Unique Lightsaber Combat

## The Unorthodox and Hybrid Fighting Methods

There were many fighting styles that predated or coexisted with the classic Jedi forms that were adopted by individual Jedi duelists. In fact, study into some of these more esoteric fighting forms, such as Sokan or mounted lightsaber combat, were made available within the Temple walls. Also, Jedi were encouraged to develop hybrid fighting forms, or to study alternate fighting styles to back up their primary. Such fighting forms have taken many shapes, from simple personalized variations of other styles, to advanced hybrid fighting forms. For example, Niman practitioners were encouraged to study Soresu, the pure root of Form VI. in short: A duelist applies moves from multiple fighting forms as part of a personalized, hybrid fighting style.

## Trispzest

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". 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.

## Tràkata

Created by a Jedi Consular in the days of the Old Republic to compensate for weaknesses with using a lightsaber, Tràkata was a form of lightsaber combat developed for taking advantage of a lightsaber's ability to be turned on and off, a unique quality in a melee weapon. Quickly shutting off then re-igniting the blade could confuse one's opponent/s, allowing for diversionary feints in combat.

Mixed with Jar'Kai, Tràkata was extremely effective even against multiple opponents. However, this method was greatly frowned upon, and was almost never used by either the Sith or the Jedi. The Sith claimed that it showed weakness and demonstrated a lack of power, while the Jedi claimed that this form was unsportsmanlike. Regardless, this lightsaber form was not widely used.

The Tràkata style was based around the unique ability of lightsabers to turn on and off, activating and deactivating the blade in the heat of combat to slip past enemy defenses, or trick them into over-extending themselves. Philosophically, Tràkata involved practical combat and deception, rather than the more traditional single-minded and determined tactics that were the hallmarks of the Jedi and Sith. Sith had difficulty applying this style, as their power came from passion and rage rather than level-headed tactical ingenuity, and the Jedi refrained from this style due to their unwillingness to rely on deception. Also, deactivating one's lightsaber during combat offered greater control over the Force due to the removed distraction.

#### Description of Tràkata

Philosophically, Tràkata involved practical combat and deception, rather than single-minded determination or endless patience. It was rarely used by the Sith, as their power came from passion rather than practicality, and neither was it commonly used by the Jedi because of their unwillingness to rely on deception. The latter may, however, have utilized this technique on occasion, their purpose usually being to exert greater influence over the Force.

## Sokan

For the most part, Sokan was a principle of lightsaber combat, rather 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 was based on out-maneuvering opponents, using quick tumbling and jumping movements to close the distance and facilitate swift strokes towards the opponent's vital areas. Terrain was heavily relied on for this purpose, and allowed for great speed and mobility, and also facilitated self-defense. Prior to the Clone Wars, Sokan practitioners integrated highly kinetic elements of Ataru with their ancient Sokan techniques to create a blend of styles that relied upon agility. Sokan was very effective if you had the high ground.

## Mounted Lightsaber Combat

In this type of combat, the duelist was limited to fighting one-handed, as the other hand was needed for steering the mount. As the duelist would have a height advantage over the opponent, attacks while mounted typically consisted of low lunges and diagonal slashes and arcs. The prime advantage of this type of fighting is the high vantage-point and the speed offered by the mount, though conversely the duelist had to devote effort towards protecting and controlling the mount.

## Telekinetic Lightsaber Combat

Telekinetic lightsaber combat was the art and practice of wielding one's lightsaber with Force-based telekinesis. It was extremely difficult, and required great aptitude in such applications of the Force. The primary advantages of such a fighting form were obvious; range ceased to be an issue, and the option of wielding numerous lightsabers simultaneously became viable. The most basic application of telekinesis in lightsaber combat was the saber throw. Using the Force to guide the lightsabers arc through the air, users could throw their lightsabers in a boomerang fashion, cutting apart obstacles and surprising foes. More adept users of such a technique could hurl their lightsabers across great distances, make mid-air course-corrections, or simply allow their lightsaber to hover in place.

## Dun Möch

Dun Möch was a traditional Sith tactic based around psychological warfare. Primarily, the practitioner relied on taunts that exposed an opponents inner doubts and weaknesses, disrupting their concentration. Proper execution of Dun Möch called for great patience and control, a rare trait among the Sith, especially those of the earlier eras. One of the finest demonstrations of this technique was at the Sith academy on Korriban.a example of Dun Möch: the need for patience by drawing out the battle to take advantage of lack of endurance, and exhibited fine control by withholding from striking an early killing blow as most forms began to slip. Rather than settle for a quick victory, mostly sought to completely destroy your opponent, allowing the tantalizing closeness of victory to fuel his rage, unleashing it in a powerful blow that disarmed your opponent, and ending the duel.

## "Form Zero"

Form "Zero" was not an actual form of lightsaber combat, but rather an ethical principle. It was an expression of the idea that a Jedi should know when to use their lightsabers, and when to withhold from resorting to force and instead find an alternative means of solving a problem. This style was learned by many masters of the force 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 method used to arrive at a solution without resorting to violence. By the way, we didn't put form zero behind form one, that's because it is not per se a "lightsaber" style, so that means that it is not one of the basic lightsaber style forms of combat.

