Sword Lessons At Our Institute Seat of Wisdom

The TFP Call To Chivalry Camp is part of the youth outreach program of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property. We are an organization of lay Catholics dedicated to fighting the moral evils of our time and to defend the values of Christian civilization in United States. We also have sister organizations in other countries.

We run many other programs and activities including the America Needs Fatima campaign.

We run and staff St. Louis de Montfort Academy, a boarding school for boys grades 7 - 12.

We have a three year college level study course called Institute of Seat of Wisdom designed to teach a young man how to defend Catholic principles in the public square. The courses include Catholic history, philosophy, culture, and so on.

One of the extra curricular activities they do is sword lessons and fencing lessons.

Is it necessary for a knight today to know swordfighting? It is a question asked by many. And, truthfully, a true knight would arm himself against the most pernicious enemy of his time. Since in the heart of the knight is the desire to serve the Church. It is reasonable that the modern knight would be best armed against the current enemies of Holy Mother Church and Christendom.

True, when fighting radical muslims, it may come to physical weapons. However, the greatest threat the Church faces and the one that has done the most damage is modernism, liberalism and secularism. In this respect, a true knight is not one who simply prances around in a horse armed with shield, lance and sword. If he doesn't address the main errors that afflict Christian civilization then he is reduced to showmanship. He may even have all the ribbons of honors but he no longer possess the spirit of chivalry.

A young man who understands this and is prepared to fight the enemy on whatever battlefield would benefit a lot from learning swordsmanship. When done in the right spirit, it will serve as a platform to learn spiritual disciplines necessary in debate and discussion. Above all, it helps reconnect our souls to the virtues practice by the knights of old like honor, dignity, integrity.

Here's a quick video of the last sword lesson we had.

Our instructor is Mr. Roark Mitzell, an weapons instructor for over 40 years. He is the founder and director of The Sword Guild of York. He has enriched our programs with his knowledge and instruction.

Most of the young men studying at our Institute Seat of Wisdom have gone through our Academy or our Summer Camps. The tuition, lodging and food are free but we screen our students thoroughly. It's not for the general public but if a young man has ever wondered what it is like to be a modern day knight, this is probably as close as it gets.

Chivalry for us is not just a man with a horse and a sword. We see chivalry in its highest expression, which is medieval chivalry. The knights then were less amorous, romantic and sentimental. They were warriors at the service of Holy Mother Church and Christendom.

If you know any young man who would be interested in trying out a few weeks of study at our Institute, please let them get in touch with us. Simply send an email to the address attached to this blog.

Invitation to the Fall 2016 TFP Call To Chivalry Camp - Arkansas

This is a video from last year's Fall Call To Chivalry Camp in Arkansas. The camp is held in The White Buffalo Resort owned and operated by the Olwell family. It is a popular fishing resort. It is right at the junction of two rivers, the White River and the Buffalo River, and both are stocked with trout.



This is a father and son camp. It is for boys 12 to 18 with some exceptions. Fathers and older brothers are invited to come and will have a parallel program with age-appropriate inspirational talks.



This Call To Chivalry Camp is from November 18 to November 23. There will be a van leaving from the Milwaukee/Chicago area and can give rides to anyone interested. The van will be leaving early on Friday and will be back by late afternoon on Wednesday.



There are currently only two more spots left. The cost for the camp is $200 per peson.



Please email me for more information at rexteodosio@gmail.com.

Knighthood And Damsels In Distress

Chivalry comes in different forms including helping a damsel in distress.

It is inherent to the spirit of Chivalry to help women, the orphans, the elderly, the widows and the defenseless. It is inherent but not its primary and sole purpose.

Already in the lores of St. George, recounted in the famous medieval collection of Catholic stories, The Golden Legend, a maiden in distress is saved by the saint who is usually portrayed as a knight. Maidens in distress being rescued by a hero, preferably, a knight in shining armor, has been a popular theme in literature.

This aspect of chivalry became imbalanced during the Renaissance when knights abandoned their higher purpose for romantic endeavors. The institution of knighthood born of the love of God and His Church thus became deformed. The tales of Don Quixote by Cervantes portrays this. The book is a sarcastic fiction of a doddering knight seeking the good favor of his Lady Dulcinea.

Not only found in fiction but even in real life a Renaissance knight's quest for the favor of a lady was common. So common that St. Ignatius of Loyola, the very founder of the Jesuit order, confessed how, before his personal conversion, he dedicated himself to the pursuit of the favor of a lady.

