Yoga is a core element to SaberCraft. Yoga goes beyond touching your toes. Yoga is an established system of rules and postures to provide a better lifestyle. SaberCraft goes beyond LED stunt-sabers to provide an environment for students to feel safe and grow. in order to provide this environment, our Knights and participants must adhere to the following rules which are part of the Yoga philosophy.
The Restraints:
These restraints are what we practice to work best as a group. They are pretty much 5 rules of what not to do:
- Rule #1: Do not harm
Safety is the most important part of our work. We are not here to spar with each other and potentially hit someone. Harming others results potentially in being removed from the program. If you compromise safety and injure someone, you will be kicked out. - Rule #2: Do not lie
Beyond the occasional white lie, lying should avoided – most importantly involving practice. If a student is working with another on a choreography and there is work to be practiced and it’s not being done then the student should not lie about their inability to practice. By lying, a student may endanger another. Honesty is extremely important between participants. The same applies to strikes. Striking should be honest. The focus is to clash sabers or provide that appearance. If one is attacking there is a three-fold goal:- Do not injure your opponent
- Make contact with your opponent’s saber
- Be honest with their strikes and intentions.
- Rule #3: Do not steal
Stealing is not acceptable in any way. This goes beyond the theft of anything physical. Theft can also be applied to our encounters and fellowship. Don’t steal another’s “thunder” as the saying goes. Examples of theft:- If a fellow participant is involved in another activity and you steal their time involving something outside of class.
- If a student is working on something for a requirement and you steal their time to work on a choreography that is outside of their level or will impact their current work.
- If a student is feeling particularly positive and you come and willingly take them to a negative place. We are to create an environment where everyone feels welcomed and we must respect why each and every participant is here. This is not a group-therapy session. This is not a space to provide emotional support nor babysitting.
- Rule #4: Do not waste
In the same effort of not stealing, we should adhere to not wasting. By wasting we mean:
- Taking up class time to discuss things that are not relavent to class. We have 120 minutes to be effective. By taking time in class to distract members eats up time that they’ve allocated to waking up and driving to Downtown Miami for class.
- Signing the group up for ineffective means of getting leads or giving back. We believe in doing public performances, but the idea should be that if folks are taking time to practice and dress up for an activity – there should a be a pay-off. Our focus on events is to expose the community to SaberCraft and what we’ve learned. Pay-off does not have to be monetary but should be in overall fellowship with the group. There should be some good to come out of it for the group. Considering our student’s time, no event should take place during class time as that would split the group.
- Everyone’s time is precious, let’s avoid burn-out which happens when we sign-up for more than we can chew.
- If you have volunteered for something, see it through. Do not volunteer hastily for any responsibility or duty and then voluntarily choose to fail. It lets the team down, others will have to pick up for it. Respect for everyone is vital to the development of our community.
- Do not hoard
Theft, lying and wasting inevitably lead to hoarding. Hoarding can happen when one wants all the attention and credit. When one rises above the team and makes their goals the priority rather than taking the team and it’s members into consideration.
- Taking credit for someone else’s work
- Focusing on being in the limelight at a performance or class.
- Hoarding happens when one believes in exclusivity. It is the mentality of “Us vs Them”. Thinking that involves the mindset that “This is “my” team and I don’t want a particular person/group from joining.” Everyone is welcomed and the work is to be shared by everyone.
- Hoarding happens when one believes that they should be the only member that role plays a particular character or role.
- Hoarding involves putting students against each other by the creation of faux teams that distracts the students from their responsibilities and makes them feel unwelcome.
What is really important in all of this is understanding others. Not everyone is a comedian or has a knack for comedy. We all believe that we can be really funny, but what’s funny for someone can be offensive for others. What’s important is how you react to how others receive your comments or intentions. Have fun – but do it responsibly. This is not a space to divide but rather to lift.
As Knights we need to take our practice to the highest levels. Knights are responsible to keep a high level of respect and safety as the environment of the class. Once we lose respect for each other, the team falls apart. Once safety is compromised, then the very foundation of our group will fall apart. As Knights, the responsibility is on us to provide a space for others including ourselves to feel like they can grow. A space where they can rise above everything and elevate.
With these restraints in mind we begin our journey together as a team. Ready to learn how this will improve you as a member of the team, let’s move on to The Observances.
