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| Jedi Knight | ||
| Written by Rachel | ||
classes qigong tai chi kung fu about us reviews a-z
Star Wars
The Star Wars films and animated TV series
(Clone Wars & Rebels)
offer a lightweight introduction to abstract-seeming concepts that exist at the
root of tai chi and Taoism.
Going with the flow, trusting your
feelings, letting go - are all explored in
the Star Wars stories.
Even a child can follow the events in Star Wars, so this is an ideal way to
softly open your mind and use fantasy creatively.
It can also encourage you not to take yourself too
seriously...
Animated
If you found the Star Wars movies a little disappointing, why not take a look
at the Star Wars cartoons?
The Clone Wars (2008) and Rebels (2014) are particularly entertaining.
They have terrific stories, great dialogue and humour. They are much better than
most of the Star Wars movies.
Knights in shining armour?
Star Wars harks back to the
feudal era.
It is reminiscent of King Arthur, the round table, Merlin, chivalry, jousting,
monsters and mystics.
There are hints of Lord of the Rings, Flash Gordon and Japanese samurai warriors
too...
Relevant
The Empire Strikes Back is particularly
relevant to students.
When Luke Skywalker trains with Yoda, a variety of Taoist,
Zen and
tai chi
concerns are mentioned.
You do not need to be a fan of the film or an enthusiast to gain some
insight.
Jedi
A Jedi is calm, peaceful,
contemplative, kind, helpful and compassionate.
They practice emotional control and seek to
serve 'the greater good'.
Neither soldier nor warrior, they see themselves as being peacekeepers,
diplomats, counsellors, teachers and negotiators.
Sith
Sith embrace the full spectrum of
emotion; including aggression, anger and wrath.
They are more warrior-like than the Jedi and usually serve their own interests.
Instead of striking openly, they prefer secrecy and
deception; inducing others to act of their
behalf.
Times change
Back in the 1970's, everyone who liked Star Wars
wanted to be a Jedi Knight.
Darth Vader was the villain. The devil. There was no doubting
his status in the film.
This century, people want to be a Sith Lord and
embrace the Dark Side. What has changed?
Cruel is cool?
There have been many examples on the
TV, in politics, news and cinema
over the last couple of decades in which people are seen as being cool for being
cruel.
Humourless sarcasm is mistaken for wit.
Torture is deemed necessary in order to get the job done. Taking away another
person's dignity is considered just fine.
People are entertained by suffering and pain.
Lazy
Very few people in real life actually have ANY
martial arts skills.
After all, it is far, far easier to talk big than to
act.
Gaining skill in any martial art requires
untold years of training, practice, study,
discipline and sacrifice.
Not many people are up to the task.
Gratification
Jedi Knights are held to a strict code.
They must maintain a Bushido-like
stoicism in the face of adversity, seek harmony
and peace, fight
only when they have to and remain
patient.
In the 21st Century, these are not common values.
Many people want instant gratification, to
be served, prestige, fame, fortune, popularity...
By today's standards, Jedi Knights are profoundly uncool.
Sith myth
Sith Lords sound appealing because they don't appear to follow
any rules.
They are bad and get away with being bad. But this is not accurate.
In Star Wars, becoming a Sith Lord is no easier
than being a Jedi Knight.
Dark Lords must do the bidding of their masters and prove themselves to be
fearless, disciplined and
focussed, or die.
But beware of the dark side.
Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they
flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path,
forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will... If you choose
the quick and easy path - you will become an agent of evil.
(Yoda)
So what?
As far fetched as Star Wars may seem, the very same differences in
character, skills and emotional
control can be seen in
tai chi.
People of different ability levels
embody
significantly different degrees of
emotional awareness.
Some are disciplined,
resolute, powerful and
knowledgeable. Others are
aggressive, forceful
and egotistical. Not quite a galaxy far, far away?
A serious mind
Now for the crux of the matter...
To gain power and skill in any endeavour,
there must be commitment, teaching, sustained
practice, focus, on-going improvement,
refinement,
corrections and a lot of hard work.
Self-discipline is a must.
A tai chi student cannot wield a blade or engage
in combat successfully if their
body is a mess and their mind is
scattered.
What you started with
When people first come to class, their bodies are normally
undisciplined;
poorly coordinated, immobile, insensitive,
clumsy and not in any way graceful, nimble or
agile.
Their minds are often awry and anxious. They have
unrealistic ambitions that neither
their body nor mind can fulfil.
We teach qigong, form and
partner work in order to impose order on
chaos.
Be honest now...
How good is your tai chi?
Is it sensitive, alert, powerful and lively?
Do you demonstrate agile, strong
movement, excellent
poise, high energy levels and a feeling of
vigour? Cat-like grace?
Popularity
Fans of Star Wars often favour the 'baddies' because their task looks
easier. Similarly, many would-be martial artists favour easier-seeming
martial arts
opportunities.
A lot of modern martial arts are perfectly effective in combat, but victory
comes with a price: aggression, anger,
muscular tension, anxiety,
poor body
usage, fatigue, injury.
There is no spiritual development,
meditation, harmony or quashing of the
ego.
Seeking a more patient, intelligent,
balanced approach is bound to be less
popular.
Strong mental attitude
George Lucas incorporated values, attitudes and insights from Taoism,
Zen and Bushido into
his Jedi Knights.
If you watch the 2008 Clone Wars TV series you will discover the Jedi Masters
demonstrating many behavioural traits that are the same as those employed in
the correct practice of tai chi:
Compassionate
Confident
Contained
Dealing with the real rather than the imagined
Dutiful
Earnest
Emotionally aware
Loyal
Sense of humour
Tactful
Traditional
Willing to change
Emotional energy
The Sith employ negative emotions in order
to tap The Dark Side and fuel their actions.
By contrast, Jedi Knights stay emotionally neutral.
Tai chi does something different... As with The Sith, emotion
is used. But not anger, aggression or upset.
Rather, it is emotional energy. Every
tai chi action requires 'emotional content'.
This is called 'shen'.
How serious are you?
The Jedi Knights commit everything to become skilled.
How much are you prepared to give to
become adept with
tai chi?
Your tai chi
The person who only attends once a week will probably get a restful
break
from the everyday toil, but very little development in martial skill. They
are essentially a tai chi for health
student.
A student who trains daily will make far better progress.
Ultimately, you decide what will take place,
how far you will go and what
matters to you.
Just remember: there is no short-cut, no easy path.
If you want to be successful in a
particular field, perseverance is one of the key qualities.
(George Lucas)
Page created
3 December 2009
Last updated
16 June 2023
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