Training FAQs

Overview

The Novice Rank is the first a student reaches with the Institute for Jedi Realist Studies. The examination process includes four areas: a written exam, a research project and essay, an interview with faculty in the chat room, and a review of the integrative practices logged. The written exam covers important concepts in the 101 level courses as well as general feedback on the student’s path to date. The research project includes interviewing another Jedi in the community. The interview allows the faculty to ask questions to help them determine the student’s readiness for Novice rank.  This can include questions about the course material, what is written in the exam, and the student’s experiences on the path. Finally, the Integrative Practice Requirements are explained in the Introductory Course workbook, with a template spreadsheet available for download on the website. Novice rank requires 50 hours of Integrative Practice.

Eligibility

The rank examination process can be done by anyone who has done the required training in each area. For Academy students this is the natural step after completing the 101 level courses. For non-academy students, each course on the site has a list of topics covered. If you have questions about your outside training, contact the faculty member in charge of the corresponding course, or the Principal or Vice Principal.

Requesting the Exam

To initialize the process, contact the Principal to request the written exam. The Principal may ask the student about their training background before granting the exam request. Once the written exam is received the student has 30 days to complete it. The exam is graded based on the quality of answers, not simply rightness or wrongness. If a student is found to lie on the exam about any of their answers, or if they answer with a consistent lack of detail and thought they will not pass the exam. That does not mean that each question will require paragraphs to answer, but depth of thought matters.

Subjects Tested

Jedi Studies 101

 Personal  101

Communication 101

Meditation

Force 101

Creed 101 (Jedi Code)

Warrior 101 (Warrior Spirit)

Health (Health and Fitness)

Spirituality 101 (Jedi Mythology)

Situational Awareness 101 (survival)

After the Exam

After completion of the Novice Exam, the Faculty will carefully review all elements of the examination. If the student meets all requirements of abilities and skills, the initiate will be granted the rank of Novice. The Novice is then able to continue their studies towards the Adept rank. Novice students are expected to show an even higher level of integrity, both with their assignments and interaction amongst the community.

If the student does not pass, they will meet with a faculty member to discuss their areas of weakness and create a training plan to meet the requirements of the Novice rank and prepare to retake the failed aspects of the exam. 

The Novice rank is the first utilized at the Institute for Jedi Realist Studies. This rank signifies a Jedi with a basic understanding of the breadth of the Jedi path. The information is gained through the 101 level of courses or in equivalent independent study. It also includes 50 hours of Integrative Practice which is training outside the course work, primarily offline such as fitness, volunteer work, healing training, etc.

At this level we look primarily at knowledge which the student is beginning to apply in their daily life. In addition the student should have a positive training attitude with the intent to act as a Jedi to the best of their abilities.

The Adept level of training is still in development in many areas. As such, the exam is still in work.

The Adept rank is the second utilized at the Institute for Jedi Realist Studies. As expected, it builds on the knowledge gained for the Novice rank but expands it. An Adept takes the knowledge gained in the Novice level and deepens their understanding. They also expand their knowledge base. An Adept also needs to take part in 100 total hours of Integrative Practice (50 additional hours).

In addition to knowledge, the Adept is expected to self direct their training going forward. Therefore, they need to show application and understanding of the material covered to date in training. As senior students they are expected to be positive role models in the community. Therefore, attitude and behavioral attributes will be looked at more closely at this level.

A final requirement of this rank is a research project which will benefit the community. Part of the Jedi path is to give back, undertaking a research project in an area of your choosing is an ideal way to do so.

Unless your rank was granted by an Affiliate using the same standards as all Institute Affiliates, your rank does not automatically transfer.  Depending on your level of experience you may take trials for the rank closest to your level of knowledge.  Or we may discuss your background; perhaps create a modified trial to determine your level of knowledge to determine what courses you need to bring you up to speed.  We don’t, however, hand out rank easily.  Rank is not just a way to measure the level of knowledge a person has, but also whether they have internalized the Jedi path, as shown by their behavior and attitude.  That requires us knowing you for more than a week.  Therefor, unless you have been given permission to use your rank with us, we ask that you leave it at the door and join a place where it is the learning and sharing that matters, not the rank.

The reason for this is that we are taking a big picture view of the Jedi community.  Currently, most people interact online because there are not Jedi in their local area that they are aware of.  However, the Jedi path is one that is lived and practiced offline, so standards are set to have meaning offline as well as online.  While our standards are high, all students are given the tools to reach those standards.   Whether or not you have the goal of attaining rank within the Institute, you will find Jedi training of value in your day to day life.  If you would like examples, just ask anyone who has been training for a short while and they’ll be able to provide examples from their work, school, or relationships.

Legally a student must be 13 years or older to begin training. We recommend parental permission if you are under the legal age of adulthood in your country but do not require it. If you are under 13 and want to train, we must have parental permission. This is a legal issue, and not a judgement on your maturity or ability.

Of course, there is no upper age limit for training. No one is too old to begin training here, no matter what Yoda says!

Training with the Institute is free! We provide the material for courses as a free download for your convenience. We don’t want to see anyone unable to train due to financial cost.

Many people choose a name for use with the Jedi community. There are many reasons for this, but it is not a requirement of training. In the past it was rare to know a person’s real name. Now that so many utilize facebook it’s quite common to know real names. Feel free to use whatever name you’d like, so long as you follow a few simple rules.

1. Don’t use a common name from fiction. No Luke Skywalkers or Ben Kenobis please. We aren’t role players.

2. Don’t use rank in your name. Even if you have a rank granted from the Institute, it is inappropriate to use it as your display name.

3. Don’t use offensive or disrespectful terminology.

4. Do think about how you will be referred to. Your display name becomes your name, and we will call you by it most of the time, so long as it makes some sense.

