Form VII: Juyo/Vaapad was the last of the seven known forms of lightsaber combat. History Apart from Depa Billaba, I did not allow any other Jedi to study Vaapad - Mace Windu on Vaapad During the era of the Jedi Civil War, thousands of years before Mace Windu created Vaapad, Form VII was wielded by such notable individuals as Revan (in one of Revan's visions during During his amnesia, he adopts the Juyo fighting stance; 4,000 years later, Darth Sidious also used this position), Zez-Kai Ell, Vrook Lamar and Kavar, who could later teach the Juyo technique to the Jedi Exile. Another famous fighter of the Juyo form was the Sith Blademaster Kaz "im, who lived during the New Sith Wars and taught this style to the Zabrak Zirak (and possibly his friends Llokai and Yevra). It is unfortunate, but after a thousand years, much information about the style Juyo was lost, perhaps due to the death of many masters and adherents of this fighting form, but, one way or another, the style was almost out of use. However, knowledge of the Juyo form was preserved among the Sith, and it was this technique that Sidious taught to his student Darth Maul. Count Dooku also had knowledge of the Juyo style, who taught this form of fencing to General Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuardians. Vaapad was developed by Mace Windu based on the surviving information about the Juyo form. Sora Bulk helped Mace in creating the new style, and later Windu taught it. Bulq also taught some elements of Vaapad to Quinlan Vos during his re-training. Unfortunately, neither Bulq nor Billaba could handle the demands Vaapad placed on the minds of his followers, and both Jedi eventually lost their minds. went over to the dark side. With the death of Sora Bulq, Billaba's fall into a coma, and the death of Mace Windu at the hands of Darth Sidious, the Vaapad style likely ceased to exist. Description of Juyo Also known as the Way of Vornskr or the Form of Ferocity, the Juyo style (a word from a higher galactic language) has been considered inferior for thousands of years, considered raw and unfinished. One of the most ancient and complex forms. To begin training, a Jedi had to master several other forms, and most importantly, he had to be especially good at managing his emotions. This is where the pitfalls lay... The Jedi Code teaches - “there are no emotions - there is harmony” (meaning emotional experiences, excitement). Only a certain mindset, strong will, and wisdom can help a Jedi to correctly use the enormous capabilities of Form 7, without crossing the line between Light and Darkness. Juyo is similar to Ataru in that she uses high speed and acrobatic moves. She also uses emotions to enhance her blows and, at the right moment, connects the Force to simultaneously speed up and strengthen the strike. Juyo is a fight in the mood, it takes advantage of the fighter's self-attitude. Combination strikes are designed to disorient the enemy, so they are delivered in combination and often changing the angle of attack. A series can come from the simplest blows, but their sequence, the constant change in the target of the attack, can take even the most experienced master by surprise. A large arsenal of attacks from other forms fills Juyo, and his emotions force him to perform on a new level. Darth Maul used Juyo, but he brought his own fighting skills to it, different from the Jedi. Due to his mastery of the ancient martial art of Teras-kasi, he added punches and kicks to the technique. In principle, Darth Maul used any part of the body to harm the enemy (head, shoulders, knees). Plus, a special fighting spirit and strong emotions gave his style special power. Sith perfectly combined lightsaber and body attacks with Force techniques. Thanks to his excellent reaction, Maul could allow himself not to block the enemy’s blow with the sword, but to dodge/dodge it, thereby freeing the sword to begin his combination. Vaapad How many hands do you see? - Mace Windu The Juyo style has been considered inferior for centuries, which is why it was rarely used. However, it was on the basis of Form VII that Jedi Master Mace Windu created his unique fighting style - Vaapad, named after the deadly predator from the planet Sarapin, capable of moving at the same speed as Windu's sword. In 22 BBY, in a conversation with the Jedi, Palpatine noted that he was familiar with only six forms of fencing, to which Master Yoda replied that there had been so many for many generations, and Windu added that it was he who created Vaapad (it should be noted that in in fact, Palpatine was well aware of the existence of the seventh form, because his own student Darth Maul specialized in the Juyo style). The most difficult of all forms to master, Form VII required the fighter to have extreme concentration, skillful handling of the blade, and mastery of other combat forms. In all of history, only two Jedi managed to fully comprehend this martial art: Mace Windu and his Padawan Depe Billaba. Although Sora Bulk helped Windu in creating Vaapad, he himself was not ready to control the flows of the light and dark sides of the Force generated by using this style, and as a result fell to the dark side. “He did not conquer Vaapad - Vaapad conquered him,” Mace Windu said about Bulk. However, Depa Billaba suffered a similar fate when the mental onslaught of this form, coupled with all the horrors of the Clone Wars, drove her mad. It is noteworthy that shortly before this, Windu noted that Billaba's mastery of Vaapad had already surpassed his own. In a duel on Coruscant, General Grievous managed to copy the movements of Windu's combat equipment and defeat the Jedi Master, but the lack of sensitivity to the Force did not allow the cyborg to truly understand Vaapad. Previously, Grievous was also trained in the Juyo style (at one time, Count Dooku taught him and his IG-100 MagnaGuardians all seven forms of combat). Combat Application No Jedi will study it without my permission - Mace Windu on Vaapad Form VII was based on decisive, seemingly linear movements and the use of complex moves and techniques such as the Force Jump and the "Speed Surge". Fights in Form VII did not have the same spectacle that Form IV had always been known for, because it used Ataru's typical somersaults, spins and other acrobatic tricks much less often, but the technique of performing techniques in the seventh form was much more complex. From the movement side, Vaapad's forms looked free and open, but in reality, every movement of the sword and body was tightly controlled by the fighter. This technique, when used skillfully, made it possible to make your fighting style completely unpredictable for the enemy. The constant alternation of sharp and smooth movements made Form VII's attacks appear incoherent, which misled the opponent. In terms of emotional and physical power, Form VII was close to Form V, but here this power was completely controlled by the fighter. In the hands of a skilled warrior, Form VII became a formidable weapon. Mental Requirements He believed that he had mastered Vaapad. I believe that it was Vaapad who mastered him - Mace Windu Vaapad used the joy of entering into battle, battle rage, which was very close to the dark side. Only Mace Windu was strong enough in spirit not to succumb to his own anger and remain on the light side, so Vaapad was practiced extremely rarely and was considered dangerous for the fighter using it. As stated above, all of Vaapad's other followers (namely Sora Balk and Depa Billaba) fell to the dark side. The Sith Lord Darth Maul, a master of Juyo's form, was already so skilled in the dark side of the Force and so skilled in controlling his anger that he could use this deadly style without any risk to himself. An excellent fighter, Maul was able to defeat several experienced Jedi, including Qui-Gon Jinn. It should be said, however, that Darth Maul concentrated only on the physical aspects of Form VII and that is why in the fights on Tatooine and Naboo he did not utter a word throughout the entire fight. He wanted only a simple physical victory, and not the moral suppression of the enemy in the best traditions of the Sith Dun Moch. However, in reality, Vaapad was more than just a fencing style - it also included a special state of mind and a special technique for using the Force. Vaapad is an aggressive and powerful style like its namesake, but risky: diving into vaapad opens the gate behind which darkness lurks. To use Vaapad, a Jedi must enjoy the battle; a chill must run through his skin with delight. Victorious ecstasy. Vaapad is the road that leads to the twilight zone on the border of the dark side... - Mace Windu about Vaapad Receiving pleasure from battle, enjoying its process - this is the state of mind that a follower of Vaapad should have experienced in battle. Vaapad released the darkness that lived deep within the Jedi, but it also served as a mirror for the dark side energy directed against the Jedi himself. This was the Power aspect of this combat form - Vaapad turned the power of the dark side into a weapon of Light. Vaapad was sometimes described as a "superconducting circuit" with the fighter at one end and his opponent at the other. It allowed him to siphon off the enemy’s energy and turn it against him. In his duel with Palpatine, Mace Windu used his own speed and hatred against the Chancellor. When the Sith unleashed lightning, Vaapad allowed Mace to deflect it back at Palpatine with his lightsaber. However, Palpatine apparently possessed a Sith variant of the Juyo style, which allowed him to fuel lightning by drawing energy from his own pain. Simultaneously embodying the fencing style, the state of mind, and the Power technique, Vaapad possessed truly colossal power. However, harnessing this power required the utmost skill, discipline and, most importantly, purity of heart and soul. Notable Form VII Fighters Juyo Vaapad Behind the Scenes In Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, it is possible to train the player character in the Juyo form. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, it is possible to train a Jedi Knight in the Juyo form if the player chooses the Jedi Sentinel path, or the Sith Warrior if they choose the Sith Marauder path. The description of Luke Skywalker's fighting style presented in the novel The One Power is completely identical to the description of the Vaapad form. This was later confirmed by James Luceno himself. Although Darth Sidious is believed to have been a master of Forms IV and VII, none of the sources speak of his combat form. According to Nick Gillard, Sidious used several forms in battle, so it is possible that he mastered almost all of them, including Form VII. In the novel Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, it is mentioned that the Sith apprentice Sirak possessed the form of Vaapad (which is impossible, since Vaapad was not created by Mace Windu until a thousand years later). “In fact, I had in mind the Juyo style,” says the novel’s author, Drew Karpyshyn, “but I wrote it late at night, and only noticed the mistake when it was already too late. Thank God, now I can correct my mistake. So, when you see the word “Vaapad” in the text, consider it to say “Juyo”. This error was later retracted in issue 92 of Star Wars Insider, where it was stated that "juyo" was the second name for the vaapad (i.e. the animal for which the battle uniform was named). Form VII, along with the other lightsaber forms, appears in Star Wars: Galaxies as part of the moves and techniques available to Jedi characters. However, this appearance was not properly commented on to be considered canon. In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and its sequel, the hero also primarily uses the Juyo form. Ram Kota also uses this form. Based on the example of Galen Marek (a famous adept of the Juyo form, who also mastered the Shien and Soresu forms), it can be assumed that a prerequisite for the successful study of Form 7 is mastery of at least two other forms (not counting Shii-Cho, which is taught at the beginning).
I love long, impressive fights. The first time I realized this was when I was still involved in historical fencing. Perhaps this love was born from the feeling of delight that arose in me from childhood when watching a myriad of Hong Kong action films. J For me, as a spectator and as a participant, often what is much more important is not the result of the fight (be it a sports competition or a demonstration performance), but rather the fight itself, as a way of communication and comprehension. And opponents don’t have to be armed with some pseudo-life-threatening objects: competition at the billiard table can be no less attractive; they don’t have to be masters of their craft: sometimes the thirst for beauty that drives a person from within turns out to be strong enough to compete with the elegance of a master's well-honed movements.After Episode 2 came out, I discovered Star Wars and was amazed at the masterful grace with which the Saga's combat was constructed. This largely determined my interest in Star Wars for a long time. I set myself the task of developing a way to conduct similar, long and beautiful fights with a living opponent, without focusing on staging. The task seemed insurmountable: a long staged battle was one thing, and a long real battle to “win” was quite another. However, practice has once again shown that all you need is desire to achieve a seemingly unrealistic goal.
The mastery of beautiful combat, like any other skill in the art, can be achieved both through a trained predisposition and through hard work on oneself. In any case, the skill is not born out of nothing and requires one or another amount of training, certain skills and concepts explained by someone that will help you develop independently in the future within the framework of your favorite system. I want to dedicate this textbook to telling and showing everything I know about duels with sabers, models of lightsabers, and about the reconstruction of duels in the spirit and style of “Star Wars”. Much of this tutorial is based on two of my previous articles, on the lightsaber and on the reconstruction of fencing techniques, so people familiar with these materials will see a lot of quotes from there. But besides this, the textbook contains accompanying video materials and illustrations that will help you understand the difficult art of subfighting. Enjoy reading!
Chapter 1. The beginning of the beginning.
Sources.
Unfortunately, none of the films in the Saga (neither the Original Trilogy nor the Prequel Trilogy) give full explanations regarding lightsaber fencing, so the main data that can be used is the result of analyzing the movements of the characters in battle while viewing the films in slow motion . Based on this analysis, as well as on the basis of various additional information accompanying the film (such as official encyclopedias), a general basis was developed, from which I later proceeded when developing the sub-fight.In addition, when developing the sub-fight, I tried to glean as much official information as possible from various interviews with Nick Gillard, the director of fight scenes in the entire Prequel Trilogy. For example, in one of the interviews, he stated that there are no “Forms” in lightsaber fencing (which contradicts data from the Expanded Universe). Gillard also said that the technique of wielding a lightsaber was developed by him using a fusion of all known combat systems (various strikes, blocks and stances were drawn from them) and even took a little from tennis (apparently, techniques for correct “beating” were borrowed from there). » blaster shots back). In addition, Nick said that lightsaber fencing was greatly influenced by the characteristics of the fighting actors, not all of whom, it should be noted, are professional swordsmen. In some cases, Gillard allowed (and even forced) the actors to do what they were comfortable with rather than what they thought was right. And this, naturally, could not but affect the final result. And we accept all this experience with gratitude.
The source of various additional (more or less interesting, but not central) data for this textbook was the Expanded Universe (hereinafter referred to as RU), which, in particular, contains systematized information on the Forms of wielding a lightsaber. The main resource was Bob Vitas's Totally Unofficial Encyclopedia, which is deservedly one of the most reliable sources of information on issues related to Star Wars (hereinafter referred to as Star Wars).
With RT, unfortunately, everything is not so simple, so I use it only as an auxiliary, general educational material. If you want to weave it into your subfight (for example, determine which of those involved in what Form follows), use it to your advantage. If you don’t want to, don’t: subfight, as practice has shown, does not suffer from this at all. Most of the data from the RV is often contrived by various authors and hastily sanctioned by Lucas's companies, so the RV data has more than once been both in conflict with the films and in conflict with each other. In particular, in order to avoid these contradictions as much as possible and not present these additional materials in the form of complete confusion, I completely ignore information on Star Wars, gleaned from computer games (the KotOR series, for example).
Lightsword device.
If you want to learn as much information as possible about the lightsaber, then I recommend checking out my article on the lightsaber in Star Wars. There you will find detailed information on history, and just a lot of interesting facts related to lightsabers. What will be given here is a revised and expanded passage based on new information, in which I consider only the structure of the lightsaber itself. This knowledge is naturally necessary for further reconstruction.So, the lightsaber originated from the so-called “frozen blaster beam” technology. Note that the word “ray” is used here and further in a geometric, and not in a physical, sense and is synonymous with the word “segment” and not with the phrase “clump of light”. In the physical sense, a blaster beam is not a beam, because consists of charged matter, and not light at all.
Once upon a time (long before the events of the films), the first models of lightsabers were considered more likely to be siege weapons, because... the size of the handle and the energy pack behind his back simply did not allow him to operate such a weapon at any level quickly. But progress did not stand still, and quickly enough the Jedi managed to seriously reduce the size of the handle and solve the problem with the power source. They were helped to achieve this result by the invention of a new type of energy carrier, a diatium battery, which, with standard sizes, is capable of delivering power ten times greater than the power of a conventional blaster beam (but its cost, accordingly, is significantly higher than that of standard batteries used, for example, in blasters) . There is an opinion among fans (and even among some RV materials) that a diatium battery (and possibly all other batteries in RV) can somehow store plasma in working condition, but from the point of view of our technological level this is impossible. Be that as it may, diatium technology has eliminated the main problem: the presence of an inconvenient external power source and cable. It was from this moment that the history of the weapon that we know as the “light saber” began.
Over the next few thousand years, the technology for making lightsabers has not actually changed, at least, history is silent about specific general changes, and not minor personal adjustments. To create a lightsaber, the following components are required:
- diatium battery;
- hilt (outer body of the sword);
- activation plate or button;
- fuse;
- emitting matrix (emitter);
- recharge socket;
- set of lenses;
- from one to three focusing crystals;
- energy conductor;
- battery insulation;
- wires and terminals for the energy redirection circuit;
- blade length regulator;
- optional ring for hanging the sword on your belt.
After the crystals are completely ready, the actual process of creating the sword begins. All elements come together according to a certain pattern, and the next lightsaber becomes an integral part of its owner, the line separating life from death.
The result of the work is usually a handle with a length of 24 to 30 centimeters, or from 50 to 60 in the case of a staff, from which, when turned on, a stream of energy with a length of one meter to a meter and thirty centimeters bursts out. In a light staff, similar rays erupt from both sides of the handle, respectively. However, the dimensions of the beam sometimes exceed even a meter and thirty centimeters, for example, there are two-handed lightsabers with a blade length of 300 centimeters and two-phase lightsabers with a length switchable between the standard 130 and 300 centimeters. But both of them are extremely rare, and we will not consider them in detail.
