The Toposa Ethnic Group, a nomadic group in Southern
Sudan, is a famous warrior people. Years ago during a traditional battle the
Toposa warrior would hold his shield in his left hand and his spear in his right
hand. He would kneel on his right or left knee to steady himself to hurl his
spear and to get leverage to push off from his back foot. This crouching
position also made him a smaller target. It was unwise to stay too long in this
half kneeling position since it gave the enemy time to advance and possibly kill
the Toposa warrior who remained in this defensive and vulnerable pose. So the
Toposa proverb: The person who has a light knee can survive longer. By getting
up quickly from his half kneeling position the warrior could make a strategic
retreat, that is, withdraw for the time being. Another Toposa proverb says: The
person who fights and runs away will live to fight another battle. There are
times and reasons not to fight. So too the universal proverb in English:
Discretion is the better part of valor.

    By getting up quickly the warrior could also move into
another fighting strategy: advancing forward, dodging from side to side, leaping
about, etc. He had to be quick on his feet. A "heavy knee" was a sign of being
slow and not adaptable. But a "light knee" gave him more flexibility and
creative fighting options. Also the standing and moving warrior could more
easily dodge an enemy’s spear. See the universal saying in English: It is hard
to hit a moving target.

    These Toposa proverbs were used by the elders to advise
the warriors on how to use different tactics and strategies to fight against
other ethnic groups such as the Turkana people who liked to steal the cattle of
the Toposa. Also the people in Southern Sudan who wanted to migrate to another
geographical area used these proverbs.