Form I: Shii-Cho

[Stephen Strange]

I like it, and completely forgot Yoda did this! I think with form I, you want your opening to be relatively simple. That way everyone, even those with lack of coordination can follow the step by steps we create.

Can anyone find Yoda's opening stance and post if for our visual learners? 

Here you go!

[Stephen Strange]

First move...

General Sun starts with a low powered stab forwards... while placing his left foot foreward. This can be done way more powerful though. I am ok with it being in... if we think a stab like that should have a place in Shii-Cho. It would make a good position to follow up to the next move. But it needs more power. I expect the FoC to be activated on the stab!



Lucien excecutes a twirl in here... Although that looks way cool I don't like it really. If it was up to me I would not twirl at all in Shii-Cho. It is a form where you extend your senses.. and feel your oponent. And basic... Not flashy at all.




Important note!!! General Sun is standing left foot forewards and Lucien right foot. It is important for the start of the next move...

[ZequarX]

Very nice, SS. I see what you mean, but then Yoda turns his body into the saber and takes a stance similar to a baseball player, doesn't he??

The big question is.. do we keep the greeting the same on all forms?

I would think once form I is established, then you could progress your greeting in a manner that suits you. Obviously we all don't practice the same style or even the same way. But I think for beginner/form I purposes, a unified greeting would be good.

[Stephen Strange]

Very nice, SS. I see what you mean, but then Yoda turns his body into the saber and takes a stance similar to a baseball player, doesn't he??

That stance is used a lot in the movie. General Sun has it incorporated in Shii-Cho at one point.

[Stephen Strange]

First move...

Important note!!! General Sun is standing left foot forewards and Lucien right foot. It is important for the start of the next move...

Actually... this is a bit different on second glance. Lucien steps backwards with his left foot. That is why right ends up forward. If we keep teh stab from General Sun here.. I would like to keep the right foot foreward. Most people are right handed and the right foot extents more power in the stab.

[Stephen Strange]

Basic top > bottom strikes...

Excecuted from both sides... The big different is the start of teh move. General Sun turns the saber first over his head to bring it behind his shoulder on the other side and steps forewards with his string leg. That is probably the reason why he stabbed with his left. I would like to turn that around and do the other arm first. Lucien strikes it back and does an extra step with his right foot forewards.







The power of the first strike Lucien makes does make his first move less neet though. I am having troubles with the foot work and the start of the move.. Left or right. obviously the move is excecuted on both sides. As all moves should be.

[ZequarX]

General Sun turns the saber first over his head to bring it behind his shoulder on the other side and steps forewards with his string leg.

If i'm thinking about this correctly, then whatever side you end on should be the leg you stepped with. Because stepping into the swing obviously creates more power and makes you much tougher to off-balance.

I am having troubles with the foot work and the start of the move.. Left or right. obviously the move is excecuted on both sides. As all moves should be.

Start with your more comfortable side until it becomes a natural flow, then progress. Since this is a new process for most, we will have to take baby steps so everyone is on board.

[ZequarX]

Also...

General Sun's video is nice, but he seems very robotic to me. And I realize he's doing a step by step, but ask anyone who's ever studied some form of martial arts, when they teach you a move, they teach you to stay loose. I know that this can tend to happen when you repeatidly do routines over and over again, but if you relax, the movements will look better and your reaction time will increase.

[Master Lucien Kane]

Wow a really good dissection of both sequences. So you know my lightsaber was incapable of being turned on as it's damaged at the moment lol.

I'm actually going to re do these and make them with full speed versions, and step by step versions.

All in all though I like the critiques.

Also the way I am doing the forms so that each form has its own salute and opening stance

[Stephen Strange]

Wow a really good dissection of both sequences. So you know my lightsaber was incapable of being turned on as it's damaged at the moment lol.

I'm actually going to re do these and make them with full speed versions, and step by step versions.

All in all though I like the critiques.

Also the way I am doing the forms so that each form has its own salute and opening stance

Then can I suggest the japanese salute for Shii-Cho... and the fence salute for Makashi?

I asked Nero to build us a Makashi form... His expertise is the best in that area.

[ZequarX]

I'm actually going to re do these and make them with full speed versions, and step by step versions.

I like your movements, Lucien. Yours weren't as rigid as Sun's. But I like establishing a salute and stance for every form. Only makes perfect sense

Then can I suggest the japanese salute for Shii-Cho

This is nice and easy to remember. We don't want the stance to look like Goku charging up his kamaya-maya and it takes a whole episode to achieve such a feat lol.

[Guardian Xentai Kaarz]

Wow a really good dissection of both sequences. So you know my lightsaber was incapable of being turned on as it's damaged at the moment lol.

I'm actually going to re do these and make them with full speed versions, and step by step versions.

All in all though I like the critiques.

Also the way I am doing the forms so that each form has its own salute and opening stance

I'm so ready for you to create those vids,  i really need some more info to base my Djem So off of (ive only had Anakin from EpIII as an example)

[Master Uilos]

Wow, this is all beautiful.

Someone had mentioned that Sun's Shii Cho is slow, almost meditative. This is correct. This is a Kata, a sword form that is used as both an instructional and meditative tool.

For the Form in action...

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0OLlYLB2fA" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0OLlYLB2fA</a>

[ZequarX]

Someone had mentioned that Sun's Shii Cho is slow, almost meditative. This is correct.

I had made a comment about it seeming robotic, but this could all be because I mediate at a faster pace. There's nothing wrong with Sun's demonstration by any regards. I guess it all depends on the person. As long as we can get down the basics for form I, that's all that matters.

i really need some more info to base my Djem So off of (ive only had Anakin from EpIII as an example)

I am excited for us to get here!

[Keiwanis]

http://lightsaber_combat.webs.com/formishiicho.htm

I would recommend this site for another reference in your lightsaber adventures

Especially with shii-cho (My preferred form), I really enjoy the writing of the parries and attacks. Really useful!

Enjoy!

-Keiwanis