"DEATH" Rule #10 of Chivalry

"DEATH" Rule #10 of The Knights Code of Chivalry

Life is a long series of farewells; only the circumstances should surprise us. A knight concerns himself with gratitude for the life he has been given. He does not fear death, for the work one knight begins, others may finish.

DEATH. It is an unpopular topic even though it is the main similarity that all creatures on planet earth have in common. To be any kind of warrior and not think of death is to be unrealistic. I personally think that to be alive and not think of death is delusional.

Two of mankind's' greatest weaknesses are:

#1. thinking that he is immortal, and

#2. trying to be immortal.

When we exclude the idea of death from our life it guides us to live weak and worse of all to leave a weak legacy. When excluding death we live in self service without thought of what we will leave behind when dead for those who will come after us. This lowers the value of our life and definitely robs us of any potential immortality that we may gain through remembrance after our death.

I learned the value of accepting death sadly at a very young age. If you have ever read my autobiography Muay Thaiger you will see that I was in life threatening situations before I even hit my teen years. One exact event introduced me to the bold truth about the possibility of death for myself and/or my enemies which forced me to admit that some day I may have to take one of their lives, or that they may take mine during a confrontation. I chose to accept and be ok with this reality and eventually I began inviting, and WANTING it! I became friends with the idea of dying and taking a bunch of bad people along with me. It seemed like the correct mindset for the positions that I faced all too much for a child.

When I chose to accept death as a part of my life I became very powerful. I became fearless. At a young age I felt more like a tiger stalking the jungle than a rat hiding in the brush hoping not to be eaten. I walked proud and people seemed to know it, especially my enemies. With this mindset I never lost a fight because I was always willing to die before losing while my enemies were fueled only by arrogance and ego. I was even called crazy at times by the exact people who would attack me after I attacked back at them with a viciousness that they had never imagined. They could see that death walked alongside me and that I was ready to introduce them to him at any moment.

I coveted my relationship with death into my adulthood and even into my career of the professional Boxing, Muay Thai Kick Boxing, MMA, and bodyguarding. And the results were the same. As I faced my opponents I had no problem with his dying under my fist and I was honored to die under his as well. Of course I never "wanted" to "kill" my opponent. That would be the weakness of hate or greed for a petty win. I only served as an expert warrior who was demonstrating the lethal skills of the Martial Arts against another expert servant, and it was the job of the rules and the referee to assure that we didn't kill each other, not ours. And you can do a background check if you'd like and you will see that my results of my fight career were the same as my fighting results on the streets. I dominated.

My relationship with death could be viewed as unstable or crazy, but I can show you how it is the exact opposite. When we believe that we can not die, or "ignore" the fact that we can, THAT itself is arrogance. My admittance to the possibility of death at a child's age was a gesture of humbleness. I realized and understood my frailties as a human being and this made me value my life more. It freed me from ignorance with truth. Truth that snatched fear from my heart and added worth to my life. It allowed me to see the things in life that we cannot see when we don't admit that...

SOMEDAY, WE ARE GOING TO DIE "TODAY"!

Still today I carry death beside me assuring that the fear of death never manipulates my decision making. Now please don't confuse "accepting death" with "dying a dog's death". I am not stupid with my life and neither should you be. Accepting death does not mean under valuing life. I religiously take the steps that I should to manage a healthy and long lifestyle. The idea is to live a high quality life until death calls upon us. Then our death can be MAGNIFICENT instead of pathetic and soul shattering to those who care about us!

The last sentence of Code #10 says: "He does not fear death, for the work one knight begins, others may finish."

I would like to highlight this part of the code as it reveals the selflessness that it takes to be labeled as a knight. The knight is humble enough to first admit that he is no better than any other person and that all that he has accomplished can be continued by another person after his death. The knight never values himself or his capabilities above the capabilities of another. He also keeps the importance of his duties and task continuing above the importance of his status or successes. It is an ultimate expression of the knights' dedication to the progress of all mankind, especially after his time on earth is finished. Life and progress should not stop with the knight's death. The absolute team player.

And THIS, ...is a "way" of the "Warrior's Edge". -Jermaine Andre'

What are your thoughts on the Knight's Code of Chivalry #10 Death? Do you agree with this way to face death? Does it bring clarity to your life or confuse you more. Do you think it is better not to consider death to live a happier life? Let me know in the comments below.