Wisdom

The first of the seven virtues of a swordsman.

Wisdom, prudence, insight, perception. There are many words we can use here, I think I’ve seen most translations use the word prudence.

But what is the purpose behind this word and the lynx that is used to represent it?

What does Fiore say? 

“No creature sees better than I, the Lynx, and I proceed always with careful calculations." 

or I've seen it translated as 

“No creature sees better than me, the Lynx, And I always set things in order with compass and measure.”

 It is important to note that in addition to the lynx, there is a compass—as in the drawing

Tool—in the lynx’s hand. So in addition to prudence, distance and measure are obviously very important and implied by the word. This is one reason I like Wisdom over Prudence when explaining this virtue. Prudence makes me think about cautiousness, and while that is part of Wisdom, sometimes the wise action is a bold or straight forward one and being cautious at the wrong time can lead to your defeat. 

When one is engaging in swordsmanship it is vital that you learn to see when an action puts you in danger, which angle it puts you in danger and how you can prevent said danger.

Johannes Liechtenauer in his work—The Zettle—writes

 "I say to you truthfully, No one can defend himself without danger."

In every engagement—even if you are only defending yourself you are in danger. Knowing this is one thing, but it takes wisdom to keep yourself safe, and as I mentioned above, sometimes what it takes to keep you safe is offensive action, not just defense. 

Interestingly, this is true in many walks of life: business, family, financial ventures, and really anything. Get into anything to a depth to accomplish anything of real value and there will be danger. 

Danger of failure, of pain, of defeat.

So what is wisdom, how do we obtain it? How do we grow it?

Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. It implies the ability to see the truth of a situation. To make good decisions, to have discernment and insight.

So how do we make good decisions? First, Knowledge. You have to have knowledge of the situation, of the relevant facts, and of other similar situations. We need to study, learn, and gain

Experience. Wisdom is really the application of that gained knowledge. As I often like to say, Knowledge is knowing that tomatoes are a fruit, Wisdom is knowing that you don’t put tomatoes in fruit salad. 

How is one wise in the absence of knowledge and experience? In my opinion, that is why you need humility and cautiousness. In such a situation you must trust and rely on others' knowledge and experience—and in complete absence of it, yours or others, you need to proceed slowly with caution. 

Thus you can gain knowledge and experience and hopefully avoid crippling pain, damage, or complete defeat. Although you can’t avoid danger, the danger is what gives you the experience you are seeking! However, remember that you also can’t be fully defensive—rather, it is bad to be fully passive, but I strongly believe that in fencing and in life it is better to be patient and move with clear and strong intentions when you do move. Accept the back foot and strike when the moment is right. After all, the term fencing is derived from the word defense. You win by not getting killed. True swordsmanship is the art of staying alive, not the art of killing.