The Research and Development section of the IJRS undertakes and encourages others to undertake research in two broad fields, firstly, the nature of the Force and methods of interacting with and utilising the Force; and secondly the remaining aspects of the Jedi Realist path. Development of reference material and advanced training methods will follow on from the research undertaken.

Those undertaking research must first submit a short proposal, outlining what they are looking into, what sort of resources they are planning to use, and what they hope to achieve from the research. This may be placed into a forum, where others can see what others are working on. There is no restriction on different people working on the same areas. A research proposal can be considered to be completed when the proposer has submitted a document on their findings and what they did or did not achieve in the research. Failures are considered successes too, as they can be learned from as much as successes. Submitted documents need to conform to certain standards (yet to be defined) in regards to spelling and grammer, comprehensibility, and an appendix with references used should be supplied (including Jedi talked to).

Completed documents will be made available in the Library after checking of standards. They should be in their own section, at least initially.

Development of advanced training material can either proceed from the research results, or be an area of research and writing in its own right. Advanced training material does not necessarily need to have student questionnaires built in, it can be left to Academy staff to set their own questions should they be inclined. Advanced material should undergo the same standards check as the research material, and ideally be tested by experienced community members before release to the Academy.

All authors of research and training material are to be credited when their material is used, and their accepted documents are not to be changed without permission (i.e. enforcing the same copyright rules as you would get at a university etc).

Those undertaking research are recommended to keep a journal of their research activity, to better gain assistance from other IJRS members.

We recognize that learning in a structured setting such as the Academy is not right for everyone.  For that reason we recognize the independent learners who are valuable members of the community. These are people who take part in discussions on the forum but aren’t taking classes. In this way they are learning from others and sharing their knowledge but training in their own way. They are allowed to test for rank once both they and the faculty believe they have sufficient background in the areas covered in the exams.

Typically, independent study practitioners are more experienced. At some point, everyone becomes an independent study once their classes are complete. There is only so much that can be taught in a class. After the Adept level study is almost entirely independent study as a student works toward Knighthood. It should be noted that independent study does not mean alone. It often involves training partners and mentors in various areas of study.

If you have significant experience elsewhere and are interested in testing for rank, contact Jax for more information.

The Institute does not currently have a formal system in place for assigning mentors to students. Historically this resulted in poor experiences as few students were ready for the commitment being an apprentice required. Instead we choose to allow these relationships to occur organically. If you are interested in a mentor, work hard. Prove you are dedicated by being active on the forum and in your training. We will notice your hard work. In time a faculty member or senior member may take an interest in training you further and approach you. If this happens remember you are under no obligation to say yes. It is equally important that the mentor and apprentice are comfortable in the arrangement.

If you have been active for some time and find yourself wanting to work with someone more, you may ask them. Just remember to be respectful and to not take it personally if they say no, or if they ask you for more information or time before deciding.  Training a Jedi is a big responsibility. If a mentor already has an apprentice or is very busy with other duties they may not have time for a new apprentice, even if they would like to train them. Don’t lose hope. Continue utilizing the resources around you. When the time is right everything will fall into place. Trust the Force in this matter.

Welcome to the Academy.  Our mission is to provide quality online Jedi training, aiding Jedi on their path by creating a foundation from which to improve their life and follow their individual paths.  

New Students

Your very first step is to create an account with the Institute.  Once you have an account we need a student application form from you.  This allows the faculty to have some basic information about you that is only used internal to the site.  The application form is found here.  Note, when you submit this form there won’t be any confirmation that it was sent.  If you haven’t received a response regarding your application in a few days then feel free to contact Jax to make sure it was received.  Once we have your application form you’re ready to begin the introductory course.  

Returning Students

If you trained with any previous version of this Academy (whether from the days of JEDI.org or more recent), welcome back!  Depending on when you trained you’ll see most courses are different from their original versions to improve the training value.  Let us know what courses you passed previously and we’ll discuss what credits you maintain.  Whatever your situation we do require every student to complete the introductory course before continuing on with full courses. While the name says introductory, the lessons can be used to delve as deep as you’d like, providing the opportunity for a new understanding of yourself. 

Introductory Course

The Introductory (or Intro) Course serves a dual purpose.  First, it helps you as a student understand how the Academy works, what is expected of you as a student and as a Jedi.  Second, it provides a brief introduction to the main areas of the Jedi path and a few exercises that help us get to know you.  To begin, download the course workbook which contains everything you need to complete the course.  You work at your own pace which allows you to see just how much time you are able to devote to the online aspect of your training.  Faculty members will monitor your training journal and provide feedback as required.  Once the Intro Course has been completed you can choose which courses you want to work through next.

Training Overview

In the past we offered classes on a term schedule which limited training opportunities to those whose schedules happened to line up with the schedule.  To increase flexibility and improve the experience for students and faculty, the terms have been scrapped in favor of self paced training.    

Once you have completed the Intro Course, you will be able to begin working on classes.  You will work through the same material as every other student, but at your own pace.  Each class has a faculty member with expertise in that area to respond to assignments and answer questions.  You can think of it as a temporary mentoring situation.  

If for some reason this format is not a match for you, contact us. Working together we may find a solution that works for your situation. 

Finally, training with the Academy is not required.  Much can be learned just through discussion on the forum.  Explore, ask questions, share.  Start a training journal and read the journals of others.  There’s no ‘right’ way to become a Jedi.  Find what works for you!

Teaching

For those interested in teaching, contact Jax.  After initial discussion to ensure you meet basic requirements you will be granted access to the course planning area.  This will allow you to make an informed decision to teach or not. If you’re interested in teaching but not in the formal Academy setting, contact Jax to discuss other options.  We’ll consider any proposal.