On command, the horses gallop toward each other at speeds of up to 30 mph, while their riders - who wear heavy armour and hold shields - prepare to attack, armed with 12-foot-long wooden lances.
Besides hitting the target on their opponent's shield, the main aim is to "unseat" the other knight by knocking him or her off the horse.
The sport - which is said to have first been held in 1066 - is dangerous. Jousters have been known to come away with punctured lungs, fractured shoulders, and broken legs.
Nevertheless, a new petition by English Heritage hopes to persuade the Olympic committee to accept jousting into its quadrennial competition.
On its website, English Heritage claims that the sport requires "the same level of athleticism and agility, skill and strength as many of the would-be Olympic medal winners heading to Rio this summer."
Intrigued, I ventured to Hever Castle in Kent, which regularly hosts competitive jousting on summer weekends, hoping to try out the medieval sport.