What Lightsaber Form Do You Favor?

[SOTJ]

Jar'kai Ataru is nearly impossible to defend against, although I find that a second blade can get in the way of flips 

[Darth Cratus]

I use a combination of form II (Makashi) and form V (Djem So) My fighting style comes from me working with foil, saber, and longsword. (Form II being more typical of foil, and form V more typical of saber and longsword) I use precise, quick thrusts and slashes, but I also use more powerful slashes and cuts typical of longsword and saber.

[Master Nero Attoru]

I use a combination of form II (Makashi) and form V (Djem So) My fighting style comes from me working with foil, saber, and longsword. (Form II being more typical of foil, and form V more typical of saber and longsword) I use precise, quick thrusts and slashes, but I also use more powerful slashes and cuts typical of longsword and saber.

Very nice... sounds very much like my own style!  10 years of fencing gives my technique a natural Makashi basis, while I enjoy Djem So for its ability to overpower an opponent, sometimes disabling them.  I mostly use it to throw my opponent off really, so I can utilize my Makashi strikes to finish the job.

[Master Rel]

I would suspect that you would get a different answer depending on what stage of life, level of activity/training, and training options were available...from the same player (jedi).

I am at the top of the hill, able to look back down at the road I have climbed and look forward at the road that lays ahead.

At 46 I have done bunches and bunches and saw even more.

Where as a young wide eyed mouthy 18yr old US Marine...invulnerable, hell in boots, and ready to destroy any and all...I would have favored a more aggressive and straight forward approach...many hard lessons learned in judo taught me that this is not always the best way.

Later when I was sure that I had learned enough to teach others, my one punch one kill techniques were perfect...they were not...and I was not ready to teach; which is when I took advice from my testing judge from Japan "why do you want the black belt, you know it is just a color right?" "maybe this is not your path"...in old school karate, black belts were instructors...I was not ready...for a style I would have been focused on short bursts of speed and power, disregarding defense.

When I started competing on a serious level in judo I found a niche...I could not make up for the decades of judoka only experience I was facing so I started focusing on sacrifice moves which everyone learns and then quickly bypasses because they are difficult, they can put you in a bad position, and require a full commitment...but most judo players do not use or defend against them so I had found an advantage...so surprise and strategy were my favored tools...which should have been in my tool box all along as I was a nationally rated chess player at an early age...this is when I started playing the shadow game...defensive position with aggressive advancing that causes the opponent to be off centered because they expect an attack and it does not come, they attack and I aggressively defend, wait, catch them and tie them up...so the jedi style would be more Soresu.

So now my approach is more shadow and draw in, wait, faint, shadow...break the pattern and cause a break in concentration...then end it.

 

[Master Rel]

Jar'kai Ataru is nearly impossible to defend against, although I find that a second blade can get in the way of flips 

hmmm...yes...anything done hmm can be undone...uhm hehehehe...yes...

[Jammo]

I surely identify with the brash young Marine, for I was he as well. Corporal Jammo was Form V, hell on wheels, but nowadays I like to fool someone. Tempo set ups, one hand to two hand changes and vice versa, channeling an opponent into chasing phony objectives... I'm kind of a jerk, really, but that's the difference between my old ass at 33 and that skinny 20 something kid. I'd sum up my style as patience, using form switches and mind games to find that soft spot and hit it. My footwork is very clean, by all accounts, and I've actually gotten ahead of a guy with faster hands than me through application of my grey mush to the point that he thought I was holding back at first. As to the classic forms, I'd say I use a bit of 2,4,5, and 6, but I find the various styles to be critical only in how and when you use them and against whom. They're all tools and if you try to pound a nail with a screwdriver, its likely not going to work.

[SOTJ]

hmmm...yes...anything done hmm can be undone...uhm hehehehe...yes...

Are you referring to my remark about the flips or my opinion on the difficulty of defending against a dual-wielding blur? Either way, truer words hast not been spoken 

[Master Rel]

Are you referring to my remark about the flips or my opinion on the difficulty of defending against a dual-wielding blur? Either way, truer words hast not been spoken 

My best Yoda for anything being unstoppable 

[Goldleader]

Dual Wielding is jar kai, while the staff is just a different weapon, I think that you just adopt from whichever form you prefer.

Cause Maul uses Juyo, which is a very aggressive style.



On a side not Mj just bought me Escrima sticks for Christmas. I love jar'kai.

haha! well then probably juyo, my spins are more aggressive and not very defense oriented at all,
blocks i often shake off the opponents attack and turn into my own attack, i swing wide and have a very large safety cirlce, as i have found for the sake of my hands and fingers, its best to be on the offensive haha!

