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Profile of a Real-Life Jedi Academy
dkleinsc writes "The NYTimes ran a profile of the New York Jedi Club, an organization dedicated to teaching the ways of the Force. Jedi Grandmaster Flynn Michael, a sound engineer and (by his own proclamation) an 'over-the-top geek,' connected the ideas of the Jedi with dance, martial arts, sword-fighting and Tibetan Buddhism to form the curriculum."
Well, because of that.
Hey don't blame me, IANAB
What is the expected market demand for Jedi Knights? Can I take out a federal loan to pay my tuition fees?
Why is anyone interested in religion when they could have sex instead? Puzzles me to no end.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Oh well, forget it ..
Hey don't blame me, IANAB
I know this looks like a joke, but dance & martial arts disguised as a game would do everyone good.
I've been a couch potato for most of my life, and now that I'm regularly training I've both healthier and happier.
The difficulty is finding a venue where it's not meat heads posing in front of mirrors and hitting on girls.
Personally I find Kettlebell training to be a non-posing good environment.
I always thought of Jedis being more of a Japanese Zen type of thing - not that it makes much of a difference in Buddhism. The differences in Buddhist traditions are just cultural; such as how the Buddha looks and the decorations of the temples and meditation halls and whether they chant more, and meditation posture - little things that really don't matter. The practice and the teachings are identical and orthopraxy over orthodoxy. I know a few Buddhists who based on their schedule will go to different meditation halls of differing traditions.
Once when I had to address the sangha, I start off with, "If reincarnation existed ..."
That's like saying in church, "If God exists ..."
No one batted an eye. Been going ever since. And no, I still think reincarnation doesn't exist. Read too much Michael Shermer.
Is he the same "Jedi Master" who allowed is lightsaber to be stolen??
There's a browser safer than Firefox, it is Firefox, with NoScript
Pfft, we've had this in finland for years:
http://www.kolumbus.fi/jedi.akatemia/
that, while on the one hand, many geeks find religion to be illogical, superstitious, and ill-founded
on the other hand,
many geeks are enamored of the religion of a bunch of characters in the mind of George Lucas in a galaxy far, far away?
I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog
Ha ha.... even *I* saw this story and thought..... "NERDS!!!!!!!!!!"
;-)
Er, maybe not in that voice though
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
Because the Jedi "religion" offers a way of life and a fantasy of super powers that is made of other geeks that if you were to ask them seriously, wouldn't hesitate to say that their "religion" is in all fun. Deep down they're rational. It's a way of belonging because traditional religions just don't cut it anymore: they're primitive.
Other religions, especially Christian Fundamentalism, are more concerned with believing the "right way". Put 10 Christians in a room and you'll get 11 different versions of Christianity. "You have to act like Jesus to be saved!"
"No, you have to believe in Him ONLY to be saved! Acting like Him doesn't cut it!"
And so on and so on.
Then there is the complete kookiness of the Evangelicals/Christian Fundies. Here's their version of God:
Sounds like Santa Claus to me.
And they have the arrogance and conceit to think they actually know what God wants and what He thinks.
You can't get anymore blasphemous than that.
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”
- Han Solo
Considering the 3 of the main religions on earth(christianity, islam, and judaism) all treat women as second class citizens, give them no real role in said religion and force them to be ashamed of themselves for even existing it is indeed amazing at all the religion even allows sex.
seriously the only difference in their treatment of women is how much "modesty" they expect women to show.
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
Considering the 3 of the main religions on earth(christianity, islam, and judaism) all treat women as second class citizens, give them no real role in said religion and force them to be ashamed of themselves for even existing it is indeed amazing at all the religion even allows sex.
seriously the only difference in their treatment of women is how much "modesty" they expect women to show.
If religion doesn't allow sex, it dies off. The goal of the religion is control - the elite priesthood have a direct hotline to god and control it's practioners including their sexuality. Degrading women and controling who they procreate with while simultaneously making them feel like shit about getting any pleasure from the act or for that matter having boobs and arse and a cunt is just one of the many charming modus operandi used. It's not like men are allowed to fuck who they want with impunity either, but since the women have the babies he who controls the pussy controls the population..
