43rd Do not express Joy before one sick or in pain for that contrary Passion will aggravate his Misery.

44th When a man does all he can though it Succeeds not well blame not him that did it.

45th Being to advise or reprehend any one, consider whether it ought to be in public or in Private; presently, or at Some other time in what terms to do it & in reproving Show no Sign of Cholar but do it with all Sweetness and Mildness.

 46th Take all Admonitions thankfully in what Time or Place Soever given but afterwards not being culpable take a Time & Place convenient to let him him know it that gave them

47th Mock not nor Jest at any thing of Importance break [n]o Jest that are Sharp Biting and if you Deliver any thing witty and Pleasant abstain from Laughing thereat yourself.

48th Wherein you reprove Another be unblameable yourself; for example is more prevalent than Precepts.

49th Use no Reproachful Language against any one neither Curse nor Revile.

50th Be not hasty to believe flying Reports to the Disparagement of any.

51st Wear not your Cloths, foul, ripped or Dusty but See they be Brushed once every day at least and take heed that you approach not to any Uncleaness.

52nd In your Apparel be Modest and endeavor to accommodate Nature, rather than to procure Admiration keep to the Fashion of your equals Such as are Civil and orderly with respect to Times and Places.

53rd Run not in the Streets, neither go too slowly nor with Mouth open go not Shaking your Arms kick not the earth with your  feet, go not upon the Toes, nor in a Dancing fashion.

54th Play not the Peacock, looking every where about you, to See if you be well Decked, if your Shoes fit well if your Stockings sit neatly, and Cloths handsomely.

55th Eat not in the Streets, nor in the House, out of Season.

56th Associate yourself with Men of good Quality if you Esteem your own Reputation; for ‘is better to be alone than in bad Company.

57th In walking up and Down in a House, only with One in Company if he be Greater than yourself, at the first give him the Right hand and Stop not till he does and be not the first that turns, and when you do turn let it be with your face towards him, if he be a Man of Great Quality, walk not with him Cheek by Joul but Somewhat behind him; but yet in Such a Manner that he may easily Speak to you.

58th Let your Conversation be without Malice or Envy, for ‘is a Sign of a Tractable and Commendable Nature: And in all Causes of Passion admit Reason to Govern.

59th Never express anything unbecoming, nor Act against the Rules Moral before your inferiors.

60th Be not immodest in urging your Friends to Discover a Secret.

61st Utter not base and frivolous things amongst grave and Learned Men nor very Difficult Questions or Subjects, among the Ignorant or things hard to be believed, Stuff not your Discourse with Sentences amongst your Betters nor Equals.

62nd Speak not of doleful Things in a Time of Mirth or at the Table; Speak not of Melancholy Things as Death and Wounds, and if others Mention them Change if you can the Discourse tell not your Dreams, but to your intimate Friend.

63rd A Man ought not to value himself of his Achievements, or rare Qualities of wit; much less of his riches Virtue or Kindred.

64th Break not a Jest where none take pleasure in mirth Laugh not aloud, nor at all without Occasion, deride no mans Misfortune, though there Seem to be Some cause.

65th Speak not injurious Words neither in Jest nor Earnest Scoff at none although they give Occasion.

66th Be not froward but friendly and Courteous; the first to Salute hear and answer & be not Pensive when it’s a time to Converse.

67th Detract not from others neither be excessive in Commanding.

68th Go not thither, where you know not, whether you Shall be Welcome or not. Give not Advice without being Asked & when desired do it briefly.

69th If two contend together take not the part of either unconstrained; and be not obstinate in your own Opinion, in Things indifferent be of the Major Side.

70th Reprehend not the imperfections of others for that belongs to Parents Masters and Superiors.

71st Gaze not on the marks or blemishes of Others and ask not how they came. What you may Speak in Secret to your Friend deliver not before others.

72nd Speak not in an unknown Tongue in Company but in your own Language and that as those of Quality do and not as the Vulgar; Sublime matters treat Seriously.

73rd Think before you Speak pronounce not imperfectly nor bring out your Words too hastily but orderly & distinctly.