From the Renaissance to our days, there has been a persistent promotion of this imbalanced expression of chivalry. This was one of the blows to the spirit of chivalry. Because of this, knighthood became identified as amorous, romantic and sentimental. It became a distant cry from the spirit of all the historical personages that forged its very identity: Charlemagne and his peers, especially Roland and Oliver, King St. Louis IX, King St. Ferdinand of Castille and Leon, Baldwin the Leper King, El Cid and so many others.

However that may be, it is always a mistake to throw the baby out with the bathwater. In our case, a young man who wishes to be chivalrous does not need to abandon rescuing damsels in distress in order to correct the imbalances of the Renaissance knights. To rescue the damsel in distress is still a valid expression of chivalry.

This is the case with Matthew Garcia, a senior in Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, TX. He saw a literal damsel in distress and came to her rescue.

As reported by News 4 San Antonio, 9 year old Addie Rodriguez was part of a cheerleading squad when suddenly the fathers joined their daughters in the field and lifted up their respective girls onto their shoulders. This is when Addie found herself in distress. Her father was in training in Travis Air Force Base 1,700 miles away in California. She was the only girl without her dad to lift her up.  More than ever she missed her dad. Seeing the other girls with their dads, the contrast was too much. She began to cry. It was a heart breaking scene. Everyone, including the mother, watched helplessly not knowing what to do. This is an honest to goodness damsel in distress.

Enter our knight in shining armor. Matthew Garcia rushed down the bleachers, leaped over two fences and ran to Addie's side. He knelt right next to her, asked if she was okay and offered to let her sit on his shoulder if she wanted to. She did. Addie was saved from distress.

It is in the nature of the spirit of chivalry to be selfless, caring, and self-sacrificing. This stands in stark contrast to many youth today who are selfish, narcissistic and self-indulgent.

This is proof that, despite the corrupting influence of the modern world, chivalry is not dead. It still lives in the hearts of many young men.

It would be wrong to reduce chivalry simply to the act of rescuing damsels in distress. The highest finality of chivalry must never be forgotten or relegated to the secondary plane. Love of others is good in itself but love of others because of love of God is superior. The more a true knight is consumed by love of God, Holy Mother Church and Christendom, the more he becomes like Christ crucified. For, branded in the heart of every knight is the cross of the crusader.

Either this remains at the core of the spirit of chivalry or it is doomed to be corrupted and deformed by sentimentality and romanticism.

But, for today, hats of to Matthew Garcia. You are a gentleman with the heart of a knight.

The Lone Football Player Who Honored His Country

Connor Brewer, of Millikin University, stands alone in respect of the National Anthem.

Todd Starnes of Foxnews reports on a sole football player standing in respect while the National Anthem was played at the start of the game. Where were the other players? Inside. "respectfully" protesting the National Anthem as a sign of protest to racial injustice in America.

The story reports that on Sept. 24, 2016, a few players took a knee while the National Anthem played. The crowd reacted with outrage. From the context of the report, the players were apparently accused of being anti-American and disrespectful of the sacrifice of our military.

So, for the following game, the whole team decided to stay in the locker room so that their action cannot be understood or construed as "disrespectful."

One football player had the courage of doing the right thing. Alone he stood in the field while the Anthem was played.

Courage is a virtue that only applies to good acts. What Kapaernick did was not true courage which presumes that the finality of his act is good. When participants of the Black Lives Matter overcame the fear of getting caught for stealing, rioting, pillaging, destroying property or attacking police and community, it was not courage but a further aggravation of their irrational act.

Inherent to the virtue of courage is the understanding that a greater and lasting good (grace, merit, eternal salvation) can be achieved or attained by suffering temporal difficulties.

Connor Brewer practiced true courage because his cause was good and honorable.

This case is very applicable to the spirit of chivalry. Many times people reduce knighthood to a fighting class among many other fighting class. Many times Vikings, Barbars, the Romans and even the Muslims are pooled together as all part of a fighting class. Knighthood stands apart from the crowd because of the virtues inherent to knighthood not inherent to the other fighting classes.

Chivalry was not simply a method of fighting. It was a way of life permeated by the faith. Hence, the 10 commandments of chivalry reflected this.

In this sense, Connor Brewer fulfills the 4th commandment of Chivalry; "Thou shalt love the country in which thou was born."

It is difficult to see how the other players are displaying love for the country and respect for our fallen by staying in the locker room. This is the very definition of cowardice. It is the opposite of the spirit of Chivalry.

