lightsaber – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com The best place on earth for nerds. Thu, 26 Nov 2020 18:42:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-nerds_head_thumb2-100x100.png lightsaber – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com 32 32 All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, under one umbrella. We create short run podcasts for nerds, covering D&D, Marvel, Starfinder, and more! You vote for your favorite shows and they just might get a second season. lightsaber – Nerds on Earth false episodic lightsaber – Nerds on Earth jason.sansbury@nerdsonearth.com podcast All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, the best place on Earth for nerds. lightsaber – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/noe-podcast-logo.png https://nerdsonearth.com/blog/ What makes a lightsaber so awesome? https://nerdsonearth.com/2016/01/what-makes-a-lightsaber-so-awesome/ Sun, 10 Jan 2016 13:37:27 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=4781

I have now seen Star Wars three times and I still can’t get enough!  Well done JJ, well done! There was so much to just love about this movie: a strong female lead, dozens of nods to the original trilogy, and of course…lightsabers! I don’t want to assume everyone has seen it yet, so I […]

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I have now seen Star Wars three times and I still can’t get enough!  Well done JJ, well done!

There was so much to just love about this movie: a strong female lead, dozens of nods to the original trilogy, and of course…lightsabers!

I don’t want to assume everyone has seen it yet, so I better give a warning of the spoilers ahead, folks. And seriously, stop reading posts about Star Wars and go see it already.

[divider] What makes a lightsaber so awesome? [/divider]

Now, back to lightsabers. Lightsabers are a major part of what makes Star Wars a unique hero’s journey. From the moment Luke is handed his father’s lightsaber in A New Hope, to the moment Rey calls the same lightsaber to her hand to take down Kylo Ren in a duel, the lightsaber is a focal point of the story we are following.

As Obi Wan Kenobi says to Anakin, “This weapon is your life.”

So why are lightsabers awesome?

Well, “Lightsabers consist of a plasma blade, powered by a kyber crystal and emitted from a metallic hilt.  It is a weapon that required skill and training, and is greatly enhanced when used in conjunction with the Force.” (thanks Wookieepedia).

Click to ignite (er, embiggen).
Click to ignite (er, embiggen).

More simply put, lightsabers are LASER SWORDS!

What is not to like about a sword with a laser blade? Am I right?

Over the years and through all the different stories and characters, we have seen a movement towards the unique lightsaber to each individual who wields one. Starting, of course, with color.

Those of you who have only ever watched the movies might think, well, there is blue and green for the good guys, and red for the bad guys. Oh, and that one guy had purple!

There are many different kyber crystals you can put in your lightsaber. In the EU (Expanded Universe), we see Jedi use blue, green, purple, yellow, and white; and those on the dark side of the force are limited to red and black. (I wonder if Snoke will have a black lightsaber…?)

So while, yes, the colors are still somewhat limited due to the chosen crystal, there is nearly no limitation to the hilt one chooses to construct. The hilt is where every person’s true uniqueness comes into to play.

Take Kylo Ren for example. That is a pretty stinking unique hilt. Did you know that the fuzzy blade is the result of poor craftsmanship on the part of Ren and the rough nature of the blade was symbolic of his emotional nature? Did you also know that the two side blades are vents necessary due to the unstable nature of the crystal Ren uses? Looks like Snoke is correct in wanting Kylo Ren to complete his training.

Some might debate ultimately if the extra lasers serve any real purpose or are just cosmetic. I say, “WHO CARES?!” They are awesome either way! And while it is also cool that we have 3 generations of Skywalkers using the same lightsaber (wink, wink), it is also very cool to see the personalities of each Jedi come out in their hilts.

Click to ignite (er, embiggen).
Click to ignite (er, embiggen).

This isn’t a foreign concept by any means. Typically, individual characters will have their own unique weapon. The TMNTs all have unique weapons, Daryl has his crossbow, Michonne her Katana, and all of the wizards in the wizarding world have a very unique wand.

Ultimately, I think we gravitate towards stories that can tell the group dynamic while never losing site of the individuals. I certainly do. That is what most excited me about the lightsaber. It isn’t just a Jedi issued weapon. The individual creates their own unique lightsaber upon becoming a Jedi.

