Summary: Conversations With Chivalry Today #1: Matt Hiltman Anyone who can be considered a professional jouster today is part of a fairly exclusive club – and if you’re one of the fans of the The History Channel’s recent television show Full Metal Jousting (http://amzn.to/1OcGEPf), you’ll know that Matt Hiltman, one of the show’s 16 participants, has definitely earned his membership. Now Matt didn’t just pick up a lance for the first time on the set of Full Metal Jousting – he was selected as a participant, like all of the other jousters, because he brought a unique and intriguing mix of experiences with him. Matt is a long-time jouster at the well-known Medieval Times restaurant chain, where diners get to watch a display of equestrian skill, sword combat, and jousting stunt-riding along with their meal. But, most intriguingly, if you were watching the riders’ stats flash by on the screen in between bouts of jousting on Full Metal Jousting, you might have noticed that Matt also had the distinction of being labeled a “philosophy student.” He is, in fact, currently majoring in philosophy at Georgia State University. Well, as one of the top-placed jousters on the first American national sport jousting competition, who has a university-level background in philosophy, we knew we wanted to have him on the show to talk about the practice, ideals, and philosophy of chivalry – and that’s exactly why we invited him to have a conversation with Chivalry Today. Below - The History Channel provides a video lesson on the rigors and dangers of real competitive jousting. Also, watch the final episode of Full Metal Jousting (http://www.history.com/shows/full-metal-jousting/videos/playlists/full-episodes#full-metal-jousting-the-championship-joust) to see how Matt fares against fellow finalist, Josh Knowles.
