The Jedi Creed
Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.
Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others.
Jedi respect all life, in any form.
Jedi serve others rather than ruling over them, for the good of the galaxy.
Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.
Personally I think those who wish to become Jedi should reflect more on the Jedi Creed then the Jedi code. I believe the Jedi Creed speaks more for what a Jedi should be then the Jedi Code every will. It cuts out the gray area that too many people try to take advantage of.
I know I have posted the Jedi Creed already however I wanted to post a expanded definition of it.
Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.
This line reflects my views of physical fitness and some type of self defense program perfectly. Thankfully for most of us we will not need to engage in a physical conflict, however this will not be the case for all of us. Now I will admit it is far better to have the proper authorities there long before things get physical, however if a person is getting a UFC style beat down by the time the cops show up it could very well be too late. In this event it if you can scream to have someone call the cops then do so (normally fights normally happen in public so odds are someone will be ready to call the cops, however as a jedi this is the time where you test your will and decide if you truly want to be a jedi or not. A jedi will stop the beat down even at their own expense if need be.
I believe every jedi needs to have a healthy toned body and should study in a traditional martial art style that seems fitting for them. Personally I believe every jedi should train in style that focuses on striking vs. grappling because any fight that goes to the group puts everyone in danger where if you can drop the person with a few well placed punches and kicks your odds will be better. If a person can not afford to take a traditional martial art then some DVDs and solid practice 4-5 days a week can be effective, however that depends on the person dedication level to the practice sessions. If you only work on self defense one day a week or take two classes a week and do not practice then odds are you will be lying in the ditch next to the person you were trying to help.
Thankfully most loud arguments do not go physical, thankfully 9 of 10 verbal confrontations won't go physical, however should things start rolling that way then the jedi need to be prepared. Yes entering a street brawl is dangerous, and personally after doing this myself I could think of many unpleasant things I would rather do then enter a situation such as this again, however should the situation come up then well it will be my duty and honor to deal with it. If a person does not think they are ready for this lifestyle then they really need to rethink the jedi path. Being a jedi is not about wearing a brown robe with a homemade lightsaber hilt on your belt. Being a jedi is more then saying ”may the force be with you" to end a post, or a conversation. Being a jedi means being a real guardian in life where it matters not just posting words on websites and forums.
On websites and forums I have read too many people say that a jedi does not need to learn self defense because they can use words to end a conflict. Now in my opinion if those people ever get into a push comes to shove street brawl then I would have great pity for the person they are to be protecting as well as for the individual calling themselves a jedi. If they are lucky they will sustain minor injuries, if they are unlucky their jedi path on this world will be over.
Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others.
I personally love this line as well. As a martial artist I was taught to never use my skills to cause damage to another simply because I could. As a martial artist I carry inside the skills to cause major damage to people and I am certainly not unique in this situation as every martial artist is taught these skills to one degree or another. With that knowledge however comes responsibility. Just because I can cause major damage to a individual does not mean that I should if the situation presents itself. Martial artist are trained in restraint. We are taught to use the skills that need to be used and finish things as quickly as possible and cause the least amount of damage as possible. Yes you may need to cause damage to a person to end the conflict however breaking both legs, arms and a number of ribs would be a bit excessive.
This lesson however does NOT end here. On jedi forums I have seen a number of people of admin standing start fights with people and then have the person banned for defending themselves or their position. This is in reality the same in concept. If you are a group leader and you abuse your power because you do not like or agree with a individual then you are not better then a street thug how uses the skills they learned at some fight school to beat people up because they can.
As I was a kid growing up I remember the adage "knowledge is power" and I certainly believe this to be so. Those of us who study and train the mind as we do the body and spirit need to recognize the true power we possess. Yes in a argument against a person who has no clue what they are talking about it could be easy and perhaps even fun to just make the individual look even more foolish then they already do. If you are having a disagreement with a person in public who is overmatched simply speak your peace and walk away. Do not make the person look foolish in public just because you can because in reality is makes you look even worse. Instead of attacking a person with a weak stance challenge them to support their views. I have done this with my students when they were a little further off base then I personally would have liked. By forcing my students to support their beliefs and stick to their guns I have made them better prepared for what can happen in the real world. I have also helped them to become stronger jedi in the process. Some will stick a losing argument no matter what while others will recognize their faulty thought line and learn from the experience.
