Question: can the Force enable "half-swording"?

[Darth Nonymous]

Ok, as a longsword practitioner, one of our favorite tricks is "half-swroding", grabbing the blade of the sword to change the leverage and add stiffness to the blade for piercing armor and such. Lightsabers pose a problem with the particular strategy, for obvious reasons. It had been proposed to me by a fellow that perhaps through use of the force one could, in fact, perform some half swording techniques.

I put it to you all: valid or in valid? Can the force enable grabbing the blade for a limited time?

My observations: in the first trailer for SWOR, a character blocks a lightsaber with her bare palm.

The idea that one can repel another with the Force seems as good a reason as any to believe it is possible.

I am interested in the responses.

[Darth Nonymous]

If anyone is unfamiliar with the practice: at about 2:18 they do some nice, full speed half-swording.  The rest is pretty cool too.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKEdcCSz_8c" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKEdcCSz_8c</a>

[Master Nero Attoru]

Could it happen?  Yes, in theory.  Characters like Satele Shan and Corran Horn utilize an ability to absorb energy, allowing them to perform amazing feats such as grabbing a lightsaber blade.

Practicality, however, is another question.  An ability that's used to provide leverage and stiffness to a sword would, IMO, be rather useless in the case of a lightsaber.  For a weapon which can cut through anything, and essentially has no competition in terms of armor, this kind of technique seems like more work than it's worth.

It's definitely an interesting idea though!

[Master Uilos]

I thought about this for a while. In choreo, we can cheat. But we're also in on the next move in the chain of events. We can sell a person using the force to leverage bladework by doing a clash where the person is clearly miming using the force to push on the blade to block of leverage. In sparring, I'd see it as a cheat.

George Lucas' official take on lightsabers is that they are cutalls. People can talk of the lightsaber resistant materials in the books and comics, but in the end Lucas won't have them in the movies or tv shows because he sees them as being an all cutting weapon. Many casual fans (ie; not us) would see the use of the Force to block as probably the most plausible cheat, but a cheat none the less.

[Darth Nonymous]

Could it happen?  Yes, in theory.  Characters like Satele Shan and Corran Horn utilize an ability to absorb energy, allowing them to perform amazing feats such as grabbing a lightsaber blade.

Practicality, however, is another question.  An ability that's used to provide leverage and stiffness to a sword would, IMO, be rather useless in the case of a lightsaber.  For a weapon which can cut through anything, and essentially has no competition in terms of armor, this kind of technique seems like more work than it's worth.

It's definitely an interesting idea though!

Yes, the piercing ability is unneeded. However, there are some great throws that would turn into horrific dismemberments with a lightsaber instead of a blade. The ability to half sword is also extremely useful in close quarters when you have a long weapon.

So if possible in theory, what would the limitations be? They would have to be pretty extreme, otherwise we defeat the purpose of the lightsaber. ha.

I would say if it would be done at all, it would have to be for seconds, if that.

[Luna]

George Lucas' official take on lightsabers is that they are cutalls. People can talk of the lightsaber resistant materials in the books and comics, but in the end Lucas won't have them in the movies or tv shows because he sees them as being an all cutting weapon. Many casual fans (ie; not us) would see the use of the Force to block as probably the most plausible cheat, but a cheat none the less.

Objection!


Seriously though, I kind of think it would be cheating.... no way to enforce the level of focus it would require to accomplish such a feat with the Force and an actual lightsaber.

[Master Uilos]

Ok, fair point. Exception to prove the rule, they are spitting electricity.

And I agree with the lack of measurement. We had one guy during a training class just nonchalantly block an attack with the force. Like...no effort or anything. It proved two things 1) He was a dick and 2) How does one quantify The Force in sparring? That brings to the question of level of power, skill, focus, etc.

[Luna]

Ok, fair point. Exception to prove the rule, they are spitting electricity.

And I agree with the lack of measurement. We had one guy during a training class just nonchalantly block an attack with the force. Like...no effort or anything. It proved two things 1) He was a dick and 2) How does one quantify The Force in sparring? That brings to the question of level of power, skill, focus, etc.

