Seven styles of lightsaber combat. Elegant Weapon from a Galaxy Distant - The Armory Chamber Lightsaber Fencing Styles

Form III: Soresu, also known as the "Mineck Way" or "Elasticity Form", was the third of the seven forms of lightsaber combat used by the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars. Description Protective technology. But effective. Use it if you don't want to be hurt, or if you are facing a lot of opponents with blasters. With a lightsaber and the ability to deflect shots, this is a great technique against blasters, but in other situations, it is unlikely to get away from the inevitable. - Kreia Originally, Form III was designed specifically to confront a large number of opponents armed with blaster weapons. With the growing popularity of blaster weapons before the Jedi, there was an urgent need to improve their fighting style, adapting it to fight opponents, simultaneously firing from several combat positions, while turning blaster shots against the shooters themselves. Earlier styles relied on open movement, which made the Jedi very vulnerable to blaster fire. Form III, on the other hand, formed a "deflector shield" around the soldier of quick, short movements of the sword near the body, which provided better protection against small arms. Form III was the most "defensive" of all known forms of fencing. Philosophy "To be in the middle of the eye of the storm" is the main principle of Soresu's philosophy. The fighter concentrated his mind, as if erecting a barrier around himself, isolating him from the surrounding battle. This allowed the fighter to place himself in the "center of the storm" where the storm of battle raging around him could not harm him. Thus, Soresu provided good protection in almost any combat situation, but at the same time, until the end of the battle, the fighter could not go beyond the border of the "eye of the storm". Form III required much less energy for attacking movements than all other styles. The adherents of this style wore down an aggressive opponent with an impenetrable defense with a minimum number of counterattacks. They waited for the opponent to spend all their energy reserves, and only then went on to attack. They waited for him to exhaust himself so much that he could not give a worthy rebuff. The key to comprehending Soresu's form lay in comprehending her concepts and philosophy. Despite his preference for Form III, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi occasionally used some movement from Shii-Cho and acrobatics from Ataru in combat, as is clearly seen during his duel with the Sith Lord Count Dooku aboard the Invisible Hand. This tactic, however, was used by him only to embarrass Dooku, and later Obi-Wan switched to his true style - Soresu. In the duel with General Grievous, Kenobi did not resort to tricks and fought with Form III throughout the battle. Usage In the third form of lightsaber combat, the blade of the sword moved very close to the fighter's body, which provided maximum protection with minimal energy consumption. Form III practitioners responded to the rate of fire of the blaster with refined reflexes and rapid movements of the sword and body. This technique minimized the number of exposed areas of the body, making the well-trained fighter virtually invulnerable. Soresu's adherents preferred to hold the defense, waiting for the enemy to make a fatal mistake. Outside observers often characterized Soresu's form as passive. All Jedi with a patient disposition and a calm disposition usually chose this form. During the Clone Wars, Soresu was the most common form of swordsmanship in the Jedi Order. Combat Masters of Form III preferred long-term battles, during which they carefully studied the opponent's fighting style. In addition, in long fights, it was easier for the Jedi to keep track of the overall combat situation - and manage it at his own discretion. He could decide whether to kill his opponent, disarm him, or try to dissuade him from continuing the fight. Many of Soresu's fighters survived the long Battle of Geonosis thanks to the resilience of this form and its specialization in deflecting blaster shots. Soresu gave the fighter endurance and allowed him to control the battlefield - and this was all her power. Jedi Master Mace Windu once noted that Soresu's style, unlike all other fighting styles, was not a response to any inner weakness of a practicing fighter. Vaapad was a response to the darkness living in the heart of Master Windu, Ataru compensated for Master Yoda's small size and old age, and Jem So helped Anakin Skywalker turn his bursting emotions into weapons. Towards the end of the Clone Wars, Windu recognized Obi-Wan Kenobi as "Master Soresu" as he was chosen by the Jedi Council to capture General Grievous. During the duel on Utapau, Soresu's mastery allowed Obi-Wan to deflect all four of Grievous's lightsabers, gradually stripping him of his limbs. Earlier, during his duel with Count Dooku aboard the Invisible Hand, Form III allowed Kenobi to fend off Makashi's elegant blows that the Count showered him with. Soresu was considered the most appropriate form of combat for a Jedi, as it expressed the Order's concept of using the sword for defense rather than offense. Obi-Wan himself recognized Soresu as a very simple form, so limited and defensive that it made her almost passive. Kenobi's skill in this combat technique reached such a level that he could repel enemy attacks at a speed of up to twenty blows per second. Benefits Prior to the Great Purge, Soresu's form was widespread among the Jedi. A good level of protection and control made this technique ideal for fighting an aggressive opponent, whose desire to quickly end the fight opened him up for counterattacks. Maintaining the defenses, however, required an astounding focus on the Jedi, and the slightest distraction could cause defeat for him. Those Jedi who lacked concentration tended to abandon learning this fighting style. Form III punches and blocks were delivered at a very high speed and very close to the fighter's body. Acrobatic moves similar to those underlying Form IV were sometimes used to dodge punches and shots. Form III was equally suitable for fighting a single enemy or a group of enemies. Of all the forms, it was the most effective at deflecting blaster fire. was originally developed for these purposes. Skillfully wielding Soresu, the Jedi were known in battle for their impenetrable defenses, and in peaceful missions for their ability to find a way out of a difficult situation, when deliberate and carefully considered actions were preferable to a quick solution to a problem. In addition, the Soresu Masters could skillfully use the enemy's attack to inflict their own blow, as can be seen in the duels of Obi-Wan Kenobi with Grievous on Utapau and with Darth Vader on Mustafar. Disadvantages Your movements are awkward, Kenobi ... Too predictable - Count Dooku duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi Thanks to their defensive technique, the truly skilled masters of Soresu were considered formidable opponents, but it should not be denied that Form III was oriented more towards survival than to win. You didn't need to be a master to be able to defend with this technique, but it took a Jedi years to learn how to use it in an attack, to learn to "catch" an opponent on his own attacks. During major military conflicts, Jedi generals found Form III very uncomfortable, as its use forced them to stand still and defend, while the troops entrusted to them were left to fend for themselves. This phenomenon was especially common during the Clone Wars. Adherents Built to withstand blasters, Form III has existed for millennia. In ancient times, this form was possessed by the Exile Jedi. Later, during the New Sith Wars era, the Sith Blademaster Kaz "was a master of the Soresu form (as well as the other six forms). Kaz" taught Form III to several students, including Fogar, who later used this fighting style against Form V. Darth Bane. Darth Zannah, a student of Darth Bane, also specialized in this form of combat. During the Clone Wars, Jedi Combat Master Qing Drallig wielded Soresu and, like Kaz "imu, taught this form of swordsmanship to many students. Luminara Unduli and her Padawan Barriss Offee also studied Form III. Count Dooku had sufficient knowledge of Form III to teach it to Grievous and his IG-100 “MagnaGuards.” Obi-Wan Kenobi originally studied the Ataru form, but after witnessing the death of his master and realizing the main drawback of this style - the limited ability to defend, Obi-Wan switched to Soresa. He achieved such proficiency in this martial art that he was even able to successfully confront experienced warriors such as Dooku and Grievous and defeat Darth Vader in a duel on Mustafar.

An elegant weapon from more civilized times ... Really? Well, I guess times have changed.

Clone Commando RC-1138 aka Boss, Star Wars: Republic Commando

We constantly tell you about weapons common in computer games, which have prototypes in the history of mankind. However, in fantasy games, there are often devices for killing, the analogues of which have never existed on Earth. And today we are starting a series of articles dedicated to the brightest fantastic types of weapons. Our first story focuses on one of the most recognizable weapons of modern science fiction - the lightsaber. For nearly thirty years, this unusual weapon, invented by George Lucas, has remained the hallmark of the "distant galaxy".

Batteries were not included

One of the early concepts for A New Hope depicts stormtroopers with lightsabers.

To appreciate all the qualities lightsaber, both positive and negative, you must first find out how and why this weapon was created. It's no secret that initially George Lucas was going to supply most of the inhabitants of his universe with lightsabers. Fortunately, the famous director gave up on this idea, and the lightsaber did not become as commonplace as the vulgar blaster. After all, it was the halo of mystery that surrounded the powerful Jedi that aroused such interest in what is connected with them - including weapons.

It is believed that in ancient times - many millennia before the events we know from the film - the technology of the lightsaber was developed by the first Knights of the Jedi Order. Although these early swords were already able to create a "limited beam of light", their potential remained extremely low due to their large size. The knights-inventors simply did not have a compact power source that would support the functioning of the lightsaber. As a result, the handle of the sword, also much larger than those that we are used to seeing, could not work autonomously, and it had to be attached to heavy batteries, which were often carried behind the back like a backpack.

The lightsaber evolved from a high-tech, yet awkward design to a traditional Jedi weapon when the Knights managed to find an alternative power source. It was a diatium power unit, no larger than the battery used in blasters - or, if you prefer a terrestrial analogue, in mobile phones. In "modern" lightsabers, the power unit occupies about a third of the volume of the sword handle, the dimensions of which rarely exceed two tens of centimeters.

Light blade arch

Two lightsabers against one living staff.

The shape of the sword is limited only by the imagination of its creator.

Any hilt of a lightsaber, if you look at it from the side, is a metal cylinder with a number of regulators of an incomprehensible, at first glance, purpose and decorative elements. There must be a connector for recharging the battery and there is almost always a device for attaching the handle to the belt - the rest is optional and depends on who assembled this particular sword. It is believed that by the appearance of the handle, an experienced craftsman can learn almost everything about the character of its owner.

Of the buttons on the body of the sword, only one is really needed - the one that activates the blade. Although, usually during the assembly of the sword, the knight adds several additional elements: for example, a fuse (what could be more stupid than cutting off his own leg with an accidentally activated sword?), A device for diagnosing the state of the weapon, or a regulator that allows you to adjust the length of the blade.

Of course, at the first glance at the Jedi sword, the question immediately arises: how does this device create a "limited beam of light", most often a little more than a meter long? .. It is possible to give an answer only by understanding the internal structure of the weapon.

Inside the cylindrical body, in addition to the power unit that occupies the lower part of the handle, there are: crystals that focus the energy of the battery; magnetic blade stabilizer; lens, energy conductor, insulator, as well as the most important circuits that create an energy field, without which the generation of the blade would be impossible.

The insides of a lightsaber.

The electromagnetic field creates an arc effect, as a result of which the flow of energy is closed and controlled. Energy passes through the positive lens and is attracted to the negative entrance hole, which forms that very arc - a kind of analogue of the energy arch. In fact, although we see a solid blade, it is a narrow, elongated loop of high-frequency flow of pure energy. It exits the battery, takes the form of a light blade, and then returns to the power unit and restores its charge. This technology makes it possible to reduce energy losses to practically zero - it is spent only on overcoming external resistance, and the rest of the time the closed system supports itself.

The heart of the sword

Focusing crystals require separate consideration, which not only ensure the functioning of the lightsaber, but also determine its color and properties. There can be one or several crystals inside the sword - only in the second case the Jedi can change the length of the blade. It is the crystals, due to their special structure, that transform the beam of energy into a narrow beam of light - an analogue of the blade of a cold weapon.

Unfortunately, not every crystal has a suitable structure, and some ordinary diamond is not suitable for creating a lightsaber. During the heyday of the Jedi Order, only a few planets were known where knights could find suitable crystals for themselves.

DIY kit. For the Jedi only!

The focusing crystal determines both the color of the sword and its properties.

Sometimes they used - most often out of necessity - not the crystals themselves, but their unusual counterparts. Let's say some jewelry. And Anakin Solo was able to adapt for focusing even a living organism, whose body had properties similar to those of a crystal.

Eternal opponents of the Jedi, the Sith preferred to insert artificial crystals into their swords, which they themselves created in high-temperature furnaces using the Force. Crystallized lightsabers not only usually have a blood red blade color, but they can also overload and malfunction a normal lightsaber. It is curious that Luke Skywalker created the crystal for his second sword using Sith technology.

One way or another, when a suitable crystal is selected, the knight processes it, including with the Force, after which he can start assembling the sword. This process is not only technical, but also mystical - sometimes it is accompanied by deep meditation, because a sword is not only a weapon, it contains a piece of the soul and essence of the Jedi who created it. And woe to the one who hurries up or focuses the crystal incorrectly: the weapon will explode in the hands of an unlucky self-taught engineer. The need to use the Force in the manufacturing process is the main reason why lightsabers have not become widespread in the galaxy.

Weapons for the keepers of the world

You can't get your hand back, but Padawan Rosh is not in danger of death from blood loss.

The Jedi use the sword mainly for protection, which suits their ideals of the keepers of the world, and not the soldiers very well: after all, if it comes to shooting, the knight can always reflect a blaster shot - including back at the enemy. However, this only applies to energy weapons - the bullet will simply melt when it collides with the blade. And the wounds inflicted by the lightsaber never bleed, as the blade not only cuts through organic tissue, but also immediately cauterizes them. All of this makes the lightsaber a relatively humane weapon.

In addition, the sword has an extremely useful property - to cut almost any material found in the Star Wars universe. It will cut through ordinary steel instantly, with armor spaceship will have to tinker, but she will not resist either.

It is interesting: unfortunately, in games it is rarely possible to use a lightsaber in this way - at best, in a couple of key episodes, they will allow you to cut through another obstacle. The developers of the multi-platform action movie The Force Unleashed are working to correct this omission, and promise that with the help of the Force and the sword, players will be able to destroy almost any obstacle.

Sith piercing defense seems to have learned from some tennis player.

However, the lightsaber is primarily intended for combat. But here it should be noted that fencing with lightsabers is very different from working with any melee weapons that exist on our planet. Firstly, the lightsaber does not have a cutting edge, which means that any contact with the opponent's body automatically leads to a wound. It is not for nothing that in every film in the Saga there is at least one severed limb.

