Form I/Legends

"It is simple, and its simplicity is its strength."

- Kreia



Form I: Shii-Cho or The Determination Form was the first of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.

History
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. Existing as the simplest form even four thousand years before the Battle of Yavin, Shii-Cho was among the many forms known to the Jedi, including Kreia and the Jedi Exile. Due to its simplicity, it was often the first form taught, so almost all lightsaber duelists include some aspect of Shii-Cho in their swordplay.

Aspects of the style were adapted for the Medium style as well as the Strong style of the New Jedi Order.

Marks of contact
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 their 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. It is done so, because as Kreia commented, Form I is one of the easiest forms to learn, yet still powerful. Their training included learning to deflect plasma bolts from training remotes while being blindfolded or covered up by a practice helmet. Lightsaber instructors such as Yoda and Cin Drallig taught Form I to thousands of students during their Jedi careers.



Kit Fisto was a notable practitioner of Form I, but he could not defeat Darth Sidious with it. Form I is better served against multiple enemies, and one opponent as powerful as Sidious was able to find flaw in it. Obi-Wan Kenobi commented Form I as wild, raw, and deadly, requiring much emotional heat and Kit Fisto noted how hard it was to control the pull of Form I, disabling opponents rather then killing them; 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 form was most effective in situations with multiple opponents and did not offer many techniques for blocking blaster bolts or dueling one lightsaber weilding opponent.

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. Darth Vader used elements of Form I in his variant of Form V.

Notable Form I practitioners
(Note: Due to the fact it was often the first form taught, Shii-Cho was incredibly common and it is likely that almost all lightsaber duelists included aspects and elements of it in their swordplay.)

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Tides of Terror
 * Jedi: Aayla Secura
 * The Cestus Deception
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars
 * Battlefront 2
 * Clone Wars Adventures: Volume 1
 * Star Wars Republic: Show of Force
 * Star Wars: Obsession
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novel