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Post by Jëdî T¥ on Feb 16, 2010 13:45:50 GMT -5
--------------------------- Compiled by Kobra Stein
The following is a list of the 7 primary forms, then of course the end thread is the subforms.
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Post by Jëdî T¥ on Feb 16, 2010 13:46:27 GMT -5
Form I: Shii-Cho or The Determination Form was the first of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.
As the weapons technology of the lightsaber was developed, the need for a form of combat arose. Thus Form I, also called Way of the Sarlacc, was born. Shii-Cho was the most ancient style of lightsaber combat, developed by early Jedi Masters to incorporate key principles of ancient sword-fighting traditions.
One of the marks of contact, sun djem, was a goal of early Form I duelists, as disarming or destroying the opponents' weapons could ensure victory without causing injury, which was always a Jedi objective. However with the rise of Form II, sun djem became nearly impossible as Makashi duelists were well trained to prevent his/her own weapons being taken or destroyed.
Form I, like its succeeding forms, included the following basic techniques and concepts:
* attack, a set of attacks aimed at different body zones * parry, a set of blocks to thwart any attack in the specified body zones * body target zones (1 - head, 2 - left arm, 3 - right arm, 4 - back, 5 - left leg, 6 - right leg) * training drills called velocities
During the Old Jedi Order, Younglings started out by learning Form I before beginning a Padawan apprenticeship with a Jedi Master. Their training included learning to deflect plasma bolts from training remotes. Lightsaber instructors such as Yoda and Cin Drallig taught Form I to thousands of students during their Jedi careers.
Kit Fisto was a masterful practitioner of Form I, but he could not defeat Darth Sidious with it. Obi-Wan Kenobi commented Form I as wild, raw and deadly, requiring much emotional heat; however Kenobi sometimes did infuse elements of Shii-Cho into his swordplay, including the rematch with Count Dooku onboard the Invisible Hand. Dooku himself commented Shii-Cho swordplay as deliberate as a lumberdroid, moving step by step, cutting off the angles, clumsy but relentlessly dogged.
Shii-Cho was also one of the forms which Count Dooku taught the fearsome Jedi hunter General Grievous, who in turn taught his IG-100 MagnaGuards. The ancient Jedi known as the Jedi Exile was also a practitioner of this form.
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Post by Jëdî T¥ on Feb 16, 2010 13:46:58 GMT -5
Form II: Makashi or The Contention Form was the second form of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.
After Form I's proliferation as a lightsaber combat technique, Form II, or Way of the Ysalamiri, came about as a means of lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. It was described as being very elegant, powerful, and requiring extreme precision, allowing the user to attack and defend with minimal effort, often wielding the blade one-handed for greater range of movement and fluidity. The form relied on parries, thrusts, and small, precise cutsas opposed to the blocking and slashing of the other forms. It required very fluid movements of both the blade and the body. Form II countered sun djem, the goal of early Form I masters, by being well trained in prevention of disarming and weapon destruction.
The opening stance for Makashi is a single-handed low guard, with the blade angled downward at the practitioner's side. The formal salute that Dooku offered Yoda on Geonosis was a "Makashi salute", while a Makashi flourish consisted of drawing a rapid X in the air with the blade.
Feints would also be commonly used to confuse or set-up their opponents for a trap, a tactic that Count Dooku commonly used in his duels during the Clone Wars. Precise footwork and movements were required for maintaining proper distance from the opponent during defense and/or when moving in for an attack. The blade manipulation required for this form was very refined and required intense focus. Timing, accuracy, and skill, rather than strength, were relied on to defeat one's opponent, and with a skilled practitioner, the results were extremely potent.
The footwork of Makashi practitioners followed a single line, front and back, shifting the feet to keep in perfect balance as the practitioner attack and retreat. Makashi was a style which based on balance, on the back-and-forth charges, thrusts and sudden retreats. Elegance, gallantry, enchantment, finesse, artfulness, and economy were the core of Makashi. Makashi duelists trained themselves to avoid enslavement to form, as such enslavement opened the practitioner to be defeated by unpredictability and the unforeseen.
When ranged weapons such as blasters came into play or more than one opponent was present, however, the advantages of this form became somewhat obsolete. During the time of the Clone Wars and many centuries preceding it, the Jedi Order seldom practiced this technique. There was, if at all, so little lightsaber-to-lightsaber and melee combat involved in a Jedi's life that many in the Order did not bother to teach and/or learn it as it was thought impractical. During this era, Soresu was developed to answer the threat of blasters, while Niman and Ataru became the more popular fighting forms being taught and learned. Makashi, however, was very common during the younger years of the Order, before the advent of blasters, when melee weapons were abundant. To most modern Jedi, Makashi did not seem to have much use; however, to a Sith or a Dark Jedi, learning and mastering Makashi would have been a goal.
The drawback of Makashi was a relatively lower level of defense against blaster bolts. When fighting a physically strong opponent, a Makashi user also needed be careful not to try and match them power for power. As mentioned before, Makashi users relied on timing and precision in both movement and blade manipulation, often wielding the blade one-handed, waiting for the momentum of the opponent to play out for an easy victory. Thus, they were not able to generate as much kinetic power as the two-handed slashes as in Djem So.
As a result, an Ataru master would attempt to disrupt the balance of a Makashi duelist by the Force-assisted acrobatics of Form IV, striking from every direction to disturb the balance and footwork of a Form II practitioner; while a Djem So practitioner would attempt to overwhelm the Makashi defense with pure strength and frontal, direct attacks. To answer such threats, Makashi duelists would call on the Force to assist their body movements when facing Form IV masters, or use the Force to strengthen their defense against Form V users. Dooku demonstrated such tactics against Yoda on Geonosis, his body movements unleashed in a way not seen against other enemies, in order to match the grand mastery of Yoda's Ataru acrobatics.
