Jedi Exercises

Many Jedi "feats" performed by masters may spread myths of the magical powers of the Force user. Such feats, however, are performed not by the Force or magic, but by skills that haven taken years of hard training to develop. They are no less marvelous because of this.

First Cadence:

Preparation: 19 candles, 19 candles stands of about 3 1/2 feet high, lighter, and a sword.

Cadence: Start by placing one lighted candle and stand directly ahead of you at a distance of one to one and a half meters. Then, from the rest position, draw your sword and strike the wick. Your objective is to completely cut the wick without harming the candle.

Having successfully completed one candle, place two stands and candles in front of you, by hand, with a 10-degree angle between them. The first few times you perform this maneuver you should check that accuracy of your placement. No more then a two-degree error is permissible.

When you become comfortable with placing them, you should be able to place them with no more then a tenth of a degree error without needing to check.

Then as you did with the first cut the lighted wick without cutting the candle. Having successfully completed two candles, you should attempt three, again spaced at 10-degree intervals ahead of you, at a distance of one to one and a half meters. Then four then five, and so on until you cover the full 180-degree spread with nineteen candles and stands.

There are a number of orders that you should practice this in: From right to left; left to right; alternating left and right working out from the center; alternating left and right working in towards the center, and, random. Only when you can perform all possible permutations two-handed, left-handed, right-handed, and blindfolded with equal skill are you ready to advance.

This is both a physical and mental training exercise.

Second Cadence:

Preparation: 72 candles, 72 candles stands of about 3 feet high, lighter, and a sword.

Cadence: The candles and stands must be placed at five-degree intervals (Rather then 10-degree intervals as in the first cadence); by the end of the cadence a full 360-degree circle is covered. There should be two candles at the zero position, so that you can start and end at zero-degrees.

This cadence requires the Jedi to be able to strike at all points around him. In the beginning, you are permitted to turn to face the point at which you are striking. Once you have mastered this, you are expected to be able to strike at any point around you without having to turn at all simply reach out with the sword and use the Force to guide the stroke.

Third Cadence:

Preparation: 180 candles, 180 candles stands of about 3 feet high, lighter, and a sword.

Cadence: The Candles are placed at 2-degree intervals, and the strike patterns used involves cutting every fifth wick, then every fourth of the remaining, then every third, and so on until none are left.

One exercise the Jedi student should practice is standing in a special position called Horse-Riding Stance (Horse Stance, for short). It is called this because the position resembles how one looks sitting on a horse --- both legs wide apart, knees bent, and back straight. The Jedi should practice this exercise by standing in Horse Stance for as long as one hour at a time.

Through this training the Student develops good balance and exceedingly strong legs.

Along with the physical training, the Jedi does mental exercises. The Horse Stance, for example, should also be done as a "meditation" exercise. This means that while the Jedi are holding this position, they should concentrate very hard on one particular thought. They should not let their minds wander even though this exercise is extremely boring. They should not move, no matter what. If they have an itch, they cannot scratch it. If a mosquito landed on their forehead, they cannot swat it. The pain is even worse, for holding a sitting position without anything to sit on is very painful indeed. The Jedi has to learn to conquer this pain, to make their minds so strong they can endure it.

With this disciplined training the Jedi develops such good concentration and such keen awareness of their surroundings as it attunes them to the Force. In addition, students who endure months of pain and struggle with the Horse Stance will be unlikely to crumble under the pressure if they are forced into an actual fighting situation.

Training in iron palm is usually done in the following way: Students begin by repeatedly thrusting their hands into a bucket of very fine sand. They practice daily, and after each session treat their hands with special medicine to keep them soft. When the student becomes used to the sand, they graduate, using the same techniques, to a bucket of small pebbles, then small rocks, and finally iron fillings or ball bearings. When they can finally strike full force into iron, then they have what is known as the iron palm or iron hand. This training can be dangerous, and should only be practiced under the direction of a qualified instructor. It cannot be accomplished without the use of special herbal medicine that will prevent serious injury to the hands.

When people lift very heavy objects, they unconsciously breathe in and hold their breath. If they exhaled instead, they would find it very difficult to lift that same object. This feeling of extra strength comes from the operation of the Force.

Even though all people have the Force, in most cases it is untapped, undeveloped, and uncontrolled.

