Lightsaber combat/Legends



Lightsaber combat was the preferred style of fighting used by the Jedi and Sith.

The seven forms of lightsaber combat
Each Jedi chose the style of lightsaber combat that best suited him or her. For example, Master Yoda used the Ataru form to compensate for his lack of reach and height; Mace Windu used Vaapad to tap into his anger and employ it constructively (albeit without giving himself over to the dark side); 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. The Jedi Exile was a practitioner of all of these forms, but only excelled to the point of mastery in a few of them. He often used his knowledge of multiple styles to great effect in combat, allowing him to switch styles during fights and confuse his enemies.


 * Form I: Shii-Cho "Way of the Sarlacc" or "Determination Form"
 * Form II: Makashi "Way of the Ysalamiri" 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"

Other forms of lightsaber combat
These forms were not considered a part of the seven main forms, and they may not necessarily be official. Some were systematized methods of lighsaber combat, while others were merely techniques or priniples 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.


 * Form VIII: Sokan
 * Form IX: Shien
 * Form X: Niman / Jar'Kai
 * Form "Zero"
 * Dun Möch
 * Tràkata
 * Trispzest
 * Mounted lightsaber combat
 * Double-bladed lightsaber combat

The unorthodox
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 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 (backhand style) resulting in wide, long swings. This was a personal variation of Form IX, much as Vaapad was Mace Windu's personal variation of Form VII. A variation of this form was used by the leader of the Force-users known as the Jensaarai (the Saarii-Kaar) encountered by Corran Horn. This form was developed by an Anzati Dark Jedi during the Clone Wars, eventually killed by Corran's grandfather. This form holds the weapon like an dagger, with one hand on the hilt and another on the pommel with the blade pointing toward the ground. This style favors one who is quick, combining quick strikes with sweeps at the legs. Horn was almost defeated by this style before distracting the Saarii-Kaar with a mental projection of her master, allowing his wife to stun her.

Dark Jedi Boc's combat style was an unorthodox mixture of the dual saber based Form X 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 Master Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum around the time of the crises of Desann's Reborn and the Disciples of Ragnos. Two members of the New Jedi Order who mastered all three styles were Kyle Katarn and his student Jaden Korr. Katarn, who might well have conceived the three styles, lectured Korr and fellow student Rosh Penin on them already at their first training session.

Maneuvers and marks of contact
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.

Cho mai
A cho mai was the act of cutting off an opponent's weapon 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 sword hand of Luke Skywalker at the end of their duel in Bespin's Cloud City, a favor Luke would return later on. Another is done by Anakin on Count Dooku, only both his hands were removed. Obi-Wan Kenobi did away with two of Grievous' hands in their duel.

Cho mak
A cho mak was the act of cutting off an opponent's limb, such as a humanoid's leg. This was performed by Count Dooku on Anakin Skywalker when he cut off Skywalker's arm at the elbow in during their duel on Geonosis.

Cho sun
A cho sun was the act of cutting off an opponent's weapon arm. Count Dooku employed this technique on Geonosis, when he severed Anakin's arm. Anakin cut off Mace Windu's arm just as he was about to kill Chancellor Palpatine who had been revealed to be Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious. Luke Skywalker also used this during his duel with Darth Vader on the Second Death Star at the Battle of Endor.

Sai cha
A sai cha was the rare instance when a Jedi beheaded his or her opponent. This was often reserved for the most dangerous of enemies&mdash;the ones a Jedi could not afford to keep alive. Mace Windu used this when he defeated Jango Fett in the execution arena on Geonosis. This was also performed by Anakin Skywalker after cutting off Count Dooku's hands aboard the Invisible Hand, quite literally disarming him. Anakin had beheaded Dooku at Chancellor Palpatine's urging, though Anakin immediately regretted his decision. Master Yoda also performed Sai Cha on two clone troopers after Order 66 was initiated. In general, Sai cha was reserved for either opponents that presented a great danger or of droids. In the case of the latter, droids are regarded by most Force-using castes as neither honourable nor dishonourable, with the exception of a few heroic notables. To reinforce this theory, we can view Obi-Wan Kenobi's beheading of General Grievous' MagnaGuard bodyguards on the bridge of the Invisible Hand during the Battle of Coruscant and on Battle of Utapau as evidence.

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.

Shiak
A shiak was the dishonorable act of stabbing an opponent, although it was used differently by Darth Maul when he stabbed Qui-Gon Jinn during their duel on Naboo. It was also used by Darth Sidious (AKA Chancellor Palpatine) on Jedi Master Agen Kolar when Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Saesee Tiin, Agen Kolar, and Kit Fisto went to arrest him.

Shiim
A shiim was a more minute wound to an opponent by the edge of a lightsaber's blade. It was considered inferior and a sign of desperation or struggle against a potent enemy. Count Dooku performed this to disable Obi-Wan Kenobi during their duel in the Geonosian hangar. Luke Skywalker also employed this technique while engaging Vader on Bespin (although this may or may not have been inadvertantly).

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. In carbon-freezing chamber in Cloud City, Darth Vader disarmed Luke Skywalker by spinning his own lightsaber and dislodging Luke's from his grip. Also, on the Ebon Hawk after the Jedi Civil War, the Jedi Exile used the technique to disarm Visas Marr.

Mou kei
A mou kei was an attack used by 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.

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.

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 maneuver as such, 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 passivize enemies without killing them or injuring them lethally.

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.

Behind the scenes
The Fast, Medium, and Strong styles were introduced as different lightsaber fighting modes in the computer game 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 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 encyclopaedic fashion upon acquisition.