74th When Another Speaks be attentive your Self and disturb not the Audience if any hesitate in his Words help him not nor Prompt him without desired, Interrupt him not, nor Answer him till his Speech be ended.

75th In the midst of Discourse ask not of what one treateth but if you Perceive any Stop because of your coming you may well intreat him gently to Proceed: If a Person of Quality comes in while your Conversing it’s handsome to Repeat what was said before.

76th While you are talking, Point not with your Finger at him of Whom you Discourse nor Approach too near him to whom you talk especially to his face.

77th Treat with men at fit Times about Business & Whisper not in the Company of Others.

78th Make no Comparisons and if any of the Company be Commended for any brave act of Virtue, commend not another for the Same.

79th Be not apt to relate News if you know not the truth thereof. In Discoursing of things you Have heard Name not your Author always A Secret Discover not.

80th Be not Tedious in Discourse or in reading unless you find the Company pleased therewith.

81st Be not Curious to Know the Affairs of Others neither approach those that Speak in Private.

82nd Undertake not what you cannot Perform but be Careful to keep your Promise.

83rd When you deliver a matter do it without Passion & with Discretion, however mean the Person be you do it too.

84th When your Superiors talk to any Body hearken not neither Speak nor Laugh.

85th In Company of these of Higher Quality than yourself Speak not til you are asked a Question then Stand upright put of your Hat & Answer in few words.

86th In Disputes, be not So Desirous to Overcome as not to give Liberty to each one to deliver his Opinion and Submit to the Judgment of the Major Part especially if they are Judges of the Dispute.

87th Let thy carriage be such as becomes a Man Grave Settled and attentive to that which is spoken. Contradict not at every turn what others Say.

88th Be not tedious in Discourse, make not many Digressions, nor repeat often the Same manner of Discourse.

89th Speak not Evil of the absent for it is unjust.

90th Being Set at meat Scratch not neither Spit Cough or blow your Nose except there’s a Necessity for it.

91st Make no Show of taking great Delight in your Victuals, Feed not with Greediness; cut your Bread with a Knife, lean not on the Table neither find fault with what you Eat.

92nd Take no Salt or cut Bread with your Knife Greasy.

93rd Entertaining any one at the table, it is decent to present him with meat; Undertake not to help others undesired by the Master.

94th If you Soak bread in the Sauce let it be no more than what you put in your Mouth at a time and blow not your broth at Table but Stay till Cools of it Self.

95th Put not your meat to your Mouth with your Knife in your hand neither Spit forth the Stones of any fruit Pie upon a Dish nor Cast anything under the table.

96th It’s unbecoming to Stoop much to ones Meat Keep your Fingers clean & when foul wipe them on a Corner of your Table Napkin.

97th Put not another bit into your mouth till the former be swallowed. Let not your morsels be too big for the jowls.

98th Drink not nor talk with your mouth full; neither gaze about you while you are drinking.

99th Drink not too leisurely nor yet too hastily. Before and after drinking, wipe your lips; breath not then or ever with too great a noise, for its uncivil.

100th Cleanse not your teeth with the table cloth napkin, fork, or knife; but if others do it, let it be done without a peep to them.

101st Rinse not your mouth in the presence of others.

102nd It is out of use to call upon the company often to eat; nor need you drink to others every time you drink.

103rd In the company of your betters, be not longer in eating than they are; lay not your arm but only your hand upon the table.

104th It belongs to the chiefest in company to unfold his napkin and fall to meat first, but he ought then to begin in time & to dispatch with dexterity that the slowest may have time allowed him.

105th Be not angry at the table whatever happens & if you have reason to be so, show it not; put on a cheerful countenance especially if there be strangers, for good humor makes one dish of meat a feast.

106th Set not yourself at the upper of the table; but if it be your due or that the master of the house will have it so, contend not, least you should trouble the company.

107th If others talk at the table, be attentive but talk not with meat in your mouth.

108th When you speak of God or his attributes, let it be seriously & with reverence. Honor & obey your natural parents although they be poor.

109th Let your recreations be manful not sinful.

110th Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.

