I have to say, this was a great thread and I learned something from it. Thank you everyone.

Something just occurred to me. In response to Kol's post, Mace Windu does say "We are keepers of the peace, not soldiers." That could technically include the idea that the Jedi were police, of a sort, just not warriors.

So I suppose there are a number of ways of to interpret what "keeping the peace" really means.

I think that's stretching it because they didn't enforce laws, didn't go around arresting people. More like a neighborhood watch program than police I think. Keep the peace on a local level, with more skill than a neighborhood watch of course, but not to the extent of police unless called upon for a specific mission. Though, Jedi were also soldiers at times and in that capacity were keepers of 'the' peace.

So, yeah, many ways to interpret. lol

I think that their main martial arts training was supposed to be geared toward total body awareness. It was a communication exercise.

They were never designed to be the ultimate fighters. But, the Force makes it really easy to fight. lol. They are just reading opponent moves as they happen and moving accordingly. So, they didn't have to train for years just to be able to block somebody.

In this case, you can remove this from your thoughts. Fighting is not part of the Jedi way. Just a small facet and result of body training.

Now, consider the Jedi. A contemplative who stretches abilities in mind, body spirit. To and beyond their personal limits. What does the Jedi do? What is required of them. They do what needs to be done.

To be a keeper of the peace, then, is to keep the order of the world. They facilitated trade dispute resolutions, diplomacy. Yes, they helped in conflicts like war, but nothing as big as the civil war of the Old Republic. Jedi were "helpers" who were in tune with the Force.

You can imagine, then, that the real world equivalent would be real world helpers! You train to be a diplomat, a scholar, a teacher, a policeman, a martial arts instructor... being a Jedi means you have made your life into a helping situation. Maybe you work at Kroger grocery, but you volunteer at soup kitchens and you tutor kids. This is being a Jedi. You have used your strengths to help the world, and you continually train to be better in mind, body, and spirit. If you have those two things, you are a protector of the peace. You help society continue. You help community strengthen. And, you empower yourself and others to not have to resort to destroying the core of community to suit their own ends.

If you read up on the Extended Universe, the Jedi originally were all scholars, mystics, and 'learned folk' who got together to combine their knowledge. That was like 25,700 years before Episode III. Then it got messy and they fell into the Light / Dark issues forever after... sometimes the Dark nearly wiping out the Light and vice versa. During those wars long long ago, the Jedi *were* more like lightsaber wielding military rather than scholars. Even up to and after 'the Great Sith War'. But the Republic got a little nervous after it was considered peace time and had the Order swear that it would no longer be a 'military arm' and more a consulting arm with lightsaber benefits. (okay, I am condensing and running rough shod over 25 thousand years of 'history' still...)

The Order went from contemplative to 'assisting those in need of aid' to military to political tools. Being 'police' or 'national guard' probably happened at one time or another but, for the most part, that was never their main mission or goal, imo.

I guess the biggest point should be -- not how we can emulate a fictitious timeline but how we are modern day Jedi in training can best help ourself and others.

The world already has police and soldiers and doctors and EMTs and Firefighters and all the rest who help us and keep us safe. Become any of those -- and hold the the Jedi ideals -- then we have Jedi Police and Jedi Soldiers and Jedi EMTs and all the rest.

Being pigeonholed by fiction (or Disney / Lucas movies) would be a real shame.

Indeed, but the other side of the coin is... if we are so much bigger than the Lore, then why even keep the name Jedi?

Because "Ninja Turtles" is already copyrighted?

It is all part of defining 'What makes a Jedi a Jedi'.

If it were 'just' learning to meditate and maybe do some martial arts -- that could let one be a buddhist monk or some other masterly monkish/martial title.

If it were 'just' learning to meditate, learning to fight with a weapon, and maybe some EMT training -- that could be a standard soldier or military police (with some other special set of skills) of any branch.

If it were 'just' learning to mediate, learning to fight with a weapon, buy a first aid kit, and grab a robe -- that could be a well qualified cosplayer.

So, what does it mean to 'be a jedi' in 'real life'?
Real life means going to school, having a family, doing a job, not kicking the pets, smiling on shitty days, and laughing with and not at 'stuff'. Being a Jedi is another layer of living real life. Or is until there is someplace where one trains their childhood, gets a trainer, goes off and does interesting things (all paid for by the Order/Temple) and 'life' is then 100% being a Jedi instead of being a person with Jedi training as part of their more 'normal life'.

As for the specific moniker, Jedi.
I figure sooner or later Disney will crack down on it unless some court judge determines it's been used 'in public domain' for some 35+ years and therefore is not a protected 'word'. IF that happens then we are not 'jedi' but whatever new term is pulled out of a hat to pin on next to parent, teacher, cop, bagger, soyburger flipper, nurse, doctor, candle maker, etc.

BUT, as it stands now, we IDENTIFY with the ideals and examples of 'Jedi' and therefore strive to emulate what we THINK is the basis of that term.

Whoa^^^

Yeah.

I smell a new "Why Jedi" thread... Especially with the "Disney crack-down". I wonder what they'd really do??

I figure we'll address any Disney issues if they come up. Until then, business as usual.