Secondly, the blade of the lightsaber has no weight - the entire weight of the sword is concentrated in the handle, which radically changes the balance of the weapon and leads to a mass of sweeping and spectacular movements that are impossible in a fight with conventional swords. In addition, when two blades touch, they, like identically charged magnets, repel each other, and it takes a lot of effort from the fighters to keep the blades in contact. So inertia plays a big role in a lightsaber duel.

It is also worth adding that the electromagnetic field creates a gyroscopic effect that makes it difficult to control the sword. Without the Force, it is almost impossible to effectively use a lightsaber for both defense and attack. This is the second reason why ordinary people do not plow a distant galaxy with lightsabers on their belts.

And, finally, thirdly - in any duel with lightsabers, an important role is played not so much by combat skills as by the ability of fighters to use the Force. By increasing his strength or reaction with its help, the Jedi will surpass the best swordsmen in battle.

On the set: Actors and stuntmen used mock-ups of swords, "blades" of which were made of light alloy, when staging fights. It is difficult to deliver stabbing blows with a weightless blade - there are practically none of them in the films. Therefore, in the main, the heroes of "Star Wars" use wide, effective and completely non-ergonomic chopping blows in battle.

There is no reception against scrap?

There are only a few materials in the Star Wars universe that can stop a lightsaber. The first is any energy field. The second - special organisms, bred by aliens from another galaxy - the Yuuzhan Vong. These creatures can change the structure of their own bodies, which helps them cope with the strikes of the lightsaber.

But the most widespread is cortosis - a special metal that absorbs any energy and, in contact with an activated lightsaber, temporarily makes it inoperative. Often, cortosis was used to make weapons or armor for those who, for one reason or another, feared conflict with the Jedi or Sith.

Capable of withstanding lightsaber strikes and the metal prik used for the weapons of General Grievous's bodyguards, as well as a special alloy crafted by the Mandlorites.

Knights of the old Republic hero with a vibrating sword could fight on equal terms with a character wielding a lightsaber, but this was done to please the game balance and is contrary to the laws of a distant galaxy.

Seven styles

Although lightsaber swordsmanship is primarily based on the possession of the Force, it would be a mistake to argue that the Jedi themselves do not possess any martial skills. Over the centuries of the Order's existence, the knights have created seven basic styles of lightsaber combat.

First Form: Shii-Cho... Also known as the Sarlacc Way, it is the oldest and simplest style of lightsaber fencing. This form is quite rough and effective only in the battle with numerous, but not too strong opponents. The basics of Shii-Cho are comprehended by almost all Jedi at an early stage of training.

Second form: Makashi... This elegant style was created especially for lightsaber duels. Unlike other styles, which mainly imply a two-handed sword grip, Makashi are dominated by techniques that are performed with a single-handed grip. Minimum energy expenditure, graceful feints and cunning combinations of blows are the main advantages of this technique, however, even an experienced Makashi master can find himself in a difficult situation when faced with an opponent relying on brute force.

Third form: Soresu... The Soresu uniform is designed primarily for protection - from blaster fire or violent attacks from the enemy. The philosophy of this style requires you to study the enemy during a fight, wait for the right moment and deliver one single decisive blow, which requires incredible concentration and patience. The master of this form was Obi-Wan, who demonstrated the ability to defend and attack suddenly in duels with his former apprentice and General Grievous.

Master Ataru vs. Adept Juo.

Fourth form: Ataru... A real find for aggressive fighters who rely on power and speed. Incredible acrobatic somersaults, constant movement and rapid attacks are what distinguishes the adherents of this technique, such as Master Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn. However, this style is not suitable for protracted duels, as it exhausts the fighter too much.

Fifth Form: Shien (Jem So)... Darth Vader's favorite style is the more attacking and powerful variation of Soresu. This technique preaches an instant transition from defense to attack so strong that no defense can resist before it. There are two varieties of the fifth form: Shien is designed to defend against ranged attacks and use them against the enemy, and in Jem So the emphasis is on preparing for a lightsaber duel.

Sixth Form: Niman... The sixth style, better known as "diplomatic", is the most balanced, but also the least effective of the seven. There are practically no weaknesses in Niman, but he cannot provide special advantages either. A much greater threat to the enemy is posed by the Jedi, who has mastered a subspecies of the sixth form called Jar'Kai. It was created especially for those who believe that two swords are much better than one.

Seventh form: Vaapad... The youngest form of combat, it was developed by Mace Windu several decades before the fall of the Old Republic on the basis of Juo's technique that had not yet developed into a full-fledged style. In Vaapad, the emphasis is on overwhelming power and the ability to find weak sides enemy using them against him. It is believed that it is impossible to fully master this style without first studying the other six techniques - besides Mace, only one of his students, Depe Billaba, managed to do this.

Any form of lightsaber wielding is not just a set of standard movements and combinations, but a reflection of the philosophy of the Jedi, who uses one or another technique, although often knights were trained in several techniques at once.

However, along with many other Jedi knowledge of the past, some of the secrets of these techniques were lost during the reign of Palpatine. Therefore, during the time of the New Jedi Order, there were three simplified lightsaber techniques - "speed", "medium" and "power". The first is based on short, quick attacks, the second relies on simplicity and grace, and the third on brute power and slow strikes. The most famous Jedi of the New Republic, Kyle Katarn, became the master and instructor of all three styles.

Interview with Nick Gillard

For this article, we asked Nick Gillard, the stuntman who directed the lightsaber fights in the new Star Wars trilogy, to answer a few questions.

LCI: Nick, how did you get entrusted with the lightsaber fights in the Star Wars prequels?

Nick Gillard: I have previously worked as a stuntman on several Lucasfilm projects: the Indiana Jones trilogy, the Willow movie, and The Chronicles of Young Indiana Jones. Obviously, I managed to prove myself well, and I was invited to take up the fighting in the new episodes of the Saga.

The actor and the stuntman are friends forever.

LCI: Were you the executor of Lucas's ideas or did you yourself bring in some ideas regarding the staging of the battles?

N.G.: George Lucas did not limit me in the least, on the contrary, he allowed me to do almost anything I wanted. I decided to create a very special sword fighting style for the Jedi of the Old Republic, different from any classic style of swordsmanship. In my opinion, it turned out very spectacular, and I would like to develop this style in new Star Wars projects.

LCI: In the prequels, the role of Count Dooku is played by actor Christopher Lee, who is already over seventy. Has his age become a hindrance for you - after all, he had to fight with much younger partners?

N.G.: Although Lee is not young, he has another important quality - a wealth of experience. He is excellent with a sword and tried to perform as many tricks as possible himself. Only in a few episodes did we use the services of a stuntman and computer graphics.

LCI: Discussions continue about whether Mace Windu really managed to defeat Palpatine or whether the future Emperor succumbed. Can you resolve this dispute?

N.G. A: This is a very difficult question indeed. It is possible that Palpatine doubted his ability to convert the Chosen One to the dark side of the Force and therefore lost in a duel to Mace ... on the other hand, who in their right mind would claim to understand what was going on in the Sith's head? ..

Swords are unusual ... and too ordinary

The secret apprentice of Darth Vader from The Force Unleashed game, unlike most Jedi and Sith, prefers a reverse grip on the sword.

One of the most unusual lightsaber hilt designs ever created for The Force Unleashed.

Usually, Jedi treasure their own weapons very much, and try not to part with them all their lives. However, there are examples of how a Jedi, having reached a high level, collected a new, more powerful sword - for example, Mace Windu did after he was accepted into the Jedi Council.

Although in general the structure of almost all lightsabers is identical, each of them is original and bears the imprint of the owner's character. There are many completely unique models associated with the characteristics of the Jedi. For example, the length of the handle of the sword of Master Yoda is several times shorter than the standard one.

However, such short swords are not only suitable for undersized Jedi like old Yoda. They are often used as a dagger - as a pair to a regular lightsaber. Conversely, lightsabers are known with a blade length of up to three meters - almost spears. Of course, such a weapon is not very convenient for a person, but for representatives of larger races - just right.

Often, young Jedi began practicing with a lightsaber at the age of five or six. Of course, for young children, a full-fledged lightsaber is a mortal danger: after all, a single awkward movement can lead to injury or death. To protect the younger generation, training swords were developed - their blades are weaker in focus and therefore less dangerous.

In one-on-one combat, the use of the light pole is not great.

Who said that the Jedi and aggression are incompatible things?

Luke's former passion, Sith Lady Lumaya, is a big fan of the light whip.

Perhaps the most striking and memorable appearance of all types of light weapons is the light staff. For the first time, Star Wars fans saw him in The Phantom Menace. The striking fighting style of Darth Maul, who wielded a light staff, was immediately remembered by the audience and made this weapon very popular. But Maul did not invent the light staff himself - this weapon was widespread during the time of the Old Republic, another Sith, Exar Kun, introduced the fashion for it, although there are rumors that he also borrowed the idea from even more ancient Sith. The staff's handle is almost twice the size of a regular staff, both ends are capable of generating light "blades". Naturally, the possession of such a weapon requires special preparation, otherwise you would rather hack yourself to death than the enemy. But with high skills of a fighter, the staff turns into a powerful weapon that serves equally well both in attack and defense, including against several opponents at once. However, the Jedi rarely used the light staff, considering it too aggressive a weapon.

Another unusual type of lightsaber is considered to be a weapon of the Sith - the light whip. The handle of the whip, like the sword, generates a flow of energy, but not stable and "solid", but in the form of several long serpentine rays of light, which are not easy to stop even for a skilled Jedi with the help of an ordinary sword.

Around a century after the death of Palpatine, a new Empire emerged, relying on the Order of the Imperial Knights. All of its members collected absolutely identical swords for themselves to emphasize their loyalty to the Empire and renunciation of personal ambitions.

Death to the Jedi Dogs

By giving such a formidable weapon to the Jedi and Sith, George Lucas put the rest of the inhabitants of his fantastic universe at a very disadvantage. Although among those who are deprived of the Force, there are craftsmen who can use lightsabers in battle. This, of course, is about General Grievous, who proved that not only the Sith can fight on equal terms with the Jedi.

Once Grievous was a commander on a shallow planet, but once after a ship wreck, almost nothing remained of his body. A mechanical body of incredible power was specially created for him, which allowed him to fight on equal terms with the Jedi.

And what a food processor could be ...

In addition to the physical strength of the droid, Grievous received an incredibly quick response, comparable to the Jedi's increased response through the Force. The unique design of the body makes Grievous very fast, so much so that it is almost impossible to distinguish his movements with an ordinary eye; in addition, the general's mechanical body is crammed with unpleasant surprises for the enemy.

As far as is known on this moment, Grievous remains the only creature that did not possess the Force, but fought with the help of lightsabers, and on a level not even available to the Jedi. After all, all six limbs of the general - four arms and flexible legs - are equally well adapted for wielding weapons.

However, there was also a weak point in the mighty general. He relied too much on the speed granted by the cybernetic body and his powerful, but too monotonous style of lightsaber combat, which ruined him. By the way, it is worth noting a funny hobby of Grievous: hating the Jedi, he collected the swords of the knights he defeated, and then used them in battle against other Jedi.

The Yuuzhan Vong warriors proved to be no less effective in the battle with the Jedi, whose main weapons were the amphisses - living creatures capable of serving as an analogue of a whip or hardening, turning into a long-handled mace capable of spitting poison.

However, the main advantage of the Yuuzhan Vong was not the original weapon, but their immunity to the Force. The Jedi could not predict the actions of their opponents, which made them a serious threat to the knights of the newly reborn Order.

Thus, the lightsaber, while giving the Jedi a clear advantage over most opponents, does not make him invulnerable. Like any other weapon, even the best lightsaber will not save someone who is not perfect with it.

Of course, in reality, it is unlikely that something similar to a lightsaber will be created - although Lucas associates have come up with a pseudoscientific explanation for his work - but does this really lose his charm? And while lightsabers, being a registered intellectual property of LucasArts, will never appear in other universes, they rightfully deserve a place on the list of the best inventions of modern fiction as the most versatile and multifunctional melee weapon.

I love long, impressive fights. The first time I realized this was when I was still engaged in historical fencing. Perhaps this love was born from the feeling of delight that arose in me from childhood when watching the myriad of Hong Kong action films. J For me, as a spectator and as a participant, it is often not the result of the fight (whether it be a sports competition or an exhibition performance) that is much more important, but the fight itself, as a way of communication and comprehension. And it is not necessary for the opponents to be armed with some pseudo-life-threatening objects: the competition at the billiard table can be no less attractive, - they do not have to be masters of their craft: sometimes the thirst for beauty, moving a person from the inside, turns out to be strong enough to compete with the gracefulness of the master's perfected movements.
After the release of Episode 2, I found Star Wars for myself and was amazed at the masterful grace with which the battles were built in the Saga. This, in many ways, determined my interest in Star Wars for a long time. I set myself the task of developing a way to conduct similar, lengthy and beautiful, duels with a living opponent, without focusing on performances. The task seemed insurmountable: a long staged battle is one thing, and a long, real battle to "win" is quite another. However, practice has once again shown that you only need a desire to achieve a seemingly unrealistic goal.
The skill of beautiful combat, like any other skill in art, can be achieved both through a trained disposition and through hard work on oneself. In any case, a skill is not born out of anything and requires a certain amount of training, certain skills and concepts explained by someone that will help in the future to independently develop within the framework of your favorite system. I want to devote this tutorial just to tell and show everything I know about fights on sabers, models of lightsabers, and about the reconstruction of fights in the spirit and style of "Star Wars". A large part of this teaching material is written on the basis of my two previous articles, on the lightsaber and on the reconstruction of fencing techniques, so people familiar with these materials will see quite a few quotes from there. But besides this, accompanying videos and illustrations have been added to the tutorial to help you understand the difficult art of subfighting. Enjoy reading!

Chapter 1. The beginning of the beginnings.

Sources.

