Saber Forum

Everyone loves to talk about the seven forms (and I say great the more the better!)
but I wanted to get a feel for everyone's tactics. Form is great and all, but two people
can both be makashi specialists and have styles that look nothing alike.


What are your favorite tactics, tricks, ploys, gambits, styles, strategies, ect.?


As for myself, I am a very defensive fighter, preferring to void attacks or parry if I am not
familiar with the fighter or if I just don't like what he's doing.
On the attack I prefer fient disengages, and overwhelming technical assaults and I am not
afraid to get in there and get physical with controls and binding.
Overall, I would say that I have a fencers sensibilities, with a grapplers heart.
if I can dominate you, I will, but if not then I can manipulate and outmaneuver you.


So post up people! Combatants only please (not choreography thanks)

I like to show off and do a bunch of unnecessary flourishes and pointless parry's.

I like to clash sabers together for no real tactical advantage and I like to twirl my blade constantly.

I lose most of my duels, and often.

But I love every moment of it.

Haha awesome waxman!

Depends on what I am doing.

If we are just playing around and not in protective gear I only use strikes derived from the movie styles. This looks pretty good on a camera  and usually i set my target to be the blade of my opponent while it is on their center line in case they miss a parry so that they don't get whacked. 

If we are doing full contact stuff, a lightsaber is an infinite edged cutting weapon that cuts with little effort. What this means is that "sword" tactics are limiting as they often rely on large movements used to generate leverage or power, and the wrist must be in angles that preclude them breaking when encountering hard bone or armor. Most of the lightsaber styles from the fiction are based around sword fighting. It is what we know, and what makes sense. But in "reality" a lightsaber shares a lot more in common with a escrima stick than it does with a katana or longsword. The stick also has an infinite edge for striking as it can hit from any angle. However since the lightsaber can cut through anything techniques used to distract or manipulate with a stick in kali/escrima become deadly.

One of the most common strikes in sport Escrima is to attack the opponents weapon hand ( the rules of the fight dictate it ends if you force your opponent to become separated from their weapon a certain number of times, sometimes 3, sometimes 5). In stick fighting this is annoying and done to cause pain to the hand. With a lightsaber this is a disable and allows for a quick victory.

My fiancee is an olympic style fencer so when we duel around she is often going for center torso shots. This leaves her hilt open for destruction strikes. so i'd say that's my best trick. ( that and i am not going to strike anywhere else, better to lose and have fun than win and have it not be fun for her.)

I am tall and have long arms, so I have a reach advantage against most people. However, I have neither the reflexes nor the speed of others who are younger, but I am not heavyset so I can move fairly fast when I need to.

Against a manageable opponent I like to get a good position (the center, for example) and keep my opponent under constant pressure. Against an opponent of my skill, I am more patient, and I usually try and move inside / outside fighting distance to strike in controtempo. Against a more skilled / experienced opponent, I try to interrupt his rhythm with spoiling attacks and keep him at bay using my longer reach, but of course I usually lose :D

I tend to be defensive and wait for my opponent to make a mistake then I make a quick and decisive strike, although I have to be a bit more aggressive when using a lightsaber then when doing re-enactment (nice big shield to stand behind).

I find this tactic works well most of the time and forces the opponent to wear themselves out, get frustrated then they make a mistake. however if my opponent is also a very defensive fighter then I prefer to make a few probing stabs and swings to test their reactions and defences before going very aggressively making lots  of feignts to try and get them to lower their guard in a different area as they move to block an attack. being quite tall and having fairly long arms helps a bit as I can keep an opponent back whilst still being able to strike from outside their reach, this is also why I prefer the 36" blade to the 24".

depending on what my opponent is happy doing my fighting can vary from a very civilised duel, to very aggressive using the pommel to strike as well as the blade and even grappling.

Usually I go on the defensive right away, looking for a hand or weapon strike to end the duel as quickly as weapon.  Disabling or disarming my opponent is my main goal, a killing strike is delivered only when necessary.

the only style i have ever had work for me is a heavy onslaught in brutal two handed blows. this is the how i fight armed and unarmed. sorta a violence  of action will stop any opponent. ive never met anyone yet who could truly best me though i do tire so if i'm fighting several matches after a few i fall into a none moving stance and let them come to me and i switch to more what you'd call a form two fighting style of fencing. this generally works though it doesn't have as good results as the first one.

Lol,

Obviously not fighting people with any training.

im actually a state ranked martial artist as well as medieval weapons dueltest i am willing to bet you would hold up poorly as your comment implies arrogance something a skilled fighter wouldn't display. you're using online forums to pretend you can fight

Boys, keep it civil please.

His response tells me he's not worth my time. He self reports as a krav maga practicioner ( doubt it mcdojo's that teach " krav maga" are the new hotness) who is self taught in weapons. And from what he describes he's probably a kid that thinks he's cool.

beating up on children is not exactly a noble pursuit.

as you have no respect for fellow warriors your right its not worth the time...if you care to know im a veteran who will gladly supply truth to that claim and i have probably seen many more fights then you. if you should ever been in the michigan area ill gladly meet you to fight.

Who said anything about no respect. You basically described the exact style that people with little training do. When you are dealing with something fake ( a lightsaber is fake). I don't see what you being a veteran ( israeli right, or you would have mentioned army combatives or mcmap) has to do with anything. You said you are a state ranked martial artist. And you are very quick to get defensive.

Ok let's keep it civil guys, don't make me lock this thread (because I think it's an interesting concept).


Generally I prefer, and recommend to others, avoiding the "brute force" approach.  In a "real" lightsaber fight perhaps it could work, but usually I'm sparring friends and don't really enjoy harming them.  If you truly do spar like this, I really hope you're using a good amount of protective gear for any targets.



I presume she's foil then?  Epee or saber would probably nail your hands first and foremost ;)

Yeah she is a foil fencer. The majority of our sparring has been me having to break her from some of those habits. Fencing really does train you to do some very bad things because of the sport nature of it.

Being a foilist myself, I find that foil tends to be the toughest in that regard.  All the core mechanics are good - extension of the arm, distance concepts, footwork - but the restrictions due to rules can throw people off.  Epee is basically a free for all, so with the exception of cutting it carries over to lightsaber quite well.  Saber at least teaches you to cut, which is very useful.

IMO, if you studied all three weapons extensively, you'd have everything you need to be very dangerous with a lightsaber.

My tactics would be quick unpredictable strikes, then immediate defense, then counter strike. Then repeat the process. Each with varying from the last.

yeah the only other thing you don't get though is circular movement when doing olympic style fencing. I have been having to teach her about how to circle, keep an opponent in front of you without crossing up your legs and getting off balance, defend lateral strikes that target the head or more specifically the 2 inches above the hand on the hilt of the saber ( useless strike in sword fighting especially against weapons with enclosed guards but absolutely fight ending if you are treating a lightsaber correctly).

when lightsaber fighting I have to remember that I can't hold the blade and use it like I would my hand and a half sword (who needs the blade when you've got a pommel like a mace head