## Lus-ma

Lus-ma was a technique employed in lightsaber combat. It was designed to be used against masters of Soresu, the third classical form which, if mastered, mounted an almost impregnable defense against attackers. The principle underlying Soresu, to constantly be on the defensive until a perfect opportunity to counterattack presented itself, was used against it with Lus-ma.

A Lus-ma attack was designed to fail; it could be sluggish, poorly aimed, weak, any of the above, or demonstrate another flaw which would render it easily deflected. The idea was to give a Soresu master what he thought would be his long-awaited opening; when he tried to press the attack, his enemy could quickly overpower him before the Soresu master returned to defense. Lus-ma was, however, extremely dangerous for those who could not use it correctly, and a fighter who employed it needed to only feign weakness or error while remaining in total control of his attack. If used imperfectly against a Soresu fighter, an attacker using Lus-ma could find himself actually defeated by a well-timed Soresu counterstrike.

## Su ma

Su ma was the use of rotation in the Jedi Knight's form of lightsaber combat, it was composed by three forms. One, the ton su ma, was the use of somersaults in combat. Another, the en su ma, was the use of cartwheels in combat.

Su
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Su was a lightsaber combat tactic where the wielder twirled the lightsaber in a circular motion in front of them, creating a form of deflective shield.

## Weapon-specific Fighting Forms

Due to the incredible variations in lightsaber technology, and the various specialized weapons available, fighting and training methods for the use of these various implements were required. Most weapon variations were fairly minute changes in the size and shape of the lightsaber hilt, with the affects on combat being negligible. Curved-hilt lightsabers and Lightfoils allowed for greater precision and easier one-handed wielding, while Long-handle lightsabers allowed for improved leverage and power. Dual-phase lightsabers allowed for rapid changes in blade-length, and could be used to surprise enemies, but required no dedicated methods of specialized training beyond personal familiarity.

However, other variations on armament, such as double-bladed lightsabers or the wielding of dual-blades, required intense specialized training due to the difficulty in using such weapons.

## Double-bladed lightsaber combat

In combat, your mind tries to keep track of each blade separately, effectively doubling the number of possibilities. But the two blades are connected: by knowing the location of one, you are automatically aware of the location of the other. In actual practice, the double-bladed lightsaber is more limited than the traditional lightsaber. It can do more damage, but it is less precise. It requires longer, sweeping movements that don't transition well into a quick stab or thrust. Because the weapon is difficult to master, however, few among the Jedi-or even the Sith-understand it. They don't know how to attack or defend effectively against it. That gives those of us who use it an advantage over most of our opponents.

The primary purpose of the double-bladed lightsaber was to allow for a faster rate of attack, unleashing a rapid assault with only a minimum of movement, "more slaughter per swing" as some put it. Saberstaffs were also excellent defensive weapons, as the doubled length of the weapon provided more surface area for deflecting and parrying. In addition to the practical benefits of the weapon, it also possessed a great psychological impact. The dual-blades increased the visual impact of the weapon, and in combat, opponents would intuitively try to track the blades separately rather than as a single weapon, overwhelming them (quick fact: the double-bladed lightsaber was also called a Saberstaff, Lightsaber Lance, Doublesaber, Dualsaber, or Lightstaff).

However, despite all of the advantages offered by the weapon, its weaknesses were equally obvious. Special training was required to wield the weapon effectively, with those attempting to use it without such discipline likely to bisect or impale themselves. The techniques employable with a double-bladed lightsaber were extremely limited, as the second blade rendered many positions and movements impossible to execute, or required the wielder to twist himself awkwardly around the weapon to do so. Many techniques required the user to perform elaborate flourishes in order to move the staff around their body, leaving them open, and any sort of fighting method that focused on power or penetration was difficult to apply. Also, the enlarged hilt common to most double-bladed lightsabers presented a large target, difficult to defend. Opponents would often attempt to employ the sun djem contact mark, with even experienced saberstaff wielders being vulnerable to this tactic.

## Lightwhip combat

Wielded in the same manner as a proper whip, the lightwhip was a rare and exotic weapon, an unfamiliar occurrence among traditional duelists. Due to this, lightwhip wielders enjoyed a considerable amount of leverage over opponents. Along with its rarity, lightwhips also featured copious range, the long, flexible energy strand allowing the wielder to attack from a range of several meters. The weapon was also difficult to defend against, as it could simply flex around an opponent's blade when he attempted to parry. When multiple tassels were included, the whip was able to overwhelm the defenses of enemies by attacking them from all sides.

However, lightwhips featured just as many drawbacks as advantages. The lightwhip blade was difficult to control, able to just as easily maim an untrained wielder as an opponent, and was weaker than the standard lightsaber blade. It needed to be swung wide to gain momentum for attack, and it was difficult to use defensively as flexible tassels are not well suited for parrying, leaving the wielder vulnerable to both great speed and brute force. In fact, lightwhip blades were even known to short out violently when struck with enough force.