Let's look at how a ready-made, assembled lightsaber functions. First, the energy generated by the battery goes to the crystals, where it is decomposed into positive and negative charges. Positive charges are bound into an extremely dense chain of ultra-small proton beams, which have enormous energy potential. Additionally, as the sword is powered up, positive charges gradually charge the emitter, and negative charges charge the lightsaber's outlet (so the blade "grows" gradually as the fields increase). Then, after passing through a set of lenses, the rays, ejected by the positively charged emitter and accelerated by passage through the negatively charged exit hole, are focused outward from the sword to a distance set by a blade length adjuster that controls the strength of the fields at the emitter and at the exit hole. The beams move extremely quickly and powerfully, but are almost instantly pulled back by the negative charge of the sword's exit hole. This creates a very thin arc of light blade, limited in space and creating a powerful positive field around itself. The rest of the “thickness” of the blade is only the result of the contact of the rays and the air around it, nothing more than an optical effect. The returning beam, using a special circuit, is combined with a negative charge and redirected back to the battery, thus recharging it and spending almost no energy on its existence, except for those moments when the blade cuts (melts) something or comes into contact with another light blade. Both upon cutting and upon contact, the energy rays are discharged, producing super-powerful thermal radiation in a small area around them.
To all this I would like to add one comment from myself: people who know physics say that it would be much more logical if the rays consisted of electrons rather than protons. But, unfortunately, electrons are charged with a negative charge, and this contradicts official data.
Now, based on the above text, let’s highlight the facts that are significant for subfight. Please note that, as a matter of principle, I do not indicate here those facts that are related to the lightsaber, but have nothing to do with fencing:
- the light blade has no mass;
- any part of the light blade is a cutting surface;
- the blades of the lightsabers do not slide over each other due to the intermeshing of the discharged rays;
- the arc of the light blade (due to the rapid closed movement of the rays) creates a powerful gyroscopic effect, which makes it difficult for the fencer to instantly change the direction of movement of the sword;
- the light blade reflects not only blaster shots (carrying the same positive charge), but also the blades of other lightsabers, creating a repulsion effect that can only be extinguished by applying significant physical force (natural or acquired through the Force);
- At the moment of contact, the light blade generates such a powerful temperature that even a superficial touch to human skin is enough for a person to receive an extremely painful wound that will not allow him to continue the fight.
Saber.
Saber is a humanized weapon for the reconstruction of lightsaber fencing. This term arose quite a long time ago based on the gradual simplification of the word “lightsaber” ( lightsaber– lightsaber (English)) to its current state. Currently used by virtually the entire Star Wars fandom, it is a common name for a hilt that looks like a lightsaber, into which you can optionally insert a colored blade for battle.Of course, in our world there is no beam generator similar to that of a lightsaber blade, so we are unable to comply with the “complete absence of blade weight” rule. However, through experience and long practice of various groups, standards have been developed that help adequately model a lightsaber in duels.
Handle:
Weight: 400-600 grams.
Length: 25-30 centimeters.
Blade:
Weight: 0-250 grams.
Length: 80-100 centimeters (including the part that goes inside the handle).
However, we note that these figures are not absolutely mandatory. Some people create much heavier sabers (with a total weight of 1 kg or more) and, nevertheless, work perfectly in the subfight system. But such swords have one significant limitation: they can only be used against sabers with the same or fairly similar weight. It is virtually impossible to work with them against light blades: unfortunately, due to their mass, in most cases they simply demolish the enemy’s sword (they do not recoil when touched, but move on by inertia following the retreating enemy’s sword). This does not happen in Star Wars: opponents can enter a clinch (the swords “lock” and move together in one direction or another), but it is virtually impossible to break the enemy’s defense simply with mass and strength. The rebound effect, which we will discuss in detail below, is strong enough that, coupled with the slightest resistance on the part of the defender, it will cause the light blade to abruptly lose the inertia generated by the muscles of the attacker.
In general, the main thing that is required of two sabers meeting in a duel is that their weight be relatively equal and that the balance of both is at least at the exit hole of the saber, and better yet, even closer to the center.
Now a little about the length. You can determine the length of the assembled saber that will suit you specifically as follows: the bottom of the handle of the assembled saber (hilt + blade) should be at the height of your protruding thigh bone or slightly higher if the sword is rested with the blade on the ground parallel to the leg. This length is reasonable for performing various feints and tricks that require turning the sword: if your sword is too long, then you will not be able to perform even the simplest rotation of the sword at hip level - the blade will catch on the ground. Accordingly, you will have to either increase the angle between your body and the sword, or raise your arms higher. Both of these can ultimately make it more difficult to control the sword and severely limit your options.
How to assemble the handle? At the moment, there are already a lot of possible answers to this question. There are about five different ways to create swords: starting from assembling it from various plumbing parts and ending with a full course of manufacturing at the factory. For example, my main saber was made of a polycarbonate rod, onto which a leather decoration was firmly glued, and in which a shaft for the blade was drilled at home. Lead was placed inside the shaft to shift the balance from the blade to the sword's emitter. Several of my other sabers (for the role of Grievous in one of the role-playing games) were made from 30-centimeter sections of light polished metal tube (can be bought at the construction market), on which figured cuts were made to order at the factory. Then plastic tubes of slightly smaller diameter were inserted inside the tubes, completely wrapped with telephone wire (the telephone wire did not provide sufficient strength to the structure, it was necessary to use additional layers of plumbing insulation to strengthen the plastic tube inside the metal one). And blades are still inserted inside these plastic tubes. Both the first and second types of construction provide swords with the necessary lightness, combined with complete ease of grip and control. However, I also know of sabers that are assembled from plumbing parts purchased at markets. True, such sabers usually turn out to be too heavy and are poorly suited for fights with light sabers.
The next important factor is the material from which the blade is created and the “humanizer” (material that softens the blow) on it. In my opinion, the humanization of a saber blade can be left to the discretion of each individual: experience shows that it is not the softness of the blade, but the ability to control it that determines its humanity. However, one of the most successful options, still used by most subfighters, is to loosely wrap the blade with one layer of foam rubber about 0.5 cm thick and two layers of appropriate colored tape. The blade itself must have the following properties:
- be as light as possible;
- small in diameter (no more than 15 mm preferably);
- without edges;
- have a certain flexibility, but at the same time clearly maintain its shape (return to its original state after an impact, and not bend forever).
I would like to add that, in my opinion, you should create two copies of your saber at once: the first will serve as a beautiful belt version (you can install many decorative parts on it), the second will be a combat version (it should not have any unnecessary elements that could hurt your palm).
Two types of rebound.
The concept of "bounce" arose almost two years ago, immediately after writing the article on the lightsaber. It was a continuation of the fact that the energy of the blades of the swords repels each other, and meant "a fairly strong repulsion of the light blades from each other upon any contact." After carefully studying the fights of the First and Second Episodes from this angle, I received answers to some questions that until then had no logical explanation, for example: why at one time or another one of the combatants did not cut into two even slices a completely open (from the point of view of fencing) , for example, a bastard) of the enemy? At that time, there was no Third Episode yet, but after its release it only once again confirmed the existing concept, expanding it with additional information. Driven by my curiosity, I also studied the fights of the Original Trilogy, although George Lucas himself called them the fights of “the old man, the student and the half-machine,” from which one should not ask much. However, the study showed that in the duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader, in slow motion, one combination of three strikes can be seen, made on the rebound, and the remaining strikes of the duel are clinch, which were also included in the subfight system. However, most of the clinch blows of this duel are not visible at all, because There are continuous close-ups of the heroes. In Episode Five, both Luke and Darth Vader use the rebound more than once, combining them with rare clinches, but do not actually use long combinations, constantly separating after short combinations of three or four blows. In Episode Six, there is more than enough bounce to ensure that there is no doubt about its presence in the Original Trilogy, just as there is no doubt about its presence in the Prequel Trilogy.However, despite all the data related to the structure of the lightsaber and the fights in the films, I still sometimes encounter a reluctance to accept this information. Therefore, before starting a detailed analysis of the “rebound” mechanics, I will give a slightly strange, but extremely important argument that speaks for it.
If you don't agree with the rationale behind subfighting, don't agree, but don't give up on the system without trying it out. Unlike all other Star Wars fencing systems I know of, it allows you to quickly learn how to conduct long duels without staging in full accordance with the spirit of Star Wars. Its performance has been tested by a year of regular training by a variety of people. And this, it seems to me, is better than any words. J
Remember that a subfight is a reconstruction of fencing techniques with a lightsaber, a fantastic weapon, and therefore it may require a certain amount of imagination (albeit based on knowledge of the physical principles of the simulated weapon), which, when used correctly, allows you to make fights that are as authentic as possible in that we see in films. If you try to regard the saber as a model of some ordinary sword (that is, equate it with a textolite sword, which models the steel weapons of former times in the current role-playing environment), and you use it exclusively in the same manner as a bastard, sword, katana or a two-handed sword, then, believe me, you won’t succeed in Star Wars. Without a doubt, sooner or later you will learn to fence if you did not know how before. Fast, tough, takeaway and, perhaps, beautiful in its own way. But fight
- in which victory is achieved with one precise touch of the blade,
- which can last up to 40 (or even more) seconds of active work with the sword (without pauses, without waving the sword in the air),
- without preliminary preparation (staging),
- using acrobatics and other spectacular feints
So how do you model bounce? Firstly, in order to simulate this effect and at the same time get as close as possible to the complete weightlessness of the blade, light and thin, but strong and shape-holding fiberglass rods are used as the basis of the lightsaber blade in the subfight. They bend a little, but do not break (in my memory, not a single such rod has been broken yet). When hit, they spring from each other, which allows you to get the embodiment of the rebound effect, so as not to simulate it based only on the imagination. The only way to prevent rebound from these blades is to deliberately suppress it with muscle force.
And in connection with muscle suppression, I would really like to draw your attention to the following. No blade known to man has properties similar to those of a lightsaber. When two steel swords touch, they do not generate such a rebound as in a subfight. With the same masses, a steel sword that moved with high acceleration causes it to lose inertia and pushes away the sword that moved more slowly. At the same time, he himself loses acceleration and either stops or, more often, breaks through the opponent’s defense, passing at least a little further. And most certainly an ordinary sword does not recoil due to the physical properties of the blade (the fencer can retract it himself, but that is another matter). In fact, any steel piercing weapon invented by man is either a pointed/sharpened “club” or a large awl. The technique of wielding most of them is based on breaking through the enemy’s defense or bypassing it through speed and feints. So, in order to engage in sub-fighting, you will have to initially come to terms with the fact that a saber is not a melee weapon and the approach to wielding it is somewhat different. The technique of working with edged weapons, which you may have developed when you were engaged in fencing with textolite weapons or even with sabers, but according to a different system, will help you very little in sub-fighting. As practice shows, having an alternative experience to subfight rather prevents your body from accepting new concepts for it. Only constant practice will help solve this problem, during which you will develop a rebound, teaching your subconscious mind new possibilities for using weapons (which, we note, will be useful to you in the future in other types of fencing). You can, for example, consider yourself to be learning a completely new style of using bladed weapons if it helps you learn the system.
Although I recommend using certain materials for the base of blades, I fully understand that not everyone has the opportunity to find them everywhere. It may turn out that the material of your saber blade in its physical properties will be no different from PCB, and it may bounce no better than one steel bastard bounces off another. In this undesirable case, when learning to rebound, you will almost not feel how this effect occurs, which, as practice has shown, will hinder you: at first you will have to make sure that the blade immediately goes back when it comes into contact with the enemy’s blade. However, it has been verified that after some time the rebound will become a habit, and you will be able to catch it even on textolite weapons (or on bokens, or on ladles - it doesn’t matter). I can only hope that you will immediately start working with a suitable spring blade, and you will not have to waste extra effort forcing your body to get used to the fact that the “club” in your hands can be used in an alternative way.
In any case, regardless of the blade, at first you need to be especially careful that the muscles of the hands gripping the sword do not tense at any point in the fight. You must firmly squeeze only your thumb and forefinger, directly holding the handle, otherwise the sword will fly out of your hands upon impact (during a subfight due to the increase in inertia, such a speed develops that even blows without using muscle strength become very noticeable). If you fix at least one muscle from the wrist to the shoulder, you will begin to more or less suppress the natural rebound that occurs when hitting two blades, but you, on the contrary, need to use it as much as possible to simplify your task, reduce energy costs and increase speed . , which helps to develop correct relaxation of the hand, you can find in the “” section.
At the moment, subfighting uses two quite fundamentally different types of rebound. The first of them is usually called “basic” or simply “rebound”: the comprehension of subfighting begins with it. The second is most often called “mirror bounce.” It is somewhat more difficult to learn, and without a base in the form of a regular bounce, I do not recommend training it.
When using the basic bounce effect, the blade of your saber, after contact, begins to move to where the blade of the enemy’s sword pushed it, plus or minus 30 degrees. Your sword begins to move back if the enemy stopped you with an oncoming block, or continues the movement you were making if the enemy's blade gave you additional acceleration.
Let's look at this theory with more specific examples to make it clearer what we're talking about. The first version of the basic rebound is very easy to imagine: let’s say you and your opponent make two strikes from right to left in exactly the same way (he is from his right side, you are from yours). The blades collide exactly in the middle between you, and at the moment of contact your swords begin to move back, changing their vector of movement to the exact opposite. Of course, you can (and should) make adjustments to the movement of the sword. Without suppressing inertia, but following it, you can slightly change the trajectory of the sword (the same plus or minus 30 degrees), thus weaving a network of your strikes in a duel. These 30 degrees are quite enough to go after the upper blow into the lower one and vice versa, and thus completely cover the entire possible area of the attacked surface.
The second version of the basic rebound is somewhat more complicated. Let's say your opponent leads a horizontal blow from right to left (for him) to your body. If he is not prevented, the blow will reach the torso. However, if you strike his blade slightly from above and, as it were, “catch up” with his blade (i.e. strike from left to right for you), then due to the rebound his blade will accelerate, but will go down, thus passing by your body in the area of your knees, but without hitting you. After this, your sword, following the rebound, will most likely go to the right (for you). The enemy’s sword will describe a full circle and return to the right again (for him), which will allow you to close the swords again without destroying the overall pattern of the fight. The second version of the basic rebound is usually realized with the help of well-timed wrist movements, which allow you to meet the enemy’s blade not with a direct block, but to “pick up” it from the other side.
In order to visualize both sides of the basic rebound visually, look in the “” section.
Now let's talk about specular bounce. This concept is much more difficult to use correctly and before mastering it, I highly recommend practicing the basic bounce to the point where you can use the bounce on any contact of the blades without thinking twice. Otherwise, there is a very high chance that you will perform the mirror bounce incorrectly, knocking down your opponent's sword and violating the principle of the bounce.
Specular bounce is based on the principle: “the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.” That is, after the blades touch, your sword does not begin to move to where the enemy’s sword reflected it, but continues to move in the given direction, changing only the angle of movement. This kind of thing is difficult to explain in words, so, firstly, I will try to give an example, and secondly, I recommend looking at it.
Example: your sword makes a vertical downward strike to the enemy's head, the angle of your blade relative to the ground is 30 degrees, your arms move along your body, rather than moving forward towards the enemy. Introduced? J The opponent places a horizontal block directly above his head. If you follow the basic bounce, then your sword should go back up after the blades touch (or, rather, back towards you, on the spin that goes into the low blow), but when using a mirror bounce, it will go further down, just not towards the enemy, and from him. The mirror bounce, like the basic bounce, does not disrupt the opponent's defense. It is a little faster and requires less free space around, but also requires good skill in working with brushes using the subfight system. If the basic rebound is mainly learned when working with one hand, then the mirror rebound is much easier to master when working with two hands, which will allow you, using exclusively the wrist and elbow bends, to competently redirect the energy of the rebound in the desired direction, without violating the principles of subfight. The most prominent example of the use of mirror bounce in Star Wars is Darth Sidious's technique in Episode Three. It is thanks to the mirror method of moving the blade (and, of course, the ability to dodge well instead of blocking) in a duel with Jedi masters that Darth Sidious gains time to stabilize the sword, which, for example, is necessary in sub-fights and in films for injections. In addition, mirror bounce works great and is often simply necessary at short distances (in the films, for example: the duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin in the room and on the lava platforms).
In general, if you already feel confident enough with a saber in your hands and do not make critical mistakes in the rebound, then you should probably try out the “mirror rebound” technique and decide how much you are going to use it.
General principles.
Rebound is, undoubtedly, the main idea of subfight, on the foundation of which its style and capabilities are built. But there are a number of principles that are common to any type of fencing, and two additional features of lightsabers that definitely need to be highlighted. Let's start with the features.No blades sliding against each other.
Fact one: the light blades do not slide over each other at all. Many earthly fencing techniques are based on skillfully moving around/sliding along the enemy's blade. So this is not in the subfight. If the blades of the swords are closed and held in this position by the opponents (clinch), then no sliding should occur.If you pay attention, in the films one rather complex (as practice has shown) technique is used: one of the opponents suddenly, during a clinch, “tears off” the blade of his lightsaber from the blade of the enemy’s lightsaber, very quickly moves it slightly to the side and cuts the opponent’s hand/hands, while his hands were still on the rebound. So, in particular, it is this technique that clearly shows that there should be no sliding: move the blade back a little, carry it over the enemy’s blade, and place it again. Although, of course, the enemy is unlikely to allow you to do this, and therefore such a maneuver is quite risky and requires considerable skill. J
In principle, accepting the concept of non-sliding is not difficult for anyone, and even during clinches, the error of “sliding” happens extremely rarely, but still, to consolidate the ability to control the movement of the saber along the enemy’s blade, we recommend using an exercise called in the fandom "sticky sabers" See section "".