 

battle 100

 

Between a battle lost and a battle won, the distance is immense and there stand empires.” -Napoleon Bonaparte

So opens the book The Battle 100. Written by Lt. Col. (Ret.) Michael Lee Lanning and published by Sourcebooks Inc. this volume is organized as a ranking of history’s most important battles.

Numbered 1 through 100, each one of the battle narratives details location, participants, and leaders of the battle, and provides commentary on who won, who lost, and why. Narratives also evaluate each battles influence on the outcome of the war it was a part of and the impact on the victors and losers.  A rationale for the battle’s inclusion in the 100 and its rank on the list concludes each entry.

I recommend this book for those with an interest in basic military history and battle strategy. It is written in a conversational style (vs. an academic one) that is easy to read and makes the details of the battle simple to understand. Each battle is encapsulated in a few pages making them easy to digest. For those with a more “in-depth” interest in military history this book may be too basic for their tastes, but even they may find some interesting information in this books pages that could lead them to further research.

 

Magpul Dynamics – Equipment Setup

Nice little vid-clip from Magpul regarding dodads for the M4 platform.

 

while i was surfing the net…

Image by lamont_cranston via Flickr

…I came across a Law Enforcement book site called Warrior Spirit Books. While I haven’t purchased anything from them and am not in a position to recommend or criticize the company, I found the introduction blurb on their home page kind of interesting.

Warrior Spirit Books is dedicated to the men and women who have chosen careers in law enforcement as police and corrections officers. We are committed to serve these brave warriors by publishing and distributing quality books and videos from the top police, corrections and military trainers from around the world. The books and videos sold by Warrior Spirit Books address reality based training, functional (combat) fitness, firearms training, emotional survival, mental preparation, preparing for deadly force encounters and leadership issues for police and corrections officers. Law enforcement professionals face a unique and exciting blend of opportunities and challenges in their daily roles as police and corrections officers. To meet these challenges and perform at the highest levels throughout their careers warriors working in the field of police, corrections and the military must be committed to the pursuit of personal excellence. A key element in this pursuit is training the mind, body and spirit and a personal commitment to always be better tomorrow than they are today. This requires police and corrections officers to take positive action every day in the way of personal growth and development. Warrior Spirit Books was developed to assist police and corrections officers on their journey toward this path of personal growth and development. We accomplish this by providing high quality books and videos to help police and corrections officers in their training be mentally and physically prepared to win any confrontation.

That concept closely mirrors my own opinion on warriorship, professionalism and training. I have always subscribed to the idea that “warriorship” (in military and law enforcement) has more to do with professionalism and dedication to craft than it does to simply holding a title. Likewise, martial artists cant simply clim the title because they practice unarmed combat skills. There is more to it than that.

Many soldiers are “grunts” and many cops are “flatfoots” and there is nothing wrong with that. There is honor and respect in being a “working class” public servant. But those who like to think of their career as a calling to “warriorship” dont just look at the  job as a paycheck or a way to pay for college. Warriors look for ways to improve and hone their skills. They train “on their own dime” and on their own time. They stay physically fit. They keep up on the latest threats, gear, techniques and equipment through reading, research, and trade publications. Warriors  don’t revert to “joes” the moment they take off the uniform.Their calling shows itself in everything from the the books they read, the things they do in their spare time and how they speak, act and look at life.

That’s not to say that you have to be “on” all the time or that you cant kick back and relax; but as I have mentioned in previous posts, the warrior should always be mindful of their thoughts, words, deeds and the sort of people they associate with. Maintaining a good reputation may not make you the life of every party or be a laugh a minute, but it will pay dividends in the long run.

While this may all seem like a tall order, its always been my philosophy that “one small thing” a day is all that you really need to maintain your mindset. While a dedicated program of training is essential, the day to day lifestyle we all have to deal with can lead us away from “the path” at times. When you cant fit in that workout or wind-up missing a class here or there try to “do something”. That something can be a few push-ups and sit-ups, a few minutes of dry fire practice or reading a few pages of “The Art of War” or “Law Officer Magazine”. Maintaining the mindset that you will do something to improve your skills each and every day will help you keep your feet on the path.

