Convert or Cut a Deal

 

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Convert or Die is a Waste of a Good Axe.

Convert Or Die is a waste of a good axe.  Those who convert are unreliable, and the rest are worth more sold as slaves.  Those who must die are those whose death sets an example, one will do.  Better convert or Cut a Deal.  Machiavelli:

Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or

crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge. Machiavelli, The Prince

 

Machiavelli also warns that one must kill all of those in need, executed all at once by one of their own, whose body is displayed as an apology once done.  Chicago style.

The act of conversion (or surrender) must be credible and readily recognized by the capturing force.   In WW2, the Germans would surrender only with a duly signed certificate and delivered with specific places, times and manner of surrender. 

WW 2 Surrender Leaflets/ Safe Passes

 

 

In order to facilitate surrender or conversion of non-Muslim forces and places facing a Muslim force, only the Shahada need be pronounced:

 

There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God

These words are central to the faith that in various forms of calligraphy are found everywhere.   It is a commitment to the rules and regulations of Islam.    One sentence. 

This facilitated the imposition of what we call today “Stability Operations” which includes Civil Affairs and Military Governance.   Islam grew as either a religiously motivated army or a militarily motivated religion.  The two are inseparable.  As well as religion and the state. 

 

Conquests of the first Caliphates

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This undoubtedly facilitated the rapid expansion of Islam under Mohammed, and his immediate successors from Arabia to Kabul to Spain.  In addition was the ability of the Commanders of Islamic forces to negotiate with those who might have resisted or remained as a hostile presence in the rear.  This allowed those “conquered” to maintain that part of their culture most commonly known in the West as family law, and the customs of the village. 

This is particularly noted by Khalid ibn-al Walid on his conquest of Damascus in 635 AD:

“In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful. This is what Khalid ibn al-Walid would Grant to the inhabitants of Damascus if he enters therein:

 

He promises to give them security for their lives, property, and churches. Their city shall not be demolished, neither shall any Muslim be quartered in their houses. Thereunto we give them the pact of Allah and the protection of his Prophet, the caliphs, and the believers.

 

So long as they pay the poll tax, nothing but good shall befall them.”11

 

 

This was particularly applied those whose religion is “of the book” of Abraham. Christians and Jews were able to rise to positions of wealth and power within the realm of Islam, particularly with reference to Arab Muslim polities (nations are a recent development).  When the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1500, they either went to Protestant nations (Holland, England) or to Ottoman Turkey.  There they served as valuable intelligence assets. 

 The Napoleonic Wars marked the he reversal of these accommodations by extreme nationalism or by extreme religious oppression, a process that began to be expressed in the face of the growth of Western Imperialism in Africa and the Middle East.   That villages and communities of other faiths and customs that are now being destroyed lasted over a thousand years under a far more amendable rule.  If Islam was inherently intolerant, these would have disappeared centuries ago. 

 

Places where tolerance was officially observed in the Ottoman Empire

 

The Crusades and the Crusader states existed in a Muslim world under these rules of tolerance, give or take a massacre or two. 

Massacre, Pillage and Plunder.

The use of excessive violence as part of military or political execution comes under several reoccurring circumstances:

 

Richard I leading the counter attack at the Battle of Arsuf

A Rout of Retreating Forces.  The fled became the dead in most battles fought at close quarters. This included the not so ancient practice of bayonetting the wounded.  The key to success is to keep the enemy running unable to form a defense and urgently in need of getting away.  This is where the cavalry is let loose. 

 

The Turks break into Constantinople in 1451

 

The Sack of a City.  This occurs when the walls of the city or main defenses have been penetrated allowing the assault force full or rage and blood lust had their way in most messy a fashion.  The plunder taken was traditionally a part of the wage and benefits package in olden days.  Shown: The Fall of Constantinople 1451.

 

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Execution of the Usual Suspects.  These are those on the other side for whom special enmity is bestowed plus those whose mere presence is a clear and present danger, less those who can be turned to advantage. 

After the Battle of Hattin, Saladin had all the Knights of the Hospital and the Temple executed, save for the Templar Grandmaster Girard de Rideford whose incompetence lead the Army into the valley of death.  Along with him was the King of Jerusalem, Guy de Lusignan whose incompetence as King broke the Kingdom as a major player.  Saving the dud can do good works.

 

Guy de Lusignan, King of Jerusalem surrenders to Saladin

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Blackmail.  This is the threat of massacre, pillage and/or plunder to achieve a political or military objective.  Sometimes one has to make one’s point, give a head or two.