The boy martyr, St. Jose Sanchez del Rio

St. Jose Sanchez del Rio - A boy martyr for the faith

It has always been our assertion at the TFP Call To Chivalry programs that youth was not made for pleasure but for heroism. This is exemplified so well by a newly canonized "boy" of 14 years whose story of martyrdom is truly inspiring.

Many young people today only think of the pleasures the world offers, the distraction of sports and video games, or the comforts of life. For the most part, there is nothing sinful to do those things. It is even pleasing to see children run and play care-free without the least concern. The contrary is likewise true. It is sad to see them suffer or burdened by concerns. However, not all children have the same inclinations. There are many who are drawn to acts of heroism, regardless of the suffering it entails.

St. Jose Sanchez was one of those boys. He was eager and enthusiastic to serve as a Cristeiro even though he was only a young boy. He was aware of the importance of the Catholic faith for his beloved country of Mexico. He saw the need for more fighters for the Catholic cause. He begged to help in any way he can.

What made this decision so necessary in the judgement of St. Jose Sanchez?

On July 31, 1926, the president of Mexico established the Calles Laws, which initiated tyrannical prohibitions on the Catholic Church. The faithful resisted. Calles retaliated with imprisonment and executions. The faithful took up arms to defend their faith from the oppressive government. The conflict escalated to a full out civil war. It became the bloodiest years of Mexico's history. Millions of Mexicans were martyred.

As it turns out, being a simple messenger gave him the opportunity to be more involved in the fight. As in the U.S. Marines, every Marine, even the cook, is a rifleman. In the Catholic resistance in Mexico, every able bodied man or boy is a Cristeiro.

So it was that during one of the battles, a general lost his horse. St. Jose Sanchez del Rio insisted that the general take his horse because the Catholic army needed him badly. He offered to hold back the government's forces as long as he could. And, he did. He eventually ran out of bullets and was captured by the enemy soldiers.

Many boys at this point would panic, beg for his life and betray his loyalties. Not St. Jose Sanchez. Even through torture he didn't give any single information nor did he beg for his life. They offered him freedom if he promised to stop fighting against the government. He refused. In his estimation, to stop fighting the tyrannical government was the same as abandoning the Catholic cause.

The young martyr perceived his time had come so he wrote a moving letter to his mother that expresses the sense of faith and heroism he had.

This is an incredible affirmation of the holiness of his soul. Intimidation, torture, death were not able to sway his Catholic belief. There are so many instances of heroism displayed by youth in the most adverse circumstances but few as impressive as this young Mexican martyr.

When he died, his last words were; "Viva Cristo Rey! Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!" (Long live Christ the King! Long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!)

Today he stands as a role model for many youths. He is certainly venerated in the TFP Call To Chivalry programs both as a saint and a hero.

Please read up more on him in this article: http://www.tfp.org/tfp-home/catholic-perspective/saint-jose-luis-sanchez-del-rio-hero-for-christ-the-king.html.

St. Jose Sanchez del Rio, pray for us.

Youth was not made for pleasure but for heroism.

Chivalry was a medieval institution that included the knights. However, the knights promoted in this blog are not the Rennaissance knights which became amorous, sentimental and lost Christ at its center. Chivalry, above all, is represented by the medieval knight. The medieval knight is knighthood and chivalry par excellence. It was born from a deep admiration of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Mother and love for Holy Mother Church.

As such, it is impossible to separate chivalry from the Catholic Church. The spirit of one is born from the other.

The essence of knighthood can be expressed in the words of Our Lord, "No greater proof of love than for a man to lay down his life for a friend." Jesus did exactly that.

Chivalry is the one of the highest expression of the Catholic spirit and because of that it shines, even as maligned as it is by modern historians, as an admirable and enviable institution. What child has never dreamed of becoming a knight? What boy never wielded a play sword to fight an imaginary foe? The impressions regarding knighthood are very ingrained in the minds of Western and Christian mind and have a special place in our hearts.

Unfortunately, the modern world, especially through Hollywood and literature, has done an incredible job in deforming the image of knighthood and consequently of chivalry. Consequently, the boys who desire to be knights have a horribly misshapen image of them.

The primary goal of this blog is to promote the virtues inherent to chivalry with the hope of restoring its spirit in the hearts of the youth.

The secondary goal of this blog is to keep people up to date with our Call To Chivalry programs in the Great Lakes area with news, reports and inspiring stories.

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