They are made of phrik alloy, which is what deflects the lightsaber blade. The electricity only adds pain to the blow.

And yes, it would require extreme measures to ensure the focus and would hence become pointless.

[Darth Nonymous]

Ok, fair point. Exception to prove the rule, they are spitting electricity.

And I agree with the lack of measurement. We had one guy during a training class just nonchalantly block an attack with the force. Like...no effort or anything. It proved two things 1) He was a dick and 2) How does one quantify The Force in sparring? That brings to the question of level of power, skill, focus, etc.

We had the idea of having a mirror for the palm that we would pull out quick to drive the point home that it isn't "normal" to do such a thing. We also kind of agree that it would be a darkside type of thing.

I occurs to me this: what if you can do it, but all the force will do is allow you to keep your hand but burn the hell out it? That would bring a bit of baddassery into the equation.

[Master Lucien Kane]

It would be more difficult than productive I imagine... Satele was all but immobilized when she was trying to absorb the massive amounts of energy from Malgus' blade.

Not to mention, since a lightsaber doesn't flex, or bend, and it goes through most materials with ease, half swording isn't necessary.

[kewlkev360]

you could use a pair of these instead of the Force

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Crushgaunt

[Master Nero Attoru]

Ok, fair point. Exception to prove the rule, they are spitting electricity.

And I agree with the lack of measurement. We had one guy during a training class just nonchalantly block an attack with the force. Like...no effort or anything. It proved two things 1) He was a dick and 2) How does one quantify The Force in sparring? That brings to the question of level of power, skill, focus, etc.

There's always "that guy" who is gonna be a jerk like that.  Personally, as much as I love a bit of imagination, I don't bring the Force into dueling at all.  It would be awesome to be able to implement Force abilities in combat, but let's face it... we're just not capable of doing them.  In choreo I can definitely understand it (although I seldom use things like that).

Generally I think of it in game terms - any ability that broken would have a great cost associated with it.  People can't just casually grab lightsabers without exerting a tremendous amount of focus and energy, otherwise EVERYONE would do it.

The exception, of course, is a frustrated girlfriend.  You start beating her in a duel and she'll just grab your blade because she can.

[ed_ification]

Ok, fair point. Exception to prove the rule, they are spitting electricity.

And I agree with the lack of measurement. We had one guy during a training class just nonchalantly block an attack with the force. Like...no effort or anything. It proved two things 1) He was a dick and 2) How does one quantify The Force in sparring? That brings to the question of level of power, skill, focus, etc.

It shouldn't be nonchalant.  The problem is that to properly deflect/block an attack would require a deep concentration to use the Force properly to block the strike.  And another saber wielder ought to be able to use the Force to maneuver around the block...

[Veldryne]

it should also be noted that the ability to absorb energy like that is EXTREMELY rare

corrans whole family line had it, but they had no telekenisis to offset it, and well bastilla is the great great grandaughter of two of the most powerful jedi from the old republic era

i dont honestly think it should be used at all, because even they couldnt do that, they dont grab the blades or energy, they absorb it

[Master Nero Attoru]

it should also be noted that the ability to absorb energy like that is EXTREMELY rare

corrans whole family line had it, but they had no telekenisis to offset it, and well bastilla is the great great grandaughter of two of the most powerful jedi from the old republic era

i dont honestly think it should be used at all, because even they couldnt do that, they dont grab the blades or energy, they absorb it

That's a very good point.  This isn't an ability that just any Jedi or Sith could use, it's something you see in very rare cases.  In Satele's case, it was to display her innate power as the Revan's descendant.  Additionally, she blocks a saber strike with her ability... which is different from grabbing the blade for the purposes of manipulation.

Of course, if you wanted to implement this tactic, you could look into designing a saber around it!  Perhaps put some kind of guard, with a short section above it for this very purpose.  I've seen katana lightsabers, but never longsword ones!