The Icarus Factor

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Star Trek: TNG episode
"The Icarus Factor"
Worf during the ceremony.
Episode no.
Prod. code	140
Airdate	February 20, 1989
Writer(s)	Davis Assael (teleplay) Robert L. McCullough (teleplay), David Assael (story)
Director	Robert Iscove
Guest star(s)	Mitchell Ryan, Colm Meaney
Year	2365
Stardate	42686.4
Episode chronology
Previous	"Time Squared"
Next	"Pen Pals"

"The Icarus Factor" is a second season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation first broadcast on April 24, 1989.

1 Plot
2 Anbo-jitsu
3 Trivia
4 Memorable Quotes
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Plot

The primary plot of the episode deals with William Riker's decision about taking a command of his own, complicated by the briefing he must receive on the assignment from his estranged father, Kyle Riker (played by Mitchell Ryan). While initially very reluctant to listen to his father's attempt to reconcile, an anbo-jitsu match finally forces him to listen, and reconcile with his father.

The secondary plot point revolves around Worf who is acting more agitated than usual. It is eventually learned that Worf has missed an important Klingon ceremony marking the anniversary of his Age of Ascension. The crew recreates the ritual on the holodeck, permitting him to return to normal.

[edit] Anbo-jitsu

Will Riker and his father playing Anbo-jitsu

Anbo-jitsu is a fictitious Japanese sport shown in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In it, two armored opponents facing each wear a solid visor, rendering them blind, and fight with a large staff. A proximity sensor is worn by each combatant, alerting them to their opponent's location with an audio signal. A protective cushion is worn on one arm and can be used to shield or deflect attacks. It is called "the ultimate martial art" in the context of the show though all the required paraphernalia seems counter-intuitive to the very nature of most martial arts (which train the body and mind).

In this Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, William Riker and his father settled a long-standing grudge with this game.

[edit] Trivia

John Tesh was covering the filming of this episode for the entertainment news series Entertainment Tonight. He enthusiastically volunteered to act as a Klingon in the ritual sequence (from the viewer's perspective, he is the first on the left).
During the Klingon ritual, close observers will note that two Klingons are wearing different boots. This shortage was caused by the simultaneous filming of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. These boots were left over from Planet of the Apes.