Guardians: A Discussion for Realists

"Guardian the title is, not warrior. Remember this, all Jedi should." -- Master Yoda on Jedi Guardians

The Fictional Jedi Guardian specialized in the physical arts. Combat specifically, so that they can act as peacekeepers and defenders.

Now how does that translate over to the Jedi Realist Path?

Many Jedi have spent time in the military, police forces, or even crisis workers. Its a physical and active service to protect others and create and defend systems of peace.

However, not all can or have served as such. Jedi Realists that pursue the Guardian Path can spend their time learning to use the Force within themselves to better themselves. They can physically work out to their abilities or, for example, they can take up a martial art. They master their physical form so to be a better tool for the Force to use.

We all have a little of each of the Three Paths within us. How do you pursue the role of Guardian?

This is a discussion of the fictional Guardian class, and how it can translate into Jedi Realism/Jediism. We won't be discussing Consulars/Sentinels yet.

May the Force guide this discussion.

Hallo Arisaig, nice to read you again. Hope your wrists are healthy with those whirls.

How could the Force guide this discussion?

Jhannuzs Ian wrote: How could the Force guide this discussion?

.:.

It's my hope that things can remain on course and on topic. We're all Jedi here, and all follow the Force. So I hope it can guide it in such.

Within the frame I'm currently working from, I identify the roles based on their descriptors rather than on their tools. That is to say, I use the name Guardian to define the role, and understand the tools we commonly associate with that role (the martial arts) to help me understand how that role is being embodied.

I associate Guardians particularly with the third line of the Code ("There is no passion, there is serenity") and understand them to be Guardians of empathy, good will and civility. The clear mind we have established by living peacefully remains clear thanks to the Guardians cleansing, resetting role. They are the bar-fight-defuser, office-drama-resolver, medical-emergency-responder. They are the messenger for ideas that can't be exchanged because two parties have such different filters that they can't put their ideas into a form that doesn't cause sparks to fly. The Guardian guards the revealing light, the bridge across the chasm, and the pillars that hold up the sky. They are the foot soldiers on the ground who expound the Way. It just so happens that soldiers of emotional battles oftentimes must be soldiers of physical ones, given the nature of the battlefield they are stepping onto.

Shepherd wrote: I associate Guardians particularly with the third line of the Code ("There is no passion, there is serenity") and understand them to be Guardians of empathy, good will and civility. The clear mind we have established by living peacefully remains clear thanks to the Guardians cleansing, resetting role. They are the bar-fight-defuser, office-drama-resolver, medical-emergency-responder.

Heh I like that. Reminds me of this scene from TCW.



He doesn't have to take a life, or even hurt anyone. Simply by being present he's able to put all violence and potential violence on hold. Fascinating what inner strength can do against those of violent will.

In the U.S. society, one thing that stands out is the usage of a cell phone.

To be a guardian, as Yoda says, does not mean to be a warrior. For a warrior, you fight for your ideals, but for a guardian you protect those around you. Can a warrior fight for those around them? Yes, but not always. But the focus of a warrior is to -fight- whereas the guardian is to -protect-

So, in many ways we can't simply fight what's going on. You can't fight a car wreck, and you can't fight when the police are killing someone, and you can't fight (directly) systematic abuses. What you can do is raise awareness, observe, record, and highlight. In the George Floyd murder, we saw someone using their phone to raise awareness and record.

In the Israel and Palestine conflict, there's a video of a soldier about to throw a grenade at a bus with people (non-combatants) who stopped when they realized they were on camera. Even the simple act of observation can take Schrodinger's crimes and change the outcome. And yet, in both cases if the recorder was to interfere, their recording equipment would have been destroyed and the evidence and awareness impacts lost.

For me, to be a guardian isn't about being able to handle combat. In many situations within the stories, you see the Jedi igniting their lightsabers because that grabs everyone's attention and makes them a higher risk to prioritize. This means everyone is now focused on the Jedi and not the people they want to escape. What does physical training do in this situation? Let's them do it twice.

I currently work at a non-profit that helps the mentally unwell and outcasts of society, as well as those without financial means to see regular doctors. I am not a mental health practitioner, I am a fiscal program analyst. My job here is not to be the lightsaber cutting through illness and solving problems, my job is to facilitate those people who do help others.