When facing multiple enemies, a single Makashi duelist would isolate the enemy from each other, so that the Makashi duelist would fight each of them in turn rather than all of them at the same time. Makashi master would even attempt to force the enemies to get in each other's way.
Dooku was a master of Form II to the highest degree, fighting with the precision built into the ancient technique. The handle of his lightsaber was curved, allowing for better manipulation of the blade during parries and thrusts. This was apparently common during the early years of the Republic, when many of the Jedi used the Makashi form. When Darth Tyranus wielded this form, it devastated the Jedi; the system of Jedi training immediately before and during the Clone Wars did not prepare many of them for the finesse and precise movements of a form bred for lightsaber dueling.
The Jedi Exile was a practitioner of Makashi. It was also one of the forms taught to General Grievous by Dooku himself, and the cyborg General in turn taught Makashi to his IG-100 MagnaGuards. Jedi Master Cin Drallig, the legendary lightsaber instructor, was another candidate of Makashi.
Makashi users were elegant, precise, calm, confident, even arrogant (as befit Dooku's personality). Form II users were supremely confident in their chances for victory, and often looked relaxed when they were fighting, or even appeared to be dancing.
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Post by Jëdî T¥ on Feb 16, 2010 13:48:14 GMT -5
Form III: Soresu, the Way of the Mynock, or The Resilience Form was the third form of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.
Form III was originally developed to counteract the advancing blaster technology throughout the Galaxy. Those to whom the Jedi were mainly opposed usually wielded blasters, and the Jedi needed to find a method of defense that could repel normally overwhelming volleys of blaster fire. Soresu was then founded upon the basic deflection principles all Padawans were taught, the skill that enable them to protect themselves from blaster bolts.
The third form of lightsaber combat utilized motions that occurred very close to the body, in an attempt to achieve near-total protection and expend as little energy as possible while executing moves. This technique minimized the body's exposure, making a well-trained practitioner nearly invincible. Followers of Soresu comfortably remained on the defensive until their opponent left an opening that a Soresu practitioner usually could exploit in multiple ways. Soresu was best described as a passive form of combat, and one that was used by those who were extremely patient and reserved.
Due to the emphasis on defense training, Form III involved preparation for prolonged battles so that the user would be able to learn as much as possible about their opponent or opponents whilst engaged in possibly deadly combat. Also, by being more capable in lengthy battles, a Soresu user was in a position to gain control of the situation and provide multiple options for the duelist; such as the choice to either kill, disarm, or even reason with their opponent. Many Soresu practitioners survived the Battle of Geonosis, thanks in part to its specialization in fending off blaster fire. Soresu's greatest power lay in the endurance and control a practitioner eventually developed. Masters of the form left no opening for their opponents to take advantage of, while waiting for the eventual lapses in their opponent's own defense.
Jedi Master Mace Windu noted that, unlike any of the other combat styles, Soresu was not an answer to a particular type of weakness. Vaapad was an answer to Windu's inner darkness; Ataru was Yoda's answer to his limited reach and advanced age. Towards the end of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi was acknowledged as "the master of Soresu" by Master Windu. It was because of this fact that Kenobi was chosen by the Jedi High Council as the Jedi best suited to defeat General Grievous due to his Mastery of Form III. Obi-Wan had always shown great abilities in weakening the opponent without fighting them. When he was twelve, Qui-Gon Jinn criticized him because Kenobi fought too aggressively. Since then, Obi-Wan took his master's advice and began using a more defensive fighting style.
Soresu was considered the consummate Jedi combat form in that it embraced a passive way of life and a literal expression of the Jedi's tenement to defend rather than attack. Obi-Wan himself considered Soresu very simple, so restrained and defense-oriented that Form III was very nearly downright passive. As "the master", Obi-Wan himself could defend himself against any attack less than twenty strikes per second.
Even though a truly focused master of Soresu was nearly unbeatable due to a strong defense posture, there was more guarantee of survival rather than victory. Initiates in Form III were known to be more than capable when defending themselves from attack, but might have lacked the experience to trap an opponent in their own offense. Since the defensive tactics of the form included guards and parries that were very close to the body, even a master had to keep a strong focus on his or her actions as small lapses in an otherwise strong defense left little room to avoid injury. As the most prominent Soresu master of his time, Obi-Wan Kenobi was known to be almost invincible in fighting numerous combatants and defeating some of the most dangerous foes when seeming so close to defeat. Jango Fett, the best bounty hunter of the time, could not penetrate Kenobi's defense when Obi-Wan was not even a Master. During Kenobi's first direct confrontation with Count Dooku during the Battle of Geonosis, however, his normally impenetrable defense was outmatched by Dooku's Makashi, possibly due to the advantage of Makashi in blade-to-blade fight and Dooku's vast experience in fencing. It was not favorable for a Jedi General to be in a lengthy fight while his troops were left alone on the battlefield, but this was usually unavoidable, as it was when Master Kenobi had to leave his regiment of troops in his drawn out pursuit of General Grievous. Upon Kenobi's second confrontation with Dooku at the Battle of Coruscant, he had improved his Soresu to the point where he was able to effectively render Dooku's attacks ineffective, and was only defeated when Dooku used his superior strength in the Force to gain the upper hand.
