7 Forms of Lightsaber Combat

7 Forms of Lightsaber Combat - Part 1

History of Lightsaber Martial Arts

This post is probably a long time coming. But today I'm going to briefly cover what the 7 Forms of lightsaber combat are and how they're mostly ridiculous. In part 2, I'll go over what our Forms look like. Although (and I'll probably mention this several times) our forms may or may not align with existing canon. Or basically, yes we have 7 forms. But they might not be what you're expecting.

Good luck with your training

Speaking of canon.

The 7 Forms that we all know and love have only been canon since 2002 (shortly before Episode II). And even then a lot of their mentions have been expunged when Disney bought out the franchise (even the current descriptions have been altered or reduced). It's also important to note that there are very few direct references to the Forms other than visual guides and the like. And NONE of the movies prior to AotC directly integrated or even acknowledged the lightsaber Forms.

This is almost more canon than the 7 Forms

Although strangely enough the most complete piece of instructional lightsaber content was not in the form of a movie or book. But the Star Wars radio drama produced in 1981 by NPR. On this fine program you get an expanded lightsaber lesson aboard the Falcon. Obi-Wan somewhat describes the stance, how to hold a saber and a few other tips. If you've never listened to the whole thing, clear your schedule and grab a saber.

But here we go. Let's first introduce the 7 Forms as they exist in the Star Wars Universe (for those interested I'm using the Star Wars Visual Encyclopedia 2017 as reference).

Form I - Shii-Cho
The basic moves, as drilled by trainees.

Form II - Makashi
Promotes precision and discipline over strength and power. Often uses in duels.

Form III - Soresu
The most defensive form. Includes using the lightsaber as a shield against blaster fire.

Form IV - Ataru
Uses acrobatic jump, twirls, and twists to drive power into bold attacks.

Form V - Shien/Djem So
The two versions developed as  more aggressive version of defensive Form III.

Form VI - Niman
Focuses on balance and harmony rather than brute force.

Form VII - Juyo/Vaapad
A bold style that taps into emotions, but which can open a Jedi up to the dark side.

And there you go. That's basically what's still canon. Which I only bring up, because we hear about canon all the time. Gone are the animal descriptions and most other content. Only because I feel it's almost wholly irrelevant, I won't even list the practitioners. However some of the descriptions aren't too far off.

But first let's analyze a scene in Return of the Jedi.

A lot of related content that featured any mention of these Forms was relegated to "Legends". Which if you're not into that sort of thing, basically means it was dropped when Disney bought everything. They still exist, but (and this is why I think it's important) the previous descriptions of the Forms are no longer being developed. However they did keep the names and basic descriptions.

A good read, but not canon anymore.

Where did they come from?
You might be asking yourself why there are different Forms at all. Ever since 1977, the use and practice of lightsaber combat has been evolving. The original trilogy slowly integrated different uses of the lightsaber, and along with it- different combat styles. For instance look at how the lightsaber was treated in ANH. Both Vader and Obi-Wan did 2 handed strikes (plus the sabers were wired to their body). Fast forward to ESB, and the decision was made to include different methods of striking such as one handed attacks and flips.

It wasn't until the prequels when they hired a new stunt director and Ray Park (Darth Maul) that Lucas finally thought about legitimizing the martial arts of the Jedi. And boom, the seven Forms were born and officially introduced shortly before AotC. There is actually a lot more to it than that, but that's a story for another time.

But are they useful?
Yes and no. But mostly no. Almost all previous and current descriptions do not give enough information to develop a coherent martial art. The 7 Forms were developed to enhance the story and vaguely illustrate lightsaber techniques seen in the movies. Just like any other hobby or profession, movies/fiction are not good ways to learn a skill.

The 7 Forms include a lot of details that do not help us non-Force users. For instance, Obi-Wan is one of the more notable "Soresu" practitioners. But you might notice that he has a hand out in front, and his weapon is behind him.  For a mostly "defensive" Form, it's a bold strategy. This is largely because in the Star Wars universe he can use the Force.

I'm a Jedi and can move things with my mind and predict the future. It doesn't matter where I put my saber.

I'm a regular dude with a weapon and things matter.

Anyway, I could go on and on about the differences between how the Jedi fight and how real humans in reality would fight. But I just wanted to make a point about the 7 Forms and how they are not a fully realized martial arts system. So whenever I hear someone say they mastered "Vapaad" by watching a Youtube video, you must excuse my eyes rolling into my head.

Our 7 Forms
A lot of work went into the development of our Forms. But most of that effort was put into making them useful. And that's useful in the context of how the lightsaber exists in the real world.

What we acknowledge:

• The blade of a lightsaber is omni-directional and made of plastic
• The contact needed to land an effective blow is less than a traditional sword
• The 7 Forms exist
• The basic tenets of each Form (kinda)
• That Lucasfilm created all of it

What we don't acknowledge

• In universe physics of a lightsaber (size, weight and magnetic properties)
• Dark and light side factions
• Cortosis in all it's related forms
• The need for blaster deflection and all other imaginary uses of a plasma blade
• Basically anything you see in the movies

To boil it all down, existing or expunged canon sources are not meant to be manuals on lightsaber combat. While it might be possible to see examples of each Form in the movies, only 2 out of 6 were made around or after the time they were published. And even then there are very few consistent examples of the Forms. The combat in the films was mostly dictated by what looks good and works under the direction of the stunt coordinator (not to mention prop limitations). So even if they did adhere to the strict definitions of the Forms, it's still fictional. But through what I imagine is coincidence, our Forms "resemble" what's seen in canon very loosely.

If you're still confused, think about any other skill or profession featured in movies. How closely does it represent the reality of it?

Aspiring magicians all agree Harry Potter is the best way to learn magic

What's in a name?

While we've never officially denounced the use of the formal names, we typically just say Form one, two, three...etc for a few reasons.

A. It's easier

B. Some people don't know or care
C. It's trademarked

How were our Forms developed

All the Forms were created from the ground up using real world martial arts techniques. Our Headmaster Michael pulled from his 10+ years of HEMA  (Historical European Martial Arts) and stage combat experience to blend the reality of weapon based combat to the unique and fantastical properties of the lightsaber.

Most sword based martial arts are incredibly difficult to get started with. Whether it's the lack of teachers, space or equipment. There are just tons of barriers to get around. Plus it's not like you see neon signs in a strip mall advertising "Sword School". And good luck trying to teach yourself...

Most historical sources need translated and deciphered. They are pretty hard for the untrained to read.

And even though our Forms are "inspired" by historical martial arts. They are not one to one examples of any individual style or method. And again, I'd like to point out that Michael has spent YEARS learning all of this.

These Forms are also living and breathing things. Each style of combat has been improved and altered as our school grows and changes.  A major shift all our Forms went through was accommodating the combative use as opposed to the stage fighting application. In fact all our Forms are still evolving and getting better. 

It's also important to note that these are *our* interpretations of the Forms. So yes, you might see other schools and Youtube channels that teach this or that. But there are no official techniques that every lightsaber group adheres by. 

BUT we did try and keep the spirit of each Form (to an extent).

So there you have it. What started as a neat sci-fi concept in the 70's, and eventually developed into a fictional martial art. Is now essentially a real life martial art. The world is a funny place.

Stay tuned for Part 2 - The 7 Combat Forms Explained!