How Did The Ancient Egyptian Warriors Train?
Egyptian soldiers trained with different types of weapons, swords, knives, spears, and bows. Their position in the military would be decided by how effective they were at their best. Archers were of course chosen from the most accurate shooters, while the fastest swordfighters would always be sent to join the basic infantry. The Egyptian warriors were called Calasirians and Hermotybians. There were over 4,000 infantry soldiers in the army corps, and they were organized into 20 various companies, and there were between 200 and 250 men in each. The Egyptian army has been estimated to have had over 100,000 soldiers at the time of Ramesses II c. 1300 BC.
The Egyptian warrior could have been an adult that was recruited to serve for a few years, or he could have been very young, as young as the age of 5, a warrior that would have a permanent military career. He could not go to war until he was 20. The training was strenuous and had an emphasis on stamina-building activities such as lifting bags of desert sand and coordination training such as stick fighting and wrestling. Empty-hand fight training was very important in the combat training of Egyptian warriors, as it is in most warrior groups around the world. Chariot training was required for everyone, as well as constant target practice as an archer, swordsman, and knife thrower. Depending on the skills he demonstrated, a warrior could serve as a charioteer, archer, foot soldier, or spearman.
Weapons Carried By The Warriors
Ancient Egyptian warriors carried clubs, slings, maces, and obsidian-tipped spears, they were famous for their cutting edge. When the charioteer started to come into power, Egypt’s main weapon became the bow-and-arrow, the lightest weapon they could carry for hot desert fighting. When the iron arrows with non-shattering heads became the arrows of choice around 1000 B.C., Egyptian warriors were the most dangerous fighting force imaginable. And, let’s not forget, many queens and females of high-ranking stature did double duty as warriors.
Learning Warrior Culture
When you are a student and practitioner of the fighting arts, it’s can be beneficial for you to read about different warrior cultures from around the world, and how they trained for combat. As martial artists, it is our duty to be the best we can be, not just for ourselves but also for our families and friends. We need to know how to fight in all the different types of environments, and for every type of situation, we might find ourselves in. It’s interesting to hear how different warriors lived, trained, and survived.