 

Massacre at Acre under Richard I's orders

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Richard I executed the population of Acre in retaliation for what he thought was stalling on ransom by Saladin. 

Saladin established a reputation with the Crusaders as an upstanding and honorable man, right or wrong. This respect in terms of the rules of war, migrated back to Europe to found the basis of what later became Chivalry.

There was a specific punishment for Templar Knights who said the Sahada consisted of a year of the silent treatment and eating on the floor like the dogs.  Some other knights stayed on in Muslim forces to be heard of now and then.

The Crusader cities had commercial and political alliances with each other which alliances were often wrecked by outsiders full of piss and vinegar.  Tiberias and Ibelin of the Army of Jerusalem were on the verge on signing an alliance under the protection of Saladin.  This was wrecked by the Grandmaster, and the Templars up to the Horns of Hattin.

Since then, much has been made of the bloody passages in the Koran and other Muslim books as “proof” of inherent Islamic bloodiness. Likewise are found the same in the Old and New Testament, from which traditions the Koran was written.  Like the Ten Commandments, they are applied as much in the breach as the observation. 

Students and practitioners of the profession at arms must objectively assess the circumstances lest the subjective swallow them whole.  The Romans did at the Battle of Yarmouk in 636 against Khalid and the die was cast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wqf1wPEI94

 

Gordon S Fowkes, LTC USA RET, KCTJ

 

 

 

 

 

Vale Cento - 12th Century Oars at War

Oars at War, XII Century

La Nave Vale Cento

Galleys, Dromons, and Triremes are not row boats.  They are propelled by oars, and therefore it is more appropriate to call the ships with oar propulsion systems as “oar ships”, like in ‘steam ships’ or ‘sailing ships’. 

OARING AROUND

There is more than one way to oar a boat than just pulling an oar one way to make the boat go in the other.  Sometimes this is called “sculling” but that name has at least two meanings, that of the boat, and that of the method of rowing.  Instead of sitting or standing facing aft (rear), the oarsman faces forward.

Fig 2

Regata a Cannaregio - Carnival Venice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCE0BavkLD0

In order for a gondolier to be certified, one of the tasks required is to move the boat sideways. This gives rise to a series of alternate combinations of rowing and “voga” on an oar ship for tight maneuvering in battle.  It also reduces the width of a ship and since the oars often stay in the water, are not as adversely affected by waves as in the normal face aft rowing.

Historically, one viewing images done back then should note which way the oarsmen are facing or in which the oars are at too steep an angle to be rowed.

The Venetian Regatta shows the variety of voga sculling:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9trsQRYmB40

Fig 3

This is how it is done, under the description as “sculling” as a rowing style:

Fig 4

While the artwork of the Crusade Era was crude, it often was very accurate, despite problems of scale. In those days, people were more important than the things.

Fig 5

NO SITTING AROUND

There is a popular academic theme that the default method of oaring a galley required the oarsman to stand and sit.   Just doing this without the oars, is enough to wind a horse.

Fig 6

 While placing one’s weight on the bench in front, the weight of the body in recovery must have the center of gravity in front of the center of mass.  Once the oarsman sits down, the inertia to get up again at the same time as the oars exit the water by clever twist of the wrist is overtaken by gravity. 

Fig 7

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MOVING YOUR ASS

The “Boys In The Boat”, 1936 Berlin Olympics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n58w0BctOvs

Unlike modern rowing on sliding seats, the ass still must move to move the center of gravity and strength fore and aft.  That means standing is the best option to push and drive.

Fig 8

To be Ergonomically Correct and remain within OSHA guidelines, lifting and/or pulling requires that the weight or resistance of the object to be lifted or pulled (Oar), be focused at the gut or lower. 

Fig 9

The Angle of the blade in the water (BIW) depends upon how much weight is carried by the ship, which makes the draught deeper (better for rowing) or shallow (not better). 

Fig 10

The Ship “VALE CENTO” (worth 100)

Fig 11

This is a model I constructed in the 3D application known as PoserPro2012 consisting largely of “primitives”, some parts of other models (oars and sails) with a crew of 45 using the low resolution characters made by EPIC1 available at Renderosity:

https://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/?uid=486503

Fig 12

Navigation equipment includes a sand dial, an Arabian “Kamal” (Search), and an Astrolabe, a late addition to the navigation tools available to a well-equipped Templar ship to determine latitude. Longitude had to wait for another five hundred years for a decent clock to be invented.