Gyroscopic effect: inertia and fixation.
Fact two: when a lightsaber is turned on, it has a gyroscopic effect. This effect prevents the swordsman from quickly changing the plane of movement of the lightsaber. We can say that the sword has its own inertia, which requires some effort and time if you try to change it. Two facts follow from this: firstly, the saber should be held with both hands. Beginners tend to switch to one hand when using basic bounce for greater speed and convenience. I think there is nothing wrong with this, because... In films, one-handed work is often used, but at the same time, a two-handed grip should also be trained: this will help in the future when teaching mirror rebounds, clinches and thrusts. Secondly, the gyroscopic effect makes it almost impossible to sharply change the speed of the blade in space. Therefore, the acceleration at the end of the blow, so characteristic of all earthly schools of fencing, is absent in sub-fighting. The blow comes evenly, the speed of movement of the sword is evenly increased and lost. A sharp fixation at the end of the blow to transfer more energy to the enemy’s sword and demolish it should not occur. The same as sudden acceleration, for example, at the beginning of an impact. The resistance of the lightsaber to sudden accelerations makes them virtually useless, because... It’s still not possible to change the speed sharply, but significant effort is spent on this. It is much wiser to gradually increase speed, using the existing inertia and the rebound itself. The difference between a fixed strike, characteristic of earthly schools of fencing, and an inertial strike, based on the reconstruction of Saga duels, is highlighted.Now let's move on to the simpler and at the same time much more time-consuming part: the general principles of fencing. I will not list all the specific exercises that can help you understand these concepts. Firstly, there are many of them, and secondly, they differ in each fencing school, although they teach the same thing. But, remember that practice, regular sparring with real “opponents” helps you understand the concept better than any exercise. And even if you are a beginner, don’t worry: memorize the theoretical information, and practice will gradually turn it into a real shield in battle.
Where to look?
Many different works have been written on how and where to look correctly during a fight, and by the current stage of the evolution of fencing systems, the basic principles have long been clearly defined. The basis of everything is the correct state of the eyes: they must be properly relaxed so that you see the entire battlefield, and not just your opponent. Many beginners make one of the worst mistakes when trying to follow with their eyes the movements of the opponent's legs, arms or sword. Such a technique leads to an unambiguous defeat, since in battle you need to monitor, firstly, the enemy as a whole and, secondly, the entire battlefield.Several centuries ago, Miyamoto Musashi advised looking at the opponent's face with his eyes narrowed a little more than usual. At the same time, they should behave as calmly as possible, and not rush around in vain from side to side. It’s as if you focus your vision on something far enough behind the enemy’s back, and your gaze literally “pierces” him. Such dispersed vision helps you see the enemy as a whole, and note all the features of the landscape around you, which are of great importance for competent movement in space during battle. If you have to face several opponents at the same time in battle, without dispersed vision you will not last even 10 seconds.
The content of the look in the sub-fight is at your discretion. A look in a movie (as in life) expresses a lot and serves as one of the main means of achieving victory in a fight. You can calmly contemplate the enemy, thus forcing him to experience some discomfort from your confidence and security, and show outward tension, bringing out the danger that you want to force your enemy to believe. This decision depends only on your personal aspirations. Just remember that even when intimidating the enemy with crazy eye rotations, you should constantly monitor all his actions, never lose sight of him or the battlefield, and not miss the moment of a possible attack from one of you.
I recommend training your eyes daily so that your vision does not lose vigilance and is tenacious enough during battle. An example of a simple exercise: sit down, relax and start moving your eyes as much as possible up, down, right, left, clockwise and counterclockwise. You should gradually increase the speed of eye movement (speed becomes critical in a fight with several opponents). If your eyes get tired, do the following several times: close your eyes tightly and blink quickly.
In addition, I recommend periodically (especially during sparring) to practice improving the perception of your peripheral vision. To do this, during the fight, without focusing your gaze on anything, try to clearly understand what exactly is happening at the edge of your perception. You can ask other practitioners to help you with this. They will need to perform some actions, and you, without focusing your vision, will need to understand what exactly they are doing, and, in particular, whether this poses a danger to you in battle.
How to keep up?
Reaction is the ability to develop an adequate solution to a problem in a given period of time. This is how I formulate the definition of this concept for myself. Accordingly, the reaction speed in fencing is the speed with which the fencer manages to develop the correct decision. When beginners say, “I can’t block because you hit too fast,” what they really mean is, “I can’t block because I can’t process your shots.”A person's muscles allow him to move such a light thing as a saber with enormous speed if necessary: look how quickly, in fact, novice fencers move the sword in space, trying to catch up with the enemy and have time to close. And the problem of unsuccessful blocks in most cases comes not from the fact that a person does not have time to move the sword to the right place in space, but from the fact that he first frantically figures out where it needs to be moved, and then tries to do it in time. Accordingly, in order to have time to hit and strike, you need to clearly know how to do it, and not think about it every time you hit. The better you know, the less you have to think, the faster you can act.
Rebound greatly helps to develop a reaction in the initial stages of training due to the fact that, according to the subfight system, it is easier for the fencing person’s subconscious to analyze the potential lines of movement of the sword. Their combinations are connected by rebound, and this facilitates the task of primary learning of possible trajectories. As a result, in sub-fighting, faster than in regular fencing, the trainee’s ability to “predict” trajectories and place blocks in a timely and correct manner becomes automatic. I would like to note right away that this does not mean that the person has seriously developed a reaction, and he will now be able to fencing without problems at the same speed using any other system. No. But the first step towards further development of the reaction has been taken.
Reaction speed is perhaps the only thing that can be developed indefinitely in fencing. There is no limit to its improvement, although at a certain point the difference in milliseconds of progress becomes not so obvious to others. However, keep in mind that your reaction speed will vary for different strikes. The reaction speed to common strikes develops faster, but the ability to react to various special strikes, feints and techniques may require considerable strength and additional training.
But the most important thing about reaction speed is that it is almost the only characteristic of a fencer that needs to be developed not through exercise. To train your reaction, you need sparring, regular and, if possible, with different partners. Only in this way will you be able to fully develop the ability to react to blows without thinking about them, to act without thinking, without wasting time on making decisions. And don’t worry, the reaction develops quickly, you just have to realize that trying to understand where the blow is coming from is useless, you just need to know it, be confident within yourself that the blow will come from there. Cultivate this confidence in yourself, and you will feel how easily timely blocks begin to come to you.
The last important point in understanding how to have time to protect yourself is a clear awareness of the fact that you need to place blocks as close to yourself as possible. You don’t necessarily have to hit the enemy’s sword 50-60 centimeters away from you; 10 centimeters is enough to ensure that, after the rebound, the blade of your sword under no circumstances hits you. If you place the block too far from yourself, then you can consider that you are literally inviting your opponent to carefully cut off your arms, which will often be much easier for him to reach than your body. Try to get used to this idea as quickly as possible, constantly reducing the distance of your protection to the minimum possible limit. In the future, for the sake of beauty, you will probably hit the enemy’s sword at a great distance from you (sometimes it looks very aesthetically pleasing from the outside), but first you need to learn how to withstand the blows. When you begin to feel confident with close blocks, begin to gradually expand your sphere of protection back to maximum.
How to move?
If I had to limit myself to a minimum of words and describe the meaning of movement in battle, then I would say this: movement is life. The saber is an extension of your hands. Your hands are an extension of your body. If your body is in the wrong space at the wrong time, you get killed. It's simple...JOne of the main points to understand in the art of movement in battle is the understanding that the sword is not only your weapon. In battle, you, like your opponent, have a weapon and, at the same time, the target area for destruction is your entire body. Arms, legs, head, shoulders - everything can be used to force an opponent off balance, or to simply strike him. But the enemy can also deliver a “fatal blow” to any of these parts of the body. Of course, we will not consider hand-to-hand combat within the subfight system now: this is a separate, complex topic that is described in the next chapter. Now you just need to realize that the sword does not move on its own, that its movements depend not only on your hands. A swordsman must be the master of his body, not just his sword. Without skillful movement, you will not get out of the battle “alive”.
Movement in combat can be divided into two points, which, although interconnected, still do not directly depend on each other: “footwork” and “general coordination of movements.” The concept of “footwork” includes:
- the ability to quickly but accurately both reduce and increase the distance between you and your partner, constantly keeping it in a more favorable option for you;
- the ability to move in such a way as to gain an advantage in using the surrounding landscape and not give this advantage to the enemy;
- the ability to prevent the enemy from striking your legs (without or with unnecessary movement, depending on the circumstances).
With your first action, you have defined your "lunge zone", the limit of distance at which you can reach your opponent without taking extra steps. With the help of the second, you have determined your “standard kill zone”. If the enemy moves beyond your “lunging zone”, he becomes out of reach of your sword. If it is closer than the “standard zone” distance, then you will not have to lunge to reach it with the blade. Please note that these zones extend from you evenly in all directions: during the battle, the concepts of “front, back, left, right” should not be too important for you. In theory, if the enemy is located on the border of your “lunge zone” from you, but behind you and not in front of you, you will not be able to reach him. But you can always quickly turn around to face him without interrupting your network of strikes. Therefore, it is considered that, even if he is behind your back, he is in the “lunge zone” and not outside it.
Now think about it: nature has determined that the taller a person is, the more likely he will have longer arms and legs. In addition, if you remember, we determine the length of the saber from the thigh bone to the ground. One logical conclusion follows from all this: the longer a person is, the larger his “lunge zone” and “standard hit zone.” The result of this conclusion is the fact that a person whose arms and saber are longer in total than your sum of the lengths of the saber and arm is usually very profitable to keep you at the distance of his “standard zone” and not to let you closer to the distance of your “standard zone.” . As a result, the fight, willy-nilly, turns into a kind of dance, where you are trying to reduce the distance, and the enemy is trying to keep it. The ability to do this correctly, in a timely manner and to your benefit is the key to competent “footwork”. In order to develop this skill at least minorly, use. To further develop and consolidate the ability to keep the correct distance, you will need sparring with partners of different heights. It is advisable that you be able to work with partners of all three types: those whose affected area is larger than yours, those whose affected area is smaller, and those whose affected area is as similar to yours as possible.
The next important component of the concept of footwork is the ability to move in such a way as to gain an advantage in using the surrounding terrain and not give this advantage to the enemy. This skill is directly related to how you need to look correctly during a fight: if you do not see what surrounds you, then you will certainly fall into some kind of “trap” in the landscape. If your opponent is driving you backwards into the bushes and you can't see them, then at some point you will find yourself in them. And a second's delay, while your attention is distracted, will be enough for the enemy to deal you one precise blow. At any moment of the battle, you must clearly understand the situation around you and try to use it for your own purposes. If you attack, try to drive the enemy with his back into trees, bushes, and other possible obstacles in the area. They can distract his attention and ensure your victory. If you retreat, do not move back in a straight line, move at least slightly in an arc, as if trying to flank the enemy. Then during the battle you will spin around approximately the same safe spot, despite your constant retreat.
Additionally, terrain can be used to deliberately position yourself slightly below or slightly above your opponent. If you are significantly shorter in stature than your opponent, and at the same time stand even lower, driving or luring the enemy onto a hill, then it will be very convenient for you to go down (crouch) and start striking more on the legs. The enemy's height in this situation will play a cruel joke on him, since he will tower too much above you, and he will have to bend down to maintain an acceptable killing zone. And tilting, in turn, requires fixation of the back muscles, which slows down the speed of reaction and movement of a person.
I have given only two main examples of the use of landscape, but in fact there are many more. Keep your eyes open, and don't be shy to experiment in friendly sparring: this will undoubtedly come in handy in battle. J
The last component of footwork is the ability to prevent your opponent from cutting your legs. If you pay attention, while actively moving around the area, many people tend (at first) to take rather large steps in order to move, as it seems to them, more efficiently (for example, to catch up with a more skilled fencer luring them along). In fact, this leads to only one thing: their legs begin to strongly and openly outstrip their own arms and the sword in them. Guess how it ends? Right! Often, just one well-timed swing of the sword aimed at the shin is enough to inflict a wound on the enemy and thus end the fight with victory. How to avoid this? Very simple. Your legs must be mobile at all times, you must be ready at any moment, as soon as the enemy begins to go down, to either block his blow aimed at your shin, or simply move your legs outside of his affected area, taking at least a step back. Under no circumstances should you freeze tightly in place and pretend to be a stone statue, just as you should not pursue the enemy with leaps and bounds, who is just waiting for your foot to be a little further than the protective zone of your saber. To master this skill, take advantage and remember that the body and arms are not the only areas where you can be hit.
This is where we looked at footwork. Let's move on to a slightly more interesting task and look at general motor coordination. It includes:
- the ability to maintain balance under any circumstances (on damp ground and at high speeds, for example);
- the ability to quickly change body position relative to the vertical;
- the ability to bend the body so that you do not have to block the enemy’s sword (for example, when there is no opportunity to block);
- the ability to evade an enemy's blow without blocking it, and at the same time deliver your own blow.
Next, let's look at the ability to quickly go down and get back up during a fight. As I already said, in the vast majority of cases, unprepared people provide extremely little protection to their legs, so hitting them with one precise blow from a saber to one or another leg is usually not too difficult. This is due not only to the fact that novice fencers do not have a very clear idea of how to block blows directed at them with a sword, but also to the fact that their instincts command them to act as simply as possible: stand straight, protecting the body, and parry blows as best they can. In fact, fencing requires a lot of mobility (even if your fencing style will be very economical in the future) and flexibility. In particular, you will have to learn to easily go down to the ground (sit down, bend down) during a fight and in time (effectively) go up, thus using as much as possible any of your physiological advantages. For agile short people, working close to the ground is one of the main ways to make any opponent with a larger affected area nervous, because by going down, short opponents noticeably reduce the advantage of long-armed people in a fight. But, naturally, this work “on the ground” must be sufficiently competent and timely so as not to become useless and not lead to loss of one’s head in the most literal sense. In order to master the ability to easily switch between the lower and upper positions in combat, I recommend that you try to practice for some time specially designed for this purpose. Please note that it will be equally useful for any fencer, regardless of height, and, in addition, the exercise is of considerable entertainment nature, which is often useful during training.
The last two skills that make up the general coordination of movements in fencing are the ability to avoid the enemy’s sword without blocking it, and the ability to strike back at that moment. These two skills are extremely closely related to each other, so I will consider them together. First of all, I would like to note that this skill is given to different people in very different ways. Some physically trained and even flexible people, for some poorly explainable reasons, never achieve success in this area, while people who are much less in control of their bodies sometimes show miracles of ingenuity both during exercise and then in battle. That is why I strongly recommend that you do not ignore the two exercises ( and ) and try to develop these abilities as much as you can. Sooner or later you will find this very useful, and the reasons for this are very specific. The ability to move away from the enemy’s sword without blocking it gives you unique opportunities in the fight: during the enemy’s strike, your sword remains completely free, which, in particular, can give you time to prepare the correct sub-fighting thrust. The ability to evade the enemy’s sword with a simultaneous counterstrike allows you to create a greater danger for the enemy and force him to also resort to evasion with the body, which, as I said, is not easy for everyone, rather than to defense with the sword. However, it is worth noting that I do not recommend basing your technique only on such techniques: do not forget that in films such feints are used only by Darth Sidious in a duel with Windu, and even then, not all the time. This indicates that this lightsaber technique is not widespread enough in the Star Wars universe, so from a reconstructionist point of view, I advise you not to overuse such maneuvers against unprepared opponents.
How not to cause harm?
