Curriculum

The curriculum is the operational reference for running the program: the kinds of lessons, the shape of a session, the rules of combat, and the safety standard. Use the tabs above to navigate. The long-term vision depends on this being in writing: a college sophomore with no professional martial-arts background should be able to read these pages and run a session honorably.

Three Kinds of Lessons

The curriculum has three kinds of lessons. The character of each kind dictates when and how it is run.

Fixed feast day lessons. Anchored to specific dates on the liturgical calendar: Sebastian (January 20), Arthurian lessons for Valentine's Day (February 14), George (April 23), Joan (May 30), Kolbe (opening weeks of school), Michael (September 29). These do not move.

Seasonal training. Follows the liturgical rhythm. Advent is indoor endurance, Christmastide is outdoor joy, Lent is penitential restraint, and so on. The character of training changes with the season; specific drills are flexible within that character.

Floating text-based lessons. A library of lessons tied to Great Books texts rather than calendar dates: David, the Iliad material, Herodotus, Robin Hood, and others. These slot in wherever there is a gap and are best timed to coincide with what the boys are currently reading in seminar. The academic curriculum drives the timing.

See the full library at Lessons.

Religious Content Review

All lessons with religious content (saints' feast day lessons, Arthurian material, liturgical calendar integration) are reviewed and approved by the school chaplain or designated religious authority before being taught. The instructor is a Catholic layman, not a theologian. Ecclesiastical review ensures doctrinal accuracy and establishes institutional backing. Knight Banneret lesson submissions are also subject to this review before acceptance into the calendar.