Unfortunately, none of the Saga films (neither the Original Trilogy nor the Prequel Trilogy) provide full explanations of lightsaber fencing, so the main data that can be used is the result of analyzing the movements of characters in battle in slow motion movies. ... On the basis of this analysis, as well as on the basis of a variety of additional information accompanying the film (such as official encyclopedias), a general basis was developed, from which I later started when developing the subfight.
In addition, when developing the subfight, I tried to glean as much official information as possible from various interviews with Nick Gillard, the director of the battle scenes throughout the Prequel Trilogy. For example, in one of the interviews he stated that there are no "Forms" in lightsaber fencing (which contradicts the data from the Expanded Universe). Gillard also said that the technique of using a lightsaber was developed by him on the fusion of all known combat systems (various strikes, blocks and stands were drawn from them) and even took a little from lawn tennis (apparently, the techniques for the correct “beating "Blaster shots back). In addition, Nick said that lightsaber fencing was greatly influenced by the characteristics of the fighting actors, not all of whom, note, are professional swordsmen. In some cases, Gillard allowed the actors (and even forced them) to do what was convenient for them, and not what, in theory, was right. And this, of course, could not but affect the final result. And we are gratefully adopting all this experience.
The source of various additional (more or less curious, but not central) data for this textbook was the Expanded Universe (hereinafter referred to as PB), which, in particular, contains systematized information on the Forms of possession of the light saber. The main resource was the "Absolutely Unofficial Encyclopedia of Bob Vitas", deservedly one of the most reliable sources of information in matters related to "Star Wars" (hereinafter - ZV).
Unfortunately, everything is not so simple with RV, so I use it only as an auxiliary, general educational material. If you want to weave it into your subfight (for example, to determine which of the practitioners should follow which Form), use it for health. If you don’t want, don’t: subfight, as practice has shown, does not suffer from this at all. Most of the data from the RV are often contrived by various authors and sanctioned by Lucas' companies hastily, therefore the RV data has repeatedly come into conflict with the films, and in contradiction with each other. In particular, in order to avoid these contradictions as much as possible and not to present these additional materials in the form of complete confusion, I completely ignore the information on the pollutants drawn from computer games (the KotOR series, for example).

Lightsaber device.

If you want to know as much information as possible about the lightsaber, then I recommend checking out my article on the lightsaber in ZV. There you will find and detailed information on history, and just a lot of curious facts related to lightsabers. What will be given here is a revised and supplemented passage on the basis of new information, in which I only consider the structure of the lightsaber itself. This knowledge is naturally necessary for further reconstruction.
So, the lightsaber originated from the so-called "frozen blaster beam" technology. Note that the word "ray" is used here and hereinafter in a geometric, and not in a physical sense, and is synonymous with the word "segment", and not the phrase "clot of light". In the physical sense, the blaster beam is not a beam, because consists of charged matter, not light at all.
Once upon a time (long before the events of the films) the first models of lightsabers were considered, rather, siege weapons, tk. the size of the handle and the energy knapsack behind the back simply did not allow such a weapon to work at least somewhat quickly. But progress did not stand still, and quite quickly the Jedi managed to seriously reduce the size of the handle and solve the problem with the power source. To achieve this result, they were helped by the invention of a new type of energy carrier, a diatium battery, which, with its standard dimensions, is capable of delivering a power ten times higher than the power of a conventional blaster beam (but its cost, respectively, is much higher than that of standard batteries used, for example, in blasters) ... There is an opinion among fans (and even among some RV materials) that a diatium battery (and possibly all other batteries in RV) can somehow store the plasma in working order, but from the point of view of our technological level, this is impossible. Be that as it may, diatium technology removed the main problem: the presence of an inconvenient external power source and cable. It was from this moment that the history of the weapon that we know as the "lightsaber" began.
Over the next several thousand years, the technology of making lightsabers has not actually changed, at least about specific general changes, and not minor personal adjustments, history is silent. In order to create a lightsaber, the following components are required:

• diatium battery;
• handle (outer body of the sword);
• plate or activation button;
• fuse;
• emitting matrix (emitter);
• recharge slot;
• a set of lenses;
• from one to three focusing crystals;
• energy conductor;
• battery insulation;
• wires and terminals for the energy redirection circuit;
• blade length regulator;
• optional ring for hanging the sword on the belt.

The most big problem crystals are: thanks to the properties of their structure, the energy of the battery can be transformed into powerful energy flows that can melt any material that comes their way in a split second. But if the crystal is incorrectly placed in the lightsaber, or if it itself is improperly processed, then the lightsaber will simply explode upon activation. And note, the energy of the explosion of the lightsaber is quite large ... The prospect is not pleasant. It was not possible to learn how to select crystals using any clear scientific method, so people associated with the Force find suitable crystals. Once crystals or suitable jewelry have been selected, their structure must be enhanced with the Force in order for them to acquire these amazing energy-changing properties. In addition, they must be correctly positioned relative to each other and relative to other parts of the lightsaber so that the process goes in the correct sequence and, again, does not lead to an explosion. It may take a Padawan months to complete such a transformation, while a Master may take several days.
After the crystals are completely ready, the process of creating a sword begins directly. All the elements come together according to a certain pattern, and the next lightsaber becomes an integral part of its owner, the line separating life from death.
The result of labor usually becomes a handle with a length of 24 to 30 centimeters or from 50 to 60 in the case of a staff, from which, when turned on, a stream of energy from one meter to a meter and thirty centimeters long bursts out. In the lightstaff, similar rays are pulled out from both sides of the handle, respectively. However, the dimensions of the beam sometimes exceed even a meter and thirty centimeters, for example, there are two-handed lightsabers with a blade length of 300 centimeters and two-phase lightsabers with a length that can be switched between the standard 130 and 300 centimeters. But both those and others are extremely rare, and we will not consider them in detail.
Let's take a look at how a finished, assembled lightsaber functions. Initially, the energy generated by the battery goes to the crystals, where it is decomposed into positive and negative charges. Positive charges bind into an extremely dense chain of ultra-small proton rays, which have a huge energy potential. In addition, when the sword is turned on, positive charges gradually charge the emitter, and negative charges charge the lightsaber exit (so the blade "grows" gradually as the fields intensify). Then, after passing through a set of lenses, the beams, pushed out by the positively charged emitter and accelerated by passing through the negatively charged exit orifice, are focused outside the sword at a distance set by the blade length adjuster that controls the power of the fields at the emitter and at the exit. The beams move extremely quickly and powerfully, but they are almost instantly attracted back by the negative charge of the sword's exit hole. Thus, a very thin arc of the light blade is created, limited in space and creating a powerful positive field around itself. The rest of the "thickness" of the blade is only the result of the contact of rays and air around, nothing more than an optical effect. The returned beam is combined with a negative charge using a special circuit and redirected back to the battery, thus recharging it and spending almost no energy on its existence, except for those moments when the blade cuts something (melts) or comes into contact with another light blade. And when cutting, and upon contact, the energy rays are discharged, generating super-powerful thermal radiation in a small area around them.
To all this I would like to add one comment from myself: people who know physics say that it would be much more logical if the rays consisted of electrons, not protons. But, unfortunately, electrons are charged with a negative charge, and this contradicts the official data.
Now, based on the above text, let's highlight the facts that are significant for the subfight. Note that I basically do not indicate here those facts that are associated with a lightsaber, but have nothing to do with fencing:

1. the light blade has no mass;
2. any part of the light blade is a cutting surface;
3. the blades of the lightsaber do not slide over each other due to the intermeshing of the discharging beams;
4. the arc of the light blade (due to the fast closed movement of the rays) creates a powerful gyroscopic effect, which makes it difficult for the swordsman to instantly change the direction of the sword's movement;
5. the light blade reflects not only blaster shots (carrying the same positive charge), but also the blades of other lightsabers, creating a repulsive effect that can be extinguished only by applying significant physical force (natural or acquired through the Force);
6. At the moment of contact, the light blade develops such a powerful temperature that even a superficial touch to human skin is enough for a person to receive an extremely painful wound that will not allow him to continue the fight.

Saber.

Saber is a humanized weapon for the reconstruction of lightsaber fencing. This term arose quite a long time ago on the basis of the gradual simplification of the word "lightsaber" ( lightsaber- lightsaber (English)) to the current state. At the moment, it is used by virtually the entire Star Wars fandom and is a household name for a hilt that looks like a lightsaber into which you can, if you wish, insert a colored blade for battle.
Of course, in our world there is no beam generator similar to that of a lightsaber blade, so we cannot follow the rule of "complete absence of blade weight". Nevertheless, through experience and long practice of various groups, standards have been derived that help to adequately simulate the lightsaber in fights.

Handle:
Weight: 400-600 grams.
Length: 25-30 centimeters.

Blade:
Weight: 0-250 grams.
Length: 80-100 centimeters (including the part that goes inside the handle).

However, we note that these numbers are not unquestioningly binding. Some people create much heavier sabers (with a total weight of 1 kg or more) and, nevertheless, work perfectly on the subfight system. But such swords have one significant limitation: they can only fight against sabers with the same or fairly close weight. It is practically impossible to work with them against light blades: unfortunately, due to their mass, in most cases they simply demolish the enemy's sword (they do not bounce off when touched, but go further on inertia after the outgoing enemy's sword). This does not happen in Star Wars: rivals can clinch (swords "clash" and move together in one direction or another), but it is virtually impossible to break the enemy's defense simply by mass and force. The rebound effect, which we will discuss in detail later, is strong enough to, coupled with the slightest resistance from the defender, cause the light blade to drastically lose the momentum generated by the attacker's muscles.
In general, the main thing that is required of two sabers, meeting in a duel, is that their weight is comparatively the same and that the balance of both is at least at the outlet of the saber, or better still closer to the center.
Now a little about the length. The length of the assembled saber, which will suit you specifically, you can determine as follows: the bottom of the handle of the assembled saber (handle + blade) should be at the height of your protruding femur or slightly higher if you rest the sword with the blade in the ground parallel to your leg. This length is reasonable for performing various feints and tricks that require turning the sword: if your sword is too long, then even the simplest swing of the sword at hip level you cannot perform - catch the blade on the ground. Accordingly, you will have to either increase the angle between your body and the sword, or raise your arms higher. Both can ultimately complicate sword control and severely limit your options.
How to assemble the handle? At the moment, there are already a lot of answers to this question. There are about five different ways to create swords: from collecting it from various plumbing parts and ending with a full course of manufacturing at the factory. For example, my main saber was made of a polycarbonate rod, on which the leather decoration was firmly glued, and in which a blade shaft was drilled at home. Lead was placed inside the shaft to shift the balance from the blade to the emitter of the sword. Several of my other sabers (for the role of Grievous in one of the role-playing games) were made from 30-centimeter pieces of light polished metal pipe (you can buy on the construction market), on which curly cuts were made to order at the factory. Then, plastic tubes of a slightly smaller diameter were inserted inside the tubes, completely wrapped with a telephone wire (the telephone wire did not provide sufficient strength of the structure, it was necessary to use additional layers of plumbing insulation to strengthen the plastic tube inside the metal one). And already inside these plastic tubes, blades are still inserted. Both the first and second types of construction provide swords with the necessary lightness, combined with full comfort of grip and control. Nevertheless, I also know sabers, which are assembled from plumbing parts purchased in the markets. True, such sabers usually turn out to be too heavy and are poorly suited for fights with light sabers.

The next important factor is the material from which the blade is created and the "humanizer" (material that softens the impact) on it. In my opinion, the humanization of the saber blade can be left to everyone's discretion. an individual: experience shows that it is not the softness of the blade, but the ability to control it that determines its humanity. Nevertheless, one of the most successful options, still used by most subfighters, is to loosely wrap the blade with one layer of foam rubber about 0.5 cm thick and two layers of the corresponding colored tape. The blade itself must have the following properties:

• be as light as possible;
• small in diameter (no more than 15 mm is desirable);
• without edges;
• have a certain flexibility, but at the same time clearly keep its shape (return to its original state after a blow, and not bend forever).

One of the most successful options, suitable for all these characteristics, are various fiberglass rods, which can be purchased at various research institutes or factories dealing with chemistry and plastics. These rods have one remarkable property that allows you to get as close as possible to understanding the mechanics of lightsabers: when struck, they spring and repel each other. If a person does not oppose this repulsion, but allows inertia to carry his hands in the right direction, then the movements become fast, wide, consistent and (most importantly) very similar to what we see in Star Wars. In addition, repulsion itself generates certain laws in the movement of the blades, which increases the overall duration and aesthetics of the fight several times.
I would like to add that, in my opinion, you should create two copies of your saber at once: the first will serve as a beautiful belt version (you can install many decorative details on it), the second - a combat version (it should not have any unnecessary elements that can hurt the palm).

Two types of rebound.