Fig 13

The Vale Cento main weapons systems are located on the forecastle (front bow) which is raised and covered with raw hide to retard flames.  The main armament consists of a Tension Trebuchet and a Greek Fire Projection System.  The tension trebuchet predates the dead weight gravity system.

In addition to your usual rock, spear and arrow suite, the projectiles thrown by tension trebuchet and free hand and stick methods included grenades containing caltrops, Greek Fire, lye (to burn the eyes), and grease to make the decks slippery. In addition to the Greek Fire Projection System, chemical warfare dominated naval ordnance.

The defense against Greek Fire, which burned on water, was to pour a mix of stale urine and vinegar. This gives rise, obviously, that the term “full of piss and vinegar” meant ready to fight.

Fig 14

The exact composition of Greek Fire is unknown.  What is known is that it was short range system, that fired in short ball shaped blasts with trail and roaring noise.  The recent detonation of Sodium Cyanide in Tientsin in China caused by firemen’s water hoses trying to put out a fire, suggests that Greek Fire could be mixed in varying degrees of volatility that include instant ignition in contact with water.

Fig 14 Dragon

Fig 15 Sling

GREEK FIRE

The best technology readily available to project a mix of water and Greek Fire is the same system to make large fountains, by force of water pulled by gravity through tubes and projected out of nozzles.   The simple solution on board a ship is connecting a barrel of water through pipes to a place where the Greek Fire could be mixed. This had to be well forward.  And at the point of mixture, the pipes will heat up, hence best to shoot once the mix is mixed. 

 The higher the water source, the farther the fountain will shoot.  The technical problems extant at the time was that hoses and pressure pumps were not invented until about 1650.  Pressure vessels secure enough for boilers had to wait for the train.   Water pipes were made of copper, lead, and wood from then until fairly recently. Valves to control water go back to Roman times. “A foot of height generates 0.43 pounds per square inch (psi) of water pressure, so a cistern does not have to be that tall to develop enough pressure to give a fountain a reasonable display” (wiki)

Fig 16 pipes

The Vale Cento places the source of water on wooden pipes that are fastened to the mast and just behind so as to not interfere with tacking.  That requires a fairly long pipe to stay clear of the yards and make its way to the syphon (nozzle).  Dromons and other Galleys of the era also carried a supply of lead sheets, which would facilitate making or repairing joints.   

Fig 16 GFPS

The GFPS crew has at least two operators, one who pours the tube of Greek Fire (all reports say that Greek Fire was handled in tubes) into the GFPS Breach. The Operator below,

1.       Makes sure that first both the Water Pipe and the GF Pipe are closed

2.       Waits for command that water is being loaded, and confirms by touch.

3.       Waits for alert that the Greek Fire is loaded, by signal

4.       On the command to fire, the Operator opens the GF pipe until it fills the chamber with the right amount of fuel,

5.       Shuts off the GF valve, and

6.       Opens the Water Valve, until the Greek Fire is cleared from the nozzle

7.       Shuts off the Water

Fig 17 GFPS

Great care must be taken in the storage and movement of munitions which, except for sharp or blunt objects react to water.  Thus any leakage in storage will require frequent inspections, as well as the urine inspector to ensure that the right stench is in order.

Given the extreme dangers of chemical weapons of this era, it is essential that battle is best done with the weather gauge.   As in up wind.   There are a lot of stories about Greek Fire being dropped from barrels and boats onto the decks of ships, which, given Murphy’s Law, will be one’s own. 

Fig 18 Grenades

SAILING THE VALE CENTO

Sailing the Vale Cento, like all with Lateen sails, tacking requires turning around, raising the main yard arm high enough to swing the lower (forward) edge of the sail across in front of the mast. This requires letting loose the sheets and catching them on the way back.

Fig 19 tacky

Then there is the problem of the six month cycle of winds and currents, but that is another story.

Gordon S Fowkes,

M.Ed., KCTJ, LTC USA RET

Mind-Body and Battle

MIND-BODY & BATTLE

GSF

In animals as well as man, there is a default choice of courses of action and reaction. But it is a bit more complicated than Fight-Flight-Freeze.   Initially a REVULSION REFLEX inhibits what might be an all-out murderous mutual massacre.  This serves two purposes: maneuver for advantage and the appearance of overwhelming force (INTIMIDATION).   Once one side turns away, the Revulsion Reflex is erased and replaced by the RUN-DOWN REFLEX in which the loser is run down killed, captured, eaten or sold on the slave market.  The end status is submission, even though such results in certain death.