I think someone will find such a headline, at least funny or mysterious. How can you learn fencing (or any other martial art) without harm? I, of course, would like to say that it is possible, but this would not be true even in matters of subfight, and I will completely remain silent about other types of martial arts. Despite the significant humanization of the blade in sabfight (in comparison, for example, with the blades of “wooden katanas” or bokken), any hits to the fragile human body can lead to injuries of one degree or another. Both for you and for your opponent. One of the classic examples of self-injury during subfighting is a “well-aimed” blow to oneself on the kneecap with a blade moving in spin at a very decent speed. And about the fingers beaten off by beginning subfighters from those who teach them, legends have long been made.I have no doubt that among the readers of the textbook there will be people who will say: “Are these really injuries? Well, your fingers are broken... So it’s your own fault, you don’t need to substitute it” - and in some ways they will undoubtedly be right. In particular, there is really no need to expose yourself to attack under any circumstances. However, it is worth noting that subfighting is still not such a simple art. It requires both gradual training and a gradual transition from awareness of the saber as a club to awareness of it as a model of a lightsaber. So, it is precisely during this period of changes in awareness, in tactics, in skills that a person manages to beat off a lot of other people’s fingers on his way. Not at all because he knows how to accurately, accurately and gracefully cut off the enemy’s fingers, but because he waves his sword at random, often straying into a simple twitch of the blade in front of him in an attempt to defend himself from the precise blows of his partner. As a result, most often, beginning subfighters hit their fingers at the moment when their partner has already landed a neat, successful blow on them, and the fight is, in fact, already over. But the newcomer has already jerked sharply, trying to defend himself, and, despite the fact that he failed to defend himself, he brings his fast and most often biting blow to the target a fraction of a second later than his partner. As a result, the partner is hurt, but not because the blow was good, but because the rules of the fight were unwittingly violated. This problem, first of all, arises due to the fact that the beginner simply does not know where and how to place the sword, which I have already mentioned. But, besides this, its source, leading to injuries, is fear and the inability to control the speed and direction of movement of the sword. And if the ability to control a sword is not so difficult to understand, then the issue of fear is much deeper. In order to clearly hold your blade, stop it in a timely manner and soften, thus, blows even at high speed, refer to. In order to cope with the fear that pushes you to make sudden movements, you will have to spend a considerable part of your first training time on forcing yourself to do what your mind refuses to do. For example, turns (see sections "" and "" in the next chapter) or provocative open stances (Windu's famous "airplane" when he spreads his arms to the sides and seems to remain open to attack with impunity for a while, even if this is not So). Things like this break down the barriers of fear of the unknown and allow you to get used to the fact that there is essentially nothing to be afraid of. That, in essence, all this is being done for the sake of great general pleasure from recreating the beloved Universe, and not at all in order to beat someone painfully. J
And to make life easier for people who teach, we have recently introduced a relatively rule in our training according to which it is forbidden to hit the sword from the fingers and below. That is, you can hit the emitter (and in theory this counts as a victory), but below (starting from where your fingers hold the handle) - no. The fact is that for some reason in the films there is only one example when a blow hits the sword (Dooku cuts off Anakin’s emitter), although in classical fencing it is often much easier to hit the sword fingers than to cut off the hand. The explanation for this was invented on the basis of the official fact that the diatium battery has a gigantic charge, which, if used incorrectly, leads to a powerful explosion. It was decided that if it hit the fingers or the bottom of the hilt, “there would be an explosion” that would kill both the one holding the lightsaber in his hand and the one who carried out such a clumsy blow (note that Darth Maul Obi-Wan makes the cut light stick exactly in the place between the batteries, without affecting either them or important circuits). The explanation, of course, is fictitious and has no official evidence, but it saves your fingers and does not contradict the realities of the films at all, so I recommend not to abandon it. J
Who to train with?
I would say that one of the most important keys to proper training and self-study in any type of fencing is the correct selection of partners for sparring. As you understand, throughout your life you will have to deal with a variety of people in the field of fencing. You will probably see some of these people in battle for the first time in your life. And if you are not fully prepared for this, then your chances of one or another victory in the fight will begin to rapidly decrease. In addition, due to the feeling of uncertainty, during these clashes you may suddenly start using tactics that are not at all the ones you were trained in and strikes that are far from the subfight system. It's quite natural and understandable: you're faced with a stranger who could potentially hurt you, and you need to deal with him, preferably without hurting him too. And thoughts involuntarily begin to pop up in your head that friendly sparring is one thing, and a direct combat clash is quite another, in which “all these inventions, like, a rebound” simply will not work. In fact, if you sparring correctly, you simply won’t feel any difference from a combat encounter. The key to correct sparring is two equally important points: 1) conduct sparring with people who differ in their physical constitution as much as possible; 2) do not forget to at least periodically conduct “take-out” training sparring sessions.With the first point, I think everything is quite clear. If you want full-fledged training, find people of at least three different types: 1) almost identical in size to your affected areas; 2) a person shorter than you by at least half a head (possibly younger); 3) a person at least half a head longer than you (perhaps more physically developed). These three types of people are quite enough for a full training, but I recommend following the rule: “The more people who are relatively equally prepared in matters of subfighting train with you, the better.”
The second point, apparently, also does not raise any special questions. Because subfight is a fencing system focused on long take-out fights, then, accordingly, without training take-out fights, all study of the material will be useless. By “takeout fight” I don’t mean just a training fight where we strive to learn something, work slowly to understand our mistakes, etc. I mean a fight in which you go up against an opponent whom you want to “kill” as quickly and brutally as possible. This requires a certain amount of imagination. You can, for example, imagine that you are showing a duel between a Jedi and a Sith in a field game. Or that you are starring in a duel of some fan film. Let's just say that your goal (as well as the goal of your “opponent”) is to work yourself up as much as possible so that the battle is as close as possible to the real one in terms of conditions. It is in such a battle that you, along with your partner, will be able to fully evaluate your mistakes and shortcomings, so that you can then carefully work on them.
In addition, do not forget: if you work with the same partner for a long time, you can get used to his style and after that develop a certain clear series of blows, which you will begin to use. As a result, you yourself will limit your capabilities and become fixated on certain combinations, which will deprive you of mobility and variety, both in the fight with this opponent and in all other fights.
What about the performances?
Since we are talking about imagination, then, of course, I cannot help but mention productions, the idea of creating which attracts the attention of a considerable number of Star Wars fans to fencing. It has long been a known fact that various fencing groups regularly arrive at some kind of free-form fighting that is more akin to kendo or bastard work than Star Wars bouts. At the same time, representatives of these groups quite rightly talk about the extreme nature of their staged battles. This problem was one of the most important in that complex of problems, which at one time pushed me to search for a fundamentally different approach to solving the problem, an approach that would allow me to create battles in the style of “Star Wars” without staging, on the go, imagining and creating. A solution was found, and gradually it transformed into a full-fledged subfight system. As the sub-fight developed, it gradually became clear to me why the option is so incorrect when the combat system actually has nothing to do with the result in the form of productions. In such productions, no, no, some absurdities slip through when the question arises: “Why didn’t you kill him?” They arise due to the fact that the combat system does not teach those involved in the combat skills that the production requires. As a result, when creating a performance, people begin to improvise, try to go beyond the limits of the system they were taught, choose strikes based on beauty and do not have time to pay attention to the effectiveness and correctness of the general scheme of the fight. I'm not saying that you need to start staging only when you have mastered all the peaks of subfighting. No, not at all. Productions generally have a very beneficial effect on the morale of everyone involved in a particular system. It’s just worth approaching them seriously only when the subfight with all its endless variety of possibilities becomes clear to you, when the rebound no longer raises questions (whether because the materials of the Expanded Universe will convince you, or because you just like the result). At this point, having started work on the production, you will perforce view it as just another duel and therefore take into account questions such as:- How not to get exhausted during continuous production?
- what feints should be done so that they do not seem forced and stupid to the viewer?
- what speed and distance should be the main ones in a fight so that it looks harmonious when performed by these two people?
Rotation of the lightsaber.
If you've just watched the movies, you're probably expecting to see a lot of interesting information in this section. Unfortunately, she is not here. J There are two reasons for this.The first reason is the difficulty of explaining in text alone how to perform a particular rotation, so all the explanatory and accompanying material on rotations that I was able to provide can be found in the exercise chapter, along with specially slow-motion video examples.
The second reason: in Star Wars duels, sword rotations are not used nearly as actively as one might assume when watching films. The feeling of having a large number of rotations is mainly created by the smooth trajectories of the sword, which in the subfight system are manifested to the same extent due to the rebound. Practice shows that there is no time rotation to use in battle, and therefore they remain beautiful gestures and a demonstration of skill. They are usually performed at the beginning of a battle or in rare moments of spending with a partner and, of course, in role-playing games when parrying blaster shots. The only people who actively use sword rotation in films are Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in Episode One, where their fighting style includes frequent turns in place while simultaneously rotating the sword to strike. Such a rotation with a lightsaber (360 degrees) has its official name: “shun” (see “Official names of techniques” and). It can be successfully woven into the fight to one degree or another without the risk of paying for an inappropriate distraction from the main task. In addition, for use in combat, I recommend learning the following rotations: “figure eight”, “reverse eight”, “figure eight with two swords” and “reverse eight with change of hands”. You can find these rotations and the technique for performing them in exercises and.
In addition, you will undoubtedly be interested in and, in which you can find more complex rotations, which are rarely used in the heat of battle, but with them, as I said, you can, for example, start a fight.
Variety of fencing styles.
As you develop basic skills and develop new ones within the sub-fight, you will gradually begin to develop your own unique fighting technique. You should not be afraid of this or think that it is wrong. Against! Subfight is designed precisely to push people to develop the technique that is most convenient for them, taking into account their height, weight, general flexibility of the body, arm length, length of the saber, and so on and so forth. In this, as I said earlier, we follow the tradition expressed by Nick Gillard: you should first of all try to work in a way that suits you, and not in a way that suits someone else. The degree of readiness of your subconscious to accept new material largely depends on this: if you do something you don’t like, if you force yourself unreasonably, it will be of very little use.Over the course of a year of training, I had the opportunity to observe a fairly large number of people of various types, and each of them, in the case of regular training, literally after 5-6 training sessions, began to manifest their own specific style, both in movement and in sword control. Naturally, all this does not mean that technical errors can be attributed to “personal style.” Mistakes are still mistakes, and they need to be corrected promptly before they become a habit. But, for example, the amount of use of vertical movements (standing up and squatting) in battle, the variety of strikes, the number of turns, stances, feints, the use of one or another type of rebound - all this is at your discretion. By setting your personal accents, you determine your future style of fighting. Of course, it will change somewhat depending on who exactly you have to fight with, but the same basis will still be preserved.
So far, I have seen both how people successfully try to imitate various characters seen in films, and how people develop their own, unique techniques. For example, one of the practitioners moves in a manner very similar to that used by the magna guards from Episode Three, except that he fights with a saber rather than a staff. He relies primarily on speed, a large number of turns with the sword extended in front of him, wide strikes that do not let the enemy get close, and a very clear ability to catch a rebound at any speed in any plane. All this gives him the opportunity to use his own style, which, to put it mildly, not everyone can use. Another subfighter, for example, successfully strives for a technique reminiscent of the Obi-Wan style of the Prequel Trilogy. However, as he trained, he went from the wasteful manner of Episode I Obi-Wan to the high-speed manner of Revenge of the Sith Obi-Wan. I have also seen those who are trying to master a style of working low to the ground, using a large number of energetic movements that seriously confuse the enemy. Of course, this is not yet Yoda's style, but it is by no means demonstrated by 900-year-old Jedi masters. J
In general, try to find what is closest to you, most to your liking. And if you want to see some examples of what this might look like, then take a look at the final exercise (in the "" section), which simply presents several different techniques without further explanation.
Chapter 2. Let's complicate the task.
Difficulties of reconstruction.
We all know that Saga's fights are an incredible combination of duration and speed of combat, and, of course, we understand perfectly well that this is only the result of long-term work by the actors, the fight director and the special effects specialists from ILM. J But, trying to simulate similar battles in real time, without staging, we are sure to encounter various difficulties associated with the restrictions that the harsh reality around us imposes on us. As a result, you and I are forced to fight like ordinary people, and not like superheroes from a movie who have the Force, we are forced to find solutions to existing problems in some simple ways that are accessible to any person. For example, no matter how much we want, we cannot, by turning our backs or closing our eyes, predict where and in what form the enemy’s next blow will come, unlike the force fighters who have such capabilities. But in the previous chapter, we sufficiently examined the concept of “rebound” to understand how it gives us, ordinary people, the same ability to “predict” as the heroes of Star Wars. However, some of the other complex maneuvers that we see in the films have not yet been revealed. Let's look at each of them in more detail.Turns.
One of the biggest obstacles for many beginning subfighters is the lack of readiness and fear of making a full 360-degree turn during a fight. The fear of getting hit in the head with a sword when your back is to the enemy is quite understandable and natural, but... unjustified. In Star Wars, turning occurs extremely often; moreover, the subfight system, as practice shows, often leads to the need to perform movements that are simply not feasible without turning. Rotation, in particular, allows you to take the inertia of the rebound even on a block that is inconvenient for you, use it to accelerate your body, and then transfer it to another, safer and more convenient plane to deliver an effective and spectacular blow. And at the moment when you are in a turn with your back to the enemy in the vast majority of cases (at least if the enemy is working on a basic and not a mirror bounce), the enemy has approximately the same chance of hitting you as you have of hitting his. Why does this happen? The most important factor is, of course, that when you go to turn after the rebound, your opponent’s saber also goes somewhere else, observing the rebound rule, so, in theory, he is not a threat to you at all. However, all subfighters sooner or later find their own ways to hit a person either before he completes a full turn and can defend himself, or, even worse, to hit him immediately after the turn. How does this happen? The fact is that most people who strive to make regular turns do not think at all about how to do them correctly and without harm to themselves. I will name two of the most common mistakes made:- during a turn, a person either remains in place, or goes sideways, or moves forward (the latter is not a mistake only if he goes into a turn from an active attack);
- at the end of the turn, the subfighter pauses his saber, trying to orient himself, or goes into an unsafe stance.
- perform a turn at any time without preparing for it for three strokes;
- keep a distance that is convenient for you, at which the enemy will not have time to hit you, even if he manages to catch that you have started to make a turn;
- first move your legs, then make the sharpest, fastest turn possible (if you are working at maximum speed);
- turn your head to follow the sword, and your body to follow your head, and not vice versa (you should try to see the enemy the entire time you turn, although for a fraction of a second you will still turn your head, but this fraction should be minimal).
The second mistake is easier to correct than the first. Firstly, as I already said, in order for it not to occur, your head must turn as quickly as possible. Then you will see the enemy at the beginning of your turn, and in the middle, and at the end, losing sight of him for a completely minute time. This will give you the opportunity to get your bearings and correctly assess the enemy’s possible “aggression” and allow you to close correctly. Secondly, at the end of the turn, do not freeze in place. If you freeze every time at the exit of a turn, stand in a stance, etc., then already the second or third time your opponent will begin his strikes somewhere in the middle of your turn, so that at the moment of your second fixation he will injure you, rounding your stationary blade. Check out how to properly make a variety of turns.
Acrobatics.
I have to admit that I personally don’t actually know acrobatics. Unfortunately, I noticed the incredible somersaults too late and at the moment I can only properly perform the simplest of them. In addition, I personally attach almost no importance to acrobatics within the framework of the reconstruction of Star Wars fencing, and the main reason for this is that it is almost never used in Star Wars. Yes, the heroes of the Saga make incredible jumps over the enemy’s head, but in any case this will remain beyond our human capabilities. So the only serious acrobatic maneuver in the entire Saga is Darth Maul's butterfly in Episode One. Not too much, right? However, the basic subfight course includes an initial concept of acrobatics, which, if desired, can be developed into something more serious and intense. Check out the two simplest maneuvers in if you are interested in this topic. If, after mastering these simple movements, you have a desire to master more complex techniques, then I can recommend that you seriously take up the Brazilian martial art of capoeira. As far as I know, it will give you an essential basis for the serious and complete development of your acrobatic talents.Injection.
The piercing technique is one of the most effective fencing techniques with weapons of the “bastard sword” and “one-handed sword” classes. The saber is a bastard sword, and therefore one of the most common questions that newbies ask is: “Why shouldn’t you stab?” In fact, it is necessary to prick, and injections are a mandatory part of subfight training, but in no case should you rush with them, they should be treated with caution. There are two reasons for this.The first of these is the high risk of injury from injections (especially for girls). Since the thrust is applied with the very tip of the sword during a sharp forward movement of the hand, due to inexperience you may not have time to hold it. If, for example, you do not slow down the tip hitting the solar plexus in time, then you will end up with a suffocating partner on your hands. It's unlikely that you want this. J Be sure to soften the edge of the blade with a layer of foam rubber to mitigate damage in case of an accidental puncture.
The second reason is the specificity of the lightsaber itself. You probably noticed that in films, injections are extremely rare, and I, for example, remember only two of them most vividly: the one with which Palpatine begins the battle against the Jedi who came to arrest him, and the one that Palpatine inflicts closer to the end of the duel with Windu. Please note that both times, before making a thrust, Palpatine buys himself time and space, stabilizes the sword, pulling it back and holding the tip towards the enemy, and only then, with effort, smoothly picking up speed, pushes it forward. All this is connected with the fact that the arc of the light blade creates a gyroscopic effect, which makes the lightsaber tend to move along a once given trajectory and which requires strong hand tension for any sudden change in the vector of this trajectory. Therefore, preparing a thrust requires either moving the sword into a position in which you often remain not very protected, or skillfully continuing your movement (turning, for example) and using the inertia given by the rebound to reach a correct thrust within the subfight. In fact, once you have learned to feel the bounce without thinking, and basic bounce is no longer difficult for you, you can try adding thrusts to your technique. Remember that the sensations that arise in the body when performing an injection are no different from the sensations that you experience during simple, cutting blows on the rebound: the same feeling of using inertia, not resisting it, but using it. You will find examples of how injections can be implemented in.
Clinch.
