Niman: a manifesto

[Darth Cephalus]

Next one. This video expands on the Obi-Ani or Eclipse spin from the last part and adds a halo strike to create a finishing move or a change of direction.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VqcznVjROw" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VqcznVjROw</a>

[Darth Cephalus]

This is the final video in the first set. It deals with plum flower or plum blossom spin and covers using the obi-ani to turn around while walking.  The next set will begin with a consolidation of these moves into a routine, a bit of Niman theory, and then move on to other moves.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v56vl_1PkR8" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=v56vl_1PkR8</a>

[Darth Cephalus]

I am putting together the consolidation routine for the first set on my tutorials. I am trying to make something that can be done with any weapon and in single or dual wield. I will post a demo when I get a chance. It should be a simple routine. 2 down figure 8s with steps forward. Turn to up and two up figure 8s with steps backwards. Obi-Ani to pivot strike to change direction. 2 low big strikes, 2 high small strikes all with steps forward. One thrust. Arc over top back to ready and finish with a plum flower. Dual wield would be following on all but strikes and simultaneous on strikes.

[Darth Cephalus]

Rough draft of the routine mentioned above. I am doing it in forward and then reversing it. If things work out right, I should end up right where I started.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c788Aa9opnQ" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=c788Aa9opnQ</a>

This was the first draft. I just wanted to check it to make sure it worked for staff and dual wield as well.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWpgjT-5bCE" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWpgjT-5bCE</a>

In both cases, I am just pacing it out and not really committing to the moves yet. The final version, I will try to do so and get in to a lower stance.

[Darth Cephalus]

And here is the final version. This short routine combines the elements from all 8 videos in set 1. In this video, I walk you through it step by step. We will expand on this with later sets.
Lightsaber Use: Set1, Consolidation Routine

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vgIKCmd6Vs" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vgIKCmd6Vs</a>

[Master Nero Attoru]

Nice work, Cephalus.  Just curious though - are these intended to be instructional combat tutorials?  Typically your stuff caters more towards the choreography side of things, which is why I ask.  I may have missed your explanation for why this post is in Saber Combat, but I can easily move it over to Saber Artistry, where it could be more applicable.

[Darth Cephalus]

Thanks. I had this one in both. The rationally is in the OP. This time around I am seeing if an exploration of Niman can bridge the gap between the non combat and the combat. I am playing around with cannon and integrating strikes, blocks, and wards this time around so I thought it might be relevant in a combat thread even though it is not designed for dueling.

[Master Nero Attoru]

Thanks. I had this one in both. The rationally is in the OP. This time around I am seeing if an exploration of Niman can bridge the gap between the non combat and the combat. I am playing around with cannon and integrating strikes, blocks, and wards this time around so I thought it might be relevant in a combat thread even though it is not designed for dueling.

Yeah, that was what I gathered from the original post.  Neat idea for sure, I was just a little confused because I don't see that bridge in the most recent vids, the practicality of techniques just doesn't seem to be there.  Not trying to give you a hard time, just looking to keep everything as organized as possible in these sections.

[Darth Cephalus]

Practical was not really what I was going for. More along the lines of demonstrative, skill/comfort building, or cannon interpretation like a lot of the TPLA forms. I plan to tie some of that in in a video in set 2 or 3 that will cover theory. Set one was just basic movements that the other sets will modify and build on.

[Master Nero Attoru]

Practical was not really what I was going for. More along the lines of demonstrative, skill/comfort building, or cannon interpretation like a lot of the TPLA forms. I plan to tie some of that in in a video in set 2 or 3 that will cover theory. Set one was just basic movements that the other sets will modify and build on.

All good ideas that I look forward to seeing, but practical is sort of the theme of this particular section.  It's intended to be rooted in actual combat methods.

[Master Artorius Vidnyl]

Practical was not really what I was going for.

Do you know what happens to Martial Artists that avoid practicality? I do.

[Master Uilos]

Practicality is also what should be going in to artistry, especially in instruction tools. I look forward to further developments in this work and discussion.

[Darth Cephalus]

I hope this set clears a few things up. This is the second set of tutorials in the reboot series. The key phrase for this one is complicating things. This set grafts martial elements on top of the basic flow from set one and brings the off hand into play. It also covers a bit more footwork and reverse grip. As will all sets in this series, it begins with theory and ends with practice, concluding with a move set that modifies the one in the first set and ties together all the elements of the second set into a short capstone routine. As this will hopefully show, I think we are running into different working definitions on a couple key terms again.

The first is a theory video on the 7 forms
I posted this earlier so will leave it off of here

Lightsaber Use: Set 2. Part 1- Pivot Steps

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-wEyOe3E9s" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-wEyOe3E9s</a>

Lightsaber Use: Set 2. Part 2- Blocks & Wards

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyg2SiCKHVU" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyg2SiCKHVU</a>

Lightsaber Use: Set 2. Part 3- Thrusts & Lunges

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnL2z3odRuc" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnL2z3odRuc</a>

Lightsaber Use: Set 2. Part 4- Reverse Grip

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InE8C4d4rGE" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=InE8C4d4rGE</a>

Lightsaber Use: Set 2. Part 5- Hand Switch

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGW1ZSkAeT0" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGW1ZSkAeT0</a>

Lightsaber Use: Set 2. Part 6- Splitting the Clockface
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmObEmaQvfQ (Embedding disabled, limit reached)

Lightsaber Use: Set 2. Part 7- Splitting the Plum Flower
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVwT771TOoc (Embedding disabled, limit reached)

Lightsaber Use: Set 2, Consolidation
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfkVBlIKTvE (Embedding disabled, limit reached)

[Darth Cephalus]

Thought this might help as well. It is a few full speed demos of the set one and set two routines. It includes the first draft and the final draft of set 2 done at full speed in a lower stance. This may look more like what some of you are used to in this thread. Part of set one was loosely based on TPLA Shii Cho

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwV-36kDLHs" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwV-36kDLHs</a>

[Darth Cephalus]

Well this has been moved over to the Artistry section so I removed the duplication. Looks like it lives here now. It would seem by the mentioned criteria that any "impractical" lightsaber use is not combat relevant and combat refers only to combat in the real world rather than techniques useful in fictional cannon.  By that logic I would argue that any discussion of forms 3 through 7 should live here now as well since none of those forms are designed to effectively duel an opponent in the real world. Seems limiting and I don't agree, but whatever. Ah well, my ideological battle with the lightsaber combat establishment continues I guess.

Yet I digress. I wanted to share a revised version of where the series is going now that I am part way into it.

For the record, there will be a set 3 soonish. I have it all worked out including the routine. Set 3 will be warping or inverting the moves. It will also cover hand switches behind the back and neck. Beyond that it is still a work in progress. As I currently see it, set 4 will be flips and rolls (basically letting go of the saber). Set 5 will cover balance point and switching to different weapon types like crossguard and then go in to saberstaff. Set 6 will finish up saberstaff and cover a bit of contact work. Set 7 will be about dual wield. Set 8 will finish out with levitation. 

Each set will begin with theory. Set 3 with an intro to Niman and flow arts as I see it. Set 4 with a discussion of the force. Set 5 with a description of what a Niman master would look like in the real world and what they would be able to do. Set 6 with a discussion of the dynamic between combat and art. Set 7 with a discussion of directionality. and set 8 with a video discussing the dark side.

This is a bit altered from my initial plans as you can see, but the process is organic. As I get to things, I tend to rethink them. You can count on that happening again.