Saber Forum

Our conversations have brought up the issue of "guards". For those of you new to the swordplay/martial arts, a guard is a position one trains as a starting point and ending point for techniques. Many times the guards will be named after the strike that they re most associated with. I have decided to post a few of the basic guards for the Terra Prime Shii-Cho as a conversation starter.

This is the basic guard or "Ready Stance". If the weapon side foot is forward it is called "attack stance" because the weapon is in a position to attack swiftly. If the leg is reversed, it is called defense dance since it is more difficult to launch attacks with the simple techniques found in Shii-Cho. The points are:
1. Weapon point toward the opponent at about eye level.
2. The stance is firm and the gaze is straight.
3. Keep the legs and knees loose and be ready to move.
4. Try not to square off too much to the front and refers to the footwork section of our videos for proper lower body mechanics.

(http://i.imgur.com/mxG1vl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/EOtSdl.jpg)

using these lower body concepts you can combine them with the basic guard positions:
Jedi Guard or example:
(http://i.imgur.com/INJ6Pl.jpg)

Or high parry:
(http://i.imgur.com/ED8l1l.jpg)


This will lead into more opportunities for techniques and attacks. Guards are fundamental skills that set the professionals apart from the ammeters. More to come.

Nicely done, think this is a great reference point for anyone

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=shii+cho+ready+stance&hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&gbv=2&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&tbnid=SAoo0FlW5JXcGM:&imgrefurl=http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Form_IV:_Ataru&docid=3XS4Ti6ei57BOM&imgurl=http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/b/b0/Ewan.jpg&w=640&h=800&ei=KaLkT8-sHobk9AThgP3zCQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=298&sig=118206293713448544819&page=1&tbnh=171&tbnw=137&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0,i:113&tx=95&ty=69 (http://www.google.com/imgres?q=shii+cho+ready+stance&hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&gbv=2&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&tbnid=SAoo0FlW5JXcGM:&imgrefurl=http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Form_IV:_Ataru&docid=3XS4Ti6ei57BOM&imgurl=http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/b/b0/Ewan.jpg&w=640&h=800&ei=KaLkT8-sHobk9AThgP3zCQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=298&sig=118206293713448544819&page=1&tbnh=171&tbnw=137&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0,i:113&tx=95&ty=69)

This is also a great attack stance, im not sure if it is Shii-Cho

The fist stance you show is very much like the one luke skywalker uses quite often

That would be Jedi guard in Defense stance, in the way described above. The first should be one everyone does quite often.  8)

Thank you for these simple techniques Master Nonymous. These are important and I really wish I had them in the beginning of my training.

Being new to this sort of activity, I was looking for a compilation of strikes, parries, stances, and footwork but all I found were free forms and velocities. Then I found the Terra Prime videos and had a good place to start. These photos are a great asset to the saber community.

Wonder if there is a way we can get a compilation thread and have it stickied. Maybe one for each form that we have content for? Right now, stuff is all over the place.

First off… I still dig the Tabi.

Secondly, again you have amazed me.  When I first began planning out saber choreography, I was looking at it more as a stage production would.  You have changed my mind and made me view it more as I do my Women’s Self Defense classes that I put on… Using the Aikido techniques I have acquired, but mixing them with others to form an entirely different art that is both useful and easier to learn/teach.