The term “clinch” in subfighting means that opponents keep their light blades in contact for a relatively long time. But how can the blades be kept close to each other if, according to the laws of the Universe, the blades must repel? Clinching often raises similar questions, so I will try to analyze their methodology in as much detail as possible, so that you do not think that the concept of rebound and clinch contradict each other: in fact, they complement each other, creating the entire spectrum necessary for fencing in the style of Star Wars opportunities. First, remember the description of the properties of the lightsaber: “the lightblade reflects not only blaster shots (carrying the same positive charge), but also the blades of other lightsabers, creating a repulsion effect that Can repay only by applying significant physical strength (natural or acquired through the Force).” That is, by applying significant muscle force, significantly exceeding the force required, for example, for pushing or demolition in earthly fencing, it is possible to hold, reduce (but not ignore!) the rebound. A striking example of this is Luke in Episode Six, who strikes blow after blow at the sword of Vader, who fell on the bridge, but breaks through his defense, despite all his aggression, only after six consecutive blows from a full swing that occurs on the rebound after each of the blows. If the blades of the lightsabers had the properties of ordinary earthly swords, then only two such blows would have been needed to end the battle: the first would have knocked down Vader's sword, the second would have immediately cut off his hand. The rebound has sufficient force of its own that it would be impossible to ignore it completely, even if one wanted to. If the enemy seriously wants to offer you resistance, then, regardless of his physical form, it will be enough for him to at least somewhat fix his muscles in order, together with the repulsion energy of the light blades, to prevent you from pushing through his blade without significant aggression and the use of force on your part. In addition, in films, force fighters anticipate those moments when the enemy is going to hold the sword, and not take advantage of the speed and inertia given by the rebound, but, unfortunately, no one reports such things to us, ordinary people, during the battle. JOf course, in an effort to reconstruct, we were unable to discard the concept of the clinch due to the seeming impossibility of implementation (we couldn’t agree before the fight with each opponent about the strength of the blows and the time when the clinch occurs), because clinch happens quite often in films. To meet this challenge, a relatively simple system was invented that allows for clinching without disrupting any other Star Wars fighting concepts. This system looks like this: if your opponent takes a sharp step, much faster than the main rhythm of the fight, in your direction, trying to reduce the distance to an absolute minimum, this means that he is trying to initiate a clinch. The presence of such a system allows you to receive, during a fight, on the move, clear information about which version the enemy will now strike: on a rebound or in the form of a clinch. It, of course, requires a certain habit, which does not develop immediately, but fortunately, it is not so scary: even if you do not catch the clinch at first, the opponent (who is quite fluent in the rebound) usually manages to react to the departure of your blade and replace his clinch with a rebound .
At the moment, within the subfight we are trying to use two types of clinch. The first of them is extremely simple and well known to all Star Wars fans: the blades close together in the middle between the opponents, and the opponents simply begin to press on each other with muscle force, trying to move the opponent’s sword to the side.
It is this version of the clinch that is quite popular in various productions and fan films, because makes it possible to place opponents facing each other, to show crossed swords between them and the expressiveness of faces (depending on the skill of the actors) at this moment.
The second type is less obvious, and it is not always possible to understand that it was a clinch that just flashed on the screen, only in the active version. In the second version, the blades of the lightsabers close, however, after this the movement is not interrupted and the opponents do not press their entire mass on each other. Instead, they perform some kind of feint associated with the active movement of blades (and the fencers themselves) in space, ending with spreading the blades to the sides. Typically, such maneuvers are accompanied by various turns or evasions, which look very exciting on the screen. It is this type of clinch that some viewers, while watching at standard speed, mistake for demolitions (knocking the enemy’s blade to the side with a strong or sharp blow), which, in fact, do not exist at all in Star Wars. The difference between demolitions and active clinches is very simple: during a demolition, immediately after the blade hits the blade, the attacked blade breaks away from the attacker and rushes in the direction where the attacker pushed it, after which the attacker either tries to “catch up” with the attacked one, or freezes in place, at the point collisions. This does not happen in Star Wars fights: in any case, the blades either diverge on the rebound, or stick to each other, after which they either freeze in place, as in the first option, or move together, controlling each other.
A lot of the most beautiful feints from Star Wars are based on the second type of clinch. To perform them, you will have to master this skill quite fluently and not be mistaken as to whether the opponent is initiating a clinch or is simply trying to reduce the distance between you. Fortunately, this will not bring anything to your fight other than an unsuccessful feint, most likely it will not even break the rhythm of the fight.
To master clinching, study , which demonstrates how the clinch system works, and remember to periodically review , which provides a basis for performing the second type of clinch.
Reverse grip.
The reverse grip is not used in all styles of earthly fencing, if only because, for example, holding a sword with a reverse grip is pointless. J Personally, the only weapons I can think of that are adapted for a reverse grip are the gladius and the katana. Nevertheless, almost every subfighter sooner or later (especially during sword rotation exercises) has a desire to try out what it’s like to hold the sword with a reverse grip, when with the arm hanging freely along the body, the tip of the sword looks not forward, but back. And then the realization comes that with a reverse grip on lightsabers, everything is far from being so simple and objective. Unfortunately, no one uses a reverse grip in films, so it is not possible to analyze data from Saga. In this regard, when the question arose: “How to do this?” – I tried on my own, starting from the basic concepts of subfight, to find a working solution.The first truly amazing discovery on this path was the fact that in subfight, unlike earthly schools of fencing, the reverse grip is not at all the dominant, aggressive style. The reverse grip in subfighting is a defensive technique. This unexpected fact is due to the fact that, subject to the concept of a rebound, the reverse grip provides a very significant advantage in defense, seriously reducing the ability to carry out simple, slashing attacks. In defense, it allows, through minimal labor costs, by moving the saber within the protective triangle (bottom right side, bottom left side, top center) and slightly tilting the blade in one direction or another, to quickly and effectively close against any, even the most extraordinary attacks enemy. But at the same time, the same rebound very tightly binds the attacking abilities of the reverse grip. You may be aware that the main advantage of a reverse grip in earthly fencing is associated with a change in the muscle group used to strike with a sword, which gives the blow additional power and punching force when using a reverse grip: it is much easier to knock down the opponent’s defense when gripping with one hand if the grip is reverse, not direct. So, the physical properties of lightsaber blades completely devalue this advantage, because physical strength, as we have already made clear, helps almost nothing if a whole series of blows is not carried out, but going into an inertial rebound after delivering a blow with a reverse grip, as practice shows, is quite inconvenient. Because of this, a person who fights with a reverse grip in subfighting will have to do a lot of twisting and bending of his body in not the most convenient variations if he wants to not only defend himself, but also try to attack.
This unexpected conclusion and the limitations associated with it led, after some development, to a second discovery: with a reverse grip, it is still possible not only to effectively defend, but also to attack relatively effectively. To do this, you have to use a completely brain-breaking technique of holding the sword with the tip forward, that is, in order to defeat the enemy, you will have to deliver not chopping blows, but piercing blows with a reverse grip! A similar technique of using a reverse grip exists, as far as I know, only in subfight, where, as practice has shown, it looks extremely harmonious. In order to understand the basics of attacking and defending with a reverse grip saber, check out.
"Use of the Force" and "hand-to-hand techniques."
In contrast to the reverse grip, the issue of Power and hand-to-hand interactions between fencers has been studied for a long time and closely in all currently existing groups of SW fencing, so I will not reinvent the wheel and will simply share the developments available to date.The use of the Force and the use of hand-to-hand techniques are united by one important factor: both of them have to be left imaginary and unreal when modeling. We cannot use the Force (lightning, Force strikes, strangulation) due to the fact that we do not possess the Force, and we do not use real hand-to-hand techniques, because, for example, a full-fledged elbow strike to the eye area can deprive a person of vision. So to speak, “you don’t want to take risks.” J
In this case, we turn to common sense and boldly follow the well-worn path of experience of actors participating in combat film productions. As you understand, they also do not control the Force and are not too eager to break each other’s faces. At least in front of the camera. In this regard, the following modeling rules have been introduced in the subfight:
- All blows with fists, legs or head are made without touching, that is, the fencers only mark the blows in such a way that the opponent sees them and demonstrates the result to the best of his abilities;
- All pushes of the opponent (elbows, shoulders, hips) are contact, but with special care: it is better to push easier than to drop a person’s head on a stone cobblestone;
- Trips are done just for show, but if the enemy suddenly couldn’t jump over your trip and contact does happen, you don’t need to actually trip him so that he falls to the ground: leave the speed and accuracy of the fall to his discretion;
- A power strike is modeled by a sharp thrusting (pushing movement) of the palm towards the enemy (as if you are stopping him) without touching, after which the enemy, at his own discretion, “flies” four meters back, pretending to lose his balance, but is not at all obliged to fall;
- Lightning is modeled by slowly putting both hands forward, palms down, with fingers spread out (perhaps slightly curled at the same time), and the subsequent trembling of the hands, as if they are being shaken by energy surging outward; sometimes a version of lightning with one hand is used (with a saber held in the other hand), but this is a legacy of computer games, which I do not trust;
- Defense from lightning is played either as a Power Strike, by placing your palm/palms forward, as if you are absorbing the incoming energy, or by placing the sword in front of you, as if you are absorbing all the energy on the blade (in this case, an ostentatious fight is possible, as in the Windu / Darth Sidious situation). If the protection is not set, you fall to the ground and begin to convulse, as if from electric shocks;
- Choking is performed by placing one hand, slightly bent at the elbow, towards the opponent’s throat and bending your fingers as if you were trying to hold something close in size to a plum between your thumb and forefinger. The opponent, without releasing the sword, grabs his throat with both hands, stands on tiptoes and begins to allegedly choke. Both of you can't move.
Two lightsabers.
Fencing with two sabers is an area not covered in too much detail by films. In the entire Saga we only have two clear examples of this style: Anakin in Episode Two and General Grievous in Episode Three. However, about the first of them it is known that Anakin then knew very little about the technique of two swords and simply hoped that the two swords themselves would give him some kind of advantage in battle. In the second case, everything is complicated by the fact that we are not shown the style of two lightsabers as such: we see four and three swords. Grievous only has two swords left at the end of the fight, and he does not have time to use them. In addition, one should not lose sight of the fact that Grievous’s arms have unique capabilities: they can bend and twist relative to the forearm in any way that we mere mortals cannot. Despite all this seemingly small amount of information, after some research and a series of training, the conclusion was formed that even this is quite enough.You've probably wondered why Anakin, for example, doesn't block Dooku with one sword and strike with the second? The answer, naturally, lies in the repulsion of the light blades. The fact is that when rebounding, two lightsabers have to be moved completely differently than is customary in earthly fencing, in which there are really only two effective and worthwhile ways to use two swords against one opponent:
- or blocking an enemy’s blade with one of your swords while simultaneously striking back at an unprotected part of the enemy’s body;
- or striking the enemy from both sides simultaneously.
To prevent such “horror” from happening, the technique of the two sabers was created on the foundation of two fundamental skills: mirror rebound and sequential / joint movement of sabers. Everything you need to know about mirror bounce has already been said, and I recommend learning the dual lightsaber technique only when you can achieve mirror bounce without any extra thought. It will be very useful to you so as not to get confused in your own swords. Well, and accordingly, so that both of your sabers do not simultaneously go in different directions relative to you, depriving you of protection, the blades need to be moved either together (both of your blades always move parallel to each other at a short distance and, thus, almost simultaneously hit the blade of the sword enemy), or sequentially (when two of your swords at the same time never appear in front of you at all: one of them always leaves so as not to interfere with the action of the other). Moreover, in principle, nothing is required to control two swords, except rich imagination and the ability to spin well in place and in motion (sometimes this is simply necessary).
The only reliable way to defend against two swords at the moment is recognized to be a deep defense, mixed with a very clear concentration on the enemy as a whole. If you concentrate on one of the enemy's blades or try to keep up with switching your attention, the battle will end very quickly not in your favor.
To visualize a subfight of two swords against one, look.
Lightstaff.
Many Star Wars fans are impressed by the polished professional grace of Ray Park, who played Darth Maul in Episode 1, and many aspiring subfighters are eager to start working as a lightstaff as quickly as possible, not fully understanding the full range of difficulties that await them along the way. . The fact is that the technique of fencing with a light staff is adapted to a much greater extent for battles with two or more opponents. Darth Maul, when fighting with Qui-Gon, does not activate an additional light blade for nothing: it only gets in the way in the battle against one enemy. However, I will not try to dissuade you, and if you really want to work with a light staff against one opponent (and this also applies to working against two), try not to forget the following things. First, as you study the lightstaff's bounce, you'll immediately realize that the mutual leverage of the two blades is not that easy to use, and the lightstaff is constantly trying to cut you, not your opponent. Train, try to change the position of your body according to the situation and wisely change the vector of inertia of the movement of your light staff, so as not to harm yourself. Secondly, to work with a light staff, you need to master fast and harmonious turns well, unless, of course, you want total monotony of strikes. Thirdly, you, like an untrained opponent, will have to get used to the fact that you have two blades and not one. I have seen more than once how people take a light staff and begin to try to fencing with it in the same way as with an ordinary saber. Naturally, this doesn't work. J Unfortunately, my only recommendation on how to learn this is this: regularly train with opponents of different builds. Fourth, I strongly advise you to learn as many different sword spins as possible. Rotations with a light staff are usually very impressive and pleasing to the eye, adding extra spice to the fight. And fifthly, you should undoubtedly master the acrobatics and hand-to-hand combat of subfight as much as possible (add Force interactions to taste), otherwise you are guaranteed to be powerless against the same mirror rebound: the enemy will not be able to hit you, but you are unlikely to be able to get past for his quick defense.For an example of lightstaff fencing, refer to. But keep in mind in advance that the light staff technique has been practiced at the Moscow Subfight Club quite recently.
Two or more opponents.
In the Prequel Trilogy, we saw three battles where one character fought simultaneously with two or even more opponents:- Darth Maul vs. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in Episode One;
- Count Dooku vs. Obi-Wan and Anakin in Episode Three;
- Darth Sidious versus four Jedi Masters in Episode Three.
In the first two cases, the ability to hold the enemy directly depended on the appearance of additional, extraordinary possibilities for using a lightsaber: duality, curvature. If you wish, you can come up with several more ways to achieve a technical advantage over the enemy (for example, in RV a sword was mentioned that could change the length of the light blade on the move and make it three meters long), but all of them do not matter to us. Why? Because technical advantage is just one possible type of advantage. In the case of Darth Sidious, we see an example of incredible personal skill, and this is what I focus on when learning how to work with multiple opponents. Personal skill is just as necessary for mastering extraordinary technologies, which you often have to learn on your own, because originality very often requires the absence of teachers, otherwise it becomes too common and ceases to be originality. However, the concept of personal mastery is too vague, too non-specific, to strive for it in general, rather than something specific. The points below are characteristics that can and must be developed endlessly, achieving the very skill that allows you to go beyond the limitation of one-on-one combat:
- the ability to perfectly control the space around you: clearly know the location of all objects, the advantages and disadvantages of any natural obstacles and slopes;
- the ability to see all opponents at the same time: feel the direction of their blows, accurately calculate the distance to them, without looking back at each opponent, but looking as if into nowhere;
- the ability to move and place the sword so that the light blades of opponents interfere with each other to a greater extent than threaten you: knowledge of individual feints, the ability to correctly use clinches and rebound in your favor;
- the ability to instantly identify the “weak link”: to understand which of the opponents is weakest, who needs to be “get rid of” first, so that he then does not interfere with dealing with those who are stronger, because even an accidental blow can be successful;
- the ability to correctly assess one’s strengths and not to hang around under the opponents’ noses, if it is wiser to break the distance and force the opponents to split up.
Exercises “from and to”: video materials.
To view videos, you need QuickTime version 6.0 or higher installed.Exercise No. 1: wave.
Before you start learning strikes, you need to learn how to properly hold a saber in your hand. First, notice in the illustration below: the sword is usually held by the thumb and forefinger, with the other fingers just for added control.
Second, learn the wave exercise video below, which promotes the relaxation of the arm muscles necessary to resist the muscle's rebound.
Exercise #7: Basic bounce with translation and rotation.
Turning is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. Never forget that, in principle, a person always remains slightly open when turning, which allows a skillful opponent to cleverly take advantage of his advantage. You can deprive him of this advantage only by performing these turns correctly. This video exercise examines the correct order of movement of body parts during a turn and shows examples of how to correctly carry out certain turns directly in combat.
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Exercise No. 8: “figure eight”, “reverse eight” and “eight with two swords”.
From simple to complex. If you have studied shun, then it’s time to learn a few more equally simple rotations, among them: “eight”, “reverse eight” and “eight with two swords”.
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Exercise No. 9: reverse figure eight with changing hands.
A reverse figure eight with a change of hands begins like a regular reverse figure eight, but at the moment when the saber is to your left and held in your right hand, and at the moment when the saber is to your right and held in your left hand, you transfer it from one hand to the other. Learning this is not so easy, but the video exercise is designed to help you with this by revealing the technology for performing the feint (I recommend watching it frame by frame if difficulties arise). The main thing is to make sure that the hand receiving the saber is always close to the hand giving the saber - this way you will avoid many technical difficulties.DOWNLOAD VIDEO IN *.MOV FORMAT
Exercise #12: “sticky sabers.”