What kind of an awkward cesspool is this turning into?
The difference here is that the vast majority of those people are aware that the characters and workings of that world are fictional.
I don't really see a problem with someone being inspired by fiction, be it Naruto or Charles Dickens or Jesus for that matter, just as long as they don't try to impose it on others and seek privileged status.
Interestingly to me, Quakers (who call one another "Friend") do sometimes use the term as a kind of passive aggression as you do here.
The short answer is that I can and do deny that reincarnation is fundamental to Buddhism. Fundamental to Buddhism is that by right thinking and right practices we can be freed from our illusions about the world, and when we become free we see that there is no afterlife and no reincarnation, and can therefore be free of suffering. I think you are confusing certain versions of Buddhism with the teachings of the Buddha. The exact same with Christianity: You can be a fundamentalist as, sadly, so many Americans seem to be, and absorb the whole mythos and optionally the post-Roman accretions or the Protestant obsessions with complicated sin and justification. Or you can believe that Jesus was a great prophet and that his teachings can be the basis of an ethical belief system that helps people to live well - which fits the world picture of a lot of Episcopalians, Unitarians and Quakers.
As (as I note above) a Quaker and a Zen Buddhist, I think your thinking is in exactly the silo that led to that observation "The Arhats are like a dirty lavatory". You think that the accidental is fundamental.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
His website is truly the handywork of an especially evil sith. ... traitor!
I wouldn't trust this Jedi whom apparently enjoys inflicting pain simply by publishing stuff online.
Watch out for the dark side, would be my advice
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
where the actual 'fighting' is 'happening' in 'the real world'.
How much is this "jedi grandmaster" "donating" to slashdot for these ads?
I find this retarded.
Here's another Jedi Academy.
That's an overly broad statement and not factual; it's only true of fundamentalist practitioners. With Orthodox Judaism, you're right. But the Reform and Conservative movements don't. There a women rabbis and cantors, and in some types of Christianity women pastors (I don't know if there are female imam's. Not saying there aren't, I just don't know.)
Bark less. Wag more.
.. web design isn't one of the required classes
The title should read: "Profile of a Real-Life Make-Believe Jedi Academy".
Compare this to the make-believe real-life Jedi Academy portrayed in the prequel movies. Getting the order of the adjectives right makes a big difference.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Judaism is a "main religion" on Earth? The total Jewish population (that is, both the observant minority and the non-observant majority) is completely dwarfed by the amount of observant Hindus or Buddhists.
The Jedi religion is based on the teachings of Taoist Neigong.
There are real schools that really do teach how to work with the force. Learning how to dance and pursue vispasina or any number of other newage BS practices aren't among them.
See this video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoOgZsQGQpA
from a bbc documentary on a real Taoist neigong master who never charged any student a dime, nor any person he healed, nor accepted donations. After this video aired he retired and is training as a recluse.
i'm surprised lucasfilm hasn't sent out the lawyer gestapo and shut this down.
...
"Reincarnation" is I feel too simplistic a term for the ideas in different Indian religions. The Jains, for instance, have a doctrine of reincarnation in which the thing that is reincarnated has no memory of its previous existence and passes through the chain of created beings from a stone to a God and back again, over and over. It is not reincarnation as the majority of Westerners imagine it.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
I have started a Sith Academy.... but there is only 2 of us...
And of course, being an AC, you felt free to attach the current subject directly to the Holocaust. Debate-wise, you just lost all perspective and therefore, the debate.
/. jargon: Project much?
Besides that point, you went further and proclaimed both the Germans and Christians as not having opposition to the bad influences, but simply having gone along with it at best.
Then lastly, it was inevitable that you extend the false and vile analogy and proclaim that somehow, you AC, know the hearts of current Christians and wish to enlighten us as to their racism and intimidation.
At best, you are an ass. At worst, the very counter-view representation of the rant you just made.
To boil that down to
"I know this looks like a joke, but dance & martial arts disguised as a game would do everyone good."
You mean like Ti Bo?
Considering the 3 of the main religions on earth(christianity, islam, and judaism)
Whoa! Dude your facts are a bit off. Judaism doesn't even make the top ten!
