Trakata

Tràkata was a form of lightsaber combat. It took advantage of a lightsaber blade's ability to be turned on and off, a unique quality in a melee weapon. Quickly shutting off then re-igniting the blade could cause confusion in one's opponents, allowing for diversionary feints in combat. Sith Lords would ocassionally use this form to free their blade hand, allowing greater control of some force powers, such as Force Lightning.

Jedi Master Corran Horn used a variant of this technique during the Yuuzhan Vong War, one notable occurrence being while he was battling Shedao Shai on Ithor. During the battle Horn and Shai were locked in combat and Horn deactivated his lightsaber then ignited it again into Shedao Shai killing the temporary Supreme Commander. Jaden Korr may have used this form to amplify certain force powers.

Double Lightsaber Combat

Double-bladed lightsaber combat

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Darth Maul exercising double-bladed lightsaber combat against Qui-Gon Jinn.

"The single blade has limitations, Master. It made sense to me to be able to strike with both ends."

―Darth Maul to Darth Sidious^[src]

Jedi and Sith who mastered double-bladed lightsaber combat were a rarity. This type of lightsaber combat evolved around a double-bladed lightsaber—sometimes also referred to as a Sith lightsaber or saberstaff.

A saberstaff would typically consist of a long hilt which had energy blades at both ends. The blades could be ignited one at a time, the saberstaff thus functioning as a normal lightsaber, or simultaneously. One of the primary functions of a double-bladed lightsaber was to create fear in the opponent, as a double-bladed lightsaber, with its two deadly blades, looked more menacing than an ordinary one.

Double-bladed lightsaber combat was more like fighting with a staff than with a sword. The weapon having two blades, double-bladed lightsaber combat allowed for much more rapid attack which were more difficult to parry for someone using an ordinary lightsaber. Also it allowed for "more kills per swing," since one would be able to strike opponents in front of and behind oneself simultaneously.

Sith Lord Exar Kun wielding his short-hilted double-bladed lightsaber.

This type of lightsaber combat was extremely rare. Firstly, because it was very difficult to master and using a double-bladed lightsaber could be more dangerous to the untrained wielder than to his opponent. Secondly, this type of lightsaber combat was of an aggressive nature and thus deemed too close to the dark side by many Jedi.

On the offensive, the saberstaff was a whirlwind of destruction. It allowed extremely quick attacks, but at the same time, the user could put a lot of force behind each blow. The long hilt allowed the wielder to also gain an advantage of leverage over his opponent. This applied for both offense and defense. On the defense, the saberstaff still had an edge over a single hilt in that since a single hilt could only engage one end of the staff at a time, the other blade from the staff could strike in the time it took for the wind up of a swing of the single hilt. Locking saber's with a saberstaff was equally as dangerous, for the staff wielder could simpily let one end of the staff be pushed aside, only to catch the opponent with the other end. The major weakness of the saberstaff was that the extra long hilt was vulnerable to being destroyed, as the Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi demonstrated against Darth Maul, although Maul's saber still functioned with one end.

Several of the standard forms of lightsaber combat had double-bladed variants. Darth Maul used a double-bladed variant of Form VII, and Jedi Master Zez-Kai Ell used a double-bladed variant of Form IV.

Mounted Light Saber Combat

Mounted lightsaber combat was when Jedi would have to use their lightsabers in combat while riding a mount such as a tauntaun, or mounted on a mechanical means of transportation, like a swoop bike.

In this type of lightsaber combat, the Jedi would normally use one hand only, the other hand steering the mount. It would typically consist of simple attacks lashing out at grounded enemy units. Such attacks were normally low lunges with the light saber of a diagonal semi-circular nature, as the Jedi—being on a mount—would naturally be elevated in relation to the target. Thus there were some common features between mounted lightsaber combat and the airborne Trispzest lightsaber combat system, the difference being that in mounted lightsaber combat, the Jedi had much less freedom of movement.

The Jedi could also use the lightsaber to incapacitate other mounted units, by lashing out at either the mount, which was efficient especially if the enemy unit was riding a swoop bike, or the rider himself. Finally, the Jedi could use the lightsaber to deflect blaster shots and the like, thus protecting himself or herself while riding the mount.

Contents [hide] 1 Examples 2 Behind the scenes 3 Appearances 4 See also

[edit] Examples

• During the Mission to Geonosis, Anakin Skywalker jumps on a transport commondeered by Padmé Amidala and uses this form of combat while driving by many Battle Droids.