The concept of "bounce" originated almost two years ago, right after the writing of the article on the lightsaber. It was a continuation of the fact that the energy of the blades of swords is repulsed, and meant "a sufficiently strong repulsion of the light blades from each other at any touch." After a thorough study of the fights of the First and Second Episodes from this angle, I received answers to some questions that until then did not have a logical explanation, for example: why at one point or another one of the fighters did not cut into two even slices of an absolutely open (from the point of view of fencing , for example, a bastard) of the enemy? At that time, there was still no Third Episode, but after the release, he only once again confirmed the existing concept, expanding it with additional information. Driven by my curiosity, I also studied the fights of the Original Trilogy, although George Lucas himself called them "old man, student and half-car" fights from which there is little to demand. However, the study showed that in the duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader, in slow motion, one bunch of three blows can be observed, made on the rebound, and the rest of the blows of the duel are clinches, which were also included in the subfighting system. However, most of the clinching strikes of this duel are not visible at all, because there are solid close-ups of the heroes. In Episode 5, both Luke and Darth Vader use rebound more than once, combining them with rare clinches, but actually do not use long ligaments, constantly diverging after short ligaments of three to four hits. In the Sixth Episode, the rebound is more than enough to ensure that there is no doubt about its presence in the Original Trilogy, just as there is no doubt about its presence in the Prequel Trilogy.
However, despite all the data related to the structure of the lightsaber and the duels in the films, I still sometimes encounter reluctance to accept this information. So before you start detailed analysis mechanics of "rebound", I will give a slightly strange, but extremely important argument that speaks for it.
If you disagree with the rationale behind the subfight, disagree, but do not abandon the system itself without trying it out. Unlike all other Star Wars-style fencing systems I know, it allows you to quickly learn how to conduct long fights without staging in full accordance with the spirit of Star Wars. Its performance has been tested by a year of regular training of a wide variety of people. And this, it seems to me, is better than any words. J
Remember that a subfight is a reconstruction of the technique of fencing with a lightsaber, a fantastic weapon, and therefore it may require a certain amount of imagination (albeit based on knowledge of the physical principles of the simulated weapon), which, if used correctly, allows you to make fights that are as authentic as possible. we see in films. If you try to regard the saber as a model of some ordinary sword (that is, equate it to a textolite sword that simulates steel weapons of the past in the current role-playing environment), and will use it exclusively in the same manner as a bastard, sword, katana or with a two-handed sword, then, believe me, "Star Wars" you will not succeed. Without a doubt, sooner or later you will learn to fence, if you did not know how to do it before. Fast, tough, takeaway, and perhaps beautiful in its own way. But fight fights

• in which victory is achieved with one precise touch of the blade,
• which can last up to 40 (and even more) seconds of active sword work (without pauses, without waving the sword in the air),
• without preliminary preparation (staging),
• with the use of acrobatics and other spectacular feints

you will not learn by this method. Your "fights to one hit" will end with an accurate lunge / blow in 1-10 seconds after the start of the fight, which is great in itself, but has nothing to do with Star Wars.
So how do you simulate a rebound? First, in order to simulate this effect and at the same time get as close as possible to the complete weightlessness of the blade, light and thin, but strong and shape-holding fiberglass rods are used as the base of the lightsaber blade in the subfight. They bend a little, but do not break (in my memory, not a single such rod has yet been broken). Upon impact, they spring from each other, which allows you to get the embodiment of the rebound effect, so as not to simulate it based only on imagination. The only way to prevent these blades from getting rebound is to purposefully suppress it with muscle power.
And in connection with muscle suppression, I really want to focus your attention on the following. No blade known to man possesses properties similar to those of a lightsaber. When two steel swords touch, such a rebound, as in the subfight, does not generate. With the same masses, a steel sword that was moving with great acceleration causes it to lose momentum and repels a sword that was moving slower. At the same time, he himself loses acceleration and either stops or, more often, breaks through the opponent's defense, passing at least a little further. And most certainly an ordinary sword does not bounce due to the physical properties of the blade (the fencer can deflect it himself, but that is another matter). In fact, any steel piercing-cutting weapon invented by man is either a sharpened / sharpened "club" or a large awl. The technique of possession of most of them is based on breaking through the enemy's defense or on bypassing it at the expense of speed and feints. So, in order to engage in subfighting, you will have to initially come to terms with the fact that the saber is not a melee weapon and the approach to owning it is somewhat different. The technique of working with melee weapons, which you may have developed when you were engaged in fencing with textolite weapons or even with sabers, but according to a different system, will very little help you in subfighting. As practice shows, having an alternative experience to subfighting rather prevents your body from accepting concepts that are new to it. Only constant practice will help to solve this problem, during which you will develop a rebound, teaching your subconscious mind new possibilities of using weapons (which, we note, will be useful to you in other types of fencing in the future). You can, for example, assume that you are learning a fundamentally new style of using edged weapons if it helps you learn the system.
Although I recommend using certain materials for the base of the blades, I am well aware that not everyone and not everywhere has the opportunity to find them. It may so happen that the material of the blade of your saber in its physical properties will not differ in any way from the PCB, and it may not bounce off better than one steel bastard bounces off another. In this undesirable case, when learning to rebound, you will almost not feel how this effect arises, which, as practice has shown, will interfere with you: at first you will have to make sure that the blade immediately goes back when it comes into contact with the opponent's blade. However, it has been verified that after a while the rebound will still become a habit, and you will be able to catch it even on textolite weapons (or on bokens, or on ladles - it doesn't matter). I can only hope that you will immediately start working with a suitable springy blade, and you will not have to waste energy once again forcing your body to get used to the fact that you can use the “club” in your hands in an alternative way.
In any case, regardless of the blade, at first you need to be especially careful so that the muscles of the arms that grip the sword do not strain at any moment of the fight. You must firmly squeeze only the thumb and forefinger, directly holding the handle, otherwise the sword will fly out of your hands when struck (during a subfight fight, due to the increase in inertia, such speed develops that even blows without using muscle power become very noticeable). If you fix at least one muscle from the wrist to the shoulder, you will begin to suppress to some extent the natural rebound that occurs when two blades are struck, but, on the contrary, you need to use it to the maximum in order to simplify your task, reduce energy consumption and increase speed. ... , which helps to develop the correct relaxation of the hand, you can find in the section "".
At the moment, the subfight uses two quite fundamentally different types of rebounds. The first of them is usually called “basic” or simply “rebound”: the comprehension of the subfight begins with it. The second is most often called "mirror bounce". It is a little more difficult to learn, and without having a base in the form of a regular rebound, I do not recommend training it.
When using the effect of basic rebound, the blade of your saber, after contact, begins to move to where the enemy's sword blade was pushed back plus or minus 30 degrees. Your sword begins to move back if the enemy stopped you with an oncoming block, or continues the movement that you carried out if the enemy's blade gave you additional acceleration.
Let's look at this theory with more specific examples to make it clearer what is at stake. It is very simple to imagine the first variant of the basic rebound: let's say you conduct two blows from right to left in exactly the same way as your opponent (he is from his right side, you are from yours). The blades collide exactly in the middle between you, and at the moment of contact, your swords begin to move back, change their motion vector to the exact opposite. Of course, you can (and should) make adjustments to the movement of the sword. Without suppressing inertia, but following it, you can slightly change the trajectory of the sword movement (those same plus or minus 30 degrees), thus weaving the net of your blows in a duel. These 30 degrees are quite enough to go to the lower one after the top blow and vice versa, and, thus, completely cover the entire possible area of ​​the attacked surface.
The second version of the basic bounce is a little more complicated. Let's say your opponent is leading a horizontal blow from right to left (for him) to your body. If not prevented, the blow will reach the torso. However, if you strike his blade slightly from above and, as it were, "catch up" with his blade (i.e. strike from left to right for you), then due to the rebound, his blade will accelerate, but go down, thus passing by your body around your knees, but without hitting you. After that, your sword, following the rebound, will most likely leave for a blow to the right (for you). The opponent's sword will describe a full circle and will return to the right (for him), which will allow you to close the swords again without destroying the overall pattern of the fight. The second variant of the basic rebound is usually realized with the help of well-timed wrist movements, which allow you to meet the opponent's blade not with a direct block, but, as it were, "pick up" it from the other side.
In order to visualize both sides of the basic bounce, look in the section "".
Now let's talk about mirror bounce. This concept is much more difficult to use correctly and before starting to master it, I highly recommend practicing basic rebound to the point where you can, without hesitation, use the rebound for any contact of the blades. Otherwise, there is a very high chance that you will perform the mirror bounce incorrectly, knocking down the opponent's sword and violating the principle of rebound.
Specular bounce is based on the principle of "incidence is equal to the angle of reflection." That is, after the contact of the blades, your sword does not begin to move to where the enemy's sword reflected it, but continues to move in the given direction, changing only the angle of movement. Such a thing is difficult to explain in words, therefore, firstly, I will try to give an example, and secondly, I recommend looking at it.
Example: your sword goes with a vertical blow from top to bottom to the head of the opponent, the angle of your blade relative to the ground is 30 degrees, your hands move along your body, and do not move forward towards the enemy. Have you presented? J The opponent places a horizontal block directly over his head. If you follow the basic rebound, then after the contact of the blades, your sword should go back, up (or, rather, back, towards you, for a roll that goes into the bottom blow), but when using a mirror rebound, it will go further down, just not to the enemy. but from him. The mirror bounce, like the basic bounce, does not lead to knocking down the enemy's defense. It is a little faster and requires less free space around it, but it also requires good skill with subfighting brushes. If the basic rebound is mainly comprehended at work with one hand, then the mirror rebound is much easier to master when working with two hands, which will allow you to work exclusively with the wrist and elbow bends to correctly redirect the rebound energy in the right direction, without violating the principles of the subfight. The most prominent example of the use of mirror bounce in Star Wars is the Darth Sidious technique in Episode Three. It is thanks to the mirror method of blade movement (and of course, the ability to dodge well instead of blocking) in a duel with the Jedi Masters, Darth Sidious gains time to stabilize the sword, which, for example, is necessary in the subfight and in films for thrusting. In addition, mirror bounce works great and is often necessary for short distances (in the films, for example: Obi-Wan and Anakin duel in a room and on lava platforms).
In general, if you already feel confident enough with the saber in your hands and do not make critical mistakes in the rebound, then you should probably try out the “mirror bounce” technique and decide how much you are going to use it.

General principles.

The rebound is, undoubtedly, the main idea of ​​the subfight, on the foundation of which its style and capabilities are built. But there is also whole line principles common for any type of fencing, and two additional features lightsabers that must be illuminated. Let's start with the features.

No sliding of the blades over each other.

Fact one: the light blades do not slide over each other at all. Many earthly swordsmanship techniques are based on skillful flanking / sliding along the opponent's blade. So there is no such thing in the subfile. If the blades of the swords have closed and are held in this position by the opponents (clinch), then no sliding should occur.
If you pay attention, the films use one rather complicated (as practice has shown) technique: one of the opponents, during a clinch, suddenly "tears off" the blade of his lightsaber from the blade of his opponent's lightsaber, very quickly shifts it slightly to the side and cuts the opponent's hand / hands, until his hands have left on the rebound. So, in particular, it is this technique that clearly shows that there should be no slipping: pull the blade back a little, carry it over the opponent's blade, put it back on. Although, of course, the enemy is unlikely to allow you to do this, and therefore such a maneuver is quite risky and requires considerable skill. J
In principle, the acceptance of the concept of non-slip labor is not for anyone, and even with clinches the error of "sliding" happens extremely rarely, but nevertheless, to consolidate the ability to control the movement of the saber along the opponent's blade, we recommend using the exercise, which received the name in the fandom "Sticky sabers". See the section "".

Gyroscopic effect: inertia and fixation.

Fact Two: The lightsaber has a gyroscopic effect when it is on. This effect prevents the swordsman from rapidly changing the plane of movement of the lightsaber. We can say that the sword has its own inertia, which requires some effort and time if you try to change it. Two facts follow from this: first, the saber should be held with both hands. It is common for beginners to switch to one hand when using basic bounce for more speed and convenience. In this, I believe, there is nothing wrong, tk. In films, one-handed work is often used, but at the same time, a two-handed grip should also be trained: this helps in the future when teaching mirror rebound, clinching and injections. Secondly, the gyroscopic effect makes it almost impossible to abruptly change the speed of the blade in space. Therefore, the acceleration at the end of the blow, which is so characteristic of all earthly schools of fencing, is absent in the subfight. The blow goes evenly, evenly builds up and the speed of the sword's movement is lost. A sharp fixation at the end of the blow to transfer more energy to the opponent's sword and its demolition should not occur. As well as sharp acceleration, for example, at the beginning of an impact. The lightsaber's resistance to sudden accelerations makes them virtually useless, since It is still impossible to change the speed sharply, but significant forces are spent on it. It is much more reasonable to gradually build up speed using the available momentum and the rebound itself. The difference between the strike with fixation, characteristic of the earthly schools of fencing, and the inertial strike, based on the reconstruction of the Saga fights, is highlighted in.

Now let's move on to the simpler and at the same time much more laborious part: the general principles of fencing. I will not list all the specific exercises that can help you grasp these concepts. Firstly, there are many of them, and secondly, they differ in each school of fencing, although they teach the same thing. But, remember that practice, regular sparring with real "opponents" helps to comprehend better than any exercises of the concept. And even if you are a beginner, do not worry: memorize the theoretical information, and practice will gradually turn it into a real shield in battle.

Where to look?

Many different works have been written about how and where to look correctly during a battle, and by the current stage of the evolution of fencing systems, the basic principles have long been clearly defined. The basis of everything is the correct state of the eyes: they must be properly relaxed so that you can see the entire battlefield, and not just your opponent. Many beginners make one of the worst mistakes when trying to follow the movements of an opponent's legs, arms, or sword with their eyes. Such a technique leads to an unambiguous defeat, since in a battle you need to monitor, firstly, the enemy as a whole and, secondly, the entire battlefield.
Several centuries ago, Miyamoto Musashi advised looking at the opponent's face, narrowing his eyes a little more than usual. At the same time, they should behave as calmly as possible, not rushing about in vain from side to side. It is as if you are focusing your vision on something that is far enough behind the enemy's back, and your gaze literally "pierces" him. Such dispersed vision helps you to see the enemy as a whole, and to note all the features of the landscape around, which are of great importance for competent movement in space during a battle. If you have to meet in battle with several opponents at the same time, without diffuse vision, you will not hold out even 10 seconds.
The content of the look in the subfile is at your discretion. A look at the cinema (as well as in life) expresses a lot and serves as one of the main means in achieving victory in a duel. You can calmly contemplate the enemy, forcing him, thus, to experience some discomfort from your confidence and security, and to show outward tension, to bring out the danger in which you want to make your opponent believe. This decision depends only on your personal aspirations. Remember only that even when intimidating the enemy with crazy eye rotations, you should constantly monitor all his actions, never lose sight of him or the battlefield, and do not miss the moment of a possible start of an attack by one of you.
I recommend training your eyes daily so that your vision does not lose vigilance and is tenacious enough during battle. An example of the simplest exercise: sit down, relax and start moving one eyes as much as possible up, down, right, left, clockwise and counterclockwise. Gradually, you should increase the speed of moving your eyes (speed becomes critical in a fight with several opponents). If your eyes get tired, do the following several times: close your eyes tightly and blink quickly.
In addition, I recommend periodically (especially during sparring) to practice improving the perception of your peripheral vision. To do this, during the battle, without focusing on anything, try to clearly understand what exactly is happening on the edge of your perception. You can ask other practitioners to help you with this. They will need to perform some actions, and you, without focusing your eyesight, will have to understand what they are specifically doing, and, in particular, whether it is dangerous for you in battle.

