A Warrior’s Behavior

The following is an excerpt taken from our resident African Warrior Scholar, Baba Mwalimu Baruti’s book “Message To The Warrior’s”.  This excerpt will help put into perspective, the information outlined in the chart below as a code of behavior for Warrior’s and those of you are striving to become a warrior.  The behavior of a warrior outlined in the chart below applies to the behavior and character of the African Warrior Scholars featured on this website. Come back and visit or bookmark this page to remind you of the disciplines neccessary to live your life with the spirit of an African warrior.  As well you can click on the link below the chart to learn more about this book.  You can also visit Baba Baruti’s shop page for a listing of all his books.   

     “We are at war.  And, because these hostilities will continue for some time to come, it’s about the mentality  and power you must have in order to be able to bring your children up in the warrior’s way. 

     Understand that we are warrior’s, not soldiers.  There are political, mental and spiritual differences between the two.  Specifically, there is a clear difference in the depth at which the righteousness of the battle is internally understood by the warrior and the soldier. 

     On the other hand, warrior’s are at war for the liberation of their people becasue they have no choice whether they want one or not.  They are spiritually charged with liberating their people from the pain inflicted on them by oppressors.  The role of the warrior is understood. 

    On the other hand, soldiers fight for the thrill of killing, or another’s ambitions, or the need to survive financially.  Generally, the soldier’s cause is his employer’s cause.  The justness of the cause is irrelevant (whether or not the soldiers have psyched themselves into believing their cause is just.) Soldiers believe in their leaders in teh same way that house negroes believe in their masters.  They do not think for themselves as to casue and effect.  Like slaves, they fear questions.  And “too much fear creates slavery.’ (Swahili Proverb) They are historically and ourstorically unaware.  They do what they are told.”

     Given that combat is a natural part of the warrior’s existence and that war is the root word of warrior for good reason, if we wanted to be simplistic, we could say that warriors, because they kill in battle, are soldiers. But it is not a given that a soldier is also a warrior.  Warriors, in our tradition, also study who they are and what they must build when rthe fighting ends.”

– Baba Mwalimu Baruti