Yoda on his kybuck in one of the many battles of the Clone Wars

Jedi on a swoop attacking a hostile swoop mercenary.

• In one of the major battles of the Clone Wars, Yoda could be seen on a kybuck leading his army of clones and Jedi into battle. Yoda's kybuck participated in many battles.
• During the Battle of Muunilinst, Obi-Wan Kenobi faced Durge riding a swoop bike, using his lightsaber to destroy Durge's swoop.
• Yoda engaged the Separatist armies mounted on his kybuck during General Grievous' daring attempt to kidnap Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
• In the Battle of Utapau Obi-Wan Kenobi chased General Grievous' wheel bike riding a varactyl (named Boga), using the general's own electrostaff to attack his wheelbike. While not using his lightsaber (which he had lost), Obi-Wan did use the staff in much the same way that he would have used a lightsaber.

Jedi Jaden Korr cutting down an Imperial Remnant snowtrooper on Hoth during the crisis of the Disciples of Ragnos.

• Jaden Korr, apprentice to Kyle Katarn in Luke Skywalker's New Jedi Order may possibly have been mounted on a tauntaun while engaging snowtroopers on a mission to Hoth.
• On a mission to Zonju V, Korr rode a swoop bike, was attacked by several mercenaries on swoops, many of which he killed using mounted lightsaber combat techniques.

[edit] Behind the scenes

Another scene of the Battle of Utapau was in the making in animatics. Obi-Wan Kenobi starts chasing General Grievous's wheel bike riding Boga, and he uses his lightsaber to destroy two droids. This scene did not make it into the film.M

Trispzest

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Airborne Maw using Trispzest in a duel with Kyle Katarn.

A combination of elements of Form VII and traditional S'kytri aerial dueling, Trispzest was a type of aerial lightsaber combat originally developed by the airborne Force-sensitive Majestrix of Skye, Kharys.

Trispzest, which meant heart palpitation in the S'kytric language, would allow the combatant to utilize the advantages of flying in battle against grounded units—whom the S'kytri would derogatively refer to as "walkers". In Trispzest emphasis was placed on the use of the sai cha technique to decapitate "walkers."

Among the few known users of trispzest were the Dark Jedi Maw, who died by the hand of self-taught Jedi Kyle Katarn, and swordsmistress Nazish.

Techniques

As mentioned, sai cha, or decapitation, was often used against grounded combatants creating strategic parallels between Trispzest and mounted lightsaber combat.

Another technique, which was especially used by Maw, was a spinning attack. Maw's spinning attack consisted of spinning wildly in the air, often while hovering in one spot, while lashing out to all sides with the lightsaber; a technique that undoubtedly was efficient against multiple opponents.

Trispzest had many advantages, but one fatal weakness, as the combatant was open to attacks from directly below him or her by grounded units. Kyle Katarn took advantage of this weakness when, dropping to the ground and lunging his lightsaber upwards as Maw passed over him, he injured Maw during a duel on Ruusan.

Telekinetic Lightsaber Combats

Telekinetic lightsaber combat techniques made use of telekinesis in lightsaber combat. Some telekinetic lightsaber combat techniques, like the Saber throw, were offensive, while others were defensive. A defensive technique, called the Saber barrier, was used by practitioners of dual saber combat. It consisted in having the lightsabers whirl in a circle around the Jedi, thus creating a defensive, but deadly, wall.

An example of telekinetic lightsaber combat.

Kreia displayed the most remarkable form of telekinetic lightsaber combat—having the ability to wield three or more lightsabers in combat, holding each of them aloft with the Force, and having them fight with a will of their own.

Millennia later, Mace Windu would use this exact same ability during the Battle of Coruscant, igniting his lightsaber telekinetically. While brief, his use of the Force allowed him to unclip and activate his weapon, destroying a Super battle droid with one swift stroke.

Dun Moch

Dun Möch was a form of combat that used distraction and doubt, usually through taunting, in conjunction with lightsaber battle.

The Sith aimed to completely dominate an opponent's spirit through whatever means possible by employing their own lightsaber combat doctrine. Dun Möch commonly involved spoken taunts, jeers, and jests that exposed the opponent's hidden, inner weaknesses and/or doubts, which had the end result of eroding the opponent's will. Such a thing can be quite deadly, especially against Jedi, since concentration was a must when using the Force. Doubts can easily break that connection. Other variations on Dun Möch involved usage of the Force to throw large, weighty objects at the Sith's opponent during combat, which both distracts the opponent from the battle and could potentially cause damage.

