Combat Readiness The Jedi acts to preserve life - to kill is wrong. Sometimes it is necessary to kill. The Jedi may kill in self-defense or in the defense of others, especially the weak and the good. The Jedi may kill, if by the action they preserve the existence of life. However, the Jedi must never forget that killing is inherently wrong. The Death is a stain upon the Jedi's spirit. The Jedi seeks knowledge and enlightenment, peace and harmony. The Jedi wishes to defeat those who would wipe out such qualities - those who would inflict death, tyranny or ignorance upon others - yet the Jedi should never act out of fear or hatred. A jedi must act when calm and at peace with the Force. To act with anger filling one's spirit is to risk temptation to the Dark Side. Jedi should seek non-violent solutions to problems but this is not always possible. Sometimes killing or fighting is the only answer available. Sometimes it is even the best answer, but this doesn't mean that the Jedi should not try to find an alternative. A Jedi cannot allow evil to take place by inaction - a Jedi who stands by and allows evil to be committed is in essence courting the power of the Dark Side. Jedi are also bound by the actions of those around them. It is not acceptable for a Jedi to associate with those who willfully choose to commit evil actions. When confronted by an evil action being committed, the Jedi must act to prevent the evil. This can be performed in a variety of ways at the Jedi's disposal - persuasion, creating distractions, armed action or by simple mind tricks - but some form of action is necessary. To not act is to allow the Dark Side a victory, however small. The Jedi are the noble warrior, talented in many areas, many are talented artisans, healers and scholars. Defending the lives of all, guardians of justice and peace they act to prevent evil and wrong before it occurs, or reach a peaceful solution when conflict breaks out. Fighting is always their last resort if no other option presents itself. Jedi are not warriors, they are scholars, healers, diplomats and only when the need arises, then they are warriors. The lightsaber is not a weapon of war, a lightsaber only becomes a weapon when used in aggression, in defense of others it is an extension of their will. To the Jedi, it is a symbol of who they are, it is the center of a Jedi's focus. This is why we learn to fight and why the lightsaber is a tool not only for defense but for learning. This elegant weapon enhances a young Jedi's connection to the flowing force. It helps them to tap into its vast energy field and increases there quickness and harmony when summoning the Force. Later on a Jedi learns to expand upon combat readiness into the ability of Farseeing, which allows a Jedi to see visions of people, places and things beyond the barrier of time. To feel the Force flowing through you, you must be an open conduit through which the Force may flow. A jedi must be at Peace, Serene, Calm, and in perfect Harmony with life and himself. By doing this, you cleanse the environment of negative influences. From this point, I like to close my eyes or simply shut out the chaos of the world around me, and feel the energy radiate from my body and move around me. Relaxing and feel the energy flowing through you then concentrating, you focus your force energy on the lightsaber in your and the floating training orb hovering around readying to send its flurry of blaster bolts. By focusing on the target and letting go of your conscious self and beliefs and by letting the Force guide your movements a Jedi is able to predict where and how strikes come from before they occur. This allows the Jedi to pre-emp their opponents giving a few moments warning before an event occurs that would potentially harm them directly or indirectly. *Suddenly the training orb lets loose a barrage of stun blaster bolts; moving in total harmony with the orb allowing the force to guide his body and hands Lance parried every blast using the orange glowing blade of his lightsaber with an unnatural ease and fluidness* As a Jedi progresses in there ability and strength in manipulating the Force they too become stronger with an ability to selectively redirect an energy blast towards specific locations. However, this requires a greater concentration and even Jedi Masters often only choose selective bolts to redirect.