Lightsaber Combat

For a style and method of fighting as focused on grace and precision as lightsaber combat, duelists resorted to physical contact with astonishing regularity.

o A frequent tactic among duelists was to buck opponents in the face with their lightsaber hilts, using it as a set of knuckle-dusters and leaving the opponent momentarily stunned. Examples of this tactic include when Darth Maul smashed his hilt into Qui-Gon Jinn's face during the final portion of their bout, opening the Jedi Master up for a fatal thrust to the gut.

o Kicks were often applied in combat, as they allowed a duelist to attack an opponent's open body zone while their blade was occupied, or to off-balance the enemy duelists and knock him off his feet. Examples of this move include during the Duel on Mustafar, as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader were seen frequently kicking the other back to give themselves a moment to regain their composure, or during the Battle of Geonosis, where many Jedi combatants kicked down battle droids. In fact, it was not unheard of for duelists to augment their kicks with the Force, literally sending their opponents flying, such as when Darth Malgus kicked Ven Zallow during the Sacking of Coruscant.

o Punches saw frequent use in lightsaber duels, a common maneuver being to drive aside an opponents blade then catch him in the face with either a hook or a backhand. Examples of this include during the Duel in Theed when Qui-Gon Jinn backhanded Darth Maul, knocking the Sith Lord off one of the catwalks in the Theed Power Generator complex. Pre Vizsla attempted to punch Obi-Wan during their duel on Concordia.

o As the Force provided vastly enhanced physical strength, many more aggressive duelists would physically grab their opponents, usually by the neck to throttle, or by the wrist to disarm. Anakin Skywalker applied this tactic during his first duel with Asajj Ventress, albeit with the normal strength of his prosthetic arm rather than the Force, seizing her wrist and disarming her. Darth Vader applied both tactics simultaneously during his bout with Obi-Wan Kenobi, seizing Kenobi's wrist with his left hand and clamping down on the Jedi Master's throat with his right.

o As disarming was a common goal in lightsaber duels, it was not unheard of for both opponents to lose their weapons, causing the fight to degenerate into a brawl. Such unarmed combat was applied during the bout between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Grievous, though Grievous' cyborg body provided him with a clear advantage; or during the Battle of Dantooine, when Mace Windu lost his lightsaber in the chaos of the Seismic tank's attack, and proceeded to physically tear the droid army apart with his bare hands, augmenting his strength and stamina through the Force.[6] Also in the battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker on Mustafar both were disarmed and started to lash out and kick at each other on a large table.

o As the various forms of lightsaber combat were combat forms, they were not limited to use with the lightsaber, and unarmed combat training was standard among many Force-based organizations. Combatants who display exceptional skill at applying their chosen form while unarmed include Kit Fisto, who was described as a "martial arts hurricane"; or Mace Windu, whose unarmed application of his Vaapad form was of such an advanced level that his fists were described as being too fast to see.