Dun Möch in use

"Make him doubt himself, his beliefs, or his intentions. Such things disrupt connections to the Force—and death soon follows."

―HK-47 to the Jedi Exile, on how to defeat Darth Sion^[src]

Darth Vader was seen to use Dun Möch against Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Death Star, but with little success. He used it again facing Luke Skywalker in their duel on Bespin's Cloud City to great effect, and again in the duel on the second Death Star. Darth Tyranus used it on Geonosis, taunting Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Yoda respectively. Tyranus would later focus this skill on Anakin during their rematch onboard the Invisible Hand. Darth Sidious also used this form against Yoda in his duel against the Grand Master.

Another incident of Dun Möch being used by a Jedi was the confrontation between Darth Sion and the Jedi Exile on Malachor V. Sion was not killable by conventional methods, as he was capable of healing his wounds in an instant. The Exile instead used taunts and arguments to erode Sion's will, Sion in the end sacrificing his own life to the Force.

Kyle Katarn was repeatedly exposed to Dun Möch during the Valley of the Jedi crisis against the Seven Dark Jedi. During Katarn's duel with Boc Aseca, the Twi'lek never ceased laughing and taunting with gibes such as "You're an angry one, aren't you?" and "Feisty!", combining them with his evasive jumping technique to frustrate Katarn into making a mistake. After their respective defeats, both Maw and Jerec attempted to goad Katarn into turning to the dark side by striking them down. Maw, in a sense, succeeded. By the time Katarn faced Jerec, however, his emerging maturity in the light side caused him to react uniquely to the Dun Möch: Katarn neither struck Jerec down nor spared him; instead, he rearmed the murderous Dark Jedi so as to kill him in honorable combat.

Desann's Reborn warriors utilized Dun Möch to frustrate the members of the New Jedi Order that they encountered in combat. Kyle Katarn once again exposed to Dun Möch, managed to ignore their taunts and emerge victorious in every duel he had with the Reborn. The New Reborn of Tavion Axmis's Sith cult carried on this tradition and were often heard taunting Jedi with expressions like "Do you fear me?" and "I thought Jedi were powerful."

Desann himself took Dun Möch to the level of plotting: by faking the death of Jan Ors and taunting Katarn about his powerlessness, Desann successfully tricked the enraged Katarn to reveal the location of the Valley of the Jedi.

Jacen Solo used a variation of Dun Möch by disguising his own face as his apprentice's with the Force to manipulate Mara Jade Skywalker's love for her son against her. The result was Mara hesitating during their duel and Jacen mercilessly struck Mara down.

[edit] Boomerang effect

If not carefully applied, Dun Möch could backfire upon the user, spurring the intended target to anger instead of overwhelming him/her with fear. Taunted by Darth Tyranus, Anakin Skywalker called upon the dark side of the Force to enhance his combat ability onboard the Invisible Hand and ultimately defeated the experienced Sith Lord.

Maw taunting Kyle Katarn

The same happened to Maw who, injured, taunted Kyle Katarn with details of his father's death. This resulted in Kyle giving in to anger and striking down the unarmed Dark Jedi.

[edit] Inverse Dun Möch

"Your thoughts betray you, father."

―Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader^[src]

In addition, Luke Skywalker used the very opposite of Dun Möch onboard the second Death Star. The young Jedi attempted to turn Darth Vader to the light by infusing love through spoken words. Luke was successful and Anakin Skywalker ultimately redeemed himself and brought balance to the Force. Around 4,000 years earlier, this method may have been used by Revan on the Star Forge to redeem Bastila Shan, and was used by the Jedi Exile to defeat Darth Sion, who could not be defeated by normal means.

Form "Zero"

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"Lightsaber skills, important they are. How to use as well as how not to use. When to move as well as when not to move."

―Jedi Master Yoda

Form "Zero," while not an actual form of lightsaber combat per se but rather an ethical principle, was the idea that Jedi should know when to use their lightsaber and when to find an alternative means of solving a problem. This idea was defined by Jedi Master Yoda to address the need of the Jedi to restrain themselves when tempted to use "aggressive negotiations," and instead use another well-developed Jedi skill, such as the Jedi mind trick. This was a form used to arrive at a solution without resorting to violence.