The key to truly mastering Soresu may concern the concept and philosophy of Soresu, instead of its combat moves. Kenobi, despite his highest mastery of Soresu, applied Shii-Cho elements and Ataru acrobatics into his swordplay, as witnessed by Dooku onboard the Invisible Hand. By combining his knowledge of Ataru and his mastery of Soresu, Kenobi's swordplay proved to be an unique style: one with the defensive principle and protective ability of Soresu, plus the simplicity of the moves of Form III, the mobility of Ataru, and the deep connection and concentration within the Force, another key Ataru principle which allows Kenobi to handle any situation.
Soresu was a very favorable form of combat for Jedi until the Great Jedi Purge. The defense and control it allowed a practitioner made for suitable outcomes in favor of the user when faced with hurried opponents who left themselves vulnerable to counterattack. It was best for warding off blaster fire and multiple opponents as a trained user would be able to defend even outside their visual range. However, its defense required a very large amount of focus from the wielder and even a momentary fault in concentration could have meant the user's defeat. Jedi with less focused minds would usually abandon this style of combat to capitalize on the benefits of other styles that required less dedication to prolonged fighting. Jedi who mastered Soresu were known to be the most successful when dealing in situations when a quick victory was not favorable to total understanding and calculated action.
Other practitioners
The Jedi Exile, Luminara Unduli, her Padawan Barriss Offee, and lightsaber instructor Cin Drallig were also proficient in this form. General Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuards learned Soresu from Dooku.
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Post by Jëdî T¥ on Feb 16, 2010 13:50:01 GMT -5
Form IV: Ataru, Way of the Hawk-Bat, was the fourth of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.
Form IV, or the Aggression Form, was one of the more popular fighting forms in the Jedi Order for many centuries, during and preceding the era of the Clone Wars.
Jedi Master Yoda was considered to have mastered this form of combat to its highest degree. Other notable practitioners of Ataru were Zez-Kai Ell, Qui-Gon Jinn, Cin Drallig, Quinlan Vos, and his former Padawan, Aayla Secura. Obi-Wan Kenobi was also a practitioner of Ataru, but proceeded to study Soresu following the death of his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, at Naboo. General Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuards also learned Ataru from Dooku.
The opening stance for Ataru is a balanced two-handed guard: holding the lightsaber vertically with both palms, either on the right or left side of the body.
As a Padawan, Anakin Skywalker also studied Ataru as it fit his strong and aggressive personality; he would later use those same traits to become a fine Form V practitioner. When Anakin applied Jar'Kai tactic against Count Dooku on Geonosis, his swordplay was actually based on Ataru moves. Because neither Jar'Kai nor Ataru was Anakin's most trained style, Dooku broke through it easily with a masterful sun djem, forcing the young Padawan to switch back to his standard of Form V.
During the Clone Wars, both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker often applied the useful Ataru acrobatic moves, despite their mastery of Soresu and Djem So respectively.
Darth Sidious also used a variant of this form, combining stabs and thrusts into his attacks.
Ataru was an aggressive combat form relying on a combination of power, speed, and grace. Practitioners of Ataru were always on the offensive, attacking with wide, fast, and powerful swings. Form IV practitoners constantly called upon the Force to aid in their movements and attacks. By allowing the Force to flow throughout their body, they could overcome their physical limitations (including old age, as was the case with Master Yoda), and allowed them to perform amazing feats of acrobatics, such as somersaults and backflips, not only for attack, but also to evade the attacks and strikes of their opponents.
Those who used Form IV could move at amazing speeds and could rain strong blows, jumping and attacking through the air. Powerful and lightning fast spinning attacks could be utilized from all angles, either from ground or air.
A master in Ataru combat could appear like a blur to their opponents, attacking from all directionsfrom the front, the sides, overhead, or behind.
The Force not only allowed them to perform amazing athletic feats, but it also helped guide their actions and movements in combat. .
This form was also probably not as effective for prolonged combat, as the nature of Ataru could greatly tax the body. Fatigue may have been the chief reason that Qui-Gon Jinn was defeated by Darth Maul, though his old age may have also played an important role in his fatigue. Another possible cause of Qui-Gon's death at the hands of Maul is the requirement of open space for the kinetic acrobatics of Ataru. Without ample space in the Theed Palace reactor core to move in, Qui-Gon was deprived of the key element in his defense, and thus could only attempt to block Maul's lightning fast barrage of Juyo strikes. This event had a profound effect on Kenobiafter his master's death, he decided to perfect his practice of Form III: Soresu, the most defensive of all forms.
Nevertheless, Ataru proved to be an effective combat form when used properly. Jedi skilled in Ataru fought with amazing grace and eye-blurring speed, using Force-assisted acrobatics and maneuvers to attack their opponents with powerful swings and offensive flourishes, never staying in one place long enough for their opponents to mount a proper counterattack.
Through the Force, Yoda takes Form IV to its highest level. Master Yoda's astonishing moves in his epic duel against Count Dooku may be revealed on close examination to be a masterful demonstration of the standard components of Form IV. His moves flow from one to another in the smooth transitions characteristic of Form IV. In addition, three kinds of rotation, called su ma, figured prominently in his style. They were jung su ma (spinning), ton su ma (somersaults), and en su ma (cartwheels). These three moves represented the three possible axes of rotation in three-dimensional space. Together with Force-enhanced jumps, the rotational su ma moves composed most of his style, making the Grand Master the ultimate example of Form IV, which some described as a whirlwind of destruction.
Dooku stated that he understood "every weakness of the Ataru form, with its ridiculous acrobatics". Dooku's Makashi would counter Ataru by launching a series of flashing thrusts toward the enemy's legs to draw the opponent into a flipping overhead leap, so that Dooku could burn through the enemy's spine from kidneys to shoulder blades with his Makashi attack. The Count applied this tactic against Obi-Wan Kenobi onboard the Invisible Hand, who blocked Dooku's blows with Soresu.
