Form IV/Legends

Form IV: Ataru, Way of the Hawk-Bat, was the fourth of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.

Description
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. Before that, the only known masters of this style were Jedi Masters Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn who were considered to have mastered this form of combat to its highest degree. Other notable practitioners of Ataru were Zez-Kai Ell, 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.

This was one of the more recent lightsaber combat forms developed, developed by the Jedi Knights during the earlier centuries of the Old Republic, around the time of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. It emphasized acrobatic strength and power in wielding the blade, attributes which were frowned upon by many traditional Jedi Knights and Masters. It found a niche among the eager padawan learners of the time, who believed that the Jedi needed to become more involved in rooting out crime and evil and eradicating it. Ataru relies on wide slashes, acrobatic proficiency and an open space for the Jedi to fight. One basis for the acrobatic nature of Ataru is that lightsabers can damage with brushing, light strokes, rather than hard chopping motions



The opening stance for Ataru was 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 briefly, as it fit his flashy, bold and aggressive personality; he would later use those same traits to become a fine Form V practitioner. When Anakin applied Jar'Kai tactics against Count Dooku on Geonosis, his swordplay was actually based on Ataru moves. Because neither Jar'Kai nor Ataru was Skywalker's most effective style, Dooku broke through it easily with a masterful sun djem, forcing the young Padawan to switch back to his standard 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.

Aayla Secura is also a master of this form, according to Jan Duursema, who co-created the Twi'lek Jedi; Quinlan Vos had taught Aayla Form IV. Darth Sidious may have used a Sith variant of this form, which included stabs, thrusts, and wide swings, due to the acrobatics he utilized in his duels with Mace Windu and Yoda respectively, though this is unconfirmed. Darth Maul's fighting style was largely Form VII, but also used acrobatics associated with Ataru to make himself an even more devastating warrior.

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 directions&mdash;from 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.



Because it was such an aggressive style, Ataru did not work well against multiple opponents, and it was somewhat ineffective against blaster fire. This form was also probably not 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 was 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 Kenobi&mdash;after his master's death, he decided to perfect his practice of Soresu, the most defensive of all forms.



Due to its aggressive nature, it is an effective form to use against single enemies; however, it leaves the user open to attacks from multiple opponents; therefore, it is wise to use Ataru in a duel, but not in open warfare. Emotional control is key. Without knowing when and, more importantly, how, to let out one's emotions, one could easily be killed in battle with another.

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 mastered Form IV to its highest level. He used it in almost all of his battles, and his mastery of the style made him a virtually unstoppable whirlwind of destruction despite his small size and advanced age. His 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 flowed 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.

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.

Form IV was one of the most common styles in the Old Jedi Order and was practiced by countless others.

Darth Vader included elements of Form IV, along with Forms II and III in his personalized varition of Form V.

Behind the scenes

 * In the novelization of Revenge of the Sith, Labyrinth of Evil, and Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, Ataru is mis-spelled as Ataro.


 * The name Ataru may derive from the Japanese infinitive verb "Ataru," which means "to hit" or "to strike," which would be in keeping with the form of combat.


 * Due to their small size, Jedi Masters Tsui Choi, Even Piell, and Yaddle were widely believed as Ataru candidates by fans; however, these speculations have not been confirmed by any canonical sources.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novelization