LIGHT SABER BATTLE FORMS DARTH ZANNAHS FORM: Form III Philosophy: "Defense will not slay my enemy."
"You lack the physical strength required for the powerful attacking strikes of Djem So or the other aggressive forms. You must rely on quickness, cunning and, most of all, patience to best your enemies." ―Darth Zannah learns from Darth Bane the effectiveness of Soresu[src] Application"Good. Do not block. Redirect. Wait for opponents to become weary or frustrated. Let them make a mistake, then seize the opening and make them pay." ―Darth Bane to Darth Zannah during her lightsaber training[src] Advantages"The smaller blades give you greater speed and maneuverability. Grip the handle lightly in your fingers. Control the weapon with your wrist and hand rather than the muscles of your arm. You will sacrifice reach and leverage, but you will be able to create a shield of impenetrable defense." ―Darth Bane[src] "Form three allows you to parry incoming attacks with minimal effort. Your opponent must expend precious energy with each blow, slowly tiring while you remain fresh and strong." ―Darth Bane to Darth Zannah[src]
Obi-Wan Kenobi utilizing Soresu against Darth Vader "The road is long, but it is worth the journey, for a true master of Form Three is invincible."
Luminara Unduli on Form Three[src] Originally, Form III was developed as a counter to blaster weapons used by multiple opponents. Due to the rise in distribution of blaster weapons, more and more Jedi were forced to adopt a fighting style which allowed them to combat enemies firing from several directions, mostly basing their "attack" on redirected blaster fire. Previous styles had allowed wide, sweeping strokes which left the Jedi open to blaster fire. Form III, however, required maintaining a constant shield of deflective strokes by making short, quick sweeps, close to the body, leaving the Jedi less exposed to ranged fire. Form III was the most defensive of the seven forms.The philosophy of Soresu was described as "being within the eye of the storm." The practitioner maintained a centered frame of concentration that was not disrupted by the conflict around them. They did this to maintain the calm center where the outer storm of combat could not harm them. Thus, Soresu commanded powerful defensive techniques that seemed to adapt to almost any circumstance, at the cost of never reaching past the figurative eye of the storm. The Soresu technique used little to none of the attack power needed by those who concentrate on the storm itself. Those who studied this style used the primarily defensive technique to wear down aggressive opponents by defending long onslaughts with minimal counter-attacking. They waited until their adversary spent most of their energy, then employed an alternate, more aggressive attack. They waited for eventual lapses in their opponent's own defense.The key to truly mastering Soresu may have come from a mastery of the concept and philosophy of Soresu.
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, despite his preference for Soresu, applied Shii-Cho elements and Ataru acrobatics into his swordplay, as evidenced by his recollection of his intense duel with the Sith Lord Count Dooku on board the Invisible Hand. This, however, he did to confuse Dooku, as he later switched back to his true form, Soresu. In his duel against General Grievous, Kenobi used pure Form III swordplay. ApplicationSoresu utilized motions that occurred very close to the body, in an attempt to achieve near-total protection and expend as little energy as possible while executing moves. Form III stressed quick reflexes and fast positional transition, in order to overcome the rapidity with which a blaster could be fired. This technique minimized the body's exposure, making a well-trained practitioner nearly invincible. Followers of Soresu preferred to remain on the defensive until their opponent left an opening that a Soresu practitioner could exploit.Observers generally described Soresu as a passive form of combat. Jedi with extreme patience and reserved personality often employed the form - in fact, during the Clone Wars, Soresu was the most commonly used lightsaber form in the Jedi Order.[5] Its popularity was not always as such; it was not until the death of Qui-Gon Jinn on Naboo that many Jedi switched from Form IV to Soresu.
KNOWN MOVES AND MANEUVERS
Soresu Opening Stance :: The opening stance placed the dominant leg backwards in conjunction with the supporting arm which holds the blade horizontally parallel to the temple while the opposing arm is held forward in challenge.
Circle of Shelter :: A technique where the duelist creates a protected area around themselves and their allies, making it difficult for enemies to penetrate.
Deflecting Slash :: A technique where the duelist redirects the momentum generated by deflecting an enemy projectile into a slashing attack at an adjacent target.
Combat Form III :: Involved preparation for prolonged battles where the user observed and learned as much as possible about their opponent's or opponents' technique while engaged in combat. Also, by being more capable in lengthy battles, a Soresu user had the ability to gain control of a combat situation, creating multiple options for the Jedi employing the form. A Form III user could choose to kill, disarm, or even reason with their opponent. Many Soresu practitioners survived the lengthy Battle of Geonosis, owing to the endurance gained from the form and its specialization in fending off and deflecting blaster fire.
Soresu's greatest power lay in the endurance and control a practitioner eventually developed.