INTIMIDATION

The initial stages of a confrontation include the posturing, growling, snarling and puffing up hair, all of which are signs of aggression. In humans as well.  The controlling factor in intimidation is eyeball to eyeball, or the appearance of it. 

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 Most animals in nature carry body markings to camouflage the female against discovery during nesting, resting, or child raising.   On the other hand, body markings that make the males competitor appear more ferocious. Some is carried over in human threat displays, Tall hats and capes make the contestant appear larger than life, body markings exaggerate combative appearance.  The male lion has a big mane while the female does not, the mane is the main sex display while other body differences between male and female are not as apparent.  

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The combat response of the “Freeze” is based on the fact that a moving target attracts the eye, standing still under the right circumstances clouds the predator’s mind (as in Hide).  This is a standard response at night when the enemy lights up the night with searchlights and/or flares.  Hiding in the umbra of taller objects also works

The Peacocks feathers all full of eyes, or the accentuated eyes of Owl or Orca are there to intimidate in this psychological preparation of the battle.  Few animals can face down a pair of human eyes, so I avoid eye contact in sparring and take in the whole person for balance, stance, guard, vulnerable spots and movement.

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THE BODY AT RISK

Like the tank or aircraft, the human body has vulnerabilities which must be protected.  These include the BRAIN, EYES and VITALS.  That which connects and protects these (MEANS) includes the skeleton, skull, and body operating systems the defense of which life depends: Nervous, Gastro-Intestinal, Respiratory and Vascular. The nervous system includes several subsystems of interest to the warrior.

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The most common human fighting technique is battery by hand and foot, mostly by hand.  There are only two targets worthy of battery, and that is to affect the Brain and the Lungs.  The skull protecting the brain is a hard target so it must be struck with something soft in order to induce concussion. Conversely, the lungs must be hit with something hard in the guts so as to push the diaphragm upward constricting the lungs.  Plain battery elsewhere is defeated by muscle, bone, and fat.

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The skeletal system puts bone to protect the soft parts, and provides a mobile firing platform and weapons system.   The “soft parts” inside the body are protected by the muscles and bone, and are the subsets of the Body regarding Tactical Imperatives.  One versus the other’s.

THE ENGINE (Cardio-Vascular-Lungs).  

Similar to a tank, aircraft, and car engine, the animate require oxygen and fuel to transfer energy to, lubricate, and operate the various components of the body.  In vertebrates this requires lungs to take in air and transfer the oxygen to the blood, which blood picks up nutrients and agents from the various glands and organs.   Together, this constitutes the vitals.

The process of breathing without which life gets short, involves the transfer of oxygen from the lungs into the heart which pumps the oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.   While the rib cage provides considerable protection of damage by blunt instrument, compression of the guts often knocks the breath out of the breather.  Behind and below the guts (intestines), certain vital organs that filter and deliver the chemicals into or out of the blood and digestive systems. These are located in an ellipse with the long axis across the belly from kidney to kidney. 

BELLY SUPERCHARGER

5a

Deep Diaphragm (Belly) Breathing brings in more air in to get more energy out, and relaxes the body (and mind).  Chest breathing is rapid and shallow, and tightens up the body (and mind).  Deep “belly” breathing is the counter to stress.  One must calm down to fight.

THE CENTER LINE

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This provides two references, the Center Line from nose to groin which is both the center of vulnerabilities, but also the Center Line of the body’s defensive and offensive firepower.  Consequently, a direct face-off between humans place the greatest firepower mutually opposed to the opponents vulnerabilities.   

CENTERS OF BALANCE

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The terms COG, Center of Gravity ad Center of Mass are often used interchangeably rendering both moot in battle.  It is certain (IMHO) that all nature knows its balance, centers and all.   In this rendition, the center of mass of any creature only moves when the cargo shifts, and the “bone centers” are fixed by the joints which include the shoulders and knees. 

The Center of Gravity is the net result of all the forces influencing the body including the force exerted in standing and running, and includes the forces of any external object that yanks, pulls, or trips the body.

BLOODY HELL

While one bleeds just anywhere, getting to the heart of it is more precise.

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The command and control of the animate body goes through several nets and systems.

THE NET CENTRIC BODY

The Central Nervous System ties the parts together via several subsystems, some you know, and others operate behind the coded door.  

Chinese Traditional Medicine was unknown to the West and likely the Middle East, but so were the ones we know about today.  Recent work in the martial arts community is making progress In associating the elements of Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) with what we know of the body today.  The pressure points of TCM normally are found where a nerve comes to an end, crosses another or divides.  Additional work is being done in affiliating TCM with the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) according to the Dragon Society (Grand Master Rick Moneymaker, under whom I have studied).

