Journey of the Force Master 1: "Peace is a lie, there is only passion."

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

Okay, so in addition to having a thing for dragons I'm a fan of Star Wars and the Jedi. 



With my first two challenges I earned my name as a padawan and began to remember the path I was starting to follow years ago that began to lead to health and increased ability.  Now, it is time to get serious.  It is time to become a master of the force.



The teachings of the force masters have left us three codes to follow:



Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.



There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.



Flowing through all, there is balance
There is no peace without a passion to create
There is no passion without peace to guide
Knowledge stagnates without the strength to act
Power blinds without the serenity to see
There is freedom in life
There is purpose in death
The Force is all things and I am the Force



In the book The Jedi PATH it is written that there are three pillars of training:
The Force
Knowledge
Self-discipline

Therefore, the structure of this challenge is going be around these pillars of training. 

Now, to the substance of this challenge.  This is about passion, rediscovering what truly drives and empowers me.  This is the first lesson of the Sith:  We are not emotionless beings.  Our passions are an intrinsic part of our identities.  Therefore, I need to get in better touch with my own passions.  The aspects of my life and practice that drive me to do do the things I do.

For Week 0 the only thing I will be focusing on is reconnecting with those passions.  So this is a time for meditation, reflection, and thought. 

Starting with week 1 the tasks shall be as follows:

The Force

Task 1:  Continue with the Black Ribbon (not scored)
Task 2:  Meditation, min 10 minutes daily

Knowledge

Read a verse from the Tao Te Ching daily and reflect on how to apply the teaching to my life.

Self-Discipline

Task 1:  The Diet

-- M-F
Breakfast is a protein shake with an optional freggie.
Lunch is a protein bar with an optional freggie.
Dinner is a regular meal
NO ALCOHOL!!!

Up to two snacks can be allowed as long as they are freggie or lean meat.

-- Sat, Sun
Eat normally but try to keep alcohol and sugar to minimum

Task 2:  Training Like a Jedi

Tai Chi twice a day, morning and evening
Yoga prior to bed (the custom routine that was written for me last challenge)

Office Yoga whenever possible

When time allows practice this routine:  http://darebee.com/workouts/ronin-workout.html
modified for single handed saber.



Grading will be as previous challenges.  20 points each day 1 point for task or subtask M-F for each of the 3 pillars of the Jedi converted to a percentage of total possible points. Mon 31 Oct is not going to be counted as part of the challenge as it's both a personal and religious holiday for me.

Grading Scale

100-92% = A
91-84% = B
83-76% = C
75-70% = D
Below 70% = F

 

 

So I didn't bother to score week 0 and yesterday was not counted (Holiday, Wedding Anniversary, Religious Holiday) therefore no weekly summary quite yet.

[Kishi]

Place is held. Welcome back, boss.

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

Thanks, I think you'll appreciate this one.

[Luciana Valerosa Culming]

Wow... I'm in awe.

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

Okay, so since I DO NOT practice Japanese swordsmanship http://darebee.com/workouts/ronin-workout.html doesn't quite work for what I do.  Therefore I present to you, my fellow monks the following workout:

 

The Saberist

Level the First:  3 sets    Level the Second:  5 sets    Level the Third:  7 sets   Rest:  up to 2 minutes

 

 

Quote

 

First position: ... make a half face to the left, carrying the right foot to the left until the heel of that foot presses against the hollow of the left foot; feet at right angles, right foot pointing straight to the front; at the same time raise the hands behind the back until they are on a level with the elbows, the left hand between the back and the right arm, palm outwards; the right hand (palm up) supporting the left arm just below the elbow; the left shoulder carried well to the rear, face full to the front, and the weight of the body on the left leg.

Second position: — Bend both knees, the right to the front, the left to the left, until they arc about six inches apart ; pause a moment; then raise the right foot sufficiently high to clear the ground, and advance it about 18 inches, straight to the front, keeping both knees well bent, and the weight of the body on the left leg — the right leg easy and flexible, ready to be drawn back to the first position or advanced to the lunge. 