For the Jedi, however, the Force is recognized as the practitioners' primary source of energy, and they consciously train to develop or cultivate the Force. One exercise for cultivating the Force is meditation. It is done by practicing special breathing exercises while sitting, lying, or standing in certain body positions. Meditation requires that the body be in proper posture and alignment so that the pathways in the body are free and not blocking each other. A beginning posture, for example, is to sit on a chair with back and head in a straight line, thighs parallel to the ground, and knees and lower legs at right angles to the thighs. Hands are on the knees. This is very simple to do, and everyone can try it. From this position, students are taught special ways to breath, and at the same time, they meditate --- that is, they think deeply and concentrate on their breathing.

Horse-Stance is an example of a more difficult version of this concept. Practicing these increasingly difficult exercises for many years' leads to the development of what is called "inner strength." Said another way, people who have inner strength have gained control of the Force inside themselves. Those few who have done so can perform many miraculous feats. Masters can be so powerful they can point a finger in the direction of an opponent, concentrate on sending the Force toward the other person, and almost like the wind, knock down the opponent with this invisible force.

Through the development of this control of the Force, Masters can also make their bodies extremely light or heavy.

Some masters can actually produce a kind of invisible-force field around their bodies that acts as a shield against attack. Opponents find that when they face the master in a fight, they somehow just can't begin to attack. On eye contact they feel weak and inept, and will know they have been defeated.

If a person who is stronger then you pushes against you, and you push back head-on with your weaker strength, you will certainly be defeated. If instead you step back and give way in the direction your opponent is pushing, and in addition pull the opponent in the direction he or she is already pushing, you can actually throw your opponent down very hard. This is called using one's strength against them.

Each training session should begin with warm-up exercises. While they may be boring to watch, they are very important, for even the greatest Jedi must stretch and loosen up to keep from pulling muscles and getting other injures. Students should also do strengthening exercises like push-ups for arm muscles, and sit-ups and leg raises for stomach muscles. Sometimes "bridging," in which one makes one's body into a bridge in order to strengthen ones back and neck is also a good idea.

Falling practice should usually be a regular part of training for every Jedi. Since students are thrown in all directions, they must learn how to fall every which way. They should learn special ways to fall backward, to both sides, and to the front.

One Good throw is done this way. When a Jedi executes this throw, he or she pushes the opponent backward, breaking the opponent's balance to the rear. When the opponent tries to step back and regain balance, the Jedi steps in and hooks one leg around one of the opponent's legs, sweeping it out from under the opponent, who will normally then fall to the ground.

Another good throw is done this way. This sacrifice technique is used when you opponent moves in to attack. As he or she attacks, you step in close, grab the person by the lapels, and fall down on your back, placing one of your feet in your opponent's stomach. As you fall, you pull hard on the opponent's lapels and straighten out the leg that is planted in your opponent's stomach. As you do this your opponent will go flying over your head and land on his or her back.

But always remember for every hold, choke, or lock, there is an escape, just as there is always a countermove for every throw. Students should practice these as well, and can often prevent their opponents from getting good chokes or locks and throws on them.

A proper fist is made in this way: First clench the fingers of your hand tightly together into a ball. Squeeze as firmly as you can, as if trying to get all the air out of your fist. Then close your thumb tightly over your first two fingers, binding your fingers together firmly.

A description of how to execute a punch will help explain. Picture a Jedi standing in a straight and natural posture. The only part of the body that has any tension is a special part called the tant'ien (A Chinese word.) The tant'ien is that point on the body about two inches below the belly button. This point is considered to be the center of balance and strength in the human body.

The Jedi's hands are held in fists at his or her sides, just above the hips, palms facing upward. The arms and shoulders are relaxed (not limp, but relaxed). The Jedi starts moving one hand out toward the target in front of him, the elbow rubbing close against the body as the arm moves forward. The arm thrusts straight forward and at the last moment, before the arm is completely extended, (extended, not locked straight) the fist twists like a corkscrew so that the palm faces downward as it strikes the target. The body is relaxed until the point of contact, and at this moment the tant'ien tightens completely and creates a chain reaction, with all the muscles of the body tightening as a unit. This happens for only a fraction of a second while the punch is executed, and then the body relaxes again.