Jedi Master Mace Windu noted that, unlike any of the other combat styles, Soresu was not an answer to a particular type of weakness. Vaapad was an answer to Windu's inner darkness;
Ataru was Yoda's answer to his limited reach and advanced age; and Djem So helped Anakin release his own powerful emotions. Toward the end of the Clone Wars, Master Windu acknowledged Obi-Wan Kenobi as "The master of Soresu." It was because of this fact that Kenobi was chosen by the Jedi High Council as the Jedi best suited to defeat General Grievous. During their duel, the Jedi Master was capable of parrying all four of Grievous's lightsabers, gradually disarming the cyborg general. Earlier, during his duel with Count Dooku aboard the Invisible Hand, Kenobi's expertise in Soresu allowed him to parry the Count's elegant Makashi strikes. Soresu was considered the consummate Jedi combat form in that it embraced a passive way of life and a literal expression of the Jedi tenet to defend rather than attack. Obi-Wan himself considered Soresu very simple, so restrained and defense-oriented that Form III was nearly passive. As a master, Obi-Wan could defend himself against any attack less than twenty strikes per second.[5]
Darth Vader used elements of Form III in his variant of Form V.
Advantages Soresu was a very favorable form of combat for Jedi up until the Great Jedi Purge. The defense and control it allowed a practitioner made for suitable outcomes in favor of the user when faced with hurried opponents who left themselves vulnerable to counterattack. However, its defense required a very large amount of focus from the wielder and even a momentary fault in concentration could spell defeat. Jedi with less focused minds would usually abandon this style of combat to capitalize on the benefits of other styles that required less dedication to prolonged fighting. Form III utilized strikes and blocks with the lightsaber at very fast speeds with the blade extremely close to the wielder's body. This form also utilized some acrobatics such as those seen in Form IV to make the wielder even harder to catch. Form lll was effective against single powerful enemies, as well as large battles with multiple enemies. Form lll was also the most effective form for deflecting blaster bolts, since it was originally designed to combat blaster-wielding opponents, and since the movements are very swift and close to the body, there would be virtually no open space between attacks that could leave the wielder open to blaster fire. Jedi who mastered Soresu were known to have an almost unbreakable defense, and the most successful when dealing in situations when a quick victory was not as favorable as total understanding and calculated action. Soresu users will only attack the enemy to deliver the disarming strike (unless fighting against battle droids), and will keep defending until they see an opening in the enemy.
Soresu masters could trap opponents in their own attacks, as demonstrated by Obi-Wan Kenobi during his duel with General Grievous on Utapau, as well as against Darth Vader on Mustafar.
Weaknesses"A… defensive technique. But effective. Use it if you do not wish to be hit, or if you are facing many opponents with blasters. With a lightsaber blade and enough skill in deflection, it is an excellent offense against blasters, but in other situations, it merely delays the inevitable." ~Kreia[src]
Truly focused masters of Soresu were very formidable due to their strong defense technique. Soresu, however, facilitated survival more than victory. Form III initiates were more than capable of defending themselves from attack, but they needed a large amount of experience to learn how to trap an opponent in their own offense. Masters had to maintain an incredibly strong focus on the center of the combat circle, since the defensive tactics of the form included guards and parries engaged very close to the body. Jedi who left small lapses in their otherwise strong defense left little room to avoid injury. Also, the goal of many Soresu practitioners was to prolong the fight, the idea being to cause the enemy to become fatigued or frustrated as they attempted to keep up their offense. However, this tactic could easily backfire upon the user, as he himself becomes fatigued trying to keep up a defense against an aggressive though cautious adversary. A good example of this is during Obi-Wan Kenobi's rematch with Darth Vader aboard the Death Star I, which resulted in his death, as he could not find an opening in Vader's careful offense.[1]
Form III did not favor Jedi Generals in a lengthy fight with troops left alone on the battlefield. Jedi found this situation usually inevitable during the Clone Wars. General Obi-Wan Kenobi provided a good example of this situation when he needed to leave his regiment of troops to conduct his reconnaissance search for General Grievous.
A very powerful adversary could also spell trouble for a Form III user, as evident during Sarro Xaj's battle with Darth Zannah, where Zannah recognized that Sarro could easily best her as soon as he was left to be the sole combatant against her, and thus kept from killing Johun Othone, who proved to be a bigger hindrance to his comrade than his adversary. It should be noted, though, that Sarro had the help of Master Worror's battle meditation.=14.0ptPractitionersDeveloped to combat blasters, Form III was in existence for thousands of years.
The Jedi Exile was able to use this style. During the New Sith Wars, the Sith Blademaster Kas'im had mastered Form III as well as the six other forms. Kas'im trained several apprentices in the style, including Fohargh, who used it against Bane's Form V.
Darth Bane himself possessed a considerable level of skill in the form, using it to deflect blaster bolts and having trained his apprentice, Darth Zannah, in its use.[7] He was also able to utilize it to achieve his goal of not being hit by a single drop of rain during his personal workout.[2]
During the Clone Wars, Jedi Battlemaster Cin Drallig mastered it, and like Kas'im, trained many in its use.
Luminara Unduli and her apprentice Barriss Offee studied the style.
Count Dooku also had enough knowledge in the style that he was able to train Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuards in the form.