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Post by Jëdî T¥ on Feb 16, 2010 13:50:54 GMT -5
Form V: Shien / Djem So or The Perseverance Form was the fifth form of the seven forms recognized as canon by the last Jedi Council for lightsaber combat.
Form V or the Way of the Krayt Dragon was a powerful style developed by Form III practitioners that preferred a more offensive style, since the defensive nature of Form III often led to dangerously prolonged combat. Djem So evolved into a combat style by combining the defensive maneuvers of Soresu with the more aggressive philosophy/tactics of Makashi.
Vrook Lamar, Khaat Qiyn, Cin Drallig, Anakin Skywalker, who later became Darth Vader, and his son Luke Skywalker were all confirmed Form V practitioners. General Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuards learned this form under Dooku.
Shien and Djem So are stated as two different styles, but due to their similarities they both fall under the category of Form V. Shien was better at dealing with blaster bolts while Djem So was better at lightsaber dueling, as it needed a higher level of physical strength and aggressive moves. It is known that Anakin Skywalker mastered both styles.
Darth Vader created his own variant of Form V, where he would use only one hand to strike and defend, and hold the other casually by his side. This was the case during his duel with his son on Bespin.
Form V came into existence by taking the defensive skills derived from Form III and quickly channeling it into offense. A common example used to illustrate the difference is that that while Form III combatants effortlessly deflected blaster bolts, Form V practitioners excelled at redirecting the blaster fire back toward the opponent. This action simultaneously defended the user and efficiently injured the enemy. Form V emphasized strength and power over your opponents. Many Jedi disapproved of this philosophy. Some in the Order may have felt that this lightsaber form led too quickly to violence, instead of diplomacy when dealing with disputes, because it appeared to call for the physical domination of an opponent, which is counter to Jedi beliefs.
Using a combination of blocks and parries derived from Soresu and Makashi, a Djem So user had a proper foundation in terms of defense against both blaster and melee attacks. However, while a Soresu user stayed on the defensive and only counterattacked when necessary and when an opening appeared in his opponents defense, a Djem So practitioner was not so measured or patient. After defending an attack by an opponent, a Djem So stylist would follow with an attack of their own. While Makashi relied on precise and small cuts of the blade, Djem So utilized series of flourishes and attacks that included wide two-handed swings and powerful overhead/over-shoulder slashes. Unlike Soresu, Djem So required the user to not only counterattack, but press the assault, combining Force-enhanced strength with powerful blade combinations, to overpower and overwhelm an opponent's defenses. Anakin Skywalker battled against Darth Tyranus using the power of Djem So. Enlarge Anakin Skywalker battled against Darth Tyranus using the power of Djem So.
Djem So is best represented by Anakin Skywalker in his second battle with Count Dooku toward the end of the Clone Wars. During the duel, Count Dooku is surprised and shocked when he realizes that Anakin is now a Djem So practitioner, and "as fine a one as he has ever seen." During the battle Anakin attacks Dooku, using his entire body including his arms, shoulders, legs and forward momentum to overwhelm Dooku with brute strength. In fact, when he blocks a blow from Skywalker, the sheer kinetic power generated by Anakin during this battle was so great that it was able to force Dooku's own crimson blade down onto his shoulder, wounding him. Count Dooku himself has noted that his elegant Makashi could never generate enough kinetic power to match Djem So strength-to-strength. During this duel as well as the duels between Luke Skywalker and his father Darth Vader, we can see that it was common for Djem So users to lock their swords and use their strength to drive their opponents back and corner them into a more vulnerable position.
Luke Skywalker is a very special practitioner of Form V. On Bespin, Luke revealed that he was an extraordinarily gifted duelist after only one brief session with Obi-Wan Kenobi three years before, and a short time of study with Yoda. Nevertheless, Luke was able to hold his own against Darth Vader for a time. After that fateful duel, Luke studied some lightsaber skills from Kenobi's journal and greatly advanced in his abilities. Without a Master, it was Luke's unparalleled aptitude which contributed in such an impossible advancement. Onboard the second Death Star, Luke showed his true talent by mirroring Darth Vader's own Form V technique and responded with his own furious demonstration of Form V's raw power. Observing swordsmen such as Palpatine might be astonished at such instantaneous learning in a lightsaber duel. Finally, Luke was able to duel Vader on an even footing, and defeated the experienced Dark Lord of the Sith.
Djem So stylists are often moving towards their opponents, striking with each forward step. Since Djem So utilizes strength and power into each of its strikes, it requires the user to generate that power with their entire body, footwork, and forward motion. It also makes their movements predictable and fairly rigid, as they would constantly charge ahead towards their opponents. Another weakness in this form is that its aggressive style can also lead to carelessness or even recklessness, as they're so caught up in the attack that a user undermines his/her own defenses.
Despite its controversies, Djem So proved to be an effective combat style, utilizing the parries and defensive techniques of Form II and III, but with a ferocious style all its own.
The philosophy of Djem So not only emphasized strength and power in defeating an opponent, but more importantly on action. This made it a more favorable combat form for Jedi who wanted quick resolutions and favored "aggressive negotiations." Bold, powerful, fearless, and confident are also traits used to describe practitioners of Djem So. Lightsabers belonging to Form V practitioners generally have a solid casing either as a whole or in multiple sections for maximum protection against power surge deterioration, and a heavily shrouded blade emitter to designate separate facets of the blade for either offensive or defensive purposes.
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Post by Jëdî T¥ on Feb 16, 2010 13:51:32 GMT -5
Form VI: Niman was the sixth form of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.
