insights from jedi warrior training · the once secret and highly classified jedi warrior training...

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1 © Levey & Levey, 2018 WisdomAtWork.com Vi Cet Tecum Overview The once secret and highly classified Jedi Warrior Training program (aka Trojan Warrior, or Ul;mate Warrior Program) for the U.S. Army Special Forces was the most intensive mindful leadership and mind-fitness based resilience training program to be offered in the military in modern ;mes. The Jedi Cadre was composed of 25 men from two highly strategic and elite Special Forces A-Teams who were dedicated to the Jedi training mission for six- months, full-;me in order to become trainers themselves. The stakes for Jedi Warrior’s success were very high as our instructor team was commissioned to train both Special Forces teams whose deep recon missions at that ;me had the poten;al to trigger or avert World War III. Jedi Warrior was also mo;vated and informed by research es;ma;ng that as many as 20 ;mes more people in the armed forces perish from some form of suicide aPer returning home from war than die in combat. Jedi Warrior Curriculum Included: Mission Related Skills (Communica;ons, medical, weapons, etc.) Mindfulness (Daily integra;ve prac;ce on-the-job, plus “The Encampment” - a month-long, 24/7 intensive silent mindfulness+mission related skills retreat.) Advanced Physical Fitness Training (Way beyond the ordinary) The Gut Check (Our teams were the only SF teams to successfully complete this grueling exercise on ;me and without any injuries.) Advanced BiocybernauQc Training (State-of-the-art laboratory with neurofeedback, biofeedback, mindfulness, and mind-fitness training to develop self-awareness, self-mastery, and self-confidence.) MarQal Arts (A dynamic tes;ng ground for refining mindfulness and inner skills development in ac;on on the mat and in the field.) Psychological training (Courage, grit, mental toughness and agility, discernment, priority se[ng, reality tes;ng, decision making, emo;onal intelligence, trauma resilience) Mission simulaQons/Field Ops (Ocean ops, high al;tude winter ops) Family inclusion programs (A very wise addi;on) “The greatest thing in all educa1on is to make the nervous system our ally, instead of our enemy.” ~ William James Excerpts from the Jedi Warrior AVer AcQon Report The program review team at West Point Military Academy described Jedi Warrior as, “The most exquisite orchestra1on of human technology that we have ever seen.” Two of our project advisors, George Leonard and Michael Murphy, founders of Esalen and pioneers in the Human PotenQal Movement, described Jedi Warrior as “the most intensive leadership and human development to be offered in modern 1mes.” Mandate: Jedi Warrior project was an experimental training program designed to enhance individual soldier and team abili;es. This integral, holis;c, and mul;disciplinary approach to training had the mandate: “to make full use of Emergent Human Technologies to enhance physiological and psychological awareness and control in Special Forces Detachment members.” Primary Tenet of Jedi Warrior: “Increased awareness of the mind-body- emo1on rela1onship leads to greater control over every area of performance, and greater control leads to more appropriate, powerful, and skillful ac1on-- all of which promote winning and survival on the baElefield.” Insights from Jedi Warrior Training For Elite Teams of US Army Special Forces Briefing for British Parliament Hearing: Mindfulness for Armed Forces and Emergency Services Dr. Joel & Michelle Levey

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Page 1: Insights from Jedi Warrior Training · The once secret and highly classified Jedi Warrior Training program (aka Trojan Warrior, or Ul;mate Warrior Program) for the U.S. Army Special

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©Levey&Levey,2018 WisdomAtWork.com ViCetTecum

Overview

The once secret and highly classified Jedi WarriorTraining program (aka Trojan Warrior, or Ul;mateWarrior Program) for the U.S. Army SpecialForceswasthemostintensivemindfulleadershipandmind-fitnessbased resilience trainingprogram tobeofferedinthemilitaryinmodern;mes.

The Jedi Cadrewas composed of 25men from twohighlystrategicandeliteSpecialForcesA-Teamswhowere dedicated to the Jedi training mission for six-months, full-;me in order to become trainersthemselves.

ThestakesforJediWarrior’ssuccesswereveryhighasourinstructorteamwascommissionedtotrainbothSpecialForcesteamswhosedeepreconmissionsatthat;mehadthepoten;altotriggeroravertWorldWarIII.JediWarriorwasalsomo;vatedandinformedbyresearches;ma;ngthatasmanyas20;mesmorepeopleinthearmedforcesperishfromsomeformofsuicideaPerreturninghomefromwarthandieincombat.