[11]Obi-Wan Kenobi originally practiced Ataru,[1] but when the style's lack of defensive capability cost the life of his Master, he abandoned the style and began practicing Soresu. Eventually, his mastery grew to the point where he was able to defeat such seasoned swordsmen as Grievous in their duel on Utapau, and Darth Vader during their duel on Mustafar.[5] After his defeat and mutilation in that duel, Darth Vader included Form III elements in his personal variant of Form V.[10]
Galen Marek was also familiar with Soresu and used it on numerous occasions.[6]
Another likely practitioner of Soresu is Sora Bulq, based on statements in the official Databank.
Rahm Kota may have also been a Soresu practitioner as it was stated that he took a defensive stance while in combat.
While Darth Sidious is sometimes believed to be a Form IV user, no source has confirmed his lightsaber form. Due to comments from Nick Gillard that Sidious has been shown to use several different forms proficiently, it is possible that he has mastered most of them.[12]
Soresu, along with the other lightsaber forms, appears in Star Wars Galaxies as part of moves and techniques employable by Jedi characters. This has not definitively been clarified to be canonical. [13][14][15] In the Star Wars Miniature game a player with a Soresu Style Mastery can roll to block all attacks to hit the character, but a character with the Makashi Style Mastery can avoid having their attacks blocked by that Ability.
THE SEVEN FORMS:"Six there were for generations of Jedi. The seventh, is not well-known."―Yoda[src]Each Jedi chose the style of lightsaber combat that best suited him or her. For example, Grand Master Yoda used the Ataru form to compensate for his lack of reach and height; Mace Windu used Vaapad to turn his inner darkness into a weapon of the light; Count Dooku's practice of the Makashi form fit first of all his intention to frequently engage in lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat, and second his emphasis on class and elegance as well as precision. Jedi learned elements of each form, though few ever mastered all of them.
Form I: Shii-Cho "Way of the Sarlacc" or "Determination Form"
https://youtu.be/n5ioDTd9Em0 Form I is the most basic of the seven forms and is learned by every Jedi Youngling. Shii-Cho includes the fundamental elements of all the lightsaber forms including the basic attack, parry, body target zones, and practice drills called velocities.
Form II: Makashi "Way of the Ysalamir" or "Contention Form"
https://youtu.be/Rh--fgseTlc?list=PL14E48361CD4C0B5A Form II represents the ultimate refinement of lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. Masters of Makashi develop unique offenses and defenses and train studiously against having their sabers taken or damaged.
Form III: Soresu "Way of the Mynock" or "Resilience Form"
https://youtu.be/iAumlKXXXlw?list=PL14E48361CD4C0B5A Form III was first developed in response to the advancement of blaster technology in the galaxy. Soresu's emphasis on tight, efficient movements that expose very minimal target areas, make it the most defensive and passive of the seven forms.
Form IV: Ataru "Way of the Hawk-Bat" or "Aggression Form"
https://youtu.be/80wzzPkvbWQ?list=PL14E48361CD4C0B5A Form IV is the most acrobatic of all the forms and requires a Jedi to first master the Force Run, Jump, and Spin abilities. By incorporating all the Force powers that allow a Jedi to exceed standard norms of physical abilities, Jedi may resemble nothing less than a blur when using this style.
· Form V: Shien / Djem So "Way of the Krayt Dragon" or "Perseverance Form"
https://youtu.be/sfQOV_5re-w?list=PL14E48361CD4C0B5A Form V was also created in response to the advancement and frequency of blaster use in the galaxy. Unlike the strictly defensive style Soresu, Shien exploits the ability of a lightsaber to block blaster bolts and deflect them back at an opponent in a counter-attack maneuver. In a duel, the Djem So variation of this form, which focused on strength, would be used.
· Form VI: Niman "Way of the Rancor" or "Moderation Form"
https://youtu.be/8jbGjtAJrDA Form VI seeks to balance the emphases of forms I through V. Niman allows a Jedi to fight with harmony and justice without having to resort to powerful, aggressive movements or overt emotion.
Form VII: Juyo / Vaapad "Way of the Vornskr" or "Ferocity Form"
https://youtu.be/w14Yz0mlCKU?list=PL14E48361CD4C0B5A Juyo instead employs bold, direct movements, more open and kinetic than form V, but not so elaborate as the acrobatic form Ataru. Juyo requires greater energy and intensity out of the practitioner because his focus is wielded more broadly and draw upon from a deeper well of emotion; while the outward bearing of a Form VII practitioner is one of calm, the inner pressure verges on explosive. It was also considered to be the most dangerous in regard to falling to the Dark Side, because it required a certain amount of enjoyment in the fight from the person experiencing it.
The seven forms were not merely swordplay moves, they represented seven different kinds of philosophy. In addition, a lightsaber was not necessary to execute the seven forms: each form could be applied in unarmed combat. Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto had demonstrated such talent during the Battle of Haruun Kal and the Bio-Droid Threat respectively.