In the days of the New Jedi Order, Jedi Master Kyle Katarn would teach his students, among whom were Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin, that often the sight of an unignited lightsaber would be enough to cause individuals that might be potential enemies to become more cooperative. Katarn had applied this principle himself years earlier to extract information from an uncooperative bartender in Reelo Baruk's cantina on Nar Shaddaa.D

Lus-Ma

Notable Practitioners

Dooku

General Grievous

General Grievous's IG-100 MagnaGuards

Lus-ma was a form of lightsaber combat which Count Dooku taught General Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuards. Like Sokan, Lus-ma was not part of the classic combat forms of the Jedi.

Jar'Kai

"Perhaps you would like to learn something before you die. The use of two blades, one to support the other, can be traced back thousands of years and was common to both of our species. The invention of lightsabers has done nothing to lessen the effectiveness of this strategy—as you are about to learn."

―Boc Aseca to Kyle Katarn

Jar'Kai is a subform of Niman and is one of the oldest forms of lightsaber combat, a dual blade wielding technique.

Description

New Reborn warrior and Jedi Knight, both users of Jar'Kai, face each other in combat

Jar'Kai permitted a Jedi to fight with two lightsabers, one in each hand, as demonstrated by Anakin Skywalker when he first faced Count Dooku. One of the blades in the wielder's hands was used for attacking while the other one was used for defending, such as parrying, or for more offensive purposes.

As with all styles of lightsaber combat, Jar'Kai had both strenghts and weaknesses. It was a good style for a wielder who could maintain a strong offense, as two blades could keep an opponent wondering which one to shift towards to defend against. However, a user of Jar'Kai who lost the offensive was at a disadvantage to a single hilt user, especially a powerful one. The use of two blades prevents the user from putting all his weight behind a defensive block, thus weakening one's defense considerably. A physically stronger opponent could simpily batter a Jar'Kai user until their guard finally gave way.

[edit] History

Jar'Kai was originally the name of a city on Atrisia. Here were crafted the original Jar'Kai dueling sabers, which were wielded by the Yovshin Swordsmen. The Swordsmen, wielding one saber in each hand, invented the Jar'Kai style.

Similar was the style developed by the Royale Macheteros of the Kashi Mer monarchy. The latter technique was used by the Legions of Lettow, during the First Great Schism, who called it Niman after a dual triumvirate of Kashi deities.

Ancient Niman relied on steel blades, as lightsabers had not yet been invented, but the style could be used with a great variety of weapons.

Anakin Skywalker utilizing Jar'Kai against Dooku.

The application of Jar'Kai often exists as a tactic instead of a completely independent style. Mace Windu, Depa Billaba, and Sora Bulq were still using Vaapad when they fought with two swords. Anakin Skywalker's application on Geonosis was actually based on Form IV swordplay. Because neither the Jar'Kai tactic nor Form IV swordplay was the young Jedi's mostly trained style, Count Dooku was easily able to break through Anakin's array of weapons.

[edit] Practitioners

Dark Jedi Boc using Niman/Jar'Kai against Kyle Katarn.

Many Jedi Knights and Sith Lords trained to use the Niman style in the hopes of gaining a basic knowledge of the dual-bladed attack, but very few ever totally mastered Niman. Jedi Master Micah Giiett was known for using two yellow-bladed lightsabers; Darth Maul learned Jar'Kai during his years of intense training under Darth Sidious; Mace Windu and Depa Billaba both displayed masterful dual saber combat during the Battle of Haruun Kal; Joclad Danva wielded two lightsabers during the Battle of Geonosis; and Aayla Secura also used Jar'Kai at the end of the Clone Wars. Other known learners included Exar Kun, Kavar, Kas'im, Sora Bulq, A'Sharad Hett/Darth Krayt, Serra Keto, Komari Vosa, Anakin Skywalker, Asajj Ventress, Jeng Droga, Alora, Luke Skywalker, and Mara Jade Skywalker, with Revan, The Jedi Exile, Lycan, Aurra Sing, Quinlan Vos, Shaak Ti, Lomi Plo, Kol Skywalker, Darth Wyyrlok III, and Jaden Korr as possible practitioners.

During the Great Schism, Awdrysta Pina employed it with the Jedi katana. During the New Sith Wars, the Dark Underlord wielded two Sith swords. One Jedi who did use Jar'Kai with two lightsabers was Newar Forrth, a Twi'lek Jedi who fought in the New Sith Wars. Over a millennium later, the Twi'lek Dark Jedi Bocas'eca would attempt to imitate Forrth.

General Grievous may have based his bizarre, original combat style on Jar'Kai. He used two lightsabers during the Battle of Hypori when he defeated a handful of Jedi. Later, in the early stages of the Battle of Utapau he wielded four lightsabers—one in each of his four hands—in a duel against Obi-Wan Kenobi. Before Obi-Wan completely mastered Soresu, he occasionally used two lightsabers to battle Asajj Ventress.