JediWarriorCurriculumIncluded:

•MissionRelatedSkills(Communica;ons,medical,weapons,etc.)•Mindfulness(Dailyintegra;veprac;ceon-the-job,plus“TheEncampment”-amonth-long,24/7intensivesilentmindfulness+missionrelatedskillsretreat.)•AdvancedPhysicalFitnessTraining(Waybeyondtheordinary)•TheGutCheck(OurteamsweretheonlySFteamstosuccessfullycompletethisgruelingexerciseon;meandwithoutanyinjuries.)•AdvancedBiocybernauQcTraining(State-of-the-artlaboratorywithneurofeedback,biofeedback,mindfulness,andmind-fitnesstrainingtodevelopself-awareness,self-mastery,andself-confidence.)•MarQalArts(Adynamictes;nggroundforrefiningmindfulnessandinnerskillsdevelopmentinac;ononthematandinthefield.)•Psychologicaltraining(Courage,grit,mentaltoughnessandagility,discernment,priorityse[ng,realitytes;ng,decisionmaking,emo;onalintelligence,traumaresilience)•MissionsimulaQons/FieldOps(Oceanops,highal;tudewinterops)•Familyinclusionprograms(Averywiseaddi;on)

“Thegreatestthinginalleduca1onistomakethenervoussystemourally,

insteadofourenemy.”~WilliamJames

ExcerptsfromtheJediWarriorAVerAcQonReport

TheprogramreviewteamatWestPointMilitaryAcademydescribedJediWarrioras,“Themostexquisiteorchestra1onofhumantechnologythatwehaveeverseen.”Twoofourprojectadvisors,GeorgeLeonardandMichaelMurphy,foundersofEsalenandpioneersintheHumanPotenQalMovement,describedJediWarrioras“themostintensiveleadershipandhuman

developmenttobeofferedinmodern1mes.”

Mandate:

JediWarriorprojectwasanexperimentaltrainingprogramdesignedtoenhanceindividualsoldierandteamabili;es.Thisintegral,holis;c,andmul;disciplinaryapproachtotraininghadthemandate:

“tomakefulluseofEmergentHumanTechnologiestoenhancephysiologicalandpsychologicalawarenessandcontrolinSpecialForcesDetachmentmembers.”

PrimaryTenetofJediWarrior:

“Increasedawarenessofthemind-body-emo1onrela1onshipleadstogreatercontrolovereveryareaofperformance,andgreatercontrolleadstomoreappropriate,powerful,andskillfulac1on--allofwhichpromotewinningandsurvivalonthebaElefield.”

Insights from Jedi Warrior Training For Elite Teams of US Army Special Forces

Briefing for British Parliament Hearing: Mindfulness for Armed Forces and Emergency Services

Dr. Joel & Michelle Levey

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Outcomes&SignsofSuccess:

JediWarriortrainingdesignprovidedanexquisiteblendofmethodsfordevelopingtheextra-ordinarycapabili;esofoursoldiers.

OneofourJediTeamswasselectedasthemostoutstandingteamintheNATOGames.

ManyoftheJedicadrewererecruitedintoDeltaForceandotherspecialunitswithhighlyclassifiedmissions,andwentontotrainothersinJediprac;cesandprinciplesofextraordinaryperformance.SomeJedigraduatestaughtattheWarCollege,othersweredecoratedfortheirspecialrolesinspecialopera;onsinSomalia,theGulfWar,MiddleEast,andEasternEurope.

JediWarriortrainingenabledoursoldierstodevelopextraordinaryskillsforself-mastery,self-regula;on,self-op;miza;on,teamflow,andresilience.Ourmenlearnedskillsforhigh-performancesleep,deeprelaxa;onandrejuvena;on,andhowtofindaninnerstateof“calmintensity”inwhichtheycouldclearandfocustheirmindstomaintainstatesofclearalertaden;onforextendedperiodsof;me,forself-healing,andextraordinaryperformance

Inaddi;onmanyfamilymembersofthemenexpresseddeepgra;tudethattheirpartners/fathersweremoremindful,caring,emo;onallyavailableandbalanced,lessstressed,lesssubstancedependent,andlessphysicallyabusiveathome.