A lightsaber is a right of passage.

In fact, I think that my favorite part of any Star Wars movie is when Luke lights up his brand new green lightsaber for the first time. To that point, 9 year old me thought, “Good guys blue, bad guys red.” Then back on his home planet Luke shows us a whole new world of lightsaber…the green one.

And from that moment on I have been asking myself, what would my lightsaber look like?

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Read more about lightsabers:

The 7 Forms of Lightsaber Combat
How to Properly Use a Lightsaber in Combat
How to Use a Lightsaber Like Mace Windu

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7 Ways to Fight With a Lightsaber https://nerdsonearth.com/2015/05/7-forms-of-lightsaber-combat/ https://nerdsonearth.com/2015/05/7-forms-of-lightsaber-combat/#comments Fri, 22 May 2015 13:30:07 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=2040

There is no one way to wield a lightsaber. In fact, there are 7 of them. We take a look.

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At this moment I’m completely obsessed with lightsabers. As my grandmammy would say, it would be easier to get a tick off a hound dog than it would be to get me to stop talking about lightsabers right now.

I’ve already written this and this about lightsabers, so I’ve mined the carbonite ore and licked the dust off my sleeves, yet I’m still obsessed with lightsabers.

You know why I’m obsessed with lightsabers? Because of stuff like a lightsaber technique specifically for slicing off an opponent’s hand, that’s why. It has a name and everything. It’s called Cho mai and is a precision technique that is considered honorable among those who follow the light side of the Force, as it allows for a victory by causing minimal physical damage. because, you know, it ‘unarms’ your opponent. 

Wait, it gets better! There are actually 7 distinct forms of lightsaber combat and, because I can’t stop talking about lightsabers, I’m going to tell you about each one.

7 Distinct Forms of Lightsaber Combat

1. Shii-Cho: The Way of the Sarlacc

Shii-Cho is the First Form and is also known as the Determination Form. Pretty much every youngling is taught this form when first handed a lightsaber.

Shii-Cho focuses on simplistic – yet relentless – tactics. Shii-Cho was developed as force users began to take up lightsabers as means of melee combat, so its foundations are the basics of all sword fighting, like strike zones, parries and blocks. Shii-Cho teaches body movement, where to strike, while getting used to the feeling of the weapon.

Shii-Cho is a two handed form that relies on broad, deliberate, powerful sweeping motions and is often used for crowd control. Its wide, angular motions are ideal for dealing with groups, so it fits with a Jedi’s peacekeeping directive.

In A New Hope, when Obi-Wan has Luke training on the Millennium Falcon with a remote, Luke is learning Shii-Cho techniques.

2. Makashi: The Way of the Ysalamiri

Makashi is Form II and is also known as the Contention Form. Over time, an expectation for lightsaber versus lightsaber combat grew, so the foundational form of Shii-Cho became inadequate. Makashi’s design is based on lightsaber vs. lightsaber combat.

Makashi in known as the Way of the Ysalamiri, which is appropriate because the Ysalamiri – furry, lizard-like tree-dwellers from the planet Myrkr – have the ability to nullify the Force. Using precision cuts, thrusts, parries, and feints, Makashi is meant to nullify another Force User.

Makashi is one handed, precise, subtle, and relies on wrist control, body movement, and back and forth footwork. Makashi is the duelist’s form and can be seen by Count Dooku in the movies, who uses clean movements instead of the flash and flourish in the fighting styles of his opponents.

3. Soresu: The Way of the Mynock

obi_wan_kenobi_by_donchild-d2yk6xq
Credit: Donchild, Deviant Art

Soresu is Form III, the Resilience Form. Its design was based on defense from either ranged or melee attacks.

Soresu is in broad contrast to the first two forms. As the War between the Jedi and the Sith came to a close in the days of the Old Republic, so too did the need for lightsaber dueling. It was also during this time that blasters became wide-spread throughout the Galaxy, to which Makashi and Shii-Cho were not adept in dealing with. So Soresu, a wholly defensive form, was born.

