Training Exercises
"It will be a hard life; one without reward, without remorse, without regret. A path will be placed before you. The choice is yours alone. Do what you think you cannot do. It will be a hard life, but you will find out who you are."Jedi trained constantly to meet the intense requirements of the Jedi Order. Jedi could train in groups or in a Master-Apprentice relationship. The training of students of the Jedi Order changed and evolved over its many millennia of existence. Throughout its history though, the idea of a Master and an Apprentice was consistent; though at times more than one apprentice could be taken by a single Master. The training was harsh and difficult, consisting of nearly two decades of tutelage before an apprentice became a full-fledged Knight. As the Order began to take form and align with the Galactic Republic, a Jedi High Council was established and a more fluid academy was formed to train students along with loose guidelines. The creation of some new tests began to evolve during this time as the Order took to fighting the Dark Lords of the Sith. The Trials of Courage and of the Flesh, two of the canonized Trials of Knighthood, was once considered complete if a Padawan or apprentice struck down a Sith Lord during periods of war with these dark-siders. War-time promotions were very common during times of war but were eventually done away with as the Council felt that killing a Sith did not always correlate to being a good Knight. The Jedi Academy on Coruscant structured an Initiate's day and the lessons progressed in difficulty as a student moved through the academy system. Lessons were taught by Jedi Masters and unranked Jedi from the Education Corps and designed to give the Initiates the skills they would need in the field. Mandating that Force studies take place in the morning, students were taught the ways of the Force and its three applications: Control, Sense, and Alter. Midday studies focused on traditional classroom instruction, where non-Jedi instructors taught an assortment of lessons including political strategy, galactic law, the sciences, and language. The afternoons were dedicated to physical activities, including lightsaber training. Taught Forms I through Form VI of lightsaber combat by highly qualified instructors, Initiates practiced with training lightsabers until they crafted their own in the caves of Ilum. Five mandatory mediation sessions were mixed into the day, as well as communal meals. Following the passage of the graduation tests, Initiates were eligible to be selected by A Master or Knight for one-on-one training. The High Council had little to do with this process unless a student failed their tests or a Master never chose them; these individuals were placed in the Jedi Service Corps by the Council of Reassignment.
Padawan Training
While a padawan has a master and tends to go on missions as part of their training, the padawan is still expected to train on his/her own. Training Regimens learned while still in the Academy continue to be a tool for Padawans to strengthen their connection to the Force. Completing Training Regimens while on missions offer temporary bonuses. The benefits of these training regimens last for the remaining period of the day of which they are performed. Like breakfast, training regimens are the most important thing to start the day with; especially for Padawans. The benefits of a training regimen can last through the night, however, it is only in the case where the Padawan does not sleep. As soon as the Padawan goes to sleep, the effects of the training disappear and the Padawan must complete the training regimen again on the next day, or whenever the Padawan wakes up.
Training did not cease after graduation from the academy. Padawans continued to train in the ways of the Jedi with their masters on long journey-missions or on brief assignments from one of the Councils. Some pairs traveled with the Service Corps on specialized missions related to diplomacy or exploration.
As a Padawan, students set their own schedules to work around assignments and missions. Master-Padawan teams lasted for years, typically over a decade but had no set time period. When the student had learned all they could from their master, they were recommended to the High Council for the Trials of Knighthood. The Trials took place over a period of time and if they were completed successfully the Padawan was knighted.
Again, once a Knight, training did not stop. Knights were given the option of further study as either a Guardian, Consular, or Sentinel. This study led to a specialization in fields such as the Watchmen or Seers. As this study continued, a Knight could take on a Padawan of their own and pass down their wisdom, learning from their students as much as their Padawan learned from them.
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