milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Ah, I see now."

No he didn't. But hey... Best explanation he was likely to get. "Don't recall Master Skywalker specifying what form he was teaching us, but it's seemed to work for us up till now. Seems to lack the...intensity and the beauty of your Vaapad form, though."

He bows in return. "An honor, Master Windu. I've heard tales of you from the Holocron. My name is Corran Horn, and I've helped with the fall of the same Empire you mentioned."

"He probably learned Ataru, Soresu, and Shien Djem So, and most likely developed his own style." Mace nods, simply. "Vaapad is, in theory, the strongest Lightsaber style in existance."

"In theory? And Ataru, Shien Djem So.... I don't know. He just used what he learned from Master Kenobi, I think... I'll have to ask him." The pilot shakes his head. "Whenever I get back to the Academy on Ossus, that is."

"Obi-Wan was the master of Soresu. Nobody ever managed to understand the form like him. And yes, in theory, until someone develops a stronger form, if such a thing did not happen already."

"Dont' know if they did, but I think a classmate of mine tried to." The image of Gantoris's sti;l-smoking body flitted to mind, then out just as quickly. "And then I suppose the fair bet is that that's the style Master Luke taught us. Unless he learned more from Yoda, but I don't even recall Master SKywalker talked about having seen Yoda use a lightsaber."

"Master Yoda's main style was Ataru... he used Force-aided acrobatic movement to take the upper hand in combat and surprise larger opponents. There were in total seven lightsaber forms, each developed with a different objective in mind."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing, most of what we learned sure as Sith didn't deal with any acrobatics... and I think I'd have problems with that particular style anyway," Corran smiled wryly. "But I think I knew seven forms existed, though I dont' recall finding out much about any of them individually. What's this 'Soresu' you referred to earlier?"

"Soresu is the most defensive of all of the Forms, and was developed to counteract the advancing blaster technology throughout the galaxy. Most opponents that the Jedi faced during the Galactic Republic time carried blasters. Soresu utilizes motions occurring very close to the body to achieve near-total protection, efficiently expending as little energy as possible to execute these moves. This technique exposes as few target zones on the body as possible, making a well-trained practitioner nearly invincible. Practitioners of Soresu comfortably remain on the defensive until their opponents make a mistake; only then do they strike offensively. It focuses heavily on counterattack and defensive strikes - there are no preemptive strikes in the form. Soresu can best be described as a passive form and one to be used by Masters who are extremely patient. Soresu users do not wish to fight, or harm. Even during a fight they prefer to remain on the defensive, and they will strike only when absolutely necessary, or if their opponent drops his guard during battle." Yes, he is a teacher as well. Like all Jedi Masters. "The main weakness of Soresu is that it leads to very prolonged combat against skilled enemies."

Thinking back, Corran's brow furrows. "Seems like a lot of what we were taught, but not quite what some of us learned. there were 3 or 4 of us who spent a lot of time working on saber-to-saber dueling as well--couple of students who had spent a considerable time working with a saber before, and me because blasters aren't as much a paroblem for me as they were for most of the other students." He scratches his head thoughtfully. "Can't say Lu--Master Skywalker taught us much about differentiating between the forms at first--some of his later students might have learned things we didn't."

"Makashi, is the Form developed for lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. Master Dooku was the best at it." Mace nods. "The formal teaching seems to have been lost; during the old Republic, every Jedi learned at least three Forms, and mastered at least one."

"Hmm. Shame all those teachings were lost. It would have been nice to have had more formal training with a lightsaber."

"I had to master four of the seven Forms, before I could complete Juyo by developing Vaapad."

"Four?!?! Force, that's quite some training..." Corran's voice trails off, possibly in thought.

Coming back to the moment, he cocks his head to the side. "And what, if I may ask, is Juyo?"

"Juyo, is the seventh form of Lightsaber combat. It has been incomplete for at least 4,000 years, since the days of the first energy swords. I took Juyo, and completed it with my personal style, Vaapad."

"Juyo... what was Juyo, and how does your development of Vaapad complete it?"

Corran is paying some very rapt attention right about now...

"Juyo was the first style developed specifically for warriors. So, it was very hard to find an ending, a completion to it, since war conflicts with the Jedi objectives. The Order defended civilization and peace, and war destroys both."

Mace takes a seat, and gestures for Corran to sit down as well.

"Juyo was an oddity for millennia; it is the most challenging and demanding of all forms, requiring intense focus, high levels of skill, and mastery of other forms. It uses very open movements in a very unpredictable battle style. Staccato swings and the erratic flow of the form make it seem as if the attacks are not linked, but in reality, it is merely confusing the opponent. The techniques of this art are very practical, using battlefield philosophy: kill, move on, spend as little energy as possible. Jedi Masters used Juyo when agressive negotiations were the only option, seeking to end combat quickly."

Corran sits obediently across from the Old Master, and winces slightly at the description. "I see how that would definitely tend to fall outside the range of the Code."

Listening carefully to the description, Corran closes his eyes and his brow furrows once more as he relates the form to the masterful display he just saw. "Fits. I can see how the form would promote such quick resolution." He opens his eyes. "So why Vaapad to complete it?"

"Vaapad was my experiment in self-control. It borders on the edge of using the Dark Side, as it channels one's anger and darkness into the combat, but its real power is much simple: it is a channel for one's inner darkness; and it is a reflecting device. With strict control, a person's own emotions and inner darkness can be changed into a weapon of the light. Vaapad is able to take the hatred, anger and rage of the opponent and reflect it back at him, and if a Jedi is able to exercise complete domain over his darker emotions, Vaapad goes beyond being a fighting style as it becomes a state of mind and a power. The state of mind requires that a user of Vaapad be allowed to enjoy the fight and be given over to the thrill of battle and the thrill of victory."

Watching Corran, gauging how much he is understanding it... no, Vaapad is not for everyone, or even for every Master.

"In theory, two masters of Vaapad would fight in a perpetual standstill, and the combat would be decided by external forces."

Corran releases a low whistle and shakes his head slowly. "Some control there. Quite the line to walk everytime you find yourself in a battle situation. Still--I imagine it creates quite the adrenaline rush for its user."
Corran wants no part of this one. Yes, Corellians have no respect for odds, but there's a certain amount of danger he'd choose to avoid, even so.

But at the same time, it's obvious his lightsaber training has been far from its potential of completion...

"You said you had to master four forms. Would I be correct in assuming that Makashi and Soreyu were among the other forms you mastered?"

"Makashi, Ataru, Soresu, and Shien Djen So. I know all the seven forms, but can not claim mastery of Shii-cho or Niman."

Blinkage. "That's quite the tongue-twisting list. But in claiming mastery of them..." Corran bites his lip momentarily, then just shoots.

"Master, I'm well aware that my lightsaber training was far briefer and less intensive than that of your era. while it serves as functional, and has kept me alive so far, I'm well aware that there's more I can learn. And with the limited knowledge left from your era, the possibility of the revival of that knowledge within the order... well, it would be invaluable, I believe. Would you be willing to help me learn more of the less intense forms, perhaps even to the point of mastery?"

Hey, while he's here...

Mace blinks, once... then nods. "I would be happy to."

Corran sighs, and relaxes somewhat. "Thank you, Master Windu. It's an honor."

"We will start from the very basics. Then we can go over the six styles and three subforms, and you can choose what you prefer to learn, wich style you adapt better to."