Soresu relies on keeping the blade close to the body and using broad footwork to move around the playing field. Sweeping motions are kept short and never leave the main core of the body, protecting it as a shield. Soresu is the ultimate defensive Form: ranged attacks, melee attacks, single or multiple opponents, Soresu could adapt to all of these situations. A Soresu user only attacks when it is necessary, and only when the opponent provides an opening.

Soresu is the predominant form of Obi-Wan Kenobi. That Kenobi would use Soresu, which relies on patience and cunning
rather than brute strength and violence, tells you something not only of the mindset of Kenobi, but of the Jedi at their core.

4. Ataru: The Way of the Hawk-Bat

Atari, Form IV, is also known as the Aggression Form. Its design is based around high energy tactics.

Jedi were tasked with being peacekeepers throughout the galaxy. While many favored Soresu to diffuse situations with as little bloodshed as possible, the Order realized that sometimes violence was the only answer, an example being the Mandalorians, a fierce warrior culture that served to be just as much a threat to the Jedi as the Sith before them.

il_570xN.528978703_8opdDeveloped after Soresu, Ataru is a kinetically active form which teaches a complete and total use of one’s body in the attack. It relies on speed, acrobatics and power. It is also the form that most heavily relies on the Force to augment these attributes.

This use of the Force with Ataru allowed an even playing field for force sensitives with potential disadvantages in combat, such as size, lack of mobility or age. The most prolific user of the Ataru is Grand Master Yoda, all two feet of him. Yoda’s version of Ataru requires high acrobatics and spinning in order to compensate for his short stature.

While Soresu was considered to be the most commonly used of the seven forms, Ataru is the one we most commonly see in the films, largely because we are watching Jedi in aggressive, attacking situations.

5. Shien/Djem So: The Way of the Krayt Dragon

The Fifth Form, or Perseverance Form, is in fact two forms: Shien and Djem So. Their design is based on manipulating an opponent’s attack.

The Krayt Dragon was a fierce and powerful reptile that was native to the desert planet of Tatooine, which is significant because Form V is most associated with The Skywalkers. Anakin would use Form V as his base form while adding other forms into the mix. Luke instinctively mirrored his father’s form.

Shien was the first of the two to be developed and was in direct response to Soresu as some Jedi felt that the Absolute Defense
mentality of Soresu prolonged battle. Instead of deflecting blaster rounds with the blade for simple protection, Shien focused on redirecting the blaster round back to the attacker. Instead of waiting for an opening, Form V created the opening.

It’s counterpart, Djem So, focuses primarily on saber dueling, and like Shien, focuses on redirecting and countering an opponent’s attack. So what is the difference between Shien and Djem So? In short, Shien is made for blasters and Djem So for lightsabers and was created by mixing Makashi and Soresu.

6. Niman: The Way of the Rancor

The Sixth Form, Niman, is also known as The Moderation or Diplomat’s Form. Its design is a conglomeration of the preceding Forms.

Niman’s main distinction is that it tries to combine the tactics and sword work of the older forms, blending these forms down into a uniform style.

But it would best be considered a more philosophical form, being that Niman relies more on the mentality of the user instead of the weapon in his hand. Users are described as being a leaf in the wind, riding the currents of the Force. Practitioners of Niman are calm and collected, reacting only when necessary.

By the end of the Old Republic, although few could master it, Niman had become the preferred form of the Jedi, who were expected to be diplomats and ambassadors, not combatants.

It is not, by any means, an easy form. Students have to learn at least four of the last five forms, understanding them and their applications. Then they must learn the serene philosophy and discipline of Niman. You master several forms, then master the concept of Niman.

7. Juyo/Vaapad: The Way of the Vornskr

Form VII is also known as the Ferocity Form. Its design is based on pure attack, no defense.

Like Form V, Form VII is split into two parts, Juyo and Vaapad.

The history of Juyo is hard to place. It first appeared around the time when the Jedi and Sith were in a state of civil war
amongst each other. Each move was a bold, direct form of attack, leaving no space for defense. Although it is not acrobatically inclined, it is a kinetic form, requiring a constant state of movement. Its main strength came from the user relying on a well of
emotion, almost to the point where came to enjoy the combat.