George Dillman Pressure Point Seminar

We usually associate the nervous system with motor and sensory nerves, but well below the conscious level the ANS works in response to the threat as perceived by the Biology of perception which follows two paths into the brain to the switchboard of the Amygdala, Smell and

Audio‐Visual, which produces chemical changes to make things happen or not.  Smell is the oldest of senses and is routed through the Thalamus to activate the Limbic System while Audio‐Visual is routed through the Hypothalamus which goes to the Cortex. Smell (Stink) produces action without reflection.

9The Parasympathetic system appears to be operating in diametric opposition to each other.  The Sympathetic system cranks up under perceived threat, and the Parasympathetic backs off. The Sympathetic reaction, however, is counter-productive to efficient fighting, in particular the heart rate.  Pupil dilation is accompanied by a narrow field of view which does not see or sense attacks coming from the sides. The Oriental system of belly breathing, deep and slow, also slows down the heart rate, increases the field of view, and relaxes the body.  A tense body not only hurts more when hit, the range and speed of the limbs are retarded. 

RELAXATION RESPONSE (Calm down to fight)

This leads to an apparent, but necessary paradigm shift: One must calm down in order to fight efficiently and effectively.  The foaming at the mouth, wild eyed, emotional fighter won’t fight long in the face of deadly calm.   Shouting is targeted and timed to freeze the target at the right time and way.  This calming down effect has many names in the East, but is also found in Western athletics and performance arts.  It is sometimes called the Relaxation Response.  When relaxed, the athlete or artist’s mind becomes detached from the fury of the moment, but operates in a more strategic fashion.  A chattering mind invites battery to the body. 

 

In Close Order Combat at Close Quarters (spear or pike range), one reads of forces who advance with shouts in unison, like “God Wills It” or singing a battle song are also ridding the body of tension, creating a bond within the ranks, and elevates the mind from dwelling too much on what could go wrong. 

THE REVULSION REFLEX

Substantial and credible research has established that the default behavior of humans when faced with the choice of killing don’t kill, don’t shoot, miss deliberately, never forget, and vomit once done.  It is clear that the initial behavior during the initial face to face confrontation is to threaten, posture and maneuver for advantage.   Recent studies of the casualty rates of battles back to antiquity also show abysmally small numbers of casualties or both sides, provided the other side didn’t run.  

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Since killing is an integral part of life on the planet, there is a question as to why do humans react against killing even when being killed is a clear and present danger.  This reaction is also common to the animal kingdom, few animals launch into an attack without some intimidating (or sneaky) maneuvers.  If the object of their intimidation does not back off, the confrontation can end as both sides back off  This is nature’s way of limiting aggression to issues of dominance (Social Status) or dinner. The lions, gazelles, buffalo, and other wild creatures who are subject of being eaten or beaten only do so when needed.  Otherwise, they share the same space. 

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Humans don’t settle for that. Usually. 

During WW 2, only 15 to 20% of infantrymen fired their weapons.  The change from paper targets at known ranges to popup silhouette targets at random distances raised the odds in Vietnam to 90-95%. Realistic training, that is the replication of all the sensory inputs normally associated with a given task.  That is why we invented the infiltration course after Korea, to get accustomed to overhead machinegun fire, tracers and all, in a controlled situation. 

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The routing of sensory inputs by way of the Amygdala, Thalamus and Hypothalamus that is not overloaded with emotions, allows a calmer more trained mind to sort these stimuli and select an appropriate response.  The Trained Mind is where the coded reflexes activating muscle memory and learned responses that can fight on automatic, leaving the relaxed mind to make strategic observations and directions.   This occurs in athletes, dancers, fighter pilots and Friday Rush Hour to function without burning up energy in conscious decision making as that mind is too slow.

http://templarmilitaris.blogspot.com/2014/03/crusade-era-combat-murphys-laws.html

RELAXATION RESPONSE VS REVULSION REFLEX

From a broader point of view, control of the Revulsion Reflex which is primarily driven by the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), is to counter with activating the Parasympathetic System in addition to reducing the fear factor of external stimuli, like incoming rounds.  Taking learned responses to cope with the actual physical threats includes digging in, shooting back, wearing protective gear at all times. 