Christianity: 2.1 billion
Islam: 1.5 billion
Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
Hinduism: 900 million
Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
Buddhism: 376 million
primal-indigenous: 300 million
African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
Sikhism: 23 million
Juche: 19 million
Spiritism: 15 million
Judaism: 14 million
from adherents.com
-- QED
Actually, what they have is the start of another cult religion as well.. like scientology or mormonism... And 'Jedi' is now a legal religion in the UK, if I am not mistaken.
As for your predictions, it may be true about levitation, etc. But, training for any martial art, including the choreography and light touch of wielding a 'light saber', is excellent cardio, hand eye coordination and mental discipline. All of which translate to better health, self esteem and over all wellness... which means "more, and better, sex" than those sitting at home in the comfy chair making fun of people going out to do a physical hobby.
As someone who spent years doing SCA heavy fighting, I can assure you the workout is excellent. Then again, in heavy we wear a hundred+ pounds of steel/padded gear and wield 5-20lb rattan weapons that would break your skull. There is an old, but more or less true, story of the SCA fighter who joins the military and when it comes to training with a baton the sergeant whallops a couple students then picks the SCA fighter, who plants him several times without ever taking a hit... "Where'd you learn that... I'm an SCA Knight.. "
It wouldn't surprise me to see their jedi training accelerate to the levels of SCA heavy fighting eventually, with modified bushido-style armor, competitions and serious blows being dealt. As for now, it sounds like rapier and fencing.. both of which are fantastic exercise.
Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
I see your point, but calling Atheism a religion is the same as calling "not collecting stamps" a hobby.
[Waves hand]
"These are not the prequel movies you are looking for."
And 'Jedi' is now a legal religion in the UK, if I am not mistaken.
You are. A hoax went around about a decade ago, saying that if sufficient people marked "Jedi" as their religion on the census, they'd have to acknowledge it as an official religion. But it was, well, a hoax. They have to do no such thing.
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
Pastafarianism: 3.
tell me that there will be an increase in the number of geeks beaten up in the coming years....
Hello,
Indeed but what I find hugely amusing is how much clone war episod are inspired by meditation / buddhist precepts (e.g. Padme = passion) It's almost a rip off. So all this Jedi stuff might lead some people to study serious stuff for greater good.
For those who are interested, the notion of "Force" is probably a rip off of Irina Rockwell and Chögyam Trungpa about Shambala:
http://nalandabodhi.webpossystem.com/ViewProduct.asp?ModelNumber=199
Did you ever stop and think about why this biased behavior against women exists in the first place?
At the very core, human beings are still animals. Sexual dimorphism proves that. Men fight over and protect the women that are theirs. First and foremost, to ensure proper child rearing. The big three religions are about men agreeing upon who has what wife. It also provides social stability for women to know they have a single man to count on. Without such rules, nature without established morality would force men into war over this precious genetic resource. Even at our best, we still fight over women. Our art, music, entertainment, and overall culture is based on sexuality in one form or another. Men, by nature, are the dominant sex of our species. Lack of religion also leads to promiscuity which leads into question who is the father of a child. Historically, entire villages, women and children specifically have been wiped out over such feuds.
Life is not for the lazy.
Let me just add something to my previous post. I find it especially ironic that as a Christian, I'm having to explain Darwinian evolution on Slashdot. Figure that one out!
Life is not for the lazy.
Godwinned.
Hey, don't knock "not collecting stamps". It's a great passtime.
If less than half of the world's population did not collect stamps, it certainly would be an interesting category.
The plural of "Jedi" is "Jedi," not "Jedis."
Thank you.
Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
...and we can never have anything nice.
Complete fucking idiots who need their teeth knocked in and set to doing something rational and constructive.
I see your point, but calling Atheism a religion is the same as calling "not collecting stamps" a hobby.
Not really. All you have done is assume your doctrine/premise is true, then restate it a slightly cleverer way. This doesn't prove the premise at all - if we assume your "atheism == !(religion)" is unproven, then so is the "not collecting stamps" meme.