The Way of the Rancor or The Moderation Form, Form VI was the standard style at and around the time period of the Clone Wars and the Great Jedi Purge. This combat discipline was often called the "Diplomat's Form." Unfortunately, all of the Form VI practitioners at the Battle of Geonosis were killed. As a result, full masters of other lightsaber forms sometimes considered Form VI to be insufficiently demanding.
Form VI attempted to balance all elements of lightsaber combat, combining the Forms that came before into a less intensely demanding combat style. The result was that the users' skill in each individual area of lightsaber combat was relatively moderatethey did not excel in any one area. Due to its "jack-of-all-trades" nature, the success of this form is largely dependent on the practitioner's intuition, improvisation, and creativity in combat rather than the rote responses derived from other forms. This broad generalization made Form VI well suited for diplomats, as they could spend their time training in the areas of politics and negotiation instead of combat training.
Form VI utilizes techniques from Form I, Form III, Form IV, and Form V. In one of Niman's stances, the blade is choobieed high at the practitioner's side.
The form was named after Niman, the triumvirate of Kashi The Makers. It was developed by the Minions of Xendor after the Great Schism, having been adopted from the Niman / Jar'Kai form of combat.
Jedi Master Cin Drallig was an especially prolific instructor of Form VI, teaching Niman to thousands of students during his Jedi career. Obi-Wan Kenobi had limited knowledge on Niman, as he occasionally applied Niman stance in combat. Coleman Trebor was likely a practitioner of this form since he was quickly killed by Jango Fett. General Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuards also learned this form from Dooku.
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Post by Jëdî T¥ on Feb 16, 2010 13:52:26 GMT -5
Form VII: Juyo / Vaapad was the final form of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.
Dubbed the Way of the Vornskr or The Ferocity Form, Juyo, a term from High Galactic, was originally considered an incomplete form for millennia. Generally viewed as undeveloped and rarely used by the Jedi and the Sith, Juyo was not seen as one of the main forms for generations of Jedi. Jedi Master Mace Windu developed his own Form VII, which was nicknamed Vaapad after a creature from Sarapin which moved with speed similar to Vaapad. (In 22 BBY, Palpatine stated that he had only ever heard of six forms; Yoda said there were only 6 forms for generations of Jedi, and Mace's indicated that he invented Vaapad. Noted that Darth Maul, Palpatine's apprentice, was a Juyo practitioner.) The nickname, Vaapad, came from students likening it to an aquatic predator, the vaapad, which used it's tenacles in lightning-fast whipping attacks. It was said to be impossible to tell how many tentacles a vaapad had until it was dead.
The most challenging and demanding of all forms, Form VII required intense focus, a high degree of skill, and mastery of other forms. Only two Jedi ever mastered Vaapad fully: Mace Windu and Depa Billaba. Sora Bulq helped Windu develop Vaapad, but Bulq proved too weak to master the flow of the light and dark sides of the Force generated by the use of the technique, and fell to the dark side. Sora instructed Quinlan Vos in a few of its basics. Mace Windu noted that Vaapad mastered Bulq, not the other way around. Depa Billaba, Windu's Padawan, similarly fell to the dark side when combining Vaapad with the rigors of war. Before her fate was sealed, Mace noted that Depa's bladework had already surpassed his Vaapad. General Grievous used his technical prowess to copy Vaapad to a degree when he fought Mace Windu on Coruscant, though due to his lack of Force sensitivity, he could not truly master it. But it was possible that Grievous had already learned the moves of Juyo, as Dooku noted that Grievous and his guards mastered all the seven classic combat forms.
Intrepid, somewhat direct movements were used in combination with advanced techniques involving Force-powered jumps and motions. Form VII did not appear as fancy as Form IV, as there were not moves like twirling and flipping, but the technical requirements were much higher. Vaapad used seemingly free-wheeling and open movements, but with utter control on the part of the wielder. The end result, if practiced correctly, was a very unpredictable lightsaber style. The staccato swings and flow of the form made it seem as if the attacks were not linkedbut in reality, it was merely confusing the opponent.
Form VII demanded the emotional and physical intensity of Form V, but it much more effectively controlled itif mastered. Form VII, when fully mastered, resulted in extraordinary power.
However, Vaapad bordered on the edge of falling to the dark side, as it channelled one's enjoyment of fighting into the attack. Only Windu's mastery and concentration on the light side prevented him from succumbing to his own anger, which is why Vaapad was rarely practiced and very dangerous. As noted above, the only other known practitioners of Vaapad, Sora Bulq and Depa Billaba both fell to the dark side of the Force. Darth Maul, a Sith Lord who appeared to have mastered Juyo, was so immersed in the dark side, yet so much in control of his anger that he could employ his own deadly variant of Juyo without fear. Coupled with his martial prowess, Darth Maul used this variant to defeat several skilled Jedi, including Master Qui-Gon Jinn. However, Darth Maul only devoted to the Form's physical focus, thus he remained silent during the duels on Tatooine and Naboo. Maul desired pure physical victory, rather than the "higher" Sith tradition of Dun M?ch, which could dominate the opponent's spirit through taunts that expose inner doubts and weaknesses.
With that said, Vaapad was not just a fighting style. It was a state of mind and a power. The state of mind required that a user of Vaapad allow himself to enjoy the fight. He had to give himself over to the thrill of battle, the rush of winning. Vaapad was a path that led through the penumbra of the dark side. The power of Vaapad was simple: it was a channel for one's inner darkness; and it was a reflecting device. With strict control, a Jedi's own emotions and inner darkness could be changed into a weapon of the light.