The Knights Templar slept in their combat gear, something that I learned my first week in combat. And they did so without regard to any specific threat assessment.  Unit morale due to the unit replacement system in US forces today has elevated the sense of camaraderie between buddies to a level far above any achieved before or so wide.  Likewise the bonding of the Knights Templar and the other holy orders coupled with a shared set of values, rituals, and combat training worked to override any errant stimuli so they could fight effectively and efficiently. 

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY

The Temple and the Hospital only recruited those who were already MOS qualified (knights, men at arms, sergeants) and bonded together by faith, ritual and hard collective training.  For a unit to function as a unit in combat, they must have trained tougher under simulated combat conditions, and some that aren’t battle.  This includes hunger, exhaustion, confusion, extreme heat and/or cold, rain, snow, and/or dust, all of which are available at Ft Hood Texas often at the same time.

There is little known about the training schedule, program of instruction, of Mission Essential Task List used to train the Order.  The fact that the holy orders and other well trained outfits could assemble on day, or show up in the middle of battle and be able to be deployed effectively means that there had to be a shared and clearly understood way to fight for each of the components and for the leadership.  The Western knights of the 12^th Century were far superior to Islamic forces, and particularly at higher levels of command.  Saladin started the reversal of the trend which ended in the 13^th Century.  One fatal difference influenced operations was the incessant bickering of the various political components of either side.  

See the Crusade through Arab Eyes, by Amin Maalouf, which shows how screwed up the Muslim side was during the First Crusade until the Third.   During that period of time, Muslim rule passed from Arab to Turk, which did not reverse again until after WW 1. 

http://www.amazon.com/Crusades-Through-Arab-Eyes-Essentials/dp/0805208984/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402602005&sr=1-1&keywords=the+crusade+through+arab+eyes

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Crew Served Weapons,

The recent studies of modern combat and firing rates, show that any form of distance between the enemies eyes and our own reduces aversion, and can activate the Run Down and Chase Reflexes. This distancing applies to officers, non-commissioned officers, crew served weapons crews, and those at a distance from the threat.  Knights of the day from Far East to Iceland operated as a crew served weapon, as the knight rarely went unaided or alone.  Except when showing off.

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Kingdom of Heaven, Kerak. Balien (Right) intercepts Saladin's host (dust in background)

Flags and Bugles.

The noise, dust and confusion of Close Order Battle makes giving verbal orders problematic.  The high notes of the trumpet operate at a frequency that the human ear registers full attention, and bugles are still used (out of respect) today.  Likewise banners, flags, pennons, and Guidons are the default visual means of controlling forces afoot, afloat, or a riding.  The soul that carried the banner of a band of brothers did so without a weapon in hand, and for whom dropping the flag was a major disgrace.  It still is, even though following the flag in current battles would draw fire. 

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Units lacking the sense of camaraderie and shared experiences have a short shelf life.  Once the enemy turns to run, runs or acts in a panicky way, the Rundown or Chase Reflex automatically reverses the Revulsion Reflex, and the chase Is on.

THE RUNDOWN REFLEX (THE CHASE)

Once the enemy looks away, turns his back, or demonstrates weakness, another equally powerful gut reaction to chase down and kill the enemy without any sense of revulsion.  In battles between forces in close order (side by side, shoulder to shoulder, etc.) turning and running resulted in mass casualties due to aroused avarice by the attacker and suppressed defensive capabilities while running backside to front. 

http://www.amazon.com/On-Killing-Psychological-Learning-Society/dp/0316040932

It is no accident or insidious capitalist warmongering plot that children play “hide and seek”, or running games like “keep away” which goes professional in soccer, football (both), basketball, or hockey.   This behavior like most childhood games is practice for what comes later in life, and is driven by coding in DNA.  Socialization only provides the details.

Some of kids play is not play but training, and it occurs naturally without any external input.

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More serious “games”

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Several important factors reduce or counter revulsion reflex include those activities where the mind is occupied with conscious engagement with a complex piece of hardware, like a laser range finder. Or upon rote reaction of certain responses that require the brain to focus on a few important things such as in calling for and adjusting fires like Fire Missions and Tank Gunnery Commands.  Those have to be done right despite foggy brains and fear. 

RESOLUTION:

 This is the part when the loser is massacred on the run even if not edible.  Basketball, Soccer, Rugby, and Hockey (field and ice) are running games with the puck or ball representing the game’s game. This is the part when the family chows down on the defeated, the wounded are bayoneted, and the dead are stripped. In Medieval warfare, the casualties of the side that ran were horrific while in those battle with no panic, or run, American Football is more lethal. 

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King Guy of Jerusalem surrenders to Saladin at the Battle at Hattin 1187

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