[Darth Cratus]

Very nice... sounds very much like my own style!  10 years of fencing gives my technique a natural Makashi basis, while I enjoy Djem So for its ability to overpower an opponent, sometimes disabling them.  I mostly use it to throw my opponent off really, so I can utilize my Makashi strikes to finish the job.

Yes, Makashi also comes naturaly to me. (fencing) I have been trained in longsword and saber aswell. So Djem So is also easy for me.
Normally, I use both forms equally. But, I change my fighting style depending on the person. If I'm bigger than the other person, I will use Djem So to overpower them. If I'm fighting someone larger than me, I would use Makashi. If the person's fighting style is form III (Soresu) I keep changing styles.

[Yega]

The more I practice, the more I realize that the natural lightsaber form for me is a mix between Form VII and Form V. Strength, and speed, in an all out attack, not letting any time for the attack of the opponent (obviously, they will always throw in an attack every now and then, but I try to keep them on a defense heading backwards.)

[Master Rel]

I do find it interesting that so many describe their technique as 2, 4, 6, and some of 7 but mostly 3 and 5  

I am not throwing stones, I just find this a bit chuckle worthy.

It may be just me, my martial arts experience is extensive but more so focused on closing, clinching, and smothering/choking out/or locking a joint...I do have some classic weapons training with eskrima and kendo...knife fighting with color marking practice blades...and some fencing, mostly épée...but I do know that fighting styles rarely can be summed up in one sentence.

So light saber style Juyo is not a move or two it is a theme of behavior...a direction of training and application.

It is doubtful that a Juyo would shift into a Makashi move and then into Ataru technique.

That is why I mentioned my answer would be different depending on when you asked me in my life.

A Juyo can have defensive, offensive, and special techniques that mirror the other styles but is still distinctly Juyo because of intent and application.

Just because one knows all the styles, like GM Yoda, you still favor one style or another.

I might be looking at this too much or in the wrong light but it is like asking what sort of pizza do you like?

"well I like a pepperoni and cheese for one bite, then two bites of pesto and basil, then a nibble of sausage and peppers, then back to a bite of pepperoni, then a bite of etc. etc."

That would be one crazy looking pizza.

Now all of those things could be on the pizza...the works or your works...but it does not magically become one or the other with each slice or bite.  An everything pizza is an everything pizza.  A Hawaiian is a Hawaiian.  A pepperoni is a pepperoni.

I liked cheese as a kid.

I liked pepperoni and cheese as a youth.

I like Hawaiian with hot peppers and cheese as an adult.

I could eat a cheese or a pepperoni, but I prefer a spicy Hawaiian pizza.

After three bites of my Hawaiian I do not say ahaha pepperoni!

*****

This is again not a dig on anyone, just an observation.

Every style is much more complex then "prefers straight forward attack" or "mostly used for defense".  A style is a blend of attack, defense, and special techniques.

It is ok to say one or the other.  They are all primarily different, that is why the different names.

Honor the name, honor the style, choose one...it is ok...Yoda said so, I asked him and he said so  

[SOTJ]

The more I practice, the more I realize that the natural lightsaber form for me is a mix between Form VII and Form V. Strength, and speed, in an all out attack, not letting any time for the attack of the opponent (obviously, they will always throw in an attack every now and then, but I try to keep them on a defense heading backwards.)

I would be interested to see how my form compares to yours. I think the only differences would be that you use strength and speed, whereas I only use speed, and the fact that I am in the air much of the time, although those differences are to be expected (V/VII versus IV). And maybe that you try to keep your opponent heading backwards, whereas I try to knock them over backwards  

[Yega]

Maybe we can see in a video? Record it or something? I know I have at least on friend who is not chicken when it comes to saber dueling (he actually enjoys it! Though he does not care for SW, lol).

I would be interested to see your style. I like the idea of knocking them over. I may try that out. While being in the air inst my thing, if it is effective, Ill do it if it gets the job done.

[Master Nero Attoru]

@Relmeob - interesting ideas, I think I see what you're getting at.  This is part of the reason Artorius and I tend to disregard Form VI when we talk about lightsaber combat:  mixing these different philosophies in such a way compromises technique, and just plain old doesn't make sense.  You can't say you "use a Shii-Cho cut followed by an Ataru flip and a Makashi stab" because those ideas don't flow.

That said, it isn't impossible to use multiple styles.  I think many people who say they do are just attempting to classify their own unique way of fighting.  Bruce Lee always said that trying to stick to a specific style limits you, prevents you from expressing yourself totally and completely.  This is something Master Artorius and I have discussed a good amount.