Vaapad was also described as "a superconducting loop," with the user on one end and the opponent on the other. It was able to take the powers of the opponent and reflect it back at them. In his fight with Palpatine, Mace Windu used the Chancellor's own speed and hatred against him, reflecting it back against the Sith Lord and using it as his own power. Also, when Palpatine unleashed his Force lightning on Mace, the Jedi was able to use his lightsaber, with the power of Vaapad, to reflect the lightning back at him. However, because Palpatine was probably a master of the Sith variant of Juyo as well, he fed the power of Force lightning with his own pain, thus intensified the energetic attack despite his suffering.
The power of Vaapad was quite incredible: it was at once a form of lightsaber combat, a state of mind, and an actual tangible power. To use it required great mastery, discipline and, above all else, purity of heart and spirit. Vaapad users were intense, focused and introverted. There were even signs of pent-up hostility in them.
Around the time of the Jedi Civil War, Juyo was already the lightsaber form relied upon by the greatest of the Jedi, including the famed Jedi Weapon Master Kavar, indicating that Juyo was indeed a complete and effective form for millennia before Mace Windu created his version of Form VII, Vaapad, although it was also possible that the ancient Juyo masters and their skills became the casualties of war.
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Post by Jëdî T¥ on Feb 16, 2010 13:53:06 GMT -5
***SUBFORMS***
A combination of elements of Form VII and traditional S'kytri aerial duelling, Trispzest was a type of aerial lightsaber combat originally developed by the airborne Force-sensitive Majestrix of Skye, Kharys.
Trispzest, which meant heart palpitation in the S'kytric language, would allow the combatant to utilize the advantages of flying in battle against grounded unitswhom the S'kytri would derogatively refer to as "walkers". In Trispzest emphasis was placed on the use of the sai cha technique to decapitate "walkers."
Among the few known users of trispzest were the Dark Jedi Maw, who died by the hand of self-taught Jedi Kyle Katarn, and swordsmistress Nazish.
Techniques
As mentioned, sai cha, or decapitation, was often used against grounded combatants creating strategic parallels between Trispzest and mounted lightsaber combat.
Another technique, which was especially used by Maw, was the spinning attack, which consisted in the trispzest-user spinning wildly in the air while lashing out to all sides with the lightsaber; a technique that undoubtedly was efficient against multiple opponents.
Trispzest had many advantages, but one fatal weakness, as the combatant was open to attacks from directly below him or her by grounded units. Kyle Katarn took advantage of this weakness when, dropping to the ground and lunging his lightsaber upwards as Maw passed over him, he injured Maw during a duel on Ruusan.
Double-Bladed or Duel
Jedi and Sith who mastered double-bladed lightsaber combat were a rarity. This type of lightsaber combat evolved around a double-bladed lightsaber - sometimes also referred to as a sith lightsaber or saber-staff.
A saber-staff would typically consist of a long hilt which had energy blades at both ends. The blades could be ignited one at a time, the saber-staff thus functioning as a normal lightsaber, or simultaneously. One of the primary functions of a double bladed lightsaber was to create fear in the opponent, as a double bladed lightsaber, with its two deadly blades, looked more menacing than an ordinary one.
Double-bladed lightsaber combat was more like fighting with a staff than with a sword. The weapon having two blades, double-bladed lightsaber combat allowed for much more rapid attack which were more difficult to parry for someone using an ordinary lightsaber. Also it allowed for "more kills per swing", since one would be able to strike opponents in front of and behind oneself simultaneously.
This type of lightsaber combat was extremely rare. Firstly, because it was very difficult to master and using a double-bladed lightsaber could be more dangerous to the untrained wielder than to his opponent. Secondly, this type of lightsaber combat was of an aggressive nature and thus deemed too close to the dark side by many Jedi.
Several of the standard forms of lightsaber combat had double-bladed variants. Darth Maul used a double-bladed variant of Form VII, and Jedi Master Zez-Kai Ell used a double-bladed variant of Ataru. Jaden Korr may have used double-bladed versions of the fast, medium, and strong styles.
Wielders of double-bladed lightsabers
* Exar Kun used a blue double-bladed lightsaber with a short hilt and is believed to have been the creator of both the form and the weapon. * Darth Bandon used a red double-bladed lightsaber during his apprenticeship to Darth Malak. * Bastila Shan initally used a single blade, but after her first encounter with Darth Revan she switched to a long-hilted yellow double-bladed lightsaber and specialized in this form of lightsaber combat. * Zez-Kai Ell was known to use a purple double-bladed lightsaber. * As a Sith Lord, Darth Zannah wielded a unique red double-bladed lightsaber powered by the Bane's Heart, given to her by her master Darth Bane. Long after Zannah's death, this lightsaber came into the possession of General Grievous. * Darth Maul frequently used a red double-bladed lightsaber in combat during his apprenticeship to Darth Sidious * Jastus Farr used a green double bladed lightsaber during the Clone Wars era. * Komari Vosa, who was formerly Count Dooku's apprentice, had learned how to lock two red lightsabers together for usage as a single double-bladed one. * Asajj Ventress inherited Komari Vosa's lightsabers, and as such, practiced this form. * N-K Necrosis, the recycled General Grievous, used a red double-bladed lightsaber that he had found in Grievous's starfighter, which was originally belonged to Darth Zannah, along with the blaster that had shot down Grievous. * Jaden Korr, apprentice to the Jedi Master Kyle Katarn, may have used a double-bladed lightsaber during the crisis of the Disciples of Ragnos. * Several of Tavion Axmis' New Reborn and Sith Cultists used double-bladed lightsabers, but they lacked much training and were no match for the Jedi of the New Jedi Order.