Eventually, the Jedi Order restricted the teachings of Juyo, with only the highest ranked Masters being able to study it, leaving Juyo to be the perfect philosophy for the Sith, whose main tenets were to give into desire and anger to relish in the combat. Juyo was exemplified by Darth Maul.

Vaapad, closely related to Juyo, is the youngest of the Seven Forms, having been developed by Mace Windu in the last few decades of the Old Republic. I’ve written a full write up of Vaapad here.

“This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as random or as clumsy as a blaster, but an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” -Obi-Wan Kenobi

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How to Spin a Lightsaber Like Mace Windu https://nerdsonearth.com/2015/05/how-to-use-a-lightsaber-like-mace-windu/ Fri, 22 May 2015 12:26:37 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=1957

Mace Windu decapitated a Fett. Mace Windu defeated Darth Sidious. Mace Windu is one bad mother. You too can be one bad mother. You just need to know how to use a lightsaber like Mace Windu. How to Use a Lightsaber Like Mace Windu In Star Wars lore, Mace Windu was considered to be a swordmaster, largely because […]

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Mace Windu decapitated a Fett. Mace Windu defeated Darth Sidious. Mace Windu is one bad mother. You too can be one bad mother. You just need to know how to use a lightsaber like Mace Windu.

How to Use a Lightsaber Like Mace Windu

In Star Wars lore, Mace Windu was considered to be a swordmaster, largely because of his mastery of Vaapad, a style of fighting he is credited with creating. But before we talk about the specifics of Vaapad, let’s cover Fighting With Lightsabers 101.

I’ve mentioned much of this before, but it bears repeating: lightsaber duels in the movies are choreographed (in addition to being entirely fictional, I should remind us) and bear little resemblance to an actually sword fight. Sure, they have a tether to Asian martial arts techniques, but much of it is posing for the camera.

Take, for example, all those spins. Seriously, take them, because no one would actually spin in a sword fight. Any fighter who would intentionally turn her back to an opponent, taking her eyes off her opponent while simultaneously exposing her whole body in the process, just to turn herself around and bring her weapon back predictably from the other side deserves to die in a sarlacc pit. It fools no one, adds no real power, and immensely delays your attack.

Furthermore, a lightsaber duel is not just about constant parrying as you skip around. Strike…strike…strike…spin [hold a power pose]…strike…strike…strike…spin. Everything is choreographed to display constant striking at one another’s weapon instead of actually hitting their opponent, which allows actors to display their talent at remembering a long sequence of dance steps worked out ahead of time, but it’s not really how anyone would really approach a fight. When fighting you are actually trying to aggressively hit someone while desperately trying to keep them from hitting you. Duh.

But the twirling and spinning with extra wide exaggerated motion looks good on screen, so let’s keep it! You hear that, J.J.?

So what is Vaapad?

Vaapad – Form VII – is one of 7 forms of lightsaber combat and was developed by Mace Windu, who named it after a creature native to the volcanic world of Sarapin.

Vaapads, the creatures, were brown ball-shaped creatures with yellow eyes and multiple tentacles used to kill prey. A vaapad attacked by striking so quickly that they were nothing but a blur to the naked eye. The were so lightning fast that there was no way to tell how many tentacles the vaapad had unless it was dead. Most vaapad had at least seven tentacles, while the largest specimen ever examined had twenty-three.

mace windu vaapad

Mace Windu developed his lightsaber based upon the vaapad. The style used quick and deadly strikes to overcome the enemy, much like how the vaapad would use its tentacles on prey.

As a result, Vaapad is often called the Ferocity Form. It has been described as the most vicious form of lightsaber combat and involves significant internal focus on the part of the Jedi, understood as a state of mind rather than being limited to only a fighting style.

With Vaapad, the Jedi channels his own inner darkness into the lightsaber duel, and accepts the fury of the opponent. Many felt it went so far as to violate the “there is no emotion, there is peace” tenet of the Jedi Code due to its requirement to fight under the guidance of controlled passion. Due to this focus on physical combat, Vaapad was mentioned with a cautionary warning that the use of Vaapad led the user perilously close to the dark side.

Vaapad utilizes bold, direct movements in order to offensively eviscerate a lone enemy. Vaapad is not fancy choreographed spins. It cuts straight into the enemy. Vaapad attacks flow into each other with liquid precision, creating a blur of attacking blades from every angle. It is said the user’s arms becoming too fast to see, and Vaapad is used in the use of dual lightsabers as well.

