Traditional Masculinity
What is the Modern Day Knights project and what does it offer?
The Modern Day Knights project is a high-intensity boot camp for men seeking personal development, offered once or twice a year at a cost of $18,000 for a three-day program. The rigorous experience includes hand-to-hand combat, water hosing, and crawling across railroad tracks as part of its challenging physical regimen. The program promises transformational outcomes for participants, claiming they will become better friends, fathers, and leaders through this intensive experience. This boot camp represents a specialized approach to masculinity and personal growth through physical and mental challenges.
Watch clip answer (00:30m)
NBC News
00:00 - 00:30
How did going through the Modern-Day Knights program help Michael Chernow address his long-standing trauma?
The Modern-Day Knights program helped Michael Chernow bring to light deep trust issues that he had been carrying. Through rigorous activities designed to create vulnerability, participants engage in physically and emotionally demanding exercises, including lying in self-dug graves within body bags as a symbolic practice for personal growth. The program requires participants to experience a physical breakdown as part of the healing process, deliberately pushing them to their limits. This intensive approach allowed Chernow to confront and begin addressing years of accumulated trauma, creating space for transformation and healing through structured, challenging experiences.
Watch clip answer (00:22m)NBC News
02:40 - 03:02
What is the modern day Knights program teaching men about masculinity?
The modern day Knights program teaches men to be "civilized savage servants." This philosophy encourages men to be civilized individuals who demonstrate courtesy and respect by opening doors, saying please and thank you in their daily interactions with others. At the same time, the program emphasizes the importance of accessing one's inner savage - the ability to be fierce and strong when circumstances require protection. The balance between civility and protective strength is complemented by a servant mindset, creating a holistic approach to modern masculinity that combines respect, strength, and service to others.
Watch clip answer (00:13m)
NBC News
01:31 - 01:45
How did going through the Modern Day Knights program help Michael Chernow address his childhood traumas?
Michael Chernow explains that the program helped bring to light some of his deep-seated trust issues stemming from his traumatic upbringing. Having experienced a very violent and abusive relationship with his father, Chernow was motivated to look elsewhere for father figures, which unfortunately led to another abusive relationship with a mentor. The Modern Day Knights program, designed to address trauma and promote healthy masculinity, provided Chernow with a space to confront these painful experiences. Through intense activities and male bonding, he began recognizing how these early traumas had shaped his ability to trust others, marking an important step in his healing journey.
Watch clip answer (00:23m)NBC News
02:27 - 02:50
What is the Modern Day Knights Project and what does it promise?
The Modern Day Knights Project is an exclusive three-day program costing $18,000 that promises personal transformation for male participants. The project makes a commitment to men that they will experience significant personal growth through its intensive boot camp structure. Specifically, participants are promised they will emerge as better friends, better fathers, and better leaders through the challenges and experiences offered during the program. This transformation-focused initiative aims to help men reclaim their edge and redefine their sense of masculinity in the modern world.
Watch clip answer (00:11m)NBC News
00:19 - 00:30
How does the Modern Day Knights (MDK) program compare to traditional therapy?
According to therapist Dr. George James, programs like MDK offer benefits for men's personal growth, but they should not be considered a replacement for actual therapeutic treatment. While the program creates challenging experiences similar to ultra marathons or tough mudder races that may promote personal transformation, these intense boot camp-style approaches have limitations. The program provides physical and emotional challenges that might help participants process trauma, but mental health professionals have mixed reviews on such extreme approaches to healing and redefining masculinity.
Watch clip answer (00:13m)NBC News
03:09 - 03:23