This exercise will teach you how to hold swords without sliding the blades against each other during clinches and during combat. If you want to make this exercise more difficult, try to hit your opponent while moving the swords without breaking the contact of the blades or sliding on the opponent's blade.
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Video No. 13: clinches.
This video demonstrates clinches made without staging, on the move, using the subfight clinch system. Note that in a regular fight in training (where there is no “camera” effect), the speed and smoothness of their execution is usually higher. If you have not yet read the “” section, then do not forget to do so in order to understand the system by which the fighter manages to understand that the partner is about to enter the clinch at the moment of the fight.
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Video material No. 14: comparison of fixing blows and fencing with inertia.
This material helps to visually indicate the difference between strikes with a fixation at the end, which are common for any earthly type of fencing, and inertial strikes, on which subfighting is based.
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Exercise No. 15: distance control.
This exercise provides an opportunity to lay the foundation for the ability to maintain the correct distance between you and your opponent. To begin, determine your standard hitting zones with your partner. The one with the larger standard hit area will take steps backwards (one step at a time). The one who has a smaller standard damage zone will simultaneously take a step forward. The retreater's goal is to get out of the attacker's kill zone, but at the same time leave him in his kill zone. The goal of the attacker is to prevent the retreater from doing this, but at the same time not to come closer than necessary to hit the retreater’s torso with the very tip of the saber blade.Cortosis Forearms allows you to learn how to quickly and effectively change the level of your movements from high to low and back again. In particular, such freedom of movement gives a sharp increase in the number of possible variations of your attacks on the enemy.
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Exercise No. 19: dodging with a return strike.
Dodging with a counter-strike requires a lot of practice and dexterity. But in battle it often turns out to be simply irreplaceable. This should not be considered some kind of deception or feint, but I would not recommend abusing this technique against people who are not familiar with it. It was not created to deceive (it is impossible to deceive a force fighter in battle, you can only surpass him in the art of combat). It is designed so that you can use all the resources of your body and threaten your opponent even when, in his opinion, you should be blocking his blow.
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Exercise No. 20: sword control in attack.
Control of your sword is the key to avoiding injury in your training. Believe me, no one wants to heal broken fingers, fix broken glasses and rub bumps on their forehead. For all its humanity, a saber can still hit a person quite painfully, so if you have not learned to control your sword, other subfighters may refuse to spar with you: meaningless pain interferes with the pleasure of doing what you love, and it comes mainly from inability or from excessive cruelty.
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Exercise No. 21: acrobatics.
In the sub-fight, acrobatics, as in the Saga films (not counting incredible jumps with the help of the Force), are used extremely poorly, so there are no colorful examples here. If you're particularly interested in acrobatics, don't forget about capoeira: this martial art can greatly help you reach your potential.
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Video material No. 22: feints.
This video shows a whole range of different difficult feints performed with the help of a saber. I strongly recommend that you deal with each of them on frame-by-frame viewing (despite the slow speed of performing these feints while recording the material). These feints, as I already said, are quite ineffective in a real fight and therefore it is almost impossible to find something similar in Star Wars. Nevertheless, it is always nice to make such a beautiful feint before a fight. In addition, mastering these feints undoubtedly has a very beneficial effect on your overall ability to control your body.
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Video No. 23: reverse grip.
This technique was developed relatively recently and at the moment has been mastered by only a couple of people, so the reverse grip is used quite little in subfighting. Let’s just say that this style is not for everyone: it is not to everyone’s liking and not everyone finds it easy.
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Video material No. 24: two lightsabers.
Two lightsabers in a subfight is not the simplest technique, but it is by no means so difficult if you have at least sometimes tried to shift the sword from your right hand to your left (if you are right-handed, of course) and develop it little by little. I myself prefer the sequential version of working with two lightsabers, but, as I already said, this is just a matter of convenience and habit.
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Video material No. 25: light staff.
Unfortunately, at the time of filming this material, I could not find a single person who works well with a light staff and loves this style, so I had to take on this difficult work myself. Don't ask for too much, I just tried to provide an illustration of the concepts that were described earlier in the textbook. J
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Video No. 26: two or more opponents.
As I already said, a battle with two or more opponents in a subfight is separate, Very not simple art. At the moment, I don’t consider myself a skilled enough subfighter to do such things in such a way that I myself would say: “Good and very good.” However, you can find several examples recorded specifically for the textbook in this video.
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Video material No. 27: examples of fights.
The last video material in the section is a compilation of several fight videos. Let me remind you: there are no productions, everything was filmed at once and without preparation. And please keep in mind that the people were pretty tired at the end of filming (we filmed for six hours straight), so some movements were slower than usual, for example, during training or in battle in role-playing games. We tried our best... J
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Afterword.
There will be no long parting words or final words, because... I am not a master at such speeches. J I love Subfight because it makes me feel one with the “deadly” movements flowing through the arms and legs of the martial art dance intended for the heroes I love. And other people also like this system: it brings smiles to their faces and a desire to continue studying, despite the weather or personal troubles in life. However, the most important thing that motivates us all to come to Subfight every week is that we do what gives us pleasure, and do not turn this holiday and relaxation into work for ourselves or others. I do not engage in subfighting in order to become a great swordsman or to “understand the secrets of the Force,” although I do not consider these goals shameful or unworthy, I do it because I enjoy the world of “Star Wars” and from communicating with people who do this they share passion with me. Perhaps this is too little. Perhaps too much. The main thing is that as long as I meet people who, without taking their eyes off them, absorb every movement of the characters, every turn of the sword, brought to screen perfection, and who want to share with me the joy of a duel not only of body, but of spirit, I will I will be pleased to take my saber out of its case and again plunge, albeit briefly, with them into the world of my beloved Saga, the Saga of Wars among the Stars...Appendix A. Terms and slang used in the textbook.
- “Subfight” is a fencing system created on the basis of a reconstruction of the martial art of wielding a lightsaber from the Star Wars universe.
- “Lightsaber” is an abbreviation for brevity and convenience from the phrase “lightsaber.”
- "Saber" is an arbitrary term to refer to the lightsaber reconstruction model.
- “Rebound” is the main concept of subfighting, allowing you to create great fights.
- “Clinch” - combining the blades of swords and fixing them relative to each other to crush the enemy or perform a feint.
- “Expanded Universe” (EU) – all materials on “Star Wars” except for six Episodes and the animated series “Clone Wars”.
- “Forsovik” is a force user, a creature in contact with the Force.
- "Original Trilogy" (OT) - The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth episodes of the saga.
- “The Prequel Trilogy” (Prequels) – The First, Second and Third episodes of the saga.
- “ZVshnoe” is a characteristic that denotes the closeness of a particular thing (this or that concept) to the concepts and stylistics of the ZV.
Appendix B. Officially known stands: photographs.
Stances make a huge difference in lightsaber combat. They extremely expressively convey the philosophy and mood of the combatant. All people are aware of this information on a subconscious level, which can be decisive in the outcome of the fight. But the gradation of racks is a voluntary matter, so I will not insist on any of the possible options in order to avoid discussions, but will simply provide illustrations of the variety of racks that I was able to discover on the Internet.
Appendix B. Forms of fencing.
As stated earlier, the main style division that the Expanded Universe offers is the division into different Forms of lightsaber wielding. All of the following information on Forms is taken from the Bob Vitas Encyclopedia. Let me remind you that Nick Gillard does not accept this division.Form 0
This Form was originally defined by Jedi Master Yoda to describe Philanil Bux's lightsaber technique, but it later became the basis of lightsaber swordsmanship. The easiest way to define Form 0 is the art of wielding (in the broadest sense of the word) a lightsaber that never has to be turned on. The implication of this description cannot be ignored, although it seemed rather stupid to many Padawans. To protect and serve the galaxy, a Jedi must know when to ignite his sword for battle and when to leave it hanging at his belt. A full understanding of the situation in which a given creature finds itself is the key to knowing what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, all students who recognized the need for Form 0 and used it to find a solution that did not involve violence were truly close to the Force.Form 1
This technique, also known as "Shii-Cho" and "idealized form", was the simplest technique of lightsaber combat. It was studied by the Jedi Knights of the Old Republic and, in general, was considered the first technique used by the creators of the lightsaber themselves. Form 1 was characterized by the use of wide horizontal side strikes and blocks with the blade pointing vertically upward to deflect the opponent's blade during side attacks. If the attack was applied from top to bottom and was aimed at the head, Form 1 suggested simply turning the sword into a horizontal position and correspondingly moving it along the up-down axis. Form 1 defined all basic attack and defense techniques, kill zones, and basic drills. In films it is used by: Kit Fisto.Form 2
This ancient technique, also known as Makashi, was developed at a time when pikes (spears) and staves (staves) were still common in the galaxy. Form 2 combines fluidity of movement and anticipation of where the strike will be struck, allowing the Jedi to attack and defend with minimal effort. Despite the fact that many Jedi historians consider Form 2 to be the pinnacle of the art of lightsaber-versus-lightsaber combat, it virtually disappeared when blaster weapons became widespread throughout the galaxy, giving way to Form 3. In the films, it is used by: Count Dooku.Form 3
This technique, also known as Soresu, was developed by the Jedi Knights when blaster weapons finally became the main weapon in the criminal environment. Unlike Form 2, which was designed to work against lightsabers, Form 3 was much more effective at deflecting and protecting against blaster fire. She places an emphasis on good reflexes and fast movement, both sword and body, in space, which allows her to cope with the blaster's rate of fire. At its core, it is a defensive technique that expresses the Jedi philosophy of "non-aggression" while effectively reducing insecurity in the body. Because of this, many Jedi (especially those who practiced Form 3) realized that this technique required maximum contact with the Force. After Qui-Gon Jinn's death by Darth Maul's sword, many Jedi abandoned the open, acrobatic style of Form 4 and began to study Form 3 in order to minimize the risk of injury from the enemy. In films it is used by: Obi-Wan Kenobi (starting from the Second Episode).Form 4
This technique, also known as Ataru, was one of the newest lightsaber techniques. It was developed by the Jedi Knights in the final centuries of the Old Republic. Form 4 relied on the potential for acrobatics and the power inherent in the blade itself, and many conservatives among the Knights and Jedi Masters viewed this approach with some displeasure. Ataru was most popular among the impatient Padawans of the time, who believed that the Jedi should become more involved in the fight against crime and evil. This technique was also practiced by Qui-Gon Jinn, but his death from Darth Maul's sword demonstrated its main weaknesses: the low level of body protection and the difficulty of using it in a confined space. Only Yoda, in particular due to his small size, achieved such speed in Form 4 that he actually provided himself with complete protection from his opponent's attacks. In films it is used by: Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn.Form 5
This technique, also known as "Shien" (or "Djem So" - see "Controversy" below) was created by a group of Jedi Masters of the Old Republic who believed that Form 3 was too passive and Form 4 lacked power. They criticized the weakness of these two techniques, in which the Jedi Master can, of course, become absolutely protected, but at the same time he himself will not be able to do anything to the enemy. One of the many unique aspects of Form 5 was the development of techniques to deflect blaster beams back at an opponent. Many Jedi Masters have disputed the validity of Form 5's philosophy, arguing that it places undue emphasis on harming others. Others, however, argued that Form 5 was merely a way to "achieve peace through superior firepower." In films it is used by: Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader.Form 6
This technique, also known as Niman, was one of the most advanced lightsaber techniques. During the Battle of Geonosis, Form 6 was the most common form among the Jedi. It was based on the average use of Forms 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Many Jedi Masters called it a "diplomatic technique" due to the fact that Niman's followers used their knowledge of political relationships and negotiation techniques (along with the power of their own perception) to achieving the most peaceful solutions without bloodshed. Many of the Jedi who were really good at Form 6 had spent at least 10 years studying the above four Forms. However, many masters considered such actions a waste of time, believing that such a high level of fencing skill would not be required for the battles of that time. But among other things, it is mastery of Niman that is the first step to understanding Jar-Kai, the technique of using two lightsabers. In the films, Nieman uses: Most of the dead Jedi in the Geonosis arena.Form 7
This technique, also known as Juyo, was the most demanding technique developed by the Jedi. Only after learning several other Forms can a Jedi begin his journey to understanding Form 7. It required such combat training that even the training itself brought the Jedi very close to the dark side of the Force. Jedi Master Mace Windu studied Form 7. To become a master of Form 7, a Jedi had to use vigorous movement and kinetic strikes. Form 7 uses overwhelming power and a series of moves that are not logically connected to each other, moves that constantly deny the opponent the normal ability to defend himself. In the films it is used by: Darth Maul.Vaapad
This technique was developed by Mace Windu with the participation of Sora Bulk shortly before the start of the Clone Wars. It was named after the animal "vaapad" from the planet Sarapin, whose tentacles move with such lightning speed that it is virtually impossible to follow them with your eyes. Vaapad is a combination of aggressive maneuvers and is classified as Form 7. Even the training in Vaapad is so close to the dark side of the Force that it was forbidden to anyone except Jedi Masters. For Master Windu and his disciple Depa Billaba, Vaapad was not just a fencing technique: for them, it was a state of mind in which the fighter, in order to defeat the enemy, opened himself to the Force so completely that he absorbed power from both the light and dark sides Strength. Vaapad uses the joy of entering into battle, a battle rage that runs very close to the dark side. This technique requires enormous concentration on the paths of the light side, keeping its follower on a fine line. Sora Bulk, like Depa Billaba, could not stand the demands of Vaapad and fell to the dark side. In the films it is used by: Mace Windu.Sokan
This technique was developed by the Jedi Knights in ancient times. She combined the kinetic movements of Form 4 with tactics that allowed for increased mobility and dodging ability. Invented during the Great Sith War, the Sokan relied on quick movements and flips combined with quick lightsaber thrusts to target the enemy's vital organs. Battles in which participants used the Sokan technique were often fought over a fairly large area, because the opponents constantly tried to put each other in the most vulnerable position.Jar-Kai
Jar Kai is a technique of using two lightsabers at the same time. When working in this technique, one of the swords is used for attack, and the other for defense. However, both swords can be used to create more complex attack maneuvers. Master Maruk said that those who practice using two lightsabers usually soon become over-reliant on their weapons. Many Jedi tried to study Niman in order to master the art of Jar Kai, but only a few succeeded fully.Trakata
This technique of lightsaber combat was used by literally a couple of the most powerful boosters. When using this technique, the booster grips the lightsaber in his hand, but does not activate it. Using the Force, he moves and defends against enemy attacks, waiting for that one moment when he can quickly turn the sword on and off, bypassing the enemy's defense and hitting him. This technique is incredibly complex and requires great mastery of the Force.Other
There are several other, more specific Forms. For example, the technique of General Grievous, which comes from his unique ability to rotate his arms in different planes and an additional pair of arms. Also possessing a unique technique is Edie Gallia, who actually fights in Form 5, but at the same time holds the sword with a reverse grip.Lightsaber- a very versatile weapon, with unique lightness and the ability to cut in any direction. It can easily be wielded with one hand, but Jedi have always been trained to wield the sword with both hands and with each hand separately, in order to be prepared for any situation. In the early years of the weapon's history, when the Sith were numerous, the art of lightsaber dueling flourished. In later periods, the Jedi rarely encountered an enemy with a weapon capable of repelling a lightsaber strike. Self-defense against blasters and other energy weapons was taught to them early in their training. While a skilled Jedi could use his sword to deflect a blaster shot back at his opponent, non-energy projectiles (bullets, for example) were simply completely disintegrated by the blade.
Jedi were trained to use the Force as a link between a fighter and his weapon. Thanks to this connection with the Force, the blade became an extension of their nature; he moved instinctively, as if he were part of their body. The Jedi's harmony with the Force resulted in almost superhuman agility and reaction, manifested in the use of a lightsaber.
Since the invention of the lightsaber, the Jedi have developed a variety of styles, or forms of combat on lightsabers, responding to the unique characteristics of the sword and its connection to its owner.
Forms of fencing
Form 0
This Form was originally defined by Jedi Master Yoda to describe Philanil Bux's lightsaber technique, but it later became the basis of lightsaber swordsmanship. The easiest way to define Form 0 is the art of wielding (in the broadest sense of the word) a lightsaber that never has to be turned on. The implication of this description cannot be ignored, although it seemed rather stupid to many Padawans. To protect and serve the galaxy, a Jedi must know when to light a sword for battle and when to leave it hanging at his belt. A full understanding of the situation in which a given creature finds itself is the key to knowing what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, all students who recognized the need for Form 0 and used it to find a solution that did not involve violence were truly close to the Force.
Form 1
This technique, also known as "Shii-Cho"(Shii-Cho) and "idealized form", was the simplest technique of lightsaber combat. It was studied by the Jedi Knights of the Old Republic and, in general, was considered the first technique used by the creators of the lightsaber themselves. Form 1 was characterized by the use of wide horizontal side strikes and blocks with the blade pointing vertically upward to deflect the opponent's blade during side attacks. If the attack was applied from top to bottom and was aimed at the head, Form 1 suggested simply turning the sword into a horizontal position and correspondingly moving it along the up-down axis. Form 1 defined all basic attack and defense techniques, kill zones, and basic drills. In the films, Kit Fisto uses it.