Jedi respect all life, in any form.
This again is pretty straight forward. You will not always like people, in fact there will be people in life you can not stand however everyone deserves to have at least a basic level of respect. You may not respect the persons views or behaviors but there is a respectable quality in everyone.
Respect is also due for the non-humans sharing this earth with us. In my opinion anyone who can hurt a animal should be charged with the same as doing this to a human. Now does this mean I do not eat meat? Certainly not. A great number of animals in the animal kingdom survive from eating meat we as humans are no different. So if a person decides to get their protein from eating chick then in reality they are no different then a wolf tracking down their prey. Personally I do not eat much meat and when I do I give a thankful thought for the animals that were killed for the meal.
Jedi serve others rather than ruling over them, for the good of the galaxy.
Any position of leadership runs a risk of corruption in one form or another. As the leader of a small jedi group I certainly could have imposed my will on my group and said it is my way or no way and called it good. In fact on some jedi websites this practice is still rather common. This does not mean that jedi should avoid leadership positions, in fact it is the exact opposite.
When jedi assume leadership position they need to refer to rule number one. We are guardians and defenders this means we need to keep our people safe from bad leadership as well as outside risks. Within the jedi group every member of knight/master votes on standards, rules and so forth. Students to get to have a say in the matter before the vote, however they do not get the chance to vote because they are not full members at that point. As the group meets to discuss actives and so forth I take as little of a role as I possible can. I leave the decisions up to the other knights and masters and allow them to make decisions when a vote comes to order If it is tie then my vote decides it however that thankfully does not happen often. I think in part this is easier because we are also selective in who we choose to have in the group. The group picks everything from who starts the program to who is ready for the next level of their training.
The greatest leader or manager is the leader or manager who puts his people before his decisions. As a group leader I need to be mindful that at times what I decide has a large impact than just upon myself. Leaders need to remember that essential leaders are the last people on the list and they need to put everyone else before them. When I started martial art teaching I did things this way. If I could not do a wall sit for 30 minutes or knock out 300 pushups by the end of class I would not ask my students to do the same. In our jedi practice sessions I do the workout with the group and like everyone else in the group I wear my white taekwondo pants a black t shirt and a black bandana (optional) and I do the full workout with them from the middle instead of standing up front calling out the workout.
In taekwondo class I am the sr. student at my home branch which means I am also a teachers assistant for the white belt class. During the class I push everyone to work harder, and at the end I call out a certain number of push up/sit-ups for everyone to do. However unlike some people from others schools I knock out the same number as everyone else and lead them in this process instead of standing there just counting them out like a drill instructor. By doing this I gain their respect because they see me do it with them and they know that when I push them I know when to push and when to back down. By showing this they respect me as the sr. student and a person who cares and not just me the black belt who enters class just to make them do harder things.
When jedi assume leadership position they need to refer to rule number one. We are guardians and defenders this means we need to keep our people safe from bad leadership as well as outside risks. Within the jedi group every member of knight/master votes on standards, rules and so forth. Students to get to have a say in the matter before the vote, however they do not get the chance to vote because they are not full members at that point.
Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.
Anyone foolish enough to think they know everything deserves the fools feast or the emperors new cloths. Everyone has something to learn, everyone can improve their skills and if you truly think you have it all then you need more work then the rest of us. I've seen a number of sites that used the term jedi masters and associated them with being perfect. In fact one site even said that once a person becomes a jedi master then they have nothing else learn as they have everything to perfection.
I knew of my black belt test eight months before I actually took it. The day I earned my red belt black tip my instructor asked me what I was going to do to prepare for black belt testing. I told him to be prepared for my test I was going to take the next eight months and break down everything I do from basic techniques, stances, foot work, and of course my taekwondo forms. I had my wife record my a couple of my practice sessions and I watched myself go through everything and I used those tapes to improve every strike, block, stance I knew and every taekwondo form I knew (and I had to know 18 kata or patterns if you will). Two weeks before my test I had my wife record a couple of my practice sessions again and I compared them to the old videos and in my opinion the differences were night and day. What I thought was my best as a red belt black tip and what I considered my best as a Danbo were certainly two different levels and as I continue to progress in taekwondo I know that this mind frame will continue until I earn my spot at the masters table and even still then until I no longer practice martial arts I will always review my game and strive for improvement.