 

Third position: - Ease the right foot slightly advance it about 18 inches farther to the front left foot should be kept firm and the left leg extended Care should be taken not to lunge too far The right leg below the knee must be perpendicular and the weight of the body on ball of the right foot

10 forward advance

Quote

At the order "advance," the right foot is raised slightly and advanced about 15 inches ; the left foot is then brought up until it is within 15 inches of the right.

 

10 retreat

Quote

At the word "retire," the left foot is raised and carried 15 inches to the rear ; the right foot is then raised and drawn back to the "second position."

 

10 traverse right

Quote

Step off with the right foot sideways, say twelve inches, and immediately follow with the left foot so as to come “ on guard” as before you changed ground.

 

10 traverse left

Quote

 

Step off sideways to the left, with your left foot, and follow with your right foot, by which you force your adversary to change also, thus working a traverse in a circle, the centre [sIC] of which will be half-way between your right foot and the right foot of your adversary.

 

 

 

 

20 #1 & #2 Parry moulinets (figure 8's)

Quote

LEFT PARRY. [see P1. 12.] Lower the wrist to the line of the shoulder, the thumb at the back of the grip; the edge to the right; the hips well pressed back; the sword perpendicular. By a turn of the wrist, drop the point to the rear, and form a circle from left to right.

 

Quote

RIGHT PARRY. Drop the point to the rear in a circle from right to left of your body.

 

Quote

An exercise in which the right and left parry, and left and right parry alternate. These give suppleness and strength to wrist ; and by attention and quickness form the best guard for bayonet or boarding-pike thrusts.

 

 

10 #1 cut with lunge and recovery to #1 guard (diagonal from upper right)

Quote

Cut One-Left Cheek:  Cut diagonally with an extended arm from No 1 to No 4 and allow the sword to continue the sweep until it touches the left shoulder check it there and extend the arm hand opposite No 2 on the target edge of the sword up and inclining to the left with the back of the blade resting on the shoulder

 

10 #2 cut with lunge and recovery to #2 guard (diagonal from upper left)

Quote

Cut Two-Right Cheek:  Cut from No 2 to No 3 check the sword when it comes in front of the right leg and turn the edge to the front point inclining to the rear with the nails up

 

10 #3 cut with lunge and recovery to #3 guard (diagonal from lower right)

Quote

Cut Three-Wrist:  Cut from No 3 to No 2 check the sword when the hand comes in front of the left shoulder allow the point to fall over to the left and rear with the nails down the arm extended obliquely across the body and the hand opposite No 4

 

10 #4 cut with lunge and recovery to #4 guard (diagonal from lower left)

Quote

Cut Four-Leg:  Cut from No 4 to No 1 allow the sword to continue the sweep until it touches the right shoulder edge to the right arm slightly bent and nails up

 

20 Middle Point (aka "thrust en tierce") with lunge and recovery to engaging guard (covering lower outside line)

Quote

...turn the sword and bring it across the body as high as in the engaging guard but with the edge of the blade to the left and the nails up At the command two the rear rank will lunge out to the third position and deliver the point raising the hand and turning it slightly so that the edge of the sword will incline up instead of to the left

 

 

(*Note: At some point I will try to do a video of the techniques*)

 

[Kishi]

Lotta footwork, looks like.

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

Swordsmanship is a lot of footwork.

Sent from the dragon's lair

[The Shogun]

Being is a Monk is a lot footwork. Dude, you're like Kishi II. 

[Luciana Valerosa Culming]

10 hours ago, Draegon (Liam P Boyle) said:

Okay, so since I DO NOT practice Japanese swordsmanship http://darebee.com/workouts/ronin-workout.html doesn't quite work for what I do.  Therefore I present to you, my fellow monks the following workout:

 

The Saberist

Level the First:  3 sets    Level the Second:  5 sets    Level the Third:  7 sets   Rest:  up to 2 minutes

 

10 forward advance

10 retreat

10 traverse right

10 traverse left

 

 

 

Oh, I should try this one out with my rapier. But I guess I won't get it without some pictures for the right stances.