How to keep up?

Reaction - the ability to develop an adequate solution to a problem in a given period of time. This is how I formulate the definition of this concept for myself. Accordingly, the reaction speed in fencing is the speed with which the fencer manages to work out the correct decision. When beginners say, "I don't have time to block, you are hitting too fast," it really means: "I don't have time to block, because I don't have time to realize your punches."
The muscles of a person allow him to move such a light thing as a saber with great speed if necessary: ​​look how quickly, in fact, novice swordsmen move the sword in space, trying to catch up with the enemy, to have time to close. And the problem of unsuccessful blocks in most cases comes not from the fact that a person does not have time to move the sword to the right place in space, but from the fact that at first he frantically realizes where it needs to be moved, and then tries to have time to do it. Accordingly, in order to have time to hit and strike, you need to clearly know how to do it, and not think about it at every blow. The better you know, the less you have to think, the faster you can act.
Rebound greatly helps to develop a reaction at the initial stages of training due to the fact that, according to the subfighting system, it is easier for the subconscious of the fencing person to analyze the potential lines of movement of the sword. Their combinations are connected by a rebound, and this facilitates the task of the primary teaching of possible trajectories. As a result, in subfighting faster than in ordinary fencing, the trainee is brought to automatism the ability to “predict” trajectories and place timely and correct blocks. I note right away that this does not at all mean that a person has seriously developed a reaction, and now he will be able to fence without any problems at the same speed using any other system. No. But the first step towards further development of the reaction has been taken.
Reaction speed is, perhaps, the only thing that can develop in fencing infinitely. There is no limit to its improvement, although at a certain moment the difference in milliseconds of progress becomes no longer so obvious to others. However, keep in mind that your reaction speed is different for different hits. The speed of reaction to common blows develops faster, but the ability to react to various special blows, feints and techniques can require considerable effort and additional training.
But the most important thing in reaction speed is that it is almost the only characteristic of a fencer that needs to be developed not through exercises. To train your reaction, you need sparring, regular and, if possible, with different partners. Only in this way will you be able to fully develop in yourself the ability to react to blows without thinking about them, to act without thinking, without spending time on making decisions. And do not worry, the reaction develops quickly, one has only to realize that trying to understand where the blow is coming from is useless, you just need to know this, to be confident inside yourself that the blow will come from there. Cultivate this confidence in yourself, and you will feel how easily timely blocks begin to be given to you.
The last important point in understanding how to have time to protect yourself is a clear awareness of the fact that you need to put blocks as close to yourself as possible. You do not have to repulse the enemy's sword 50-60 centimeters away from you, 10 centimeters is quite enough so that after a rebound the blade of your sword does not hit you under any circumstances. If he puts the block too far away from him, then you can assume that you are literally offering your opponent to carefully cut off your hands, which will often be much easier for him to reach than your body. Try to get used to this thought as soon as possible, constantly reducing your distance of protection to the lowest possible limit. In the future, for beauty, you may be repelling the enemy's sword at a great distance from yourself (sometimes it looks very aesthetically pleasing from the side), but first you need to learn how to resist the blows. When you start to feel confident with close blocks, start gradually expanding your sphere of defense back to maximum.

How to move?

If I had to limit myself to a minimum of words and describe the meaning of movement in battle, then I would say this: movement is life. Saber is an extension of your hands. Your arms are an extension of your body. If your body is in the wrong place at the wrong time, you are "killed." It's simple ... J
One of the main points to comprehend in the art of movement in combat is the understanding that not only the sword is your weapon. In battle, you, like your opponent, have a weapon and at the same time a zone for defeat is your entire body, entirely. Arms, legs, head, shoulders - all can be used to force the opponent off balance, or simply to stab him. But the enemy can also inflict a “fatal blow” on any of these parts of the body. Of course, we will not consider hand-to-hand combat within the subfight system: this is a separate, complex topic, which is described in the next chapter. Now you just need to realize that the sword does not move by itself, that its movements depend not only on your hands. The swordsman should be the master of his body, not just his sword. Without skillful movement you will not be able to get out of the battle "alive".
Movement in combat can be divided into two points, which, although interconnected, do not directly depend on each other: "footwork" and "general coordination of movements." Footwork includes:

1. the ability to quickly, but precisely, both reduce and increase the distance between you and your partner, constantly keeping it in a more favorable version for you;
2. the ability to move so as to gain an advantage in the use of the surrounding landscape and not give this advantage to the enemy;
3. the ability to prevent the enemy from hitting your legs (without unnecessary movement or with it - depending on the circumstances).

Each of these skills requires separate exercises, which we will now look at. The first of the skills is inextricably linked with such individual concepts for each fencing as "lunge zone" and "standard impact zone". So that you can clearly imagine the size of these zones you have, do the following:
With the first action, you have defined your "lunge zone", the limit of the distance at which you can reach the enemy without additional steps. With the help of the second, you have defined your "standard affected area." If the enemy went beyond your "attack zone", he became out of reach of your sword. If he is closer than the "standard zone" distance, then you do not have to lunges to reach him with the blade.
Note that these zones spread from you evenly in all directions: during the battle, the concepts of "front, back, left, right" should not be too fundamental for you. In theory, if the enemy is on the border of your "lunge zone" from you, but behind you, and not in front of you, you will not be able to reach him in any way. But you can always quickly turn to face him without interrupting your hitting grid. Therefore, it is believed that even being behind your back, he is in the "lunge zone", and not outside of it.
Now think about it: nature is so determined that the more a person's height, the more likely his arms and legs are longer. In addition, if you recall, we determine the length of the saber from the femur to the ground. From this all follows one logical conclusion: the longer the person, the larger his "lunge zone" and "standard affected area". The result of this conclusion is the fact that for a person whose arms and saber are in total longer than your sum of the lengths of the saber and the arm, it is usually very beneficial to keep you at the distance of his "standard zone" and not let you get closer, at the distance of your "standard zone" ... As a result, the duel, willy-nilly, turns into a kind of dance, where you try to reduce the distance, and the enemy tries to keep it. The ability to do it correctly, in a timely manner and for your benefit is the key to competent “footwork”. In order to at least develop this skill in a minor way, use it. To further develop and consolidate the ability to keep the correct distance, you will need sparring with partners of different heights. It is advisable that you manage to work with partners of all three types: those who have a larger area of ​​impact than yours, those who have less, and those who have it as similar to yours as possible.
The next important part of the concept of "footwork" is the ability to move in such a way as to gain an advantage in the use of the surrounding landscape and not give this advantage to the enemy. This skill is directly related to how you need to look correctly during a battle: if you do not see what surrounds you, then you will certainly fall into some kind of "trap" of the landscape. If your opponent drives you backwards into the bushes and you can't see them, then at some point you will find yourself in them. And a second delay, while your attention is distracted, will be enough for the enemy to strike you with one precise blow. At any moment of the battle, you must clearly imagine the situation around you and try to use it for your own purposes. If you attack, then try to drive the enemy back into trees, bushes, and other possible obstacles on the ground. They can distract his attention and ensure you win. If you are retreating, do not move back in a straight line, move at least slightly in an arc, as if trying to get around the enemy from the side. Then you will be spinning approximately on the same safe patch during the battle, despite your constant retreat.
In addition, terrain can be used to deliberately stand just below or slightly above your opponent. If you are much shorter than your opponent, and at the same time rise even lower, driving or luring the enemy to a rise, then it will be very convenient for you to go down (sit down) and start striking more blows on the legs. The growth of the enemy in this situation will play a cruel joke with him, since he will rise too high above you, and he will have to bend over in order to maintain an acceptable hit zone. And the tilt, in turn, requires fixation of the back muscles, which slows down the speed of reaction and movement of a person.
I have given only two basic examples of using the landscape, but in fact there are many more. Keep your eyes open, and feel free to experiment with friendly sparring: in battle, you will undoubtedly come in handy. J
The last part of "footwork" is the ability to prevent your opponent from "cutting" your legs. If you notice, during active movement across the terrain, many people tend (at first) to take large enough steps for what they think is more effective movement (for example, to catch up with a more skillful swordsman luring them along). In fact, this leads to only one thing: their legs begin to strongly and openly outstrip their own hands and the sword in them. Guess how it ends? Right! Often, just one well-timed swing of the sword aimed at the shin is enough to inflict a wound on the opponent and thus end the fight with his victory. How can I avoid this? Very simple. Your legs should be mobile all the time, you should be ready at any moment, as soon as the enemy begins to go down, or block his blow directed to your shin, or simply move your legs out of his zone of impact, taking at least a step back. In no case should you freeze dead in place and pretend to be a stone statue, just as you should not pursue an opponent with leaps and bounds, who is just waiting for your leg to be a little further than the protecting zone of your saber. To master this skill, use and remember that the body and arms are not the only areas where you can be hit.
On this "footwork" we have considered. Let's move on to a slightly more interesting problem and look at general coordination of movements. It includes:

1. the ability to keep balance under any circumstances (on damp ground and at high speed of movement, for example);
2. the ability to quickly change the position of the body relative to the vertical;
3. the ability to bend the body so that you do not have to block the enemy's sword (for example, when there is no way to block);
4. the ability to evade the enemy's blow without blocking him, and at the same time deliver his own blow.

Balance can only grow through vigorous and regular training, so if you feel that you are lacking it, you will have to take it seriously enough. First, you need to learn to stand on one leg for at least 30 seconds without any problems, without staggering. Both on the left and on the right, alternately. To do this, simply devote at least ten minutes every day to this. Secondly, you need to learn how to stand with your eyes closed, spreading your arms in different directions. Thirdly, learn to jump without problems on one leg back and forth, to the sides (with open eyes J). Fourth, learn how to make a turn of at least 180 degrees in a one-legged jump. Fifth, gently do three forward bends and one as deep as possible backward bend (just not sharply, so as not to inadvertently damage your spine). Sixth, learn how to do several full rotations of the body in a row, refracting in the belt area, clockwise and immediately then counterclockwise with the deepest backward bend, as when tilting. Naturally, with each of these exercises, you need to ensure that your balance does not leave you at the most inopportune moment. J After all these exercises begin to be given to you without significant difficulty, you can assume that the basis for maintaining balance has appeared. This base will allow you not to lose your balance or dignity in battle, for example, due to the fact that you slip a little on damp ground. Of course, these exercises alone are not enough: you will definitely need to get used to the fact that all movement in a duel is carried out on slightly bent legs and nothing else. If your legs at any moment turn out to be straight, like stilts, the ability to keep balance will not help you: your muscles will not have time to react and change the point of balance. Therefore, remember: always keep your legs in battle at least slightly bent at the knees.
Next, let's look at the ability to quickly go down and back up during a fight. As I already said, in the vast majority of cases, untrained people provide extremely weak protection to their legs, so it is usually not too difficult to hit them with one precise blow of a saber in one or another leg. This is due not only to the fact that novice swordsmen do not have a very clear idea of ​​how to block blows directed at them with a sword, but also because their instincts command them to act as simply as possible: to stand straight, protecting the body, and repulse the blows as it happens. In fact, fencing requires a lot of mobility (even if your fencing style is going to be very economical in the future) and flexibility. In particular, you will have to learn to naturally go down to the ground (sit down, bend down) during the fight and (effectively) go up in time, thus using your maximum physiological advantages. For mobile, short people, working close to the ground is one of the main ways to make any rival nervous with larger area defeat, because, going down, undersized rivals noticeably reduce the advantage of long-armed people in a duel. But, naturally, this work “near the ground” must be competent and timely enough so as not to become useless and not lead to loss of the head in the most literal sense. In order to master the ability to easily switch between the lower and upper positions in combat, I recommend that you try to practice for a while specially designed for this purpose. Note that it will be equally useful to any fencer, regardless of height, and, in addition, the exercise is of considerable recreational nature, which is often useful in training.
The last two skills that make up the general coordination of movements in fencing are the ability to avoid the enemy's sword without blocking it, and the ability to strike back at this moment. These two skills are extremely closely related to each other, so I will consider them together. First of all, I will note that this skill is given to different people in very different ways. Some physically prepared and even flexible people, for some poorly explainable reason, never achieve success in this area, while people who are much less in control of their bodies sometimes show miracles of ingenuity both during exercise and then in battle. That is why I strongly recommend that you do not ignore the two exercises (s) and try to develop these abilities as much as you can. Sooner or later, this will be very useful to you, and the reasons for this are very specific. The ability to move away from the enemy's sword without blocking it gives you unique opportunities in the conduct of a duel: during the opponent's strike, your sword remains completely free, which, in particular, can give you time to prepare the correct subfighting thrust. The ability to move away from the enemy's sword with a simultaneous counterstrike allows you to create a great danger for the enemy and force him to also resort to dodging with the body, which, as I said, is not easily given to everyone, and not to defense with the sword. However, it is worth noting that I do not recommend building my technique only on such techniques: do not forget that in films such feints are used only by Darth Sidious in a duel with Windu, and even then, not always. This speaks of the insufficient prevalence of this technique of the lightsaber in the universe of "Star Wars", therefore, from a reenactment point of view, I advise not to abuse such maneuvers against worthy unprepared opponents.

How not to harm?