Form 2
This ancient technique, also known as "Makashi"(Makashi), was developed at a time when poles and staves were still common in the galaxy. Form 2 combines fluidity of movement and anticipation of where the strike will be struck, allowing the Jedi to attack and defend with minimal effort. Although many Jedi historians consider Form 2 to be the pinnacle of lightsaber versus lightsaber combat, it virtually disappeared during the galaxy's widespread use of blaster weapons, giving way to Form 3. It is used by Count Dooku in the films.
Form 3
"Soresu"(Soresu), was developed by the Jedi Knights when blaster weapons finally became the main weapon in the criminal environment. Unlike Form 2, which was designed to work against lightsabers, Form 3 was much more effective at deflecting and protecting against blaster fire. She places an emphasis on good reflexes and fast movement, both sword and body, in space, which allows her to cope with the blaster's rate of fire. At its core, it is a defensive technique that expresses the Jedi philosophy of "non-aggression" while effectively reducing insecurity in the body. Because of this, many Jedi (especially those who practiced Form 3) realized that this technique required maximum contact with the Force. After Qui-Gon Jinn's death by Darth Maul's sword, many Jedi abandoned the open, acrobatic style of Form 4 and began to study Form 3 in order to minimize the risk of injury from the enemy. In the films, Obi-Wan Kenobi uses it (starting from Episode Two).
Form 4
This technique, also known as "Ataru"(Ataru), was one of the newest lightsaber techniques. It was developed by the Jedi Knights during the last centuries of the Old Republic. Form 4 relied on the potential of acrobatics and the power inherent in the blade itself, and many conservatives among Jedi Knights and Masters viewed this approach with some dissatisfaction. Ataru was most popular among the impatient Padawans of the time, who believed that the Jedi should become more involved in the fight against crime and evil. This technique was also practiced by Qui-Gon Jinn, but his death from Darth Maul’s sword demonstrated its main weaknesses: the low level of body protection and the difficulty of using it in a confined space. Only Yoda, in particular due to his small size, achieved such speed in Form 4 that he actually provided himself with complete protection from his opponent’s attacks. In films it is used by: Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Sidious.
Form 5
This technique, also known as "Sheehan"(Shien) (or "Jem So") was created by a group of Jedi Masters of the Old Republic who believed that Form 3 was too passive and Form 4 lacked power. They criticized the weakness of these two techniques, in which a Jedi Master can, of course, become absolutely protected, but at the same time he himself will not be able to do anything to the enemy. One of the many unique aspects of Form 5 was the development of techniques to deflect blaster beams back at an opponent. Many Jedi Masters have disputed the validity of the Form 5 philosophy, arguing that it places undue emphasis on harming others. Others, however, argued that Form 5 was merely a path to "achieve peace through superior firepower." In films it is used by: Anakin Skywalker (later Darth Vader), Luke Skywalker.
Form 6
This technique, also known as "Niman"(Niman), was one of the most advanced lightsaber techniques. During the Battle of Geonosis, Form 6 was the most common form among the Jedi. It was based on the average use of Forms 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Many Jedi Masters called it a "diplomatic technique" due to the fact that Niman's followers used their knowledge of political relationships and negotiation techniques (along with the power of their own perception) to achieve maximum peaceful solutions without bloodshed. Many Jedi who were really good at Form 6 had spent at least 10 years studying the above five Forms. However, many Masters considered such actions a waste of time, believing that such a high level of fencing skill would not be required for the battles of that time. But among other things, it is mastery of Niman that is the first step to comprehending Jar-Kai, the technique of using two lightsabers. In the films, Niman uses most of the dead Jedi in the Geonosis arena.
Form 7
This technique, also known as "Juyo"(Juyo), was the most demanding technique ever developed by the Jedi. Only after learning several other Forms can a Jedi begin his journey to understanding Form 7. It required such combat training that even the training itself brought the Jedi very close to the dark side of the Force. Jedi Master Mace Windu studied Form 7. To become a master of Form 7, a Jedi had to use vigorous movement and kinetic strikes. Form 7 uses overwhelming power and a series of moves that are not logically connected to each other, moves that constantly deny the opponent the normal ability to defend himself. In films it is used by: Darth Maul, Darth Sidious.
Vaapad
This technique was developed by Mace Windu with the participation of Sora Bulka shortly before the start of the Clone Wars. It was named after the animal Vaapad from the planet Sarapin, whose tentacles move with such lightning speed that it is virtually impossible to follow them with your eyes. Vaapad is a combination of aggressive maneuvers and is classified as Form 7. Even the training in Vaapad is so close to the dark side of the Force that it has been banned from study by anyone except Jedi Masters. For Master Windu and his student Depa Billaba, Vaapad was not just a fencing technique: for them, it was a state of mind in which the fighter, in order to defeat the enemy, opened himself to the Force so completely that he absorbed power from both the light and dark sides . Vaapad uses the joy of entering into battle, a battle rage that runs very close to the dark side. This technique requires enormous concentration on the paths of the light side, keeping its follower on a fine line. Sora Bulk, like Depa Billaba, could not stand the demands of Vaapad and fell to the dark side. In the films it is used by: Mace Windu.
Sokan
This technique was developed by the Jedi Knights in ancient times. She combined the kinetic movements of Form 4 with tactics that allowed for increased mobility and dodging ability. Sokan, invented during the Great Sith War, relied on quick movements and flips combined with quick lightsaber thrusts to target the enemy's vital organs. Battles in which participants used the Sokan technique were often fought over a fairly large area, because the opponents constantly tried to put each other in the most vulnerable position.
Jar-Kai
Jar Kai is a technique of using two lightsabers at the same time. When working in this technique, one of the swords is used for attack, and the other for defense. However, both swords can be used to create more complex attack maneuvers. Master Jai Maruk said that those who practice two-sword work usually soon become over-reliant on their weapons. Many Jedi tried to study Niman in order to master the art of Jar Kai, but only a few succeeded fully.
Trakata
This technique of lightsaber combat was used by literally a couple of the most powerful Jedi. When using this technique, the fighter grips the sword in his hand, but does not activate it. Using the Force, he moves and defends against enemy attacks, waiting for that one moment when he can quickly turn the sword on and off, bypassing the enemy's defense and hitting him. This technique is incredibly complex and requires great mastery of the Force.
Seven styles of lightsaber combat
Each Jedi chooses the style that suits him best. For example, Master Yoda uses the Ataru style to compensate for his short stature; Mace Windu uses Vaapad to feed off the power of his anger and use it to his advantage (without crossing the line into the Dark Side). Count Dooku practices the Makashi style, which, firstly, is combined with his love of sword-on-sword duels, and, secondly, is distinguished by elegance, precision and even a certain aristocracy. Jedi Exile (KOTOR 2. - Riila) mastered several styles at once, but did not reach the highest rank in any of them.
Style I: Shii-Cho
When the lightsaber was created, it was necessary to develop a fighting technique with its use. This is how Style I, also called the “Sarlacc Style,” appeared. It was based on ancient fighting traditions, containing the key principles of sword fighting and adopted by the Jedi masters of that distant time.
Style I, like all styles developed on its basis, includes the following basic methods and concepts:
attack - a series of attacks aimed at various parts of the body;
parrying - a combination of blocks that prevent the sword from hitting specified parts of the body;
affected areas (1 - head, 2 - left arm, 3 - right arm, 4 - back, 5 - left leg, 6 - right leg);
training techniques for developing reactions.
Younglings, Jedi recruits, learn Style I before becoming Padawans and gaining a personal mentor, a Jedi Master. In Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Yoda can be seen teaching younglings how to deflect blaster shots.
The only known practitioner of Style I in the Star Wars universe is Kit Fisto. But, although he was an unrivaled master of Style I, this did not help him defeat Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith. The Shii-Cho style, familiar to us from KOTOR-2, is good against a large number of enemies (especially those armed with blasters), but is ineffective when it comes to fighting with a single enemy armed with the Force and a lightsaber.
Style II: Makashi
Style I, as you already understood, is most often used against superior enemy forces. In contrast, Style II, or "Ysalamiri Style", was developed as a means of sword-to-sword dueling. The style itself is characterized as very elegant - and, at the same time, powerful - requiring extreme precision, but giving the user the ability to attack and defend with minimal effort, exhausting the enemy. The style is based on deft parries, lunges and short precise strikes - as opposed to the blocks and wide swings used in other styles. This style requires very careful calibration of the light blade, but the results are impressive. However, as soon as weapons like blasters are included in the game, or there are more than one opponent, the advantages of Style II disappear.
In the days before the Clone Wars, the Jedi rarely used this technique. The Jedi experienced one-on-one duels so rarely that they found Style II impractical. However, earlier, before the advent of blaster weapons, Makashi was quite common.
Darth Tyranus (also known as Count Dooku) in Attack of the Clones demonstrates the highest level of mastery of Style II and fights with virtuosity coupled with ancient technique. When he showed Style II in action, he threw the Jedi into confusion: their training system did not include such fights in which opponents inflict targeted precision strikes on each other.
This style is based on the Spanish fencing style "La Destreza Verdadera", which is often called "saber dance" or "swords of truth"; the style is “smooth”, to use the terms of master fencers, but, at the same time, quite tough.
Style III: Soresu
After defeating Darth Maul on Naboo, Obi-Wan Kenobi decided to pursue Style III, the most defensive-oriented of all styles, because Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan's mentor and master of Style IV (Ataru), was unable to withstand Darth Maul.
Style III, or "Minokka Style", was originally developed to counter the rapidly gaining popularity of blaster weapons. The traditional enemies of the Jedi turned out to be armed with blasters, and the Jedi had to find a method of defense that the enemy could not bypass or reproduce.
Pursuing the sole purpose of parrying blaster shots, this style uses movements made dangerously close to the body to achieve maximum protection while expending as little energy as possible. The technique allows you to reduce the affected area to a minimum and makes someone who knows it well practically invulnerable. In A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi only reaches the Light Blade when he reveals himself to Vader. Practitioners of Soresu effortlessly hold the line, waiting for the opponent to tire and make a mistake; and then, just a moment ago, the defending Jedi delivers his crushing blow. Of the Soresu-style Jedi, Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee are skilled.
Style IV: Ataru
Adherents of the "Hawk-Bat Style" make extensive use of acrobatic tricks - sometimes absolutely incredible. The style was created in the last centuries of the Old Republic. Qui-Gon and Yoda were both masters of Style IV, as they demonstrated in their fights with Darth Maul and Count Dooku, respectively. Obi-Wan Kenobi, who at that time already had a decent command of Ataru, abandoned it in favor of Style III, because he believed that it was fatal flaws in Ataru that led to the death of his mentor. True, later Kenobi again resorted to Ataru - when he had to confront Anakin Skywalker - more precisely, Darth Vader - in the final battle on Mustafar. Aayla Secura, according to Jan Duursema, co-creator of the Twi'lek Jedi, was also Ataru's master. She was taught this art by Quinlan Vos. Palpatine used a Sith variant of this style, which included thrusts and sweeping swings.
In critical situations, Style IV masters use the Force to perform their acrobatic feats. The Jedi, constantly spinning, bouncing, and moving with lightning speed, appear as a blur. To demonstrate the acrobatics, superhuman reflexes, and physical prowess of this style, a Jedi Master must surrender fully to the power of the Force, allowing it to permeate every corner of his being. Having achieved complete unity with the Force, he can no longer think about such things as weakness and old age.
Style V: Shien / Djem So
Style V (or "Krayt Dragon Style") is a powerful style developed by practitioners of Style III - those who favored more offensive tactics. The defensive nature of Style III often results in dangerously prolonged combat. The Shien style is the result of a combination of styles II and III. Anakin - both as himself and as Darth Vader - as well as Luke Skywalker and Plo Koon were masters of Style V.
Style V is based on defensive techniques borrowed from Style III, but turning defense into attack. A typical example: while style III is used to parry a blaster shot, style V is focused on redirecting the blast towards the enemy. This technique simultaneously protects the wielder and defeats the enemy. Similarly, this style uses the classic parry technique from Style II, but only in the case of Style V, the Jedi launches a counterattack while parrying the blow. Another difference from Style III is that followers of the Shien style use a frontal attack and cut the enemy left and right in an attempt to break their resistance with brute force. The aggressive philosophy of Style V is frowned upon by many Jedi.
Vader created his own variation of the V style, in which he uses only one hand and keeps the other casually out to the side. This can be seen at the very beginning of the fight from The Empire Strikes Back.
Combining the aggressive yet refined techniques of Style II with the superior defensive features of Style III, Shien/Djem So has proven to be very effective.
Style VI: Niman
"Rancor Style", Style VI, was the standard fighting style in the era before and during the Clone Wars and the Jedi Purge. This fighting discipline is often called the "Diplomat Style". The result can be seen in Attack of the Clones: almost all Jedi who used Style VI were killed on Geonosis. The same sad fate befell Coleman Trebor, whose mastery of the Niman style did not save him from Jango Fett's masterful shot.
Style VI attempted to balance out all the elements of lightsaber combat by borrowing techniques from styles that were not heavily combat-oriented. Result: followers of style VI were equally - albeit at a very average level - proficient in all basic combat techniques; This path was suitable for diplomats, since they, instead of tedious training, could devote more time to politics.
Style VII: Juyo
Also called the "Vornskr Style", Style VII remained undeveloped for a whole millennium. Later, master Mace Windu decided to improve and develop the style; he transformed it into the Vaapad fighting style. The most challenging and difficult of all styles, Vaapad requires incredible concentration, a high level of skill and excellent mastery of other styles. Only three Jedi were able to fully master the art of Vaapad: Mace Windu, Depa Billaba and Sora Bulk, who in turn taught Quinlan Vos some of the techniques. Sora Bulk helped Windu improve in Vaapad, but was too weak to resist the currents of the Force, and leaned towards the Dark Side. Thus, it was Vaapad who took possession of him.
The bold, linear movements of Vaapad are combined with the most advanced techniques, including Force-fueled jumps and lunges. Style VII does not look as impressive as Style IV, but the technique of open movements results in a very unpredictable fighting style. A powerful staccato of slashing blows, flickering arms and legs make the enemy think that there is no sequence in these movements - and lead him into confusion.
Style VII absorbs the emotional and physiological drive of Style V, but controls it more effectively (if the Jedi masters the style well enough). With proper control, Style VII can impart incredible power to its user.
However, Vaapad is on the verge of falling to the Dark Side, as he uses anger and other negative emotions to carry out attacks. Only Windu's mastery and devotion to the Light prevent him from falling under the influence of the Dark Side; this is why Vaapad is considered dangerous and is used so rarely. Two other famous practitioners of Vaapad, Sora Balk and Depa Billaba, turned to the Dark Side.
In KOTOR 2, which takes place approximately 4,000 years before the Clone Wars, Juyo is one of the fighting styles used - even though it was not fully developed. This proves that Juio was a very effective fighting style thousands of years before Mace Windu turned it into Vaapad.
Darth Maul used a variation of Juyo (not Vaapad, as Vaapad created Windu and never taught it to the Sith) along with other martial arts.
Other fighting styles
The following forms are not among the seven main styles; they can be considered unofficial. All of them tend to be based on other styles - with the exception of the Zero Style, which emphatically avoids conflict whenever possible.
Style VIII: Sokan
Developed by the ancient Jedi Knights during the Great Sith War, Sokan combined the tactics of agility and subterfuge with the choreography of the IV fighting style. Sokan is distinguished by quick strikes with a lightsaber on the vital organs of the enemy, combined with deft somersaults and rapid movements. The opposing sides used the specifics of the landscape to lure the opponent to a place where Sokan could be used with the greatest effect.
Obi-Wan used elements of Sokan during his fight with Anakin on Mustafar in Episode III: Obi-Wan sought a suitable high ground to take advantage of a better position and defeat Anakin by exploiting his weak points.
Style IX: Shien
To use the Shien style, the Jedi must hold the lightsaber horizontally. The end of the blade points towards the opponent; the lightsaber describes an arc, and at this time the Jedi quickly throws the sword from one hand to the other. In Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords, Master Zez-Kai El teaches the Exile this style if the Exile chooses the Jedi Protector or Jedi Guard path. (Do not confuse this style with the V: Shien / Djem So style).
Style X: Niman
Niman allowed a Jedi to fight with two swords at once, one in each hand, as demonstrated by Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones. One blade was used for attack, the other for defense (to repel blows) or as an additional opportunity for attack. Many of the Jedi tried to master the art of Niman, wanting to gain at least the rudimentary skills of a double-bladed attack, but only a few of the lightsaber masters fully comprehended this wisdom. Serra Keto, Sora Bulk and Asajj Ventress practiced X-style; and perhaps Darth Revan was the master of this style. (Do not confuse this Nieman with the VI Nieman style).
This style is essentially the same as Style I, except for the affected areas. Here they are: 1 - head, 2 - left hand, 3 - right hand, 4 - left thigh, 5 - right leg, 6 - left leg.