And that's what I think it means, that in the first you raise awareness and observe. You ensure that the truth is brought to light, you show people that they aren't alone, and you understand that sometimes inserting yourself will make the situation worse. Then there are the times when the chips are down and you do have to step in but at that time you are acknowledging that your goal isn't your survival or your peace, but giving someone else that gift.

The last way is to facilitate. We all work in a team, even if they last mere moments or extend to decades. Knowing when you need to be the front for everyone to focus on is sometimes needed to allow someone else to do their work without eyes on them. The loudest wheel gets all the grease, even if it doesn't have the most torque.

The only thing that being physically fit means is that, situation depending, you might get a chance to do it a second time and hopefully when those chips are down, you have the upper hand.

Nakis wrote: In the Israel and Palestine conflict, there's a video of a soldier about to throw a grenade at a bus with people (non-combatants) who stopped when they realized they were on camera. Even the simple act of observation can take Schrodinger's crimes and change the outcome. And yet, in both cases if the recorder was to interfere, their recording equipment would have been destroyed and the evidence and awareness impacts lost.

I had something like that happen quite recently. Actually, a few times. Someone tried to swing at me in the parking lot of my work, so I reminded him how many angles I had on the situation, all recorded. Really took the fight outta him. Also had a flatmate threatening me with a door between us, but when he realized there was cameras on him at all time, he would simply yell at me and insult me. Thankfully, the camera stopped him from doing anything physical.

Its sad we have gotten to this age where cameras are responsible for stopping potential crimes, war or otherwise, but I for one am glad for it. The fact anyone can record evidence now is both terrifying, but does make daily living feel a bit more secure.

And this doesn't have to involve crimes, either.

Simply look at how we approach this with people being homophobic, racist, or sexist. Merely knowing that one could be recorded and held accountable protects the people in the vicinity.

So, let me repeat that, Guardianship is not about simply punching conflict, it's about de-escalating or finding ways to handle the conflict in a way that stops it or brings justice. You can't justice someone getting froggy with you in a parking lot. Odds are, if they wanted to be froggy they're more prepared than you. You can know that there are security cameras and the person getting antsy for a fight will likely be identified.

A guardian uses their environment well to stop a fight, preferably without violence.

I do martial arts and I think that it's a good idea for anyone and everyone to also do martial arts. There have been several instances that, living in the city I live in, I've had to use martial arts to defend myself. For example, I once stepped out of a bar to ingest some nicotine when some drunk guy jumped at me and sucker punched me. I had to throw him on the ground and put him in an elbow lock to get him to calm down and realize I wasn't the person he was intending on attacking, and once he did he ran off, so I probably stopped a person from being assaulted that day. If I hadn't done that, I would've been in danger and others would have been in danger.

If you have to use physical force to defend yourself or others, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Allowing yourself to be beaten bloody simply because there are security cameras and the attacker will probably get caught isn't a reasonable course of action. Now, once violence has diffused or if violence has not yet occurred, it's a fine thing to bring up to prevent injury.

For example, once I was attacked while in school by a big guy who grabbed me and put me up against the wall because he thought I was following him. I punched him in the throat and he backed off. Then I told him that he'd just committed a felony on the school's security cameras and that I could turn him in. He suddenly became very apologetic; he was a student as well and obviously didn't want to get in legal trouble. I told him I wasn't following him and that I wouldn't turn him in if he bought be a beer. He bought me a beer. So I got something out of it that I wouldn't have if I didn't immediately use a lull in the action to my advantage. The guy was at least 100 pounds heavier than me, so it could've gone much worse.

If you're physically fit, you can do a lot more stuff to help others than you otherwise would be able to do. Save a drowning kid? Can't happen if you're not a fast swimmer and strong enough to get the kid out of the water. Worst case scenario, if you're a bad swimmer and weak, there could be a drowning kid and a drowning you, too! Being physically fit and capable is definitely a benefit to yourself and others in general, and can help in a myriad of situations.

So, something as an aside, my comments are focusing on the mentality over physicality because not everyone has the time/ability/body for certain things and because focusing on the mentality will naturally bring people who are so inclined to do martial arts and the like to continue to do so. I want to make it clear I am not disregarding them, I'm just focusing on the mentality over anything else. I was in the United States Marine Corps and there is an over-abundance of warrior mentality driving a lot of why people did things which corrupts what you do and why you do it eventually.