 

vacation

 

Going with the family to Deep Creek Maryland for a bit.

 

the art of worldly wisdom

Everything is at its Acme; especially the art of making one’s way in the world. There is more required nowadays to make a single wise man than formerly to make Seven Sages, and more is needed nowadays to deal with a single person than was required with a whole people in former times.

-Balthasar Gracian

Years ago I picked up a small “pocket book” with the intriguing title The Art of Worldly Wisdom. It was authored by Balthasar Gracian, a 17th Century Jesuit priest.

In 1637 Gracian wrote a collection of short maxims and titled it the “Oráculo Manual”. Part self-improvement manual, part strategic advice a la The Art of War, part political survival guide, the book is a collection of 300 paragraphs on various topics, giving advice and guidance on how to live fully, advance socially, and be a better person. Written in a very frank and modern style, The Art of Worldly Wisdom speaks to the twenty-first century as well as the seventeenth.

The entire translation of The Art of Worldly Wisdom can be found here.

 

the book of two guns

 

Another book I recommend is Tiger McKee’s The Book of Two Guns. 

From the publishers website:

The Book of Two Guns is a collection of material gathered during ten years of intensive firearms training, both as student and instructor. The focus of the book is the 1911 pistol and the AR carbine, although a majority of the techniques included will work with any type weapon. The Book of Two Guns covers the mental aspects of fighting with firearms as well as the physical techniques. The “book” began life as a training diary, a record of one man’s Musha-Shugyo, or training pilgrimage, and so was handwritten and illustrated. The result is a work of art and a valuable training reference for the ultimate martial art – fighting with firearms. Tiger Mckee is Director of Shootrite Firearms Academy (est. 1995)

I found the book an interesting collection of basic techniques and tactical thought put together much like Bruce Lee’s Tao of Jeet Kune Do. Like the Tao, the book is hand illustrated and “hand written”. It  is pretty much a published collection of various notebooks the author produced while attending weaponcraft schools.

Don’t buy The Book of Two Guns expecting to find something “new” or some “secret technique” that you have never seen before. Buy it as a reference of the basic techniques and tactical thought of schools like Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, etc. as well as a source of quotations and references to other sources that will provide you with a path for further reading and research.

What I found thought provoking was the books subtitle, The Martial Art of the 1911 Pistol and AR Carbine. When one thinks about it, the carbine and pistol are to todays warrior what the Katana and Wakizashi were to the Samurai. As a matter of fact Wakizashi roughly translates as “side arm”. I have always wondered why it was that people who dressed in classic garb and swung swords around or shot ancient Japanese Bows were considered “martial artists” while people who develop their firearms skills seem to get pigeonholed as “gun nuts”, “rambo wannabes” or paranoids. The fact of the matter is that anybody who seriously trains firearms skills has as many techniques and issues to master as any classic martial art. This entails more than just going to the range and shooting up a few boxes of ammunition, or purchasing the latest gadgets and gear. Magpul’s Art of the Tactical Carbine series is an excellent example of how a serious student of firearms can approach firearms training as a “martial art”.

The Book of Two Guns can be purchased from the Shootrite website.

 

art of the tactical carbine

 

Magpul Dynamics has produced some great training videos promoting their concept of how to employ the tactical carbine. They teach a fast, compact, aggressive application of the Carbine as an close quarters combative tool. I really like their stuff. I have volume 1 and now it looks like I have to get volume 2.

 

more dry-fire stuff

Yet more dry-fire stuff. Here I am practicing some “up close and personal” situations where I cant push off or punch out. There are various schools of thought about the “elbow drive” vs. clinching vs. headlocks…I just try them all.

In this clip you can see me doing the elbow drive. This is for when the guy is swinging or grabbing at you. You cover your head with your arm and drive into the opponents throat area with your elbow, drawing into a retention position. Im also trying out a fairly new technique I have come across called “the helmet”. Its designed to survive that initial flurry of haymakers by covering the head area with the hands and elbows. Im also practicing drawing from a clinch and from a headlock position.