Saber Forum

Hello everyone

Since I'm a Soresu oriented fighter.. I've made my own training exercise..
And wanted to share it to you.

With this training, you should be able to:
1. Resist hard punches (That can be found in Djem so, Juyo and Vaapad)
2. Quicken your defense moves, to resist quick and swift hits (That can be found in Ataru, Shien and Makashi)

Why?
1. Because you're getting used to a heavy saber.. and as heavier your dumbbell is, as easier you can deflect and parry harder hits
2. When you're getting used to a heavy saber.. you can move quite faster with your light one, so you are able to deflect 2 handed wielder better.. or opponents with quick and swift moves.

What do I need to train by your way?
1. Just an dumbbell, with every weights attached to one side. (start low.. you will raise in progress.. and don't switch from low weight to high weight in just one week.. training needs time)

So.. I'm doing this movements in the same order.. over and over again..

-If you train with the right hand, don't forget to have the right foot in front, while having the left foot behind.
-When making the Soresu Battle stance, switch your feet.. to get the right form!
-I'm doing like 10 sets of this.. with 2 minutes rest after every set..
-After switching hands and making again 10 sets, I meditate for 5 minutes.

So you're going to have like 30 sets in almost 10 minutes.
Don't do it to quick, as slower you make this, as more results you will get.
After that, I switch my hand.

So here comes the sets im doing:
(http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/4716/soresutraining.png)

1. Deflect left middle
2. Deflect right middle
3. Deflect bottom left
4. Deflect bottom right
5. Deflect top
6. Soresu battle stance

I would suggest using wrist weights instead of a dumbell so you can actually wield the weapon.

May I ask where you got your Soresu stance from?

(http://www.freewebs.com/jedi_training/Soresu.JPG)(http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/e/e1/Luminara_TCW.jpg)(http://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwiki.org/09/1/1/1/73649132788559089.jpg)


Wookiepedia..
the soresu stance provokes the enemy to attack, but you can block and parry from this position normally every attack. tried it out and it really works great for me :)
you can see this stance ALOT when you type in "Soresu Stance" in google.. you will get to wookiepedie by that as well.. ^^

I'm using dumbells with like.. 1,25 kg.. firstly :O
I can wield it perfectly.. but still its hard to exercise with it alot.. I've made this already today.. and I'm very used to it :D

Soresu training does indeed involve swift defensive movement, but there's more to the style than sheer defense. Soresu is often described as being the calm in the eye of the storm. True, this involves preventing the whirling maelstrom of your enemy's lightsaber outside from reaching in, but to look upon the saying in only a physical sense is to fail to grasp the nature of the form.

When training with Soresu, especially sparring, it is necessary to control yourself, your heart rate, breathing, and feelings, so as to keep the storm outside. Focus inward and moderate your breathing to be slow and easy, no panting should occur during Soresu training. Try to relax even as you move your lightsaber to block and parry and redirect. A lightsaber duel or spar might be exciting, but remember, "adventure, excitement... a Jedi craves not these things!" don't allow yourself to get caught up, check your pulse occasionally and feel that it's slow, regular, as though you were at rest or in meditation. This might be difficult at first, but with training you can master such a thing. Do not get caught up in the combat, in wanting to defeat your opponent. Your focus should be inward, on protecting yourself and on controlling your emotions. Do not be impatient and make an attempt to strike your opponent before the time is right. Bide your time and feel when the time is right, observe when your foe has left himself open or grown tired, and then strike.

To master this, you have obviously to get used to your lightsaber..
I think, when you're not used to defend yourself with Soresu, you will get in rush whenever you fight.. Resulting in being out of breath very quick and don't being calm.. That will lower your concentration.. which will result in attacking the enemy on the wrong moment, deflecting to slow or getting confused by an enemy spin, handswitch or maybe just an feint.
Thats the reason why I train my movements primary.. While this training I can still close my eyes and try to be calm.

any thoughts on how modify to this for two sabers?

one possibility could involve your lead hand holding your second saber horizontally across your body, perpendicular to the saber held aloft.  the idea is to maintain a simultaneously neutral/inviting blade position, while still allowing a broad range of defensive coverage for either weapon to transition into.

Although "dual saber" work might be slightly off-topic for this thread... I'll just add that I have two methods to start training people to use dual sabers.

First is... think of using one saber as DEFENSE... the other as OFFENSE.  For now.  It will be much, much MUCH less convoluted for you to clarify this in your mind... and to even train with some drills (hopefully with a partner).

You don't have to have the OTHER person using 2 sabers for the time-being.  It's crazy enough as it is for YOU to be "just starting" with dual saber work.  Don't make it harder than it already is!!