I think someone will find such a title at least funny or mysterious. How can you learn fencing (or any other martial art) without harm? Of course, I would like to say that it is possible, but it will not be true even in matters of subfighting, and I will not talk about other types of martial arts at all. Despite the significant humanization of the blade in the subfight (in comparison, for example, with the blades of "wooden katanas", bokken), any hit on a fragile human body can lead to injuries of one degree or another. Both you and your opponent. One of the classic examples of self-injury during subfighting is a "well-aimed" blow with a blade, moving in spinning at a very decent speed, to oneself on the kneecap. And about the fingers, beaten off by novice subfighters to those who teach them, it has long been possible to compose legends.
I have no doubt that among the readers of the textbook there will be people who will say: “Is this really an injury? Well, the fingers are broken off ... So you yourself are to blame, no need to substitute "- and in some ways they will undoubtedly be right. In particular, in the fact that you really don't need to be under attack. However, it should be noted that subfighting is still not such a simple art. It requires both gradual learning and a gradual transition from realizing the saber as a club to realizing it as a model of a lightsaber. So it is during this period of changes in awareness, in tactics, in skills that a person manages to beat off a lot of other people's fingers on his way. It’s not at all because he knows how to accurately, accurately and gracefully cut off the opponent’s fingers, but because he swings his sword at random, often straying to a simple jerking of the blade in front of him in an attempt to defend himself from the well-adjusted blows of his partner. As a result, most often, beginner subfighters get on the fingers at the moment when the partner has already carried out a neat successful blow on them, and the fight, in fact, is already over. But the newcomer has already jerked sharply, trying to defend himself, and, despite the fact that he could not defend himself, he brings his quick and most often biting blow to the target a split second later than his partner. As a result, the partner hurts, but not because the blow was good, but because the rules of the fight were unwittingly violated. This problem, first of all, arises due to the fact that the beginner simply does not know where and how to put the sword, which I have already mentioned. But, besides this, its source, leading to injuries, is fear and inability to control the speed and direction of the sword's movement. And if the ability to control the sword is not so difficult to understand, then the question of fear is much deeper. In order to clearly hold your blade, stop and soften it in a timely manner, thus, blows even at high speeds, refer to. In order to cope with the fear that pushes you to make sudden movements, you will have to spend a considerable part of the energy during the first time of learning to force yourself to do what your mind refuses to do. For example, turns (see sections "" and "" in the next chapter) or provocative open stances (the famous "plane" of Windu, when he spreads his arms to the sides and seems to remain open to attack with impunity for a while, even if it is not So). Such things break down the barriers of fear of the unknown and allow you to get used to the fact that there is nothing to be afraid of. That, in fact, all this is done for the sake of great universal pleasure from recreating the beloved Universe, and not at all in order to hurt someone. J
And to make life easier for teaching people, we have recently introduced a relatively rule in our trainings, according to which it is impossible to hit the sword from the fingers and below. That is, you can hit the emitter (and in theory it counts as a victory), but below (starting from where the fingers hold the handle) - no. The fact is that in the films for some reason there is only one example when a blow goes to a sword (Dooku cuts off Anakin's emitter), although in classical fencing, hitting the sword-fingers is often much easier than cutting off the wrist. The explanation for this was invented on the basis of the official fact that the diatium battery has a gigantic charge, leading to misuse to a powerful explosion. It was decided that if it hit the fingers or the bottom of the hilt, an "explosion" would occur, which would kill both the one holding the lightsaber and the one who carried out such an inept blow (note that Darth Maul Obi-Wan makes a cut light staff exactly in the place between the batteries, without affecting either them or important circuits). The explanation, of course, is invented and has no official evidence, but it protects the fingers and does not contradict the realities of the films, so I recommend not to give it up. J

Who to train with?

One of the most important keys to proper training and self-study of any type of fencing, I would call the correct selection of partners for sparring. As you understand, you will have to face a variety of people in the field of fencing throughout your life. Probably, you will see some of these people in battle for the first time in your life. And if you are not fully prepared for this, then your chances of this or that victory in a duel will begin to rapidly decrease. In addition, feeling insecure during these encounters may suddenly start using the wrong tactics that you were trained in, and deliver strikes that are far from the subfighting system. This is quite natural and understandable: you are faced with a stranger who can potentially harm you, and you need to deal with him, preferably without damaging him too. And thoughts involuntarily begin to surface in my head that friendly sparring is one thing, and a direct combat clash, in which “all these inventions, like a rebound,” simply will not work. In fact, if you spar correctly, you simply won't feel the difference with a combat encounter. The key to the correctness of sparring are two equally important points: 1) conduct sparring with the most different people in physical constitution; 2) do not forget to at least periodically carry out training take-away sparring.
With the first point, I think everything is quite clear. If you want full-fledged training, find people of at least three different types: 1) almost the same size as your affected areas; 2) a person is at least half a head shorter than you (possibly younger); 3) a person is at least half a head longer than you (perhaps stronger than a physically developed one). These three types of people are quite enough for the full value of training, but I recommend to be guided by the rule: "The more people who are comparatively equally trained in subfighting with you, the better."
The second point, apparently, also does not raise any special questions. Because Since subfighting is a fencing system focused on long-term take-away fights, then, accordingly, without training in take-away fights, all the study of the material will be useless. By the term “takeout fight” I mean not just a training fight, where we strive to learn something, work in slow motion to understand our mistakes, etc. I mean a fight in which you go up against an opponent whom you want to “kill” as quickly and tough as possible. A certain amount of imagination is required here. For example, you can imagine that you are showing a duel between a Jedi and a Sith in a field game. Or that you are doing a duel in a fan movie. Let's just say that your goal (as well as the goal of your "opponent") is to wind yourself up as much as possible so that the battle is as close as possible in terms of conditions to the real one. It is in such a battle that you, along with your partner, will be able to fully assess your mistakes and shortcomings, so that you can then carefully work on them.
Also, do not forget: if you work with the same partner for a long time, you can get used to his manner and then develop a certain clear series of blows, which you will begin to use. As a result, you yourself will limit your options and will get hung up on certain combinations, which will deprive you of mobility and variety, both in a duel with this opponent and in all other fights.

But what about the performances?

Since we are talking about imagination, then, of course, I cannot fail to mention the performances, the idea of ​​creating which attracts the attention of a considerable number of Star Wars fans to fencing. The fact that various fencing groups regularly come to some kind of free-form fights, more like kendo or bastard work than Star Wars fights, is a well-known fact. At the same time, representatives of these groups quite reasonably talk about the zvishness of their staged battles. This problem was one of the most important in the complex of problems that at one time prompted me to search for a fundamentally different approach to solving the problem, an approach that would allow creating battles in the style of "Star Wars" without staging, on the go, fantasizing and creating. The solution was found, and gradually it was transformed into a full-fledged subfight system. As the subfight was developed, it gradually became clear to me why the option when the combat system actually has nothing to do with the result in the form of performances is so incorrect. In such productions, no, no, yes, some absurdities slip through when the question arises: "Why didn't you kill him?" They arise due to the fact that the combat system does not teach those involved in the ZVshnosti, which requires the setting. As a result, when creating a performance, people begin to improvise, try to go beyond the system they were taught, choose strikes for beauty and have no time to pay attention to the effectiveness and correctness of the overall scheme of the fight. I'm not talking about the fact that you need to start performances only when you have comprehended all the peaks of the subfight. No, not at all. Performances generally have a very beneficial effect on the morale of all those involved in a particular system. You should just take them seriously only when the subfight with all its infinite variety of possibilities becomes clear to you, when the rebound no longer causes questions (whether because you will be convinced by the materials of the Expanded Universe, or because you just like the result). At this point, starting work on the production, you will, willy-nilly, consider it as just another duel and therefore take into account such questions as:

1. how not to fizzle out during the continuous production?
2. what feints should be done so that they do not seem feigned and stupid to the viewer?
3. what speed and distance should be the main ones in a duel so that it looks harmonious in the performance of these two people?

And so on, and so on ... The answers to all these questions will appear to you easily and naturally, simply because you will know all these answers in advance, even during training, from your personal experience.

Rotating the lightsaber.

If you've just watched the movies, you probably expect to see a lot of interesting information in this section. Unfortunately, she's not here. J There are two reasons for this.
The first reason is the difficulty of explaining in text alone how to carry out this or that rotation, so all the explanatory and accompanying material on rotations that I could provide can be found in the chapter of exercises along with specially slowed down video examples.
The second reason: in the duels of "Star Wars", the rotation of the sword is not used as actively as one might suppose during the usual viewing of films. The feeling of having a lot of rotation is mainly created by the smooth trajectories of the sword movement, which in the subfight system are manifested to the same extent due to the rebound. Practice shows that there is no use of time rotation in battle, and therefore they remain beautiful gestures and a demonstration of skill. They are usually performed at the beginning of the battle or at rare moments of expenses with a partner and, of course, at role-playing games when fighting off blaster shots. Only Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in Episode 1, where their fighting style includes frequent turns on the spot with the simultaneous rotation of the sword to strike, is actively used in the films, except Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Such rotation of the lightsaber (360 degrees) has its official name: "shun" (see "Official names of techniques" and). It can be successfully woven into a duel to one degree or another without the risk of paying for inappropriate distraction from the main task. In addition, for use in combat, I recommend studying the following spins: "eight", "reverse eight", "eight with two swords" and "reverse eight with a change of hands". You can find these rotations and the technique of their execution in exercises and.
In addition, you will undoubtedly be interested in and, in which you can find more complex spins, which are rarely used in the heat of battle, but, as I said, you can, for example, start a duel.

Variety of fencing styles.

As you develop basic skills and develop new ones within the framework of the subfight, you will gradually begin to develop your own unique combat technique. You should not be afraid of this or think that it is wrong. Against! Subfight is designed just to push people to develop a technique that is most convenient for them, taking into account their height, weight, general flexibility of the body, arm length, saber length and so on. In this, as I said earlier, we follow the tradition expressed by Nick Gillard: you must first of all try to work in the way that suits you, and not in the way that is convenient for someone else. The degree of your subconscious mind's readiness to accept new material largely depends on this: if you do what you do not like, you force yourself unreasonably, there will be very little sense from this.
Over the course of a year of training, I happened to observe a fairly large number of people of various types, and each of them, in the case of regular training, literally after 5-6 trainings began to show his own specific style, both in movement and in sword control. Naturally, all this does not mean at all that technical errors can be attributed to "personal style." Errors remain errors, and they need to be corrected in time before they become a habit. But, for example, the number of vertical movements (standing-squats) in combat, the variety of strikes, the number of turns, stands, feints, the use of one or another type of rebound - all this is at your discretion. By exposing your personal accents, you determine your further manner of fighting. Of course, it will change somewhat depending on who exactly you will have to fight with, but a single basis will still be preserved.
So far I've seen how people successfully try to emulate the various characters seen in films and how people develop their own unique techniques. For example, one of the trainees moves in a manner very similar to that used by the maga guards from Episode Three, except that he fights with a saber, and not with a staff. He relies primarily on speed, a large number of turns with a sword extended in front of him, wide strikes that do not allow the enemy to come close, and a very clear ability to catch a rebound at any speed in any plane. All this gives him the opportunity to use his own style, which, to put it mildly, not everyone can use it. Another subfighter, for example, has successfully pursued a technique reminiscent of the Obi-Wan style of the Prequel Trilogy. However, as he trained, he went from the wasteful manner of Obi-Wan in Episode 1 to the high-speed manner of Obi-Wan of the Revenge of the Sith. I have seen those who are trying to master the manner of working low on the ground, using a large number of energetic movements, which quite seriously confuse the enemy. Of course, this is not yet Yoda's style, but it is not at all demonstrated by the 900-year-old Jedi Masters. J
In general, try to find what is closest to you, the most to your liking. And if you want to see some examples of what this might look like, then take a look at the final exercise (in the "" section), which simply presents several different techniques without further explanation.

Chapter 2. We complicate the task.

Complexities of reconstruction.

We all know that Saga fights are an incredible combination of duration and speed of combat, and, of course, we are well aware that this is only the result of long-term work of actors, stage director and special effects masters from ILM. J But, trying to simulate similar battles in real time, without staging, we are bound to face various difficulties associated with the limitations that the harsh reality around us imposes on us. As a result, you and I are forced to fight the battle like ordinary people, and not like superheroes from the movie who have the Force, are forced to find solutions to existing problems in some simple ways that are accessible to any person. For example, with all our desire, we cannot, turning our backs or closing our eyes, predict where and in what form the next blow of the enemy will come, in contrast to the force-fighters, who have such capabilities. But in the previous chapter, we understood enough the concept of "rebound" to understand how it gives us, ordinary people, the same opportunities to "predict" as the heroes of the SG. However, some of the other complex maneuvers that we see in the films have not yet been revealed. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Turns.

One of the most serious obstacles for many novice subfighters is unwillingness, fear of making a full 360-degree turn during a fight. Fears of getting hit on the head with a sword when you are with your back to the enemy are quite understandable and natural, only… they are unjustified. In "Star Wars" the turn occurs very often, moreover, the subfight system, as practice shows, often leads to the need to perform such movements that are simply not realizable without turning. Turning, in particular, allows you to take the inertia of the rebound even on an uncomfortable block for you, use it to accelerate your body, and then transfer it to another, safer and more comfortable plane for an effective and effective strike. And at the moment when you are in a turn with your back to the enemy in the vast majority of cases (at least if the enemy is working on the basic, and not on the mirror rebound), the chances of the enemy to hit you are about the same as you have - to hit his. Why does this happen? The most important factor is, of course, that when you turned after a rebound, your opponent's saber also goes somewhere else, observing the rebound rule, so, in theory, it poses no threat to you at all. However, all subfighters sooner or later find their own ways to hit a person either before he completes a full turn and can defend himself, or, even worse, hit him immediately after the turn. How does this happen? The fact is that most people striving to make regular turns do not think at all about how to do them correctly and without harm to themselves. Here are two of the most common mistakes you make:

1. during a turn, a person either remains in place, or leaves to the side, or moves forward (the latter is not a mistake, only if you go into a turn from an active offensive);
2. at the end of the turn, the subfighter pauses his saber, trying to orient himself, or enters an unsafe stance.

