Lightsaber combat/Legends



"You fool. I've been trained in your Jedi Arts by Count Dooku."

- General Grievous to Obi-Wan Kenobi

Lightsaber combat was the preferred style of fighting used by the Jedi and Sith, which was initially based on ancient sword-fighting technique. Throughout the centuries since its creation it developed into seven "classic" forms and numerous other methods. It was difficult to master for a number of reasons, one of them being that all of the weight a lightsaber had was in its hilt. It had been said that only a Force-sensitive individual could completely master lightsaber combat. Each style included its own attacks, parries and stances.

The seven forms of lightsaber combat


Each Jedi chose the style of lightsaber combat that best suited him or her. For example, Grand Master Yoda used the Ataru form to compensate for his lack of reach and height; Mace Windu used Vaapad to turn his inner darkness into a weapon of the light; Count Dooku's practice of the Makashi form fit first of all his intention to frequently engage in lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat, and second his emphasis on class and elegance as well as precision. Jedi learned elements of each form, though few ever mastered all of them.


 * Form I: Shii-Cho "Way of the Sarlacc" or "Determination Form"
 * Form II: Makashi "Way of the Ysalamir" or "Contention Form"
 * Form III: Soresu "Way of the Mynock" or "Resilience Form"
 * Form IV: Ataru "Way of the Hawk-Bat" or "Aggression Form"
 * Form V: Shien / Djem So "Way of the Krayt Dragon" or "Perseverance Form"
 * Form VI: Niman "Way of the Rancor" or "Moderation Form"
 * Form VII: Juyo / Vaapad "Way of the Vornskr" or "Ferocity Form"

The seven forms were not merely swordplay moves, they represented seven different kinds of philosophy. In addition, a lightsaber was not necessary to execute the seven forms: each form could be applied in unarmed combat. Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto had demonstrated such talent during the Battle of Haruun Kal and the Bio-Droid Threat respectively.

Other forms of lightsaber combat
These forms were not considered a part of the seven main or "classic" forms. Some were systematized methods of lightsaber combat, while others were merely techniques or principles of combat applied to lightsaber combat. They were mostly based on other forms, with the exception of Form "Zero", which emphasized avoiding conflict whenever possible.


 * Sokan
 * Shien
 * Jar'Kai
 * Lus-ma
 * Form "Zero"
 * Dun Möch
 * Telekinetic lightsaber combat
 * Trispzest
 * Mounted lightsaber combat
 * Double-bladed lightsaber combat
 * '''Lightwhip combat

The unorthodox
"Stop using the standard attacks, use the unorthodox!"

- Dooku to Grievous

Several techniques fell outside the traditional and practiced forms of the Jedi. General Grievous could employ more varied movements. His attacks were intended to misdirect and confuse traditionally trained sword fighters. Grievous was exceptionally capable of this due to the flexibility of his joints, robotic reflexes, and his many limbs. Only the most experienced and talented Jedi could withstand his attacks. For example, Grievous could hold one lightsaber in each of his four hands, spinning two of them very rapidly in front of him as a shield. Grievous used this against Obi-Wan Kenobi on Utapau, but thanks to the injuries on the General's organ sac by Mace Windu, Obi-Wan managed to overcome this by biding his attack and finally timing his strike through the whirling lightsaber shield.

Another unique lightsaber style was that of Adi Gallia who held her saber with a one-handed reverse grip resulting in wide, long swings. This was a personal variation of Shien, much as Vaapad was Mace Windu's personal variation of Juyo.

Darth Nihilus fought with a rare and mostly unheard of form of Lightsaber combat, using only one hand to wield the saber, and using force attacks in the other.

Dark Jedi Boc's combat style was an unorthodox mixture of the dual saber based Niman & Jar'Kai and highly aggressive jumping attacks directed straight at his opponent. He used this against Kyle Katarn in a duel on Ruusan, but&mdash;with some help from his friend Jan Ors and the Force&mdash;Katarn was able to defeat Boc.

The three styles of the New Jedi Order


In addition to the above-mentioned forms, there were three pace-based styles, probably applicable to all of the conventional and less conventional forms, though each style was more compatible with some forms than with others.


 * Fast style
 * Medium style
 * Strong style

These three styles were taught to the students at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum around the time of the crises of Desann's Reborn and the Disciples of Ragnos. One member of the New Jedi Order who mastered all three styles was Kyle Katarn. Katarn lectured students Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin on them already at their first training session.

The three styles, along with most lightsaber combat skill taught in the New Jedi Order, were based on the principle of the Three Rings of Defense which were introduced very early on in the history of the Order by one of the first students, Kam Solusar.

Marks of contact and Maneuvers
All seven forms of lightsaber combat utilized these ancient terms used by the Jedi for describing the objectives, maneuvers to use, and the various outcomes that could arise out of a fight involving lightsabers as weapons. They could help focus a Jedi’s attacks and defenses on a few clearer categories, rather than diffusing awareness across an infinite number of possibilities in a duel.