A Jedi must learn to control himself and his actions at any speed. It is not at all true that slow means easy. It might look easy, but try, for example, to get up from a chair in slow motion, or even harder, try sitting down in the same way. Do this without wobbling, with perfect control and balance, and you will see that slow can be very hard indeed.

PUSH-HANDS:

Push hands is a two-person practice technique. The partners face one another with their wrists and forearms touching. They move their hands, arms and bodies in a prearranged circular fashion, maintaining contact with each other at all times.

In the advanced section of this technique. When person A pushes, B yields, and when B pushes, A yields. Both trying to yield at exactly the time they are pushed, and only as far. They don't want to give way sooner or any more than they have to. In this practice, students learn to feel when their opponents are weak or off balance. It also helps them locate weaknesses in their own bodies that they would have difficulty finding if they worked out only by themselves. In the even more advanced version of this. No special pattern is followed, and students practice "free-style" push-hands. This free-style practice is a very different kind of exercise. The object is to break contact with your partner. You try to escape from your opponent's hands while the opponent tries to "stick to" or keep contact with your hands. At the same time, you want to make sure you stick to your opponent's hands, and your opponent tries to escape from you. Through push-hands practice, one develops keen sensitivity to one's opponents, learns how to "become one" with them and "feel" what they are going to do before they do it.

THE UNBENDABLE ARM:

An example of how powerful the mind and body are when used together is "the unbendable arm." Try this experiment with a friend. First, make a fist and out strength into your arm, bending it up a little at the elbow. Then ask your friend to try to bend your arm the rest of the way. You can resist as hard as you want. Since your friend is allowed to use both hands, he or she will probably not have much trouble bending your arm.

Now, take the same position, only this time open your fist and don't put any strength at all into your arm. Relax your shoulder and elbow completely. Instead, pretend that your arm is like a fire hose, and that waves of the Force sent from your mind, like water, are flowing with terrific force through your arm. These powerful waves flow out of your hand and fingertips straight to the ends of the earth without stopping.

If you can really imagine this, really believe this is true, then your friend will find it very difficult to bend your arm. If you think, "Oh, this will never work," or you lose concentration for even a second, then it won't work.

Another experiment of this kind can be done with the whole body. Just stand in one place and have a friend or friends lift you up off the ground. Then, stand in the same place, close your eyes, and think of sending the Force from your mind down into the center of the earth. If you can keep up this concentration without breaking it, your friends won't be able to budge you from the spot.

PROJECTED FIGHTING:

You light a candle and place the flame about a half-inch to an inch away from your extended fist; you then withdraw your hand and practice punching at the flame. While Projecting the Force toward the flame using your punch as the guiding force or pathway for it to follow. (This skill is taught in the technique called the unbendable arm above this) Keep moving the flame farther and farther back as you gain range with this technique.

If one wants to learn how to keep the Force turned on while moving one's body, then it is important to practice an exercise, which looks like mowing the lawn. In this exercise one moves back and forth with one's hands in front as if grasping a lawn mower. While moving, one practices special breathing, keeping one's concentration on the tant'ien area, and sending the Force from the hip area out through the wrists.

EAGLE TRAINING TECHNIQUE:

Firstly if you have bad shoulders you might want to take caution while using this technique for it is very strenuous on the shoulders. You must be standing to do this technique because gravity plays an important role. To start this technique you touch your two middle fingers together with your thumb. This is sort of like the lotus hand but with your middle and ring finger. It should look almost like the heavy metal sign. Now that your and are in the right position go to give the imaginary person standing in front of you a hug. This should make a sort of a circle with your hands and body. Make sure your elbows are down and your hands are right in front of your chest. Now comes the hard part. Turn your hands so that the back of your hand is facing you and your fingers are facing outwards. Now close your eyes and see how long you can hold this position. When you inhale try drawing the force into your body from the ground. Feel it entering through your feet and climbing up your legs. Feel it climb up your spine into your mind. Once in your mind hold your breath for a second. Feel the force flowing in your mind. Then send the force to your arms and shoulders to energize them. The object of this technique is to free your arms so that you may hold them in that position forever.

BREATHING EXERCISE:

Breathe in through your nose to a count of four, Hold your breath for a count of seven, and then exhale for a count of eight beats. Using your heartbeat to set the count. With each breath let tension flow out of you.