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

Oh, I should try this one out with my rapier. But I guess I won't get it without some pictures for the right stances.

I'm working on that.

Sent from the dragon's lair

[RedStone]

16 hours ago, Draegon (Liam P Boyle) said:

 

 

 

WOAH, does this come on a tee shirt?  So neat! I did some fencing for a hot second, will be eager to see how it develops! Very cool!

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

 

WOAH, does this come on a tee shirt? [emoji14] So neat! I did some fencing for a hot second, will be eager to see how it develops! Very cool!

I've seen a few here and there. But none lately.

Sent from the dragon's lair

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

Week 0 Day 1

Log for 24 Oct 2016

Sleep:  5 hr 59 min @ 93% efficiency - 5 hr 35 min actual sleep

Active minutes:  149 min

Steps:  12455 - 9.77 Km

Water:  6 glasses

Coffee:  3 mugs

Breakfast:  Protein shake made w/ water

Snack:  skipped

Lunch:  Clif Builder's Bar, Apple slice snack pack w/ cashews, dried cranberries, & cheese

Snack:  celery sticks, milky way dark bar

Dinner:  Steak, mashed potatoes, & steamed zucchini and yellow swuash

The Force:

Meditation - skipped

Knowledge

Reflection - Week 0, skipped

Self-discipline

Diet - Week 0, not scored

Morning Taiji - missed

Office Yoga - 17 minutes morning - 6 minutes afternoon

Saberist Workout - missed

Evening Taiji - did postures 1-29

Bedtime Yoga - skipped

Sent from the dragon's lair

[TheAccountant]

On ‎10‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 4:47 PM, Draegon (Liam P Boyle) said:

When time allows practice this routine:  http://darebee.com/workouts/ronin-workout.html
modified for single handed saber.

 

 

Very cool, I like their military workouts.

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

2 minutes ago, MiddleAgeMutantNinjaPanda said:

 

Very cool, I like their military workouts.

Their stuff seems fairly decent, but the weapons workouts need a bit of adjustment for non-Japanese styles of swordsmanship.  Hence the Saberist Workout post earlier in the thread.  (I'm still updating that with instructions from the primary sources and more images)

[sarakingdom]

I'm leery of using their stuff for Japanese swordsmanship, to be honest.  They may be using a Japanese-shaped sword, but I don't get the sense that it's based on anything actually Japanese.  (I'd love to use their sword workouts, I'm just not sure I want to train movements that aren't anything any sword technique uses.)

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

Okay folks "The Saberist" workout has been updated with all related images and primary source quotes.

Sent from the dragon's lair

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

I'm leery of using their stuff for Japanese swordsmanship, to be honest.  They may be using a Japanese-shaped sword, but I don't get the sense that it's based on anything actually Japanese.  (I'd love to use their sword workouts, I'm just not sure I want to train movements that aren't anything any sword technique uses.)

I absolutely agree. Hence why I created my own variation based around real techniques.

Sent from the dragon's lair

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

11 hours ago, Luciana Valerosa Culming said:

Oh, I should try this one out with my rapier. But I guess I won't get it without some pictures for the right stances.

The images have been added

[Sunmage]

Swordsmanship! Looks like I should visit more monk threads...

 

Have a great stay with the Monks, good luck and much fun.

 

Subbed.

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

Swordsmanship! Looks like I should visit more monk threads...

 

Have a great stay with the Monks, good luck and much fun.

 

Subbed.

Thank you.

Sent from the dragon's lair

[SaltyDragon]

Very cool! I got to do a little sabre in high school. It was hard, but fun. You can definitely make a good workout of it. I hope you do post some videos!

[Luciana Valerosa Culming]

We're have some friends over, who are also into swordmanship, so if the weather permits it, we'll have a look at these stances. Thx

[Terah]

[Draegon (Liam P Boyle)]

We're have some friends over, who are also into swordmanship, so if the weather permits it, we'll have a look at these stances. Thx

Welcome

Sent from the dragon's lair