Cho mai
A cho mai was the act of cutting off an opponent's weapon-using hand. This move showed that the Jedi using it had the honor to cause the opponent minimal physical damage; it also showed the skill and mastery of the Jedi performing the move to the opponent. A famous example is when Darth Vader cut off the wielding hand of Luke Skywalker at the end of their duel in Bespin's Cloud City, a favor Luke would return later on. A variation is performed by Anakin Skywalker on Count Dooku, in which both his hands were removed with a single stroke. Obi-Wan Kenobi did away with two of Grievous' hands individually during their duel; while Anakin cut off Mace Windu's lightsaber hand during the attempted arrest of Palpatine. Decades later, Luke would sever UnuThul's arm during their duel aboard the Admiral Ackbar

Cho mok
A cho mok was the act of cutting off an opponent's limb, such as a humanoid's leg. This was performed by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Darth Vader, who cut off both of Vader's legs and his remaining organic arm on Mustafar. Luke Skywalker performed it on Hoth against a female Wampa, who would later be appropriately referred to as "One-Arm".

Cho sun
A cho sun was the act of cutting off an opponent's weapon arm. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi performed it thrice, in the bars of Coruscant and Tatooine respectively, as well as in the Clone Wars against Durge.

Sai cha
A sai cha was the rare instance when a Jedi beheaded his or her opponent. Sai Cha comes from ancient words meaning "sperate" "head" This was often reserved for the most dangerous of enemies&mdash;the ones a Jedi could not afford to keep alive. It could also be used on a being that was lethal but not sentient, such as an assassin droid. Mace Windu used this when he defeated Jango Fett in the execution arena on Geonosis, and attempted to use it on Palpatine before Anakin Skywalker intervened. This was also performed by Anakin Skywalker on Count Dooku aboard the Invisible Hand after Dooku's hands were cut off. Yoda also performed sai cha on two clones after Order 66 was initiated. Obi-Wan Kenobi also performed it on a IG-100 MagnaGuard during the battle on the Invisible Hand bridge, and again on another MagnaGuard on Utapau.

Sai tok
A sai tok, frowned upon by the Jedi because of its Sith-like nature, was the act of cutting an opponent in half, usually separating his or her legs from the torso at the waist. It was performed by Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi to defeat Darth Maul in his duel against the Sith Lord during the Battle of Naboo. Qu Rahn executed such a strike years later against the Dark Jedi Maw. Maw survived this event by drawing on his anger, and his disfiguration consequentially made him a prime candidate for the Trispzest form of lightsaber combat. It was also used by Anakin Skywalker against a Geonosian soldier in the Petranaki arena on Geonosis.

Shiak
A shiak was the act of stabbing an opponent. It was used by Darth Maul when he stabbed Qui-Gon Jinn during their duel on Naboo. Count Dooku applied shiak on Kenobi's leg on Geonosis as well. It was also used by Darth Sidious to kill Jedi Master Agen Kolar when a team of Jedi Masters went to arrest him. Jedi usually stabbed in the leg or arm, but a Sith variation of this is to stab through the chest, therefore assuring almost certain death to the unlucky victim.

Shiim
A shiim was a more minute wound to an opponent by the edge of a lightsaber's blade. Depending on circumstance, this could be seen as either a desperation attack or to immobilize an opponent through pain. Dooku performed this on Obi-Wan Kenobi's arm and leg during their duel in the Geonosian hangar, effectively ending their duel in Kenobi's defeat. Luke Skywalker also employed this technique on Darth Vader's shoulder on Bespin in an attempt to slow the furious onslaught of the more experienced Sith Lord.

Sun djem
A sun djem was an attack used by Jedi that disarmed the weapon of an opponent, the objective usually being not to physically harm the opponent. Sun djem is a very diverse sub-form, moves ranged from spinning a lightsaber to dislodge an opponent's weapon to kicking or punching the opponent. In Theed Palace, Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi applied sun djem and sliced Darth Maul's weapon in half&mdash;though the Sith weapon was still able to function with a single blade. On Geonosis, Count Dooku displayed a masterful sun djem by destroying and disarming Anakin Skywalker's green blade at the same time. In a carbon-freezing chamber on Bespin, Darth Vader disarmed Luke Skywalker by spinning his own lightsaber and dislodging Luke's from his grip. In the Duel in the Chancellor's office, Mace Windu used a kick to Palpatine's face to knock the lightsaber out of the hand of the overconfident Sith Lord.

Mou kei
A mou kei was an attack used by the Sith and some brave Jedi that dismembered an opponent through a circular motion of the lightsaber, aimed at the major limbs. The objective was to finish a dangerous opponent. A mou kei strike was used by Obi-Wan Kenobi against Darth Vader during their showdown on Mustafar.

Jung
A jung in lightsaber combat was a 180-degree turn.

