We have all heard about the harsh hardships of military education in ancient Sparta. But how many people know how our ancestors, the inhabitants of Russia, raised the heroes and defenders of the state? It turns out - almost as severe as the Spartans.
In fairness, it should be noted that in Russia all men were considered warriors, this tradition has been going on since the era of the so-called "military democracy". Of course, there were specially trained knights who devoted their entire lives to war, but all young men and adult men, whether they were townspeople, farmers or hunters, had to possess military skills.
It must be remembered that growing up at that time was faster than now. A man at the age of 14-16 was considered to be quite an adult and could start an independent life, get married. For the farmer, the whole community built a house, the boyar's son entered military service, the young prince received a city in management.
In addition, the people of that time were very different from those of today, and the comparison will be far from in our favor. Almost all of them were mentally and physically healthier. All sickly children died in the early years or at birth - natural selection was at work. The healthiest survived, and later the constant hard physical labor of a farmer, artisan, hunter, warrior strengthened them. Russian society lacked the current vices of industrial and post-industrial societies - alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution, fornication, obesity from lack of movement, overeating, etc.
The first stage in the formation of a man was dedication, the transition from the age of infancy to the state of a child (adolescent) - at 2-3 years old. This milestone was marked by the tonsure and mounting of a horse. At the age of four, the "uncles" took up the upbringing of the child. "Uncles" - a certain military structure of guardianship, traditional among the Russians. They had a difficult share of responsibility for the training, which passed through a chain of initiations and initiations that develop the psychological stability of a young warrior.
This is a very important psychological milestone, he created a special mood in the boys, laid down the basic principles of being. The boys were encouraged to be the defenders of their family, community, city, region, and the whole of Svetlaya Rus. A core was laid in them, which determined their fate. It is a pity that this tradition is almost lost now. In the modern world, men are mostly brought up by women - at home, in kindergartens, schools, and universities.
There were no special military schools in Eastern Russia (at least there are no reliable facts indicating their existence). They were replaced by practice, tradition, apprenticeship. From early childhood, boys were taught to use weapons. Overcoming fear and hiding emotions, the young man proved his maturity. Then, relying on the difficult school of military teaching and the handle of a knife, he went into the dense forest for the skin of a bear. Try for a moment to imagine in all its colors the image of a huge forest giant roaring in front of you. Heavy clawed paws, capable of breaking ribs and tearing the body in one movement, against one knife and human skill.
According to popular beliefs, having defeated an angry bear, the young man turned into a werewolf warrior, as if absorbing the spirit of the killed beast. An amulet made of bear claws was hung around his neck. This tradition strengthened the warrior's endurance, giving him strong psychological support in any situation. Childhood passed in specific games that develop coordination of movements, dexterity and speed, laying somewhat more than just a skill, but also something that is sometimes impossible to learn - fearlessness.
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The training was carried out at the teacher-student level, compare: in Russia until the 18th century there were no universities, but cities and temples were built, cannons and bells were cast, books were written, the level of education of the population in the X-XIII centuries was significantly higher than the European level (as well as the level of hygiene). Skills were passed from teachers to students in practice, in order to become a master architect, a Russian person did not go to a special school, but became a student of a master, in military affairs as well.
Games in the "king of the hill" eventually developed into "wall to wall" battles, and then into the formation of battle formations. Gradually, from simple to difficult, from playing snowballs to dodging a hail of deadly arrows, and from stick fights to cutting with swords. The guardianship of the "uncles" ended after the students were initiated into professional soldiers. The elite army consisted of them - the princely squad. Practice played an important role, Russia waged constant wars with neighboring peoples, and civil strife was not uncommon. There was no shortage of real combat conditions then; young soldiers could test themselves in practice. Naturally, the war took its toll, but those who survived received a unique lesson. You will not get such "lessons" in any school.
Historically, the Russians have always been forced to fight in the minority. Therefore, the squad had to use any, even minor, advantage. Warriors who grew up in these places since childhood got used to fighting in conditions of insufficient visibility and confined space - for example, in a dense forest. Hence the tactics of combat, allowing you to fight alone, even in complete encirclement.
Legends say that one warrior went out to battle with ten, and sometimes with a hundred enemies. So Demyan Kudenevich plunged the invaders into horror, leaving alone to battle even without a helmet and armor. Probably, the Polovtsian army endured a lot of fear, which he drove away from the walls of Pereyaslavl with the help of six brothers.
A warrior who fought alone is the highest degree of military skill. For such a warrior, it did not matter how many enemies he brought down his swords. As a rule, he did not hold a shield, but preferred to take the other hand with a weapon.