The first of these mistakes leads to the fact that during the turn, opening his back and his sides, even if for a moment, the person remains in the enemy's standard engagement zone, that is, the enemy only has to correctly deliver the blow to the surface unprotected by the saber. After prolonged training, each subfighter begins to accurately place the saber in space and have time to reflect the techniques aimed at his back, but at first I recommend following one clear principle: if you make a turn, do it only with a step back, never step or stay put. Following this principle at the initial stage will allow you to learn how to move correctly in a turn:

• perform a turn at any time without preparing for it for three strikes;
• keep a convenient distance for you, at which the enemy will not have time to hit you, even if he has time to catch that you have begun to make a turn;
• first move your legs, then - make the sharpest, fastest turn possible (if you are working at maximum speed);
• turn your head after the sword, and the body - after the head, and not vice versa (you should try to see the enemy all the time you turn, although you will still turn your head for a split second, but this fraction should be minimal).

Only after all of the above has become familiar to you, and you start to get the so-called "leaving turns" (when you move away from the enemy in a turn), you can begin to master a more complex technique, which includes turns in the offensive and turns on location. It will require you to be able to predict the actions of the enemy and place a block in a timely manner, which will prevent the enemy from hitting you or scare him so that he refuses to attack with a blow, and you may be given one or another advantage due to the surprise and additional inertia that it gives turn.
The second mistake is easier to fix than the first. First, as I said, so that it does not occur, your head must turn as quickly as possible. Then you will see the enemy at the beginning of your turn, and in the middle, and at the end, losing sight of him for a completely scanty time. This will give you the opportunity to orient yourself and correctly assess the possible "aggression" of the enemy, will allow you to close correctly. Secondly, at the end of the turn, do not freeze in place. If every time you freeze at the exit from the turn, get up in a stance, etc., then already for the second or third time your opponent will start his blows somewhere in the middle of your turn, so that at the moment of your second fixation he will injure you, around your stationary blade. Check out which shows you how to make a variety of turns correctly.

Acrobatics.

I have to admit that I personally do not actually know acrobatics. Unfortunately, I noticed incredible somersaults too late and at the moment I can really do only the simplest of them. In addition, I personally do not attach much importance to acrobatics in the framework of the reconstruction of the fencing of the Star Wars, and the main reason for this is that it is almost never used in Star Wars. Yes, the heroes of the Saga make incredible jumps over the head of the enemy, but in any case, this will remain beyond our human capabilities. So the only serious acrobatic maneuver in the entire Saga is Darth Maul's butterfly in Episode One. Not too much, right? Nevertheless, the basic subfighting course includes the initial concept of acrobatics, which, if desired, can be developed to something more serious and rich. Check out the two simplest maneuvers in if you are interested in this topic. If, after mastering these simple movements, you have a desire to master more complex techniques, then I can recommend that you seriously take up the Brazilian martial art "capoeira". As far as I know, it will give you an essential basis for the serious and full development of your acrobatic talents.

An injection.

The thrusting technique is one of the most effective techniques of fencing with weapons of the "bastard sword" and "one-handed sword" classes. Saber is a bastard sword, and therefore one of the most common questions asked by newcomers is: "Why not stabbing?" In fact, it is necessary to prick, and injections are an obligatory part of learning to subfight, but in no case should you rush with them, you should treat them with caution. There are two reasons for this.
The first of these is the high injury risk of injections (especially for girls). Since the thrust is applied with the very tip of the sword with a sharp forward movement with your hand, due to inexperience you may not have time to hold it. If you, for example, do not brake in time the point beating into the solar plexus, then you will have a choking partner in your arms. You hardly want that. J Be sure to soften the tip of the blade with a layer of foam to mitigate damage from an accidental thrust.
The second reason is the specificity of the lightsaber itself. You must have noticed that injections are extremely rare in films, and I, for example, remember only two of them most vividly: the one with which Palpatine begins a battle against the Jedi who came to arrest him, and the one that Palpatine inflicts closer to the end of the duel with Windu. Pay attention to the fact that both times before making the thrust, Palpatine gains time and space for himself, stabilizes the sword by pulling it back and holding it with the tip towards the enemy, and only then with effort, smoothly gaining speed, pushes him forward. All this is due to the fact that the arc of the light blade creates a gyroscopic effect that makes the light sword strive to move along a given trajectory once and which requires strong arm tension for any sharp change in the vector of this trajectory. Therefore, preparing the thrust requires either bringing the sword into a position in which you often remain not too protected, or skillfully continuing your movement (turning, for example) and using the inertia set by the rebound to reach the correct thrust within the subfight. In fact, after you've learned how to feel the bounce without thinking, and the basic bounce is no longer difficult for you, you can try adding jabs to your technique. Remember that the sensations that arise in the body during the injection are no different from the sensations that you experience during simple, chopping blows on the rebound: the same feeling of using inertia, not resisting it, but using it. For examples of how shots can be implemented, see.

Clinch.

The term "clinch" in the subfight means that opponents keep their light blades in contact for a relatively long time. But how can the blades be held close to each other, if, according to the laws of the Universe, the blades must repel? Clinches often raise similar questions, so I will try to analyze their methodology in as much detail as possible, so that you do not decide that the concept of rebound and clinching contradict each other: in fact, they complement each other, creating the entire spectrum necessary for fencing in the style of "Star Wars" opportunities. To begin with, remember the description of the properties of the lightsaber: “the light blade reflects not only blaster shots (carrying the same positive charge), but also the blades of other lightsabers, creating a repulsive effect that can pay off only by attaching essential physical strength (natural or acquired through the Force) ". That is, by applying a significant muscle force that significantly exceeds the force required, for example, for pushing or demolition in earth fencing, you can hold, reduce (but not ignore!) The rebound. A striking example of this is Luke in Episode 6, who blow after blow hits the sword of Vader who has fallen on the bridge, but breaks through his defense, despite all his aggression, only after six consecutive blows with a full swing that occurs on the rebound after each of the blows. If the blades of the lightsaber had the properties of ordinary earthly swords, then it would take only two such blows to end the battle: the first would knock down Vader's sword, the second would immediately cut off his hand. The rebound has enough power of its own that it was impossible to ignore it completely at all desire. If the enemy seriously wants to resist you, then regardless of his physical form, it will be enough for him to fix his muscles at least to some extent in order to, together with the repulsion energy of the light blades, prevent you from pushing his blade without significant aggression and the use of force on your part. In addition, in the films, the forcemen anticipate those moments when the enemy is going to hold the sword, and not take advantage of the speed and inertia given by the rebound, but, unfortunately, no one reports to us, ordinary people, about such things during a battle. J
Of course, striving for reconstruction, we could not discard the concept of clinching due to the seeming impossibility of implementation (we cannot agree with each opponent before a fight about the strength of the blows and the time when clinches occur), because clinches often happen in films. In order to cope with this task, a relatively simple system was invented that allows clinching without violating any other concepts of Star Wars duels. This system looks like this: if your opponent makes a sharp, much faster than the main rhythm of the fight, a step in your direction, trying to reduce the distance to an absolute minimum, this means that he is trying to initiate a clinch... The presence of such a system makes it possible to obtain, during the battle, on the move, clear information about in which version the enemy will strike now: on a rebound or in the form of a clinch. It, of course, requires a certain habit, which is not immediately developed, but fortunately, this is not so scary: even if you do not catch the clinch at first, the opponent (who is quite fluent in rebound) usually has time to react to the departure of your blade and replace his clinch with a rebound. ...
At the moment, we are trying to use two types of clinches within the subfight. The first one is unusually simple and well known to all Star Wars fans: the blades close with each other in the middle between the opponents, and the opponents simply begin to push each other with muscle force, trying to move the opponent's sword to the side.

It is this version of clinches that is very popular in various productions and fan films, because makes it possible to place opponents facing each other, to show crossed swords between them and the expressiveness of faces (depending on the skill of the actors) at this moment.
The second type is less obvious, and it is not always possible to understand that the clinch has just flashed on the screen, only in the active version. In the second version, the blades of the lightsaber close, however, after that the movement is not interrupted and the opponents do not put their entire mass on each other. Instead, they perform some kind of feint associated with the active movement of the blades (and the fencers themselves) in space, ending with the spreading of the blades to the sides. Usually, such maneuvers are accompanied by various turns or dodges, which look very exciting on the screen. It is this type of clinch that some viewers, while watching at standard speed, take it for demolitions (knocking down the enemy's blade to the side with a strong or sharp blow), which, in fact, are not at all in Star Wars. The difference between demolition and active clinching is very simple: when demolishing immediately after the blade hits the blade, the attacked blade breaks away from the attacker and rushes in the direction where the attacker pushed him, after which the attacker either tries to "catch up" with the attacked one, or freezes in place, at the point collisions. In Star Wars fights, this does not happen: the blades either diverge along the rebound, or stick to each other, after which they either freeze in place, as in the first version, or move together, controlling each other.
On the second type of clinches, a lot of the most beautiful feints from "Star Wars" are built. To perform them, you will have to master this skill quite freely and not be mistaken as to whether the enemy initiates a clinch or is simply trying to reduce the distance between you. Fortunately, this will not bring anything except a failed feint to your battle, most likely, it will not even break the rhythm of the fight.
To master clinching, study the demonstration of how the clinching system works, and remember to repeat periodically, which provides the basis for the second type of clinching.

Reverse grip.

Reverse grip is not used in all styles of ground fencing, if only because, for example, it is meaningless to hold a sword with a reverse grip. J Personally, I only recall the gladius and the katana from the guns adapted to the reverse grip. Nevertheless, almost every subfighter sooner or later (especially during sword rotation exercises) has a desire to try what it is like to hold the sword with a reverse grip, when, with the hand lowered freely along the body, the edge of the sword looks not forward, but backward. And here comes the realization that the reverse grip of lightsabers is far from so simple and objective. Unfortunately, no one uses reverse grip in films, so it is not possible to analyze the data from the Saga. In this regard, when the question arose: "How can this be done?" - I tried on my own, starting from the basic concepts of the subfight, to find a working solution.
The first really surprising discovery on this path was the fact that in subfighting, unlike earth schools of fencing, the reverse grip is not at all the dominant, aggressive style. The reverse grip in subfighting is a defensive technique. This unexpected fact is connected with the fact that, while observing the concept of a rebound, a reverse grip gives a very significant advantage in defense, seriously curtailing the ability to carry out simple, chopping attacks. In defense, it allows, through minimal labor, by moving the saber within the protective triangle (bottom right side, bottom left side, top center) and slightly tilting the blade to one side or another, quickly and effectively close itself from any, even the most extraordinary attacks enemy. But at the same time, the same rebound very rigidly binds the attacking ability of the reverse grip. You may be aware that the main advantage of the reverse grip in ground fencing is associated with the change in the muscle group used for the sword strike, which gives additional power and punching force during the reverse grip: it is much easier to knock down the opponent's defense with a one-handed grip if the grip is reverse, not direct. So, the physical properties of the blades of lightsabers completely devalue this advantage, because physical strength, as we have already made it clear, almost does not help anything if a whole series of punches is not carried out, but it is quite inconvenient to go to an inertial rebound after striking a blow with a reverse grip, as practice shows. Because of this, a person who fights with a reverse grip in a subfight will have to twist and bend his body a lot in not the most comfortable variations if he wants to not only defend himself, but also try to attack.
This unexpected conclusion and the limitations associated with it led, after some development, to the second discovery: with a reverse grip, it is still possible not only to effectively defend, but also to attack relatively effectively. To do this, you have to use a completely mind-boggling technique of leading the sword with the edge forward, that is, to defeat the enemy, you will have to deliver, with a reverse grip, not chopping blows, but stabbing ones! As far as I know, a similar technique of using a reverse grip exists only in the subfight, where, as practice has shown, it looks extremely harmonious. In order to understand the basics of attack and defense with a saber on a reverse grip, check out.

"Use of Force" and "hand-to-hand techniques".

In contrast to the reverse grip, the issue of Power and hand-to-hand interactions of fencers has been worked out for a long time and tightly in all currently existing groups of SG-fencing, so I will not reinvent the wheel and just share the developments available to date.
The use of the Force and the use of hand-to-hand techniques are united by one important factor: both have to be left imaginary, unreal during modeling. We cannot use Force use (lightning, Force strikes, strangulation) due to the fact that we do not possess the Force, and we do not use real hand-to-hand techniques, because, for example, a full-fledged elbow blow to the eye area can deprive a person of sight. So to speak, "you do not want to take risks." J
In this case, we turn to common sense and boldly follow the well-trodden path of experience of actors participating in action films. As you understand, they also do not possess the Force and do not seek to break each other's faces too much. At least in front of the camera. In this regard, the following modeling rules have been introduced in the subfight:

1. All punches, kicks or head punches go without touching, that is, the fencers only plan the punches in such a way that the opponent can see them and, to the best of their abilities, demonstrate the result;
2. All pushing by the opponent (with elbows, shoulders, hips) is contact, but with special care: it is easier to push than to drop a person's head on a stone cobblestone;
3. Sweeps are done only for show, but if the enemy suddenly could not jump over your sweep and there was contact, you don't really need to sweep him so that he would fall to the ground: leave the speed and accuracy of the fall to his discretion;
4. Power strike is modeled by sharp thrusting (pushing movement) of the palm towards the opponent (as if you are stopping him) without touching, after which the opponent, at his discretion, "flies" four meters back, pretending that he loses his balance, but is not obliged to fall at all;
5. Lightning is modeled by unhurriedly putting both hands forward, palms down with fingers apart (perhaps a little twisted at the same time) and the subsequent trembling of the hands, as if they were being shaken by energy beating outward; sometimes a variant of lightning with one hand is used (with a saber held in the other hand), but this is the legacy of computer games, which I do not trust;
6. Protection from lightning is played out either as a Power strike, by putting your palm / palms forward, as if you are absorbing the energy going on, or by putting the sword in front of you, as if you are taking all the energy onto the blade (at the same time, a showy struggle is possible, as in the Windu / Darth Sidious situation). If the protection is not set, you fall to the ground and begin to convulse, as if from an electric shock;
7. The strangulation is recouped by extending one hand, slightly bent at the elbow, towards the opponent's throat and bending the fingers as if you are trying to hold something close to the drain between the thumb and forefinger. The opponent, not releasing the sword, grabs his throat with both hands, stands up on tiptoe and begins to suffocate. Both of you cannot move.