Jung ma
A jung ma was a maneuver used by Jedi to perform a 360-degree spin in which power was gained for an imminent attack on the opponent. Anakin and Obi-Wan can be seen using jung ma during their battle on Mustafar. Obi-Wan performed the maneuver again years later moments before his death at the hands of his former student on the Death Star.

Kai-kan
Not a maneuver per se, the kai-kan was a re-enactment of a famous, usually ancient, very dangerous, lightsaber or even sword battle, which only very well trained Jedi attempted to perform.

Sai
A sai was a jump used by Jedi to evade an attack directed at the legs. The Force was the main backbone of the strength, height, and speed at which the jump was executed. The Jedi could then strike downwards, using the fall as a fulcrum for more power. Known uses of it include by Luke Skywalker against Darth Vader during the Battle of Endor, by Anakin Skywalker against Count Dooku at the Battle of Geonosis, and by Mace Windu against Darth Sidious. However, this maneuver is used many times by Jedi Knights all over the universe.

Shun
A shun was a 360-degree turn performed with just a one-handed grip, thus gaining speed for an attack.

Flowing water
The Flowing Water cut was a lightsaber combat technique designed for going blade-to-blade with one's opponent, based on the principle of using the space created when the opponent withdrew their lightsaber offensively to one's own advantage

Falling leaf
The Falling Leaf was an ancient lightsaber combat technique that involved spinning on one's feet to "slash from the sky". It might be related to the jung ma and shun techniques.

Alter damage
Alter Damage was not a combat maneuver, but rather a rare Force power by which the Jedi could inflict minimal damage with an otherwise lethal cut or stab. This was used to pacify enemies without killing them or injuring them lethally.

Saber barrier
Saber barrier was a defensive telekinetic lightsaber combat technique. Designed for dual saber combat, it created a barrier of lightsaber blades by having the lightsabers spin around the saber-wielding Jedi. Kreia used this power against the Jedi Exile in the Trayus Academy on Malachor V, and the Dark Jedi Alora may have used it years later against Jaden Korr.

Saber throw
Saber throw was an offensive usage of the lightsaber, combining Force Push and Force Pull allowing the Jedi to throw their lightsaber at targets in a boomerang-like fashion. It was a common Force power, as it was a good long range alternative to the typical short range lightsaber attacks. Darth Vader used the saber throw against Luke Skywalker in their fight on the second Death Star.

Spinning attack
The spinning attack technique was a trispzest-based technique, mastered by Maw. It consisted in the trispzest-user spinning wildly in the air while lashing out to all sides with the lightsaber, and was highly effective against multiple opponents. Jedi Grandmaster Yoda used it against Darth Tyranus during their duel on Geonosis.

Behind the scenes

 * Peter Diamond created the original trilogy lightsaber choreographies. It was based by a bit of Kendo and fencing. It was Peter who thought about how to hold the lightsaber by two hands.


 * During the prequel trilogy, Nick Gillard was the swordmaster and instructed Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen and the other on-screen duelists through their battle scenes.


 * In behind the scenes of TPM - "Prime of the Jedi", Nick Gillard says, "I wrote them very much like a game of chess played at a thousand miles an hour. And every single move is check."


 * Nick Gillard developed a ranking system for the level of skill and power of each major lightsaber fighter in the Prequel Trilogy to choreograph action-packed sequences in Revenge of the Sith. The fighting prowess of each of the characters were ranked against other Jedi on a scale of 1 to 10. "Obi-Wan is at a level 8, which is where Anakin starts. But Anakin jumps to level 9 -- and the difference between 8 and 9 is enormous. A Jedi can get to level 9, but that's the difference between light and dark. The duel actually gives you quite an idea about these characters, because Anakin has learned the fighting, he's enormously talented -- but he hasn't learned the mental side of it. Knowing all of that from a story standpoint was enormously helpful in choreographing the sequence," Gillard says. The specifics of this ranking system remains unknown.


 * Due to his elderly age and consequent lack of mobility, Christopher Lee was replaced by stunt double Kyle Rowling for Count Dooku's more complex dueling shots. Lee was able to perform some of the moves, particularly the close-up shots. It became how Dooku's characteristic would make him use Makashi in the lightsaber duels.


 * In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas had Ian McDiarmid do most of the close-up shots during his fight between Mace Windu, but doubles were called in for some of the faster, far away shots. The same was done for Samuel L. Jackson as well. However, Ian and Sam had to learn all the lightsaber stunts themselves.


 * The Fast, Medium, and Strong styles were introduced as different lightsaber fighting modes in the computer game Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. The player, in the form of Kyle Katarn, acquires the styles as the game progresses. They also appear in the sequel Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. In the training mission of the sequel game, Katarn tells Korr and Rosh about the advantages of being able to switch between multiple fighting styles. In both games, the styles are described in an encyclopedic fashion upon acquisition.