Chivalry might conjure up ideas of gallant knights on horseback, or the perfect gentleman, but this was not always so. Chivalry began as a European  knight code, giving the members of the order a moral compass to follow. Rules stated that knights would defend the Church against its enemies, defend the weak and crippled, and never give in to an opposing foe. Discipline, as well as reading and writing, were taught to the knights as well.

The actual military practice of chivalry died out during the middle ages, when the Roman Catholic Church began to split apart into multiple groups. Because knights lived by the code stating that a knight will not harm the Church, they were unsure of what action to take. As a result, the order was largely disbanded. This is when most people claim that chivalry “went out of style”. While it is true the military organization has faded, the moral code and core ideals still are followed today.

Yet we can still see that this military conduct is still used across the world. Today our military forces walk the same path the knights did. They defend those who cannot fight, enforce strong discipline, and, for better or worse, always finish what they start. If you are so sure that chivalry is gone, and there are no more knights in shining armor, turn to our marines, our army, our navy, our air force. They still walk the path of honor their knight brethren followed three hundred years ago. They are the knights of today.