“They selected and summoned worthy men of talent, in order to prepare themselves for any contingency.” Wu Ch’i c. 400 B.C.

This past Summer a bunch of us spent a few days together with Matt Graham of Graham Combat. As training experiences go, it was quite simply incomparable. If you ever have the chance to train with Matt or his crew, do it. Among those attending were some of our writing team, some friends, some family members and the incomparable (one might even say inimitable) Natalie Cake. She took approximately one gozillion pictures of our time together.  Our Chief Wretched Minion in Charge (it takes a certain amount of hubris and suspension of disbelief to ramrod this crew) asked Natalie to put together a pictorial essay that captured as much the spirit of that training as the gestalt of our team.

This is the result. We hope you enjoy a look “behind the curtain”.  We can’t wait until this year’s training – there will be even more of us together in one place.  It may very well shift the polar axis of the earth.

You can enroll in a Graham Combat class online. We urge you to do so. You can also follow Matt’s blog on Graham Tradecraft. You should do that as well. Check out Natalie Cake’s work here.

Life’s too short to have shitty friends and boring comrades. We are blessed that each of ours is a Thousandth Man.

The Thousandth Man

Rudyard Kipling

One man in a thousand, Solomon says.

Will stick more close than a brother.

And it’s worth while seeking him half your days

If you find him before the other.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine depend

On what the world sees in you,

But the Thousandth Man will stand your friend

With the whole round world agin you.

‘Tis neither promise nor prayer nor show

Will settle the finding for ‘ee.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine of ’em go

By your looks, or your acts, or your glory.

But if he finds you and you find him,

The rest of the world don’t matter;

For the Thousandth Man will sink or swim

With you in any water.

You can use his purse with no more talk

Than he uses yours for his spendings,

And laugh and meet in your daily walk

As though there had been no lendings.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine of ’em call

For silver and gold in their dealings;

But the Thousandth Man he’s worth ’em all

Because you can show him your feelings.

His wrong’s your wrong, and his right’s your right,

In season or out of season.

Stand up and back it in all men’s sight

With that for your only reason!

Nine hundred and ninety-nine can’t bide

The shame or mocking or laughter,

But the Thousandth Man will stand by your side

To the gallows-foot – and after!