Darth Krayt using Jar'Kai against the Imperial Knights.

The Dark Jedi Bocas'eca was a master of Niman, incorporating it into his own rather unorthodox fighting style; many of Tavion Axmis's New Reborn were trained in dual saber combat. It was possible that Kyle Katarn's apprentice, Jaden Korr may have been skilled in this form.

Luke Skywalker, the Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, displayed his amazing dueling skills with dual blades during the Yuuzhan Vong War, often utilizing it with a shoto in conjunction with his regular lightsaber. Regardless of receiving formal Jar'Kai training or not, Luke proved to be one of the best dual blades duelists in his era. Ten years later, Luke again applied Jar'Kai in actual combat against the Dark Lady of the Sith Lumiya on Roqoo Depot and at Gilatter VIII during the Confederation-Galactic Alliance War.

Jar'Kai still has its followers around 130 ABY. Darth Krayt used it to terrible effect by killing four Imperial Knights single-handledly.

Shien

Shien was a form of Jedi lightsaber combat. Followers of this form practiced an unorthodox method of holding the lightsaber to perform long, sweeping strikes to take down several enemies at a time.

Description

The variant form known as Shien is a rarely seen style that, while effective, is almost a topic of controversy among lightsaber masters due to the drastically different grip taught by practitioners of the form. The style calls for the Jedi to hold the lightsaber horizontally with the tip of the blade out away from the body, and all strikes are made by sweeping the arm forward as though throwing a punch while whipping the blade forward quickly in a broad arc. Adi Gallia was one of the few Jedi around the time of the Clone Wars known to actively practice the form, as was the Anzati Jedi called Nikkos Tyris. It may also have been used by Vader's apprentice during The Great Jedi Purge.

While a strike from a combatant using this style could be difficult to anticipate and stop, Shien was not particularly effective in a lightsaber duel. The attack movement is rather limited and defense on the part of the wielder is practically non-existent, as it puts the wrist in a weak position to stop a blow with any power behind it.

Not to be confused with the standard Form V variant of Shien.

Behind the scenes

Ronhar Kim possibly using Shien against treacherous Senate Guards.

• Much confusion arose when Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords indicated the name of Form V was Shien. Later sources proved that the fifth form had two different styles, Shien and Djem So, much like Form VII had Juyo and Vaapad respectively.
• Ronhar Kim is also another possible candidate for use of this form, as he utilizes a reversed grip and wide swings several times.
• Quinlan Vos is also a possible practitioner of Shien, as he is often pictured holding his lightsaber in reverse grip.
• Vader's secret apprentice uses a reversed grip in some sources, making him another possible Shien user.

• Obi-Wan Kenobi is also a possible user of Shien, utilizing a reversed grip in both the Episode III: Revenge of the Sith comic adaptation and the comic Old Wounds. However, he is not shown with a reversed grip in the Episode III movie, which outweighs the comic in terms of canon value, and Old Wounds is as yet non-canon, Kenobi's use of the style is in dispute.
• It is also possible that this form was used by the Jedi snipers in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during the Clone Wars. There is no known canon to confirm this suspicion, other than the distinctive grip of their weapons as seen in the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (video game).

Sokan

"It's over, Anakin. I have the high ground!"

―Obi-Wan Kenobi to Darth Vader^[src]

Sokan was more of a principle of lightsaber combat than a true form.

Developed by the ancient Jedi Knights during the Great Hyperspace War, Sokan teaching revolved around using the environment itself to gain a tactical advantage in combat. Sokan involved maneuvering so that swift strokes of the lightsaber could be aimed towards the opponent's vital areas, using quick tumbles, jumps, and movements. Combatants made use of large amounts of terrain, trying to maneuver their opponents into vulnerable areas during the course of battles that involved Sokan techniques. This technique allowed for great speed and mobility and left no openings in one's defense.

Although it was unclear whether Obi-Wan Kenobi received formal Sokan training or not, the Jedi Master did employ elements of Sokan while dueling Darth Vader on Mustafar. Towards the end of the duel, Obi-Wan sought the high ground and used his favorable positioning to defeat Vader, attacking his weak points. This was the factor that led to Vader's defeat, and, in his battle against Luke Skywalker on the second Death Star, may be a reason why he threw his lightsaber when Luke got the high ground instead of going after him.