I just looked up "SCA heavy fighting". Jesus tittyfucking Christ there are some nutjobs in the world.
It puts this story of fellow retards into a bit of perspective though. If I'd read about it in a book by Neil Stephenson, I would have admired the bold satire, never dreaming it could actually be true.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
"atheism" is more a label for non-God-using philosophies (like some aspects of Buddhism). If you are going to count that then you should not split up monotheism (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism), polytheism (Hinduism, Shintoism, Catholicism :) ) or pantheism (e.g. the Force).
What? It's fun, good exercise, and it's something you can get together and do with 800 of your closest friends.
I recently had a though about how society values women and sex... Totally unrelated to TFA...
Consider that a large percentage of women used to die in childbirth. Also that sex causes pregnancy. Therefore sex causes women to die.
Natural conclusions (for people of the time) are that sex is bad, or that women are flawed / weak / worthless. Both of these we see in some prominent value systems from the past.
Happily, unwanted pregnancy and death in childbirth are way down from historical levels. Presuming the politicians don't screw up health care and access to birth control perhaps we can outgrow these attitudes about sex and women also.
-- "Oh. This guy again."
ladies and gentlemen, i present to you, Jedi Grandmaster Flynn Michael
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPPj6viIBmU
insensitive clod overlords obligatory xkcd car analogy russian reversals whoosh pedant fanbois ftfy in 3...2...1..PROFIT
Yes, and Juche would appear to be a political ideology, not a religion.
http://www.acetonestudio.com
And exactly how does pantyism come into this?
http://www.acetonestudio.com
too crap, couldn't read
http://www.acetonestudio.com
Not only that, some of the fighters in the SCA are very interested in studying historical swordplay. I have friends in Caid (southern California) who have been studying unarmored combat from historical manuals -- the style is very different from what's historically accurate technique for fighting in heavy armor. (Which, contrary to what one might expect, mainly was a lot of grapping in order to secure an opportunity to pierce the unarmored or weakly armored portions of the enemy's coverage -- armpits, groins, necks, etc.)
Pretty cool stuff if you're interested in historical fighting.
It did get some recognition; the ONS (Office for National Statistics) included them in several press releases:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/census-2001-summary-theme-figures-and-rankings/390-000-jedis-there-are/jedi.html
and their numbers were recorded; it just didn't lead to official recognition of a religion as ... that's not how you get official recognition of a religion; the census just reports what people say. None the less it was certainly more than 'statistically significant'. See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_census_phenomenon
Which, if true actually disproves the premise that atheism is not a religion.
Juche a religion? Its really a YA GOTTA EAT initiative practiced by clever (as in tricky) persons. END
It is not "a" religion. It is a characteristic of a plethora of world views, some of which can be called religions. It's the same way monochromatic is not a color, or not collecting anything is not a hobby.
Most declared atheists are in the materialist camp I would guess, with some weirdos in the objectivist and marxist camps.
Hence, using either definition, atheism is not equivalent to "not collecting stamps".
I see your point, but calling Atheism a religion is the same as calling "not collecting stamps" a hobby.
True enough. The website I cited was trying to measure the relative population of people based on their self-identification as to religious affiliation. If someone asked me what religion I belonged to I would say, "I'm an atheist." So maybe it wasn't the best source for data to support my point. Of course to be fair someone who identifies as "Jewish" these days isn't necessarily making a claim to religious belief, that person could be making a statement of cultural or racial affiliation
-- QED
Our philosophy is easy. Enjoy yourself, get a good physical workout, relax in your own skin by hanging out with like minded people. This is a group of artists. Check out the videos and other news pieces done on us.
The influence of principles I've learned that coincide with the "Jedi Way" is a fun comparison tool, and gives way to much movie-quoting when being, as a former student once said, "All Jedi and Sh**!" But the one thing that's real, is the brotherhood-like feel of working with others in making not only physical theater, but using Warrior's ways (Lau Tzu, Musashi, Sun Tsu, etc) give a person insight to themselves by stretching their knowledge of the character they want to embody.
I've had the opportunity to meet some great people, and travel to some fun places. Please come join us and have some fun!
-=Flynn=-
newyorkjedi.com