Form "Zero", while not an actual form of lightsaber combat per se but rather an ethical principle, was the idea that Jedi should know when to use their lightsaber and when to find an alternative means of solving a problem. This idea was defined by Jedi Master Yoda to address the need of the Jedi to restrain themselves when tempted to use "aggressive negotiations," and instead use another well-developed Jedi skill, such as the Jedi mind trick. This was a form used to arrive at a solution without resorting to violence.
In the days of the New Jedi Order, Jedi Master Kyle Katarn would teach his students, among whom were Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin, that often the sight of an unignited lightsaber would be enough to cause individuals that might be potential enemies to become more cooperative. Katarn had applied this principle himself years earlier to extract information from an uncooperative bartender in Reelo Baruk's cantina on Nar Shaddaa.
Dun M?ch was a form of combat that used taunting in conjunction with a lightsaber.
The Sith aimed to completely dominate an opponent's spirit through whatever means possible by employing their own lightsaber combat doctrine. Dun M?ch commonly involved spoken taunts, jeers, and jests that exposed the opponent's hidden, inner weaknesses and/or doubts, which had the end result of eroding the opponent's will. Such a thing can be quite deadly, especially against Jedi, since concentration was a must when using the Force. Doubts can easily break that connection. Other variations on Dun M?ch involved usage of the Force to throw large, weighty objects at the Sith's opponent during combat, which both distracts the opponent from the battle and could potentially cause damage.
Darth Vader used this against Luke Skywalker in their duel on Bespin's Cloud City. Darth Tyranus used it on Geonosis, taunting Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Yoda respectively. Tyranus would later focus this skill on Anakin during their rematch onboard the Invisible Hand. Darth Sidious also used this form against Yoda in his duel against the Grand Master.
Another incident of Dun M?ch being used by a Jedi was the confrontation between Darth Sion and the Jedi Exile on Malachor V. Sion was not killable by conventional methods, as he was capable of regenerating all his health instantly. The Exile instead used taunts and arguments to erode Sion's will, Sion in the end sacrificing his own life to the Force.
Kyle Katarn was repeatedly exposed to Dun M?ch during the Valley of the Jedi crisis against the Seven Dark Jedi. During Katarn's duel with Boc Aseca, the Twi'lek never ceased laughing and taunting with gibes such as "You're an angry one, aren't you?" and "Feisty!", combining them with his evasive jumping technique to frustrate Katarn into making a mistake. After their respective defeats, both Maw and Jerec attempted to goad Katarn into turning to the dark side by striking them down. Maw, in a sense, succeeded. By the time Katarn faced Jerec, however, his emerging maturity in the light side caused him to react uniquely to the Dun M?ch: Katarn neither struck Jerec down nor spared him; instead, he rearmed the murderous Dark Jedi so as to kill him in honorable combat.
Desann's Reborn warriors utilized Dun M?ch to frustrate the members of the New Jedi Order that they encountered in combat. Kyle Katarn once again exposed to Dun M?ch, managed to ignore their taunts and emerge victorious in every duel he had with the Reborn. The New Reborn of Tavion Axmis's Sith cult carried on this tradition and were often heard taunting Jedi with expressions like "Do you fear me?" and "I thought Jedi were powerful."
Desann himself took Dun M?ch to the level of plotting, by faking the death of Jan Ors and taunting Katarn about his powerless, Desann successfully tricked the enraged Katarn to reveal the location of the Valley of the Jedi.
Boomerang effect
Dun M?ch could harm the caster if not carefully used. Taunted by Darth Tyranus, Anakin Skywalker called upon the dark side of the Force to enhance his combat ability onboard the Invisible Hand and ultimately defeated the experienced Sith Lord.
The same happened to Maw who, injured, taunted Kyle Katarn with details of his father's death. This resulted in Kyle giving in to anger and striking down the unarmed Dark Jedi.
Inverse Dun M?ch
In addition, Luke Skywalker used the very opposite of Dun M?ch onboard the second Death Star. The young Jedi attempted to turn Darth Vader to the light by infusing love through spoken words. Luke was successful, and Anakin Skywalker ultimately redeemed himself and brought balance to the Force. Around 4000 years earlier, this method was also used by Revan on the Star Forge to redeem Bastila Shan.
Sokan was a form of lightsaber combat.
Developed by the ancient Jedi Knights during the Great Sith War, Sokan combined tactics that allowed for evasion and mobility with the kinetic motions of Form IV combat. Sokan involved swift strokes of the lightsaber, which were aimed towards the opponent's vital areas, in addition to quick tumbles and movements. Combatants made use of large amounts of terrain, trying to maneuver their opponents into vulnerable areas during the course of battles that involved Sokan techniques.
Although it was unclear whether Obi-Wan Kenobi received formal Sokan training or not, the Jedi Master did employ elements of Sokan while dueling Anakin Skywalker (then Darth Vader) on Mustafar. Towards the end of the duel, Obi-Wan sought the high ground and used his favorable positioning to defeat Anakin, attacking his weak points. This was eventually one of the factors that led to Anakin's defeat, and, in his battle against Luke Skywalker on the Second Death Star, may be a reason why he threw his lightsaber when Luke got the high ground instead of going after him.
Niman / Jar'Kai was a form of lightsaber combat, which was a dual blades wielding technique.
The dual saber Niman permitted a Jedi to fight with two lightsabers, one in each hand, as demonstrated by Anakin Skywalker when he first faced Count Dooku. One of the blades in the wielder's hands was used for attacking while the other one was used for defending, such as parrying, or for more offensive purposes.
Jar'Kai was originally the name of a city on Atrisia. Here were crafted the original Jar'Kai dueling sabers, which were wielded by the Yovshin Swordsmen. The Swordsmen, wielding one saber in each hand, invented the Jar'Kai style.
