PSCI 34
Jedi Training - Ethical Martial Arts for Scholar Athletes Winter 2025

This is not the current course catalog

Most martial arts in the public consciousness – in movies and on TV – cater to our most violent instincts, and while cinematic carnage may offer a useful catharsis for many viewers, it does not offer much one could copy in real life without getting, justifiably, arrested. While many of the victorious protagonists in such movies and tv shows portray fighting as a last resort, there is typically no more noble alternative offered by way of a character in the narrative who prevails without violence. A notable exception, of course, are the peaceful warrior archetypes known as Jedi – a mystical knightly order in the fictional Star Wars universe trained to guard peace and justice and specially attuned to the energy that unites all things. This course contends that the actual martial art of Aikido, “the Way of Peace”, is as close as we can get to the training that would have been given to the Jedi a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Aikido is, like George Lucas’s fictional Jedi, derived directly from the ways of the Japanese Samurai. Aikido blends Jujitsu body techniques with Kenjutsu sword work, and weaves them together with the ethical premise that resolving conflict works better when you don’t hurt the other person. In practical terms, there are no kicks and no punches, and it looks rather like dancing with someone who doesn’t know they want to dance with you. Two hours of Aikido training each day will improve each student’s strength, balance, posture, flexibility, and confidence. Training will also include exercises to address mind-body integration, leadership presence, authenticity, and relaxation techniques. Everyone will also learn how to throw their friends across the room. 25% of training time will be devoted to wooden sword, staff, and dagger techniques. Students will also meet with the instructor once or twice a week to cover philosophical elements central to aikido practice and to discuss their individual projects.