Style "Zero"
While not essentially a fighting style, the Zero style carried with it the idea that a Jedi should always know when to draw his lightsaber and when to find another way to solve a problem. The style was created by Master Yoda so that Jedi would avoid the temptation to engage in "Aggressive Negotiations" by instead using other Jedi tricks - such as the well-known mental trick.
The Sith, always striving for complete superiority over the enemy's personality, use all possible means - including their own doctrine of lightsaber combat. Dun möch was combined with barbs, ridicule and jokes made at the expense of the enemy and allowing one to reveal his weaknesses, doubts or contradictions. Another variation of Dun möch was the use of the Force to throw large, heavy objects at an opponent during combat, distracting his attention and capable of causing serious injury. Darth Vader used this technique against Luke in Empire. Count Dooku and Darth Sidious used it against Yoda in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, respectively.
Sword Throw
Sometimes the Jedi or Sith use a special technique called the "lightsaber throw" to hit an object out of reach. When a lightsaber is launched at a target, the blade spins quickly, like a propeller, and when it hits the target, it cuts it into pieces. Skilled artisans use the Force to control the trajectory of a lightsaber and force it back into the hand.
When Yoda fought his way into the Jedi Temple in Revenge of the Sith, he used this technique to kill the clonttrooper that attacked him.
When Luke Skywalker jumped onto the bridge in Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader threw his lightsaber and cut the bridge's supports; some believe that Vader lacked the agility, agility, or Force power to leap onto the bridge himself. Others believe it was a clever display of Power to confuse and intimidate an inexperienced opponent. According to the third opinion, Vader, remembering the sad outcome of his battle with Obi-Wan on Mustafar, decided not to tempt fate twice and not to put his sword under the sword of someone who stands higher.
This fighting style was used only by one or two of the most powerful Jedi. During combat, the Jedi holds the lightsaber in his hand, but does not activate it. He dodges attacks or defends himself using only the Force. The most skilled of the Jedi launch a Force counter-offensive between enemy attacks. Having waited for the right moment, they quickly turn the sword on and off, plunging the light blade into the opponent’s body. The enemy is inevitably seriously injured or killed. This technique is extremely difficult to use, and the Jedi who chooses it must be a very powerful force user. It is also believed that this style is from the arsenal of the Dark Side, since the murder here occurs on the sly; In addition, Trakata can also be used outside of a duel to get rid of someone standing nearby. While Trakate's best use is found in lightsaber combat, the technique can also be used to deflect blaster bolts.
"The unorthodox"
Some techniques fall outside the context of traditional Jedi fighting styles. Characters like General Grievous from Episode III can use freer movements. The purpose of his swift attacks is to confuse and confuse the masters of the classical school. Grievous was very successful in such tricks due to the flexibility of his joints, computer reactions and an additional pair of arms. Only the most experienced and skilled of the Jedi could withstand his attacks. For example, Grievous could take a sword in each of his four hands, put both hands forward and, quickly rotating them in the air, build an improvised shield. Grievous used a similar trick against Obi-Wan on Utapau, but Kenobi managed to cope with it by waiting for the right moment and finding a weak spot in the defense.
Another unique lightsaber style is that of Adi Gallia (who was Grievous's victim): she held the sword with the blade backwards (backhand style).
Movements and Strikes
All seven fighting styles use the ancient terms that the Jedi used to describe the objectives, the path to achieving the goal, and the results that can be obtained from lightsaber combat.
Cho mai
The term cho mai is used to describe cutting off an opponent's hand holding a weapon. This blow indicates that the Jedi who struck it is seeking to inflict minimal damage on the enemy; cho mai also demonstrates the high skill of the Jedi.
Cho mak
Cutting off an opponent's limb, such as the leg of a humanoid.
Cho Sun
This term describes the movement that results in cutting off the opponent's hand holding the weapon.
Sai cha
The term sai cha is used to describe the rare occasion when a Jedi executes his opponent. This technique is reserved for the most dangerous opponents - those whom the Jedi cannot allow to remain alive. Sai cha is what Anakin Skywalker did to Count Dooku in Episode III.
Sai tok
The move, condemned by the Jedi due to its Sith nature, cuts the enemy in two, separating the legs from the torso at the waist. Obi-Wan Kenobi, as a Padawan, did this to Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace.
Shiak
Shiak is an act of mercy, stabbing a mortally wounded enemy.
Shiim
Inflicting a small scratch on an opponent with the edge of a lightsaber blade. Also considered a sign of desperation or powerlessness in the fight against a more powerful enemy.
Sun djem
Sun djem is an attack whose purpose is to knock the weapon out of the enemy's hands. It is carried out when they do not want to cause physical harm to their opponent.
Movements
Jung
Rotate 180 degrees.
Jung ma
This term is used to describe a 360-degree spin maneuver that accumulates energy to attack an enemy.
Kai-kan
In fact, this is not a technique, but a stunt staging of a famous, usually ancient and very dangerous lightsaber duel, which can only be performed by well-trained Jedi.
Sai
A term used to describe the movement that Jedi perform when attacking the legs. The Jedi leaps upward using the Force and counterattacks from above, using free fall acceleration to increase the power of the blow.
Shun
This term is used when a Jedi turns 360 degrees, using his own arm as leverage and gaining extra speed to attack.
Lightsaber combat is perhaps the most important feature of Star Wars, and it naturally received a lot of attention in Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare has set its sights on creating an unprecedented level of detail in combat; Complex parries, sword-to-sword clashes, and deflecting blaster bolts are all meant to create a whole new level of immersion in the MMORPG combat system. Lightsaber combat is more than just "window dressing" with interesting mechanics and beautiful graphics - there are a huge number of Lightsaber combat skills. We'll now look at seven different skills - the seven forms of the Lightsaber - and also review what we currently know about these forms in SWTOR.
Form I: Shii-Cho
Shii-Cho was the first form of Lightsaber combat that relied heavily on older fencing techniques. This is the most common form of the Lightsaber and is the basis for all other forms. This form allows you to successfully fight up close and deflect blaster shots, making it ideal for training beginners. Shii-Cho's form uses sweeping attacks, making this form very effective against groups of enemies.
Since this form was developed before the advent of the Sith and Dark Jedi, it was not originally intended for Lightsaber to Lightsaber battles, however, Masters can successfully use this form in such combat conditions. However, the simplicity of Shii-Cho's form makes it a good fallback option for situations where other forms may not be effective (such as Ataru's form in a narrow hallway).
In Shii-Cho, a perfect victory is achieved without harming the opponent; disarming an opponent or destroying their weapon is what those who use this form aim to achieve. At the same time, the simplicity of this form and its basis on old fencing techniques contribute to the emergence of anger. As such, the form requires restraint due to the great danger of the Dark Side.
Shii-Cho is mentioned in the Specializations on the Holonet, in the talent trees for Sith Warrior and Jedi Knight. The description for the Fury branch for the Sith Warrior class reads: "Allows the Warrior to gain greater control of the Force and further mastery of the Shii-Cho form," while the Focus branch for the Jedi Knight reads: "Specialization in advanced techniques of the Force and the Shii-Cho form." . In addition, Jedi Knight's Lightness ability in the Concentration tree: "Reduces the cooldown of all Force abilities while you are in Shii-Cho form by 3 seconds."
Form II: Makashi
Makashi was created to fight the Dark Jedi. It is designed exclusively for Lightsaber combat. At the time of its development, there was only one form of the Lightsaber, Shii-Cho, so the Makashi form was designed to exploit Shii-Cho's weaknesses and protect against her strengths. In contrast to the wide swings of Form I, Makashi uses controlled and precise movements, emphasizing elegance and footwork. Makashi also emphasizes the importance of maintaining one's weapons, and as such, many of the moves in this form are designed to counter disarming from the Shii-Cho form.
The Lightsaber in Makashi form is often used one-handed, allowing for a wider range of movement than a two-handed grip. Parries and light thrusts are often used in Makashi to confuse and unbalance the opponent. Makashi requires calm and precision from those who practice this form.
While Makashi's form is very strong against a single opponent, it is weak against groups, and even weaker against blaster fire. In addition, elegant and precise movements can be thrown aside by a sufficiently powerful opponent. Currently, we have not seen any mention of Makashi's form in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Form III: Soresu
Soresu appeared due to the massive use of blasters. This is a purely defensive form that involves constant defensive movements of the Lightsaber, protecting its wielder from harm. Soresu's movements are typically hard and fast, with the lightsaber held close to the body to expose itself to enemy fire as little as possible.
Soresu's defense is equally effective against a single enemy or against groups. The attack in this form leaves much to be desired, it is aimed at exhausting the opponent over the course of a long battle and taking advantage of his mistakes.
The Specializations page gives us some information about using the Soresu Form of the Revenge ability in Juggernaut's Immortality tree: "While you are using the Soresu Form to parry, deflect, and block attacks, there is a 50% chance to activate the Revenge effect, which reduces costs rage for the next "Force Scream" or "Force Crush" ability by 1. Duration - 10 seconds. The effect stacks 3 times." We also saw the Soresu form of the Jedi Knight, which was mentioned on Jedi Immersion Day: "If you use the Soresu form, you gain 1 point of Focus every 3 seconds when you are attacked. Reduces the amount of Focus generated from the Strike ability by 1 unit. Also increases the chance to parry or deflect incoming attacks by 5%.
Form IV: Ataru
Ataru is in some ways the opposite of Soresu: where Soresu uses small, precise movements for defense, Ataru uses acrobatic jumps and somersaults for assertive attack. The form is characterized by smooth transitions from one action to the next and streams of fast, powerful attacks.
The constant flips and somersaults of the Ataru form are too difficult to use with the strength of their body alone, so practitioners of this form must constantly channel the Force into their body to facilitate the acrobatics. Even with the Force, Ataru can be a very draining form. This form is also not very suitable for fighting in confined spaces, where acrobatic maneuvers are not as effective.
The Specializations page on the Holonet has detailed information about Ataru Form: "Using the acrobatic form of the Lightsaber increases accuracy by 3%. In addition, all melee attacks have a 20% chance to land a second strike, which deals 148 energy damage. The effect cannot be used more than once every 1.5 seconds." This is a very similar form to the version of Ataru's form that was shown on Jedi Immersion Day, the only difference being the addition of an effect on accuracy and stealth, as well as ability recovery. Ataru Form is also mentioned in the Jedi Sentinel in the Combat thread: "Attacks while in your Ataru Form have a 100% chance to increase the damage of your next finishing ability by 10%," as well as the Blade Onsl ability: "Strikes with two Lightsabers, causing 647-729 weapon damage and automatically triggers the Ataru Form Strike ability. Lasts for 6 seconds after using the Blade Onslaught ability, the chance of Ataru Form to automatically trigger is increased by 30%."
Form V: Shien and Djem So
Shien and Djem-So are collectively classified as Form V, and although they are quite similar, they have some important differences. The main feature of the V form is to seize the initiative to turn defense into attack. Shien is slightly older than Form II and is especially suited for use against blasters. Indeed, practitioners of the Shien form are able to redirect blaster bolts back to the source, turning opponents' attacks against them. Shien also uses wide sweeping attacks, making it suitable for use against multiple opponents.
Jem So was developed after the Shien form, but was already used during the Great Sith War 350 years before the Treaty of Coruscant. While Shien was used more against blaster fire, Djem So leans towards melee combat. The philosophy of Form V is to use defense to attack aggressively - this is seen in the strong and hard lightsaber parries of Djem So, which are used to throw an opponent off balance or leave them open to attack. Djem So relies on physical strength and is often characterized as a brutal form that seeks to dominate the opponent.
Shien is another form that can be found on the Specializations page on the Holonet. In the "Vigilance" branch of the Jedi Guardian, you can find a description of the Shien form: "Uses the attacking (aggressive) form of the Lightsaber, increasing all damage dealt by 6%. All attacks that spend Concentration points will return 1 Concentration point. Also when the Guardian takes damage, he recovers 1 point of Concentration. This effect triggers no more than once every 6 seconds."
Form VI: Niman
Niman is a combination of all previous forms of lightsabers. The priority is balance and therefore the form has no specific weaknesses or strengths. It is one of the most meditative forms, giving its practitioners the ability to use this form in conjunction with the Force. This allows for moves such as closing in on an opponent, in which the duelist grabs an opponent with the Force and pulls them towards their Lightsaber, as well as allowing the one using this form to regain their energy in the midst of combat.
Niman's balanced and thoughtful nature also makes this form a good starting point for more unconventional attack styles, as users of this form can allow the Force to guide their actions and adapt to new situations very quickly. We haven't seen Niman's form mentioned in the game yet.
Form VII: Juyo
Juyo practices a bold, direct type of movement and is the most aggressive and vicious form of the Lightsaber. She is widely known for her chaotic form full of erratic and sudden attacks. This form is very demanding of those who use it and relies heavily on their emotions, although Juyo practitioners are often surprisingly calm.
Juyo places a heavy emphasis on attack, often leaving its users vulnerable, especially to Force attacks. Although the attacks in this form are similar to Ataru, Juyo is not as graceful and her movements seem to be completely unrhythmic and use almost unrelated movements, which in itself can confuse the opponent.
At Jedi Immersion Day, we were shown the Jedi Sentinel version of Juyo's form. "In this form, lightsaber damage is increased by 2%. This effect cannot be used more than once every 1.5 seconds. Stacks up to 5 times. The effect lasts 6 seconds, but the duration of the effect is restored each time you deal damage with a lightsaber on target." Although this is old information, it fits quite well into the Sentinel's Sentinel thread, as there is already a description of this form: "The Sentinel masters Juyo's lightsaber form, making him a dangerous opponent in a prolonged fight." The Sith Marauder also has access to this form in the Obliteration tree: "A master of Juyo's aggressive form, the Marauder uses it to destroy enemies."
The seven forms of lightsabers are an integral part of combat in the Star Wars universe, and BioWare seems to be taking them into account, making them both mechanically useful and finding a suitable class that doesn't clash with the narrative. While we've only seen the Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior's lightsaber forms so far, it's possible we'll see them on the Inquisitor and Consular. And in one form or another these forms will be received by Assassin and Shadow, since they must have similar training in mastering the forms of lightsabers, like the Jedi Knight and the Sith Warrior. Makashi and Niman haven't been mentioned yet, so it's possible we might see these forms on the Inquisitor and Consul soon.
Original: darthater.com
Addition
Form VII: Juyo/Vaapad
During the Jedi Civil War, thousands of years before Mace Windu's creation of Vaapad, Form VII was wielded by such notable individuals as Revan, Zez-Kai Ell, Vrook Lamar, and Kavar, who would later teach the technique to the Jedi Exile. Another famous fighter of the Juyo form was the Sith Blademaster Kaz'im, who lived during the New Sith Wars and taught this style to the Zabrak Zirak (and possibly his friends Llokai and Yevra). It is unfortunate, but after a thousand years, much information about the style Juyo were lost. Perhaps the reason for this was the death of many masters and adherents of this fighting form, but, one way or another, the style practically fell out of use.
However, knowledge of the Juyo form remained among the Sith, and it was this technique that Sidious taught to his apprentice Darth Maul. Count Dooku also had sufficient knowledge of the Juyo style, who taught this form of fencing to General Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuardians.
Vaapad was developed by Mace Windu based on the surviving knowledge of Juyo's form. Mace was helped in creating a new style by Sora Bulk, and later Windu taught it to his student Depu Billaba. Bulq also taught some elements of Vaapad to Quinlan Vos during his re-training. Unfortunately, neither Bulk nor Billaba could withstand the high demands that Vaapad placed on the minds of his followers, and as a result, both Jedi lost their minds and fell to the dark side. With the death of Sora Bulq, Billaba's fall into a coma, and the death of Mace Windu at the hands of Darth Sidious, the Vaapad style likely ceased to exist.
Also known as the Way of Vornskr or the Form of Ferocity, Juyo's style has been considered inferior for thousands of years. Considered crude and unfinished, Juyo was rarely used among both the Jedi and Sith. However, it was on the basis of Form VII that Jedi Master Mace Windu created his unique fighting style - Vaapad, named after the deadly predator from the planet Sarapin, capable of moving at the same speed as Windu's sword.
The most difficult of all forms to master, Form VII required the fighter to have extreme concentration, skillful handling of the blade, and mastery of other combat forms. In all of history, only two Jedi managed to fully comprehend this martial art: Mace Windu and his Padawan Depe Billaba.
Form VII was based on decisive, seemingly linear movements and the use of complex moves and techniques such as the Power Jump and the "Speed Surge". Fights in Form VII did not have the same spectacle that Form IV had always been known for, because it used Ataru's typical somersaults, spins and other acrobatic tricks much less often, but the technique of performing techniques in the seventh form was much more complex. From the movement side, Vaapad's forms looked free and open, but in reality, every movement of the sword and body was tightly controlled by the fighter. This technique, when used skillfully, made it possible to make your fighting style completely unpredictable for the enemy. The constant alternation of sharp and smooth movements made Form VII's attacks appear incoherent, which misled the opponent.
In terms of emotional and physical power, Form VII was close to Form V, but here this power was completely controlled by the fighter. In the hands of a skilled warrior, Form VII became a formidable weapon.
The presence of the Vaapad form in SWTOR is unknown.
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