Similar was the style developed by the Royale Macheteros of the Kashi Mer monarchy. The latter technique was used by the Legions of Lettow, during the First Great Schism, who called it Niman after a dual triumvirate of Kashi deities.
Ancient Niman relied on steel blades, long before lightsabers were invented. The style could be used with a variety of weapons. During the Great Schism, Awdrysta Pina employed it with the Jedi Katana. During the New Sith Wars, the Dark Underlord wielded two Sith swords. One Jedi who did use Jar'Kai with two lightsabers was Newar Forrth, a Twi'lek Jedi who fought in the New Sith Wars. Over a millennium later, the Twi'lek Dark Jedi Bocas'eca would attempt to imitate Forrth.
Many Jedi Knights and Sith Lords trained to use the Niman style in the hopes of gaining a basic knowledge of the dual-bladed attack, but very few ever totally mastered Niman. Jedi Master Micah Giiett was known for using two yellow-bladed lightsabers; Darth Maul learned Jar'Kai during his years of intense training under Darth Sidious; Mace Windu and Depa Billaba both displayed masterful dual sabers combat during the Battle of Haruun Kal; Joclad Danva wielded two lightsabers during the Battle of Geonosis; and Aayla Secura also used Jar'Kai at the end of the Clone Wars. Other known learners included Revan, Kavar, Sora Bulq, A'Sharad Hett, Serra Keto, Komari Vosa, Asajj Ventress, Alora, Darth Krayt, with Lomi Plo and Kol Skywalker as possible practitioners.
General Grievous may have based his bizarre, original combat style on Jar'Kai. He used two lightsabers during the Battle of Hypori when he defeated a handful of Jedi. Later, in the early stages of the Battle of Utapau he wielded four lightsabersone in each of his four handsin a duel against Obi-Wan Kenobi, but even with four lightsabers he was no match for Obi-Wan Kenobi's mastery of Form III: Soresu. However, before Obi-Wan completely mastered Soresu, he occasionally used two lightsabers to battle Asajj Ventress.
Jar'Kai was one of the lightsaber combat forms which was confirmed surviving the Great Jedi Purge. The Dark Jedi Bocas'eca was a master of Niman, incorporating it into his own rather unorthodox fighting style; many of Tavion's New Reborn were trained in dual saber combat. It was possible that Kyle Katarn's apprentice, Jaden Korr may have been skilled in this form.
Luke Skywalker, the Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, displayed his amazing dueling skills with dual blades during the Yuuzhan Vong War, regardless of receiving formal Jar'Kai training or not, Luke proved to be one of the best dual blades duelists in his era.
The application of Jar'Kai often exists as a tactic instead of a completely independent style. Mace Windu, Depa Billaba, and Sora Bulq were still applying Vaapad when they fought with two swords. Anakin Skywalker's application on Geonosis was actually based on Form IV swordplay. Because neither Jar'Kai tactic nor Form IV swordplay was the young Jedi's mostly trained style, Count Dooku was easily able to break through Anakin's array of weapons.
Jar'Kai still has its followers around 130 ABY. Darth Krayt used it to terrible effect by killing four Imperial Knights single-handledly.
Shien was a form of Jedi lightsaber combat.
Not to be confused with Form V: Shien / Djem So, this Shien form was a rarely seen style that required the user to hold the lightsaber horizontally, with the tip of the blade out away from the body. The form striked by sweeping the arm forward, like throwing a punch at the enemy, while whipping the blade forward quickly in a broad arc.
While some considered Shien effective, many thought Shien was almost a topic of controversy among lightsaber instructors, due to the drastically different grip taught by Shien practitioners.
Adi Gallia and Nikkos Tyris were two known users of this rarely seen combat form.
Tr?kata was a form of lightsaber combat that is not recognized as one of the seven official forms of lightsaber combat.
Tr?kata was a unique form of combat - so difficult that only a few of the most powerful and skilled Jedi were able to master it. In this form the Jedi would keep the lightsaber in their grasp but would not activate it. The user of this form would then dodge or defend any attacks using the Force. A few highly skilled Jedi could sometimes even launch attacks using the Force in-between their opponents attacks.
A Jedi using this form would wait for the right moment to attack with their lightsaber. When an opening appeared, they would quickly approach their opponent and ignite their lightsaber, stabbing the blade through the enemy's body. Typically, this action would instantly wound or kill the opposing enemy. This technique, while not only difficult to master, was also considered to be a darker form of combat as it took the enemy by surprise and could also be used outside a lightsaber duel to dispose of somebody in close quarters.
Tr?kata is best used during lightsaber dueling. Corran Horn used a technique similar to Tr?kata against the Yuuzhan Vong on occasion. Also, Lord Sidious used such a form against Jedi Master Yoda during their duel in the senate chambers, and while Anakin Skywalker destroyed enemy battle droids around him aboard the Invisible Hand.
Telekinetic lightsaber combat techniques made use of telekinesis in lightsaber combat. Some telekinetic lightsaber combat techniques, like the Saber throw, were offensive, while others were defensive. A defensive technique, called the Saber barrier, was used by practitioners of dual saber combat. It consisted in having the lightsabers whirl in a circle around the Jedi, thus creating a defensive, but deadly, wall.
Kreia displayed the most remarkable form of telekinetic lightsaber combat - having the ability to wield three or more lightsabers in combat, holding each of them aloft with the Force, and having them fight with a will of their own.
Millennia later, Mace Windu would use this exact same ability during the Second Battle of Coruscant, igniting his lightsaber telepathically. While brief, his use of the Force allowed him to unclip and activate his weapon, destroying a Super Battle Droid with one swift stroke.
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