Sampleofdatapercentageimprovementsfrombaseline:•MissionEffec;veness 49%•PersonalEnergyManagement 120%•Abilitytoop;mizephysicalabili;es 92%•Acceptanceofothercultures 45%•Reduc;onofeffectsofshock/trauma 30%•Confidenceinownleadershipabili;es 50%•Abilitytomanagestress 92%•Abilitytoextendsensoryawareness 72%•Abilitytoquicklyrelaxandrest 120%•Accessextra-ordinaryperceptualabili;es 201%

AVerAcQonReportUSArmyRecommendaQons:

“Theserecommenda;onsareintendedfortheshortandlongterminterestsofSOCOM

andarebaedontheresultsofthisprogramandonourphilosophyregardingtherela;onshipbetweenholis;ctrainingmethodsandthemilitaryenvironment.”

“Thesuccessfulcomple1onoftheTrojanWarrior(JediWarrior)programhasplacedtheU.S.Armyintheforefrontofhumanperformancetechnologydevelopment.Byvalida1ng,inacontrolled,measuredmanner,theholis1capproachofmind,body,team

training,theArmyhasdemonstrateditscommitmenttoprovidingsoldierswiththeverybesttrainingthatisavailable.”

“ThemodernbaElefieldhasbecomeexceedinglycomplexandextremelydemandingoftheindividualsoldier’sabilitytoadapt,respond,andrecover.Trainingmethodologiesthatfocusonlyonlimitedaspectsofhumanpoten1alwillcreatelimitedsoldierswhowillfaceabaElefieldofunlimiteddangers.”

“Theadvancedconcepts,methods,andmaterialtechnologiesnecessarytotrainforop1malhumanperformanceareavailableandhavenowbeenclearlyvalidatedaseffec1veandapplicabletothemilitary.”

“Ourmilitaryforceswillstayontheleadingedgeofmodernwarriorshipbycon1nuingtodevelopsolderswhocanthinkclearly,whocanactdecisivelyandwhocanop1mizetheirphysicaleffortsbydrawinguponsubstan1alreservesofpsychophysicalandemo1onalenergies,toreducethemilitarymentalhealthcrisisoframpantsuicidesandself-destruc1vebehaviorsamongmenandwomendeployingtoandreturningfromcombatmissions.”

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ImplicaQonsandApplicaQons:

JediWarriorcameaboutthroughthededicatedeffortsofanumberofvisionaryhigh-rankingofficerswhowere:- Intriguedbythepoten;alsto

berealizedbydevelopingextra-ordinarymentaldevelopmentpoten;alsoftheSpecialForcestroops;

- Inspiredbythevisionaryviewofthemilitary’shighestpurposeofferedbyLt.Col.JimChannon’sclassic,Evolu1onaryTac1cs:AManualforTheFirstEarthBaEalion;

- CompelledbytheadvancesinPSI/ESPinageresearchandthreatsemerginginChinaandbehindtheIronCurtain.

Thesecourageous,visionaryleadersalsolivedwiththegriefandregretofknowingthatincalculable,avoidable,sufferingistakingplaceduringandfollowingthedeploymentofsoldiersintowarzones.Thismo;vatedtheirsearchforthebesttrainingpossibletoreducethelikelihoodofdevasta;nglossesfollowing;meofdeployment.

Relevance

TheprofoundrelevanceforJediWarriortraininginpreparingleadersandcommuni;estowiselyandresilientlymeetthechallenges,andembracetheopportuni;es,ofthese“VUCA;mes”ofincreasingVola;lity,Uncertainty,Complexity,andAmbiguitywilllikelyonlyincreaseover;me.

JediWarrioroffersawealthofinspira;onandguidanceforleaderswithinanyorganiza;onwhoareseekingtodeveloptheircapacitytothriveandeffec;velyhelpothersrealizetheirhighestpoten;alsinfulfillingtheirmissionsintheseVUCA;mes.

LearnMore:

Formoreinforma;ononJediWarriorTrainingforSpecialForces-or-toexplorethepoten;alsforadap;ngthisprogramforotherspecialunitscontact:

Dr.Joel&MichelleLeveyFounders,[email protected]

+1-206-799-8222WisdomAtWork.com

“Amanwithoutwardcouragedarestodie.

Amanwithinnercouragedarestolive.”~LaoTsu

Jedi Warrior