The Seven Forms

Description

As Shii-Cho is an extension of traditional sword-fighting styles, it retains the basics of attacks, parries, and body zones established by such ancient methods. Shii-Cho fosters an emotionally-heated mindset, which results in the considerable temptation to execute combat with lethal intent, requiring great restraint to exercise the form without going too far. Despite the pull to kill, the style was designed for the purpose of disarming without seriously injuring.

Shii-Cho swordplay is simplistic and raw. In the hands of a master, the bladework is described as "like watching water flow over the falls." However, less adept practitioners display much more basic and somewhat clumsy performance. In combat, Form I encourages deliberate tactics, calling for continuous, step-by-step advancement while cutting off the opponent's angles.

Shii-Cho is specialized towards engaging multiple opponents, the wide, sweeping motions being ideally suited towards attacking numerous adversaries. However, Form I is not as useful against single opponents, as such enemies have complete mobility and can find a weakness in Shii-Cho's comparatively clumsy bladework.

Training and Practice

As the most simplistic form, Shii-Cho is the first form taught to initiates within the Jedi Order. Form I training provides the basic knowledge of the sword-fighting principles and blast-deflection skill that is required for practice of all the other forms.

In order to teach students to draw upon the Force rather than rely on their senses, early level Shii-Cho blast-deflect training is conducted with a blindfold, forcing the initiate to rely upon his instincts. Later training is conducted through the use of sequences and velocities, the continuous repetition making the moves instinctive reflexes. These training regimes are carried over to all following lightsaber combat forms, which used similar methods.

Known Moves and Maneuvers

The basic rules of attacks, parries and body target zones were established by Shii-Cho combat. Shii-Cho also has two methods of combat which determine how these moves are executed; Ideal Form and Live Combat Form.

Ideal Form is mainly used in sparring, and all the moves and maneuvers are executed at perfect horizontal/vertical angles, with attacks and parries being perpendicular to one another. The Live Combat Form is much more functional, the attacks being diagonal strikes at each respective body zone, the goal being to increase speed and reduce actual movement.

The body target zones are numbered as follows; 1 - head, 2 - right arm and side, 3 - left arm and side, 4 - back, 5 - right leg, 6 - left leg.

Shii-Cho philosophy emphasizes victory without injury and as such, the sun djem mark of contact is traditionally employed by Form I practitioners. Keeping with the use of sun djem, one of the attacks utilized by Form I practitioners are referred to as the "Disarming Slash", consisting of a strike directed at the opponent's weapon in an attempt to rip it out of their grasp. Another of the techniques utilized by Shii-Cho is dubbed the "Sarlacc Sweep", a wide sweeping attack in which the duelist strikes against multiple enemies. Other maneuvers include the basic Form I horizontal slash.