So you want to be a bad mother too? Well, you need to use a lightsaber like Mace Windu and become a Jedi Master of Vaapad. May the Force be with you.

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How to Use a Lightsaber https://nerdsonearth.com/2015/05/how-to-use-a-lightsaber/ Mon, 04 May 2015 17:07:17 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=1923

So you think you know how to use a lightsaber, huh? Nerds on Earth shares some thoughts on what make the lightsaber such a unique weapon.

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So you think you know how to use a lightsaber, huh? Us nerds like to fancy ourselves as powerful Jedi, strong in the ways of the Force, able to brandish a lightsaber with exacting precision. But do you even lift, bro?

The lightsaber is a unique weapon, and by unique we mean, of course, entirely fictional. But let’s roll with this, because Star Wars! In order to attain mastery with this unique weapon, we need to understand its unique properties.

How to Use a Lightsaber: Weight in the Hilt

First of all, a lightsaber has a balance that would be wholly unlike a traditional sword. A lightsaber is a controlled, fixed-length stream of plasma. E=mc2 so the blade is effectively weightless.

A great swordsman like Inigo Montoya knows that the weight of the handle and blade, and thus the overall balance of the weapon, is critically important while fighting. If a sword is too blade-heavy it is unwieldy, meaning it is difficult to start, stop, and change the path of the blade as it’s swung.

Conversely, a sword with too light a blade is too easy to swing around. The basic handling would be extremely hilt-heavy, making the balance point all the way back inside the user’s grip. This would make the blade extremely hard to ‘feel’.  

To add a practical retcon to the movies, we could explain the usefulness of the training remotes for this reason. The first lesson Jedi are taught is to discard their physical senses and feel the blade position with the Force. Clearly this is not just a teaching style but a practical necessity with all the mass of the weapon being in the user’s hand.

As a result, even as the feel the blade with the Force, Jedi still must develop extremely strong wrists, which isn’t typically a problem as Jedi begin training at a very early age. But poor Luke, stuck toiling as a moisture farmer on Tatooine, did not have this early training, so he consistently needed to use his lightsaber two-handed at first.

But the path of a Jedi is harder still…

How to Use a Lightsaber: Uni-directional Blade

How to Use a Lightsaber

A lightsaber isn’t like a traditional slashing weapon. Instead, it’s more like a fencing saber. With a rounded, uni-directional blade, a lightsaber is is unlike a sword with a single (sometimes two) cutting edge and two flat sides to the blade.

There aren’t any flat sides to a lightsaber. It cuts at 360 degrees, so a Jedi dare not use the old trick where you position the blade on its flat side to thwap an opponent unconscious through delivering an impact blow rather than a slashing one. If you’re swinging, you’re cutting.

This is why non-force users dare not wield a lightsaber. Without a precise sense of blade location via the Force, they’re likely to only hurt themselves. And without the intensive Jedi training, they wouldn’t have the strength and stamina to control it. Without Force training it’s not possible to develop sufficient control to use a lightsaber effectively.

But remember, of course, this is entirely fictional.

How to Use a Lightsaber: The Real Purpose

But these two drawbacks of a lightsaber actually conceal an advantage in disguise. Sure, they’re a problem in a swordfight. But Jedi were never meant to be primarily duelists, they are the galaxy’s peacekeepers. A Jedi’s typical opponent would be a room full of Stormtroopers or Mandalorian scoundrels with blasters.

A blade that is difficult to ‘feel’ because of its negligible weight actually gives you rapid tip movement to stop a flying blaster bolt if, that is, you have the Force telling you where the tip should go.

Likewise, the uni-directional blade means that however the blade is positioned relative to an incoming blaster bolt it is always familiar to the user. A Jedi can deflect blaster bolts at predictable angles because the rounded blade surface never needs to be repositioned according to the cutting edge or flat-side, as a typical sword would be. All angles are the same with a lightsaber.

This makes the lightsaber the ultimate peacekeeping weapon. So let’s not start any fights about it on the Internet, OK?

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