To keep the knights skilled in fighting, practice sessions were held. In early times they were tournaments – great meetings of all the knights in a region where they charged each other, turned and did it again and again (hence 'tourn'-ament). But they became so loutish –even to medieval eyes – that they had to be stopped.
Jousting – mounted combat using lances – began as a side-show at a tournament. Later it became the main event.