On another note... I think making effective-looking choreography with these... can be VERY VERY tough.  I had a tough time coaching my actors in BOP I where we pitted "Valaris Skyblade" (dual-wielder) vs. "Toxac Miasmidor" (single saber, darkside).  In the end, they actually changed a lot of what I requested... and it muddied up the choreography.  Either way... it was a LOT of work!

For sparring... hmm.  Man--you'd better get PRETTY DARN GOOD before you embarrass yourself vs. someone with a single saber.  It's simple... if person X has excellent technique with 1 saber... and you spar them with "poor" or "barely passable" skill in dual sabers... you're going to have a pretty tough time.

I've fenced a lot of my students (as a "game") where they get to use TWO sabers... and I only have the one.  Game is... if they can beat me in a bout to 5 points... I have to do 20 pushups.  If *I* win... THEY have to do pushups.

Guess who hasn't had to do a lot of pushups... ;)

---------

Method two for me is also simple... train single saber in dominant hand... train single saber in NON-dominant hand--HARD.  Long time.  No cheating.  No wimping out, just DO it.  Yes, your footwork is going to change.  You need to consider how you'll stand when you have both in hand--that's up to you, although I personally stick with my "dominant side" footwork (right-handed) if I even bother going as a "dual wielder" (rare).

Don't keep SOLELY training dual-wielding or your single saber work will lose effectiveness.  Be vigilant, and train both sides.

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What's wrong with doing BOTH of these methods?!??!  The Balrog will come get you.  No, totally kidding--there is NOTHING wrong with doing both methods.  :)

By the way, did I mention you'd better strengthen your wrists for this and warm up properly??  You'll find that your forearms will "become jello" MUCH MUCH quicker than you ever did doing single saber.  Unless you're Popeye or something... ock, ock, ockockockock!  :D

i concur with Master Nova with regards to the difficulty dual wield training presents...its certainly not just waving two lightsabers around menacingly...training with each hand solely, with the commensurate footwork, is the best way to get sure of yourself over time. then after that, you get to train with both, trying hard to keep them out of each other's way. the essential thing here is to remember to do nothing with one blade that interrupts the other blade...and to maintain balanced footwork throughout. this often translates to a much wider arm position, and/or using one saber to control the center while the second angles in from the outside.  for the soresu practitioner, this might very well be a needless complication.

ok thanks i perfer dual wielding and was pretty good but have never gone against anyone very good so you could have just saved me some embrassment

i'm sure you have the skills to do it...just train, train, and train some more!

And eat your Wheaties.

the breakfast of conqerers!

...and a protein shake.

Some additional concepts to help...

A dual-wielding style is not as "new" or uncommon as people may think.  From older times, it would be referred to as "Florentine"--indicating the use of a shorter sword or "dagger" (really a LONG dagger) with which to defend.  This was often referred to as a "main gauche", which literally means "left hand" in French.  :)

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Parrying_dagger

Still... in applying the concepts I mentioned above in previous threads--you can see how this relates, and also "obeys / homages" the historical usages.

Historical swordplay is not only "oldschool"... but it has often been refined so much in LONG past years--it can get both lost... and "re-discovered" in different manners as the ages pass and certain bits of knowledge come in and out of the foreground due to societal desires & needs...

Hmm.  If that last sentence confused or lost you a bit... don't worry--I'm just waxing a bit poetic.  lol...  Pay me no mind.

But anyhow... go check out NCSCS if you like.  DVD #2 and DVD #3 will simply build upon the first one... and *YES* you will be seeing more complex stuff on upcoming DVDs.  Soooooo much to cover... so little time.  :)

I could say I'm not thaaat.. nice with dual saber.. but I've got some experience.. but I prefer single ones more!
http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=1174.0 (http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=1174.0)
Me dual wielding..  :O

that looked kinda aggressive for a soresu using jedi

I actually don't like dual wielding.. and I also never practiced it.. my friends was like: "SHOW US WHAT YOU GOT WITH BOTH!!" and I was like: "I.. actually am not able to dual wield.." they replied: "Go on!" and I made this.. D:

Some solid advice on Soresu and dual wielding from the Masters here.  Thanks guys, I myself am trying to train a bit in dual wielding, working with my left hand - at the very least I'd like to even out my body a bit since fencing tends to make you asymmetrically muscled lol.  During fencing season my right thigh gets significantly bigger than my left haha - I'm sure you know how that goes Nova.

i know exactly how that goes...i've been training with both hands for about 12 years now. can't really give all my lessons left-handed, so why not kill two womp rats with one shot?

Oh yeah, giving lessons left handed is great.  Not only is it priceless seeing that look of confusion on my fencers' faces, but it's really helpful to give them practice against the unorthodox.  Lefties seem to be a dying breed...

Maybe because at one point they were considered evil and people actually did attempt to eradicate them.