Two lightsabers.

Fencing with two sabers is an area not covered in great detail by the films. Throughout the Saga, we only have two clear examples of this style: Anakin in Episode Two and General Grievous in Episode Three. However, about the first of them it is known that Anakin then knew very little the technique of two swords and just hoped that two swords by themselves would give him some advantage in battle. In the second case, everything is complicated by the fact that, as such, the style of two lightsabers is not shown to us: we see four and three swords. Grievous' two swords remain only at the end of the duel, and he does not have time to use them. In addition, one should not lose sight of the fact that Grievous' hands have unique capabilities: they can bend and twist relative to the forearm, as you please, which is inaccessible to us mere mortals. Despite all this seemingly small amount of information, after some research and a series of training, the conclusion was formed that even it is quite enough.
You probably wondered why Anakin, for example, does not block Dooku with one sword and strike with the second? The answer, of course, lies in the repulsion of the light blades. The fact is that when rebounding, two lightsabers have to be moved in a completely different way than is customary in earth fencing, in which there really are only two effective and worthwhile ways of using two swords against one opponent:

1. either blocking the opponent's blade with one sword with a simultaneous retaliatory blow to the unprotected part of the enemy's body;
2. or striking the enemy from both sides at the same time.

If you try to use lightsabers in this way, then somewhere on the third blow you will simply cut yourself up: your swords will become entangled due to repulsion, and one of them will definitely send the second back, at you. However, there is another option: your hands will be tied into such a knot that you will simply freeze, like an idol for that moment, while the enemy will calmly chop you. J
To prevent such a "horror" from happening, the technique of two sabers was created on the basis of two fundamental skills: mirror rebound and sequential / joint movement of sabers. Everything you need to know about the mirror bounce has already been said, and I recommend that you learn the two lightsaber technique only when the mirror bounce is obtained without further thought. It will be very useful to you so as not to get entangled in your own swords. Well, and accordingly, so that both of your sabers do not leave at the same time in different directions relative to you, depriving you of protection, the blades must be moved either together (both of your blades always move parallel to each other at a short distance and, thus, almost simultaneously hit the sword blade enemy), or sequentially (when two of your swords at the same time never appear in front of you at all: one of them always leaves, so as not to interfere with the action of the other). More, in principle, nothing is required to control two swords, except for rich imagination and the ability to spin well in place and in motion (sometimes it is simply necessary).
The only reliable way to defend against two swords at the moment is considered to be deep defensiveness, mixed with a very clear focus on the enemy as a whole. If you concentrate on one of the enemy's blades or try to manage to switch attention, the battle will end very quickly, not in your favor.
To visualize a subfight of two swords against one, take a look.

Lightstaff.

Many Star Wars fans are impressed by the honed professional grace of Ray Park, who played the role of Darth Maul in Episode One, and many aspiring subfighters strive to start working as a lightstaff as soon as possible, not fully understanding the full range of difficulties that await them along the way. ... The fact is that the lightstaff fencing technique is adapted to a much greater extent for battles with two or more opponents. Darth Maul, fighting Qui-Gon, does not activate an additional lightblade for a reason: it only interferes in a battle against one enemy. However, I will not try to dissuade you, and if you really want to work with a lightstaff against one opponent (and this also applies to work against two), try not to forget the following things. First, by studying the bounce of the lightstaff, you will immediately understand that the mutual lever of the two blades is not so easy to use and the lightstaff constantly seeks to chop you, and not your opponent. Train, try to change the position of your body according to the situation and correctly change the vector of inertia of the movement of your lightstaff, so as not to harm yourself. Secondly, to work with a lightstaff, you need to master quick and harmonious turns, unless, of course, you want a total monotony of strokes. Thirdly, you, like an untrained enemy, will have to get used to the fact that you have two blades, not one. I have seen more than once how people take a lightstaff and begin to try to fence with it in the same way as with an ordinary saber. Naturally, this doesn't work. J Unfortunately, my only recommendation on how to learn this is: train regularly with opponents of different builds. Fourth, I strongly advise you to learn as many different sword rotations as possible. Spins with a lightstaff are usually very impressive and pleasing to the eye, giving the fight an extra edge. And fifthly, you should undoubtedly master the acrobatics and hand-to-hand combat of the subfight as much as possible (add Power interactions to your taste), otherwise you are guaranteed to be powerless against the same mirror rebound: the enemy will not be able to hit you, but you are unlikely to be able to slip through for his quick defense.
For an example of lightstaff fencing, see. But keep in mind in advance that the technique of the lightstaff is being worked out in the Moscow Subfight Club quite recently.

Two or more opponents.

In the Prequel Trilogy, you and I saw three battles, where one character fought simultaneously with two or even more opponents:

1. Darth Maul vs. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in Episode One;
2. Count Dooku vs. Obi-Wan and Anakin in Episode Three;
3. Darth Sidious vs. four Jedi Masters in Episode Three.

And in each of these battles one or another special technique was used. Darth Maul used the lightstaff in combination with acrobatics and superior hand-to-hand combat. Count Dooku used a curved saber grip to rotate the lightsaber in yet another plane and thus accelerate the movement of the light blade through additional wrist rotation. Darth Sidious, on the other hand, perfectly combined mirror bounce, increasing speed in defense, with going under the protection of the Jedi swords and active use of thrusts.
In the first two cases, the ability to hold the enemy directly depended on the appearance of additional, extraordinary opportunities for using a lightsaber: duplication, curvature. If you wish, you can come up with several more ways to achieve a technical advantage over the enemy (for example, in the RV, a sword was mentioned that could change the length of the light blade on the go and make it three meters), but all of them do not matter to us. Why? Because technical advantage is just one of the possible types of advantage. In the case of Darth Sidious, we see an example of incredible personal skill, and this is what I put at the forefront of learning to work with multiple opponents. Personal skill is also necessary for mastering extraordinary technologies, which often have to be learned on their own, because originality very often requires the absence of teachers, otherwise it becomes too widespread and ceases to be eccentric. However, the concept of personal mastery is too vague, too not specific, to strive for it in general, and not for something specific. The points below are characteristics that can and should be developed endlessly, reaching the very skill that allows you to go beyond the constraint in the form of a one-on-one battle:

1. the ability to perfectly control the space around you: clearly know the location of all objects, the advantages and disadvantages of any natural obstacles and slopes;
2. the ability to see all opponents at the same time: to feel the direction of their blows, to accurately calculate the distance to them, not looking back at each opponent, but looking as if to nowhere;
3. the ability to move and place the sword so that the light blades of opponents interfere with each other to a greater extent than threaten you: knowledge of individual feints, the ability to correctly use clinches and rebound in your favor;
4. the ability to instantly identify the "weak link": to understand which of the opponents is the weakest, from whom it is necessary to "get rid" in the first place, so that he then does not interfere with dealing with those who are stronger, because even an accidental blow can be successful;
5. the ability to correctly assess your strength and not spin under the noses of opponents, if it is wiser to break the distance and force the opponents to split up.

Each of these points develops only through regular training with several opponents and only when you understand that you no longer have to think about most of the things in the subfight at all, that they have become natural for you, like walking. And with an example of fencing (albeit far from perfect so far) against several opponents in a subfight, you can find in the next chapter.

Exercises "from and to": video materials.

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Exercise # 1: Wave.

Before you start learning striking, you need to learn how to properly hold the saber in your hand. First, notice the illustration below: the sword is usually held with the thumb and forefinger, and the rest of the fingers are only needed for additional control.

Second, check out the “wave” video below to help you relax your arm muscles to resist rebounding.

Exercise # 7: Basic bounce with movement and turns.

Turning is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. Never forget that, in principle, in a turn, a person always remains ajar, which allows a skilled opponent to deftly take advantage of his advantage. It is possible to deprive him of this advantage only by performing these turns correctly. In this video exercise, the correct sequence of movement of body parts during a turn is disassembled and examples are shown of how to correctly perform certain turns directly in battle.

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Exercise # 8: "Eight", "Reverse Eight" and "Eight with Two Swords".

From simple to complex. If you have studied the shun, then it’s time to learn a few more equally simple rotations, among them: "eight", "reverse eight" and "eight with two swords".

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Exercise # 9: Reverse "eight" with a change of hands.

The reverse "eight" with a change of hands starts like a usual reverse "eight", but at the moment when the saber is to your left and is clamped in your right hand, and at the moment when the saber is to your right and clamped in your left hand, you shift it from one hand to the other. It is not so easy to learn this, but the video exercise is designed to help you with this by revealing the technology of performing a feint (I recommend watching frame by frame if difficulties arise). The main thing is to make sure that the hand receiving the saber is always close to the hand that is giving the saber - this way you will avoid many technical difficulties.

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Exercise # 12: "sticky sabers".

This exercise will teach you how to hold swords without sliding the blades over each other during clinches and during combat. If you want to complicate this exercise, try to hit your opponent while moving the swords, without breaking the contact of the blades and not sliding along the blade of the enemy.

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Video # 13: clinches.

This video demonstrates clinches made without staging, on the go, using the subfight clinching system. Note that in an ordinary fight in training (where there is no “shooting camera” effect), the speed and smoothness of their execution are usually higher. If you have not read the section "" yet, then do not forget to do this in order to understand the system by which the fighter manages to understand that the partner is about to enter the clinch at the moment of the battle.

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Video No. 14: comparison of fixing strikes and fencing on inertia.

This material helps to visually indicate the difference between the strikes with fixation at the end, usual for any terrestrial type of fencing, and the inertial strikes on which the subfight is based.

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Exercise # 15: Distance Control.

This exercise provides an opportunity to lay the foundation for maintaining the correct distance between you and your opponent. To begin with, define your standard hit zones with your partner. Anyone with a larger standard hit area will take steps backward (one step at a time). Anyone who has a smaller standard affected area will step forward at the same time. The retreating goal is to get out of the attacking zone of the attacker, but at the same time leave him in his own affected zone. The goal of the attacker is to prevent the retreating from doing this, but at the same time not coming closer than is necessary to hit the retreating torso with the very tip of the saber blade.
Cortosis forearms allow you to learn how to quickly and efficiently change your level of movement from top to bottom and back. In particular, such freedom of movement gives a sharp increase in the number of possible variations of your attacks on the enemy.

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Exercise # 19: dodging with retaliation.

Dodging with retaliation takes a lot of practice and dexterity. But in battle, it often turns out to be simply irreplaceable. You should not consider this as some kind of trick or trick, but I would not recommend to abuse this technique against people who are not familiar with it. It was not created in order to deceive (it is impossible to deceive a Force Engineer in battle, it can only be surpassed in the art of combat). It was created so that you can use all the resources of your body and threaten the enemy even when, in his opinion, you should have blocked his blow.

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Exercise # 20: sword control in attack.

Controlling your sword is the key to avoiding injury in your training. Trust me, no one wants to heal bruised fingers, fix broken glasses, or rub bumps on their foreheads. For all its humanity, a saber can still quite painfully hit a person, therefore, if you have not learned how to control your sword, other subfighters may refuse to spar with you: meaningless pain interferes with the pleasure of doing what you love, and it comes mainly from inability or from excessive cruelty.

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Exercise # 21: acrobatics.

In the subfight, acrobatics, as in the films of the Saga (apart from incredible jumps with the help of the Force), is used extremely poorly, so there are no colorful examples here. If you are particularly interested in acrobatics, do not forget about capoeira: this martial art can greatly help you reach your potential.

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Video material number 22: feints.

This video contains a number of different difficult feints carried out with the help of a saber. I highly recommend dealing with each of them on frame-by-frame playback (despite the low speed of these feints while recording material). These feints, as I have already said, are rather ineffective in a real fight, and therefore it is almost impossible to find something like this in Star Wars. Nevertheless, it is always pleasant to do such a beautiful feint before the fight. In addition, mastering these feints is undoubtedly very beneficial for the general ability to control your body.

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Video # 23: Reverse Grip.

This technique was developed relatively recently and is currently mastered by only a couple of people, so the reverse grip is used quite little in the subfight. Let's just say that this style is not for everyone's taste: it is not to everyone's liking and not easy for everyone.

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Video # 24: two lightsabers.

Two lightsaber subfighting - the technique is not the easiest, but by no means that difficult, if at least sometimes before that you tried to shift the sword from your right hand to your left (if you are right-handed, of course) and gradually develop it. I myself prefer sequential work with two lightsabers, but as I said, this is just a matter of convenience and habit.

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Video material no. 25: light staff.

Unfortunately, at the time of filming this material, I could not find a single person who works well with the light staff and loves this style, so I had to take on this hard work myself. Don't ask too much, I just tried to illustrate the concepts that are described earlier in the tutorial. J

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Video material # 26: two or more opponents.

As I already said, the battle with two or more opponents in the subfight is a separate one, very not a simple art. At the moment, I do not consider myself a skillful enough subfighter to do such things in such a way that I myself would say: "Very good and very good." However, you can find a few examples recorded specifically for the tutorial in this video.

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Video material # 27: examples of fights.

The last video material of the section is a compilation of several videos of battles. I remind you: no performances, everything was filmed at once and without preparation. And please keep in mind that at the end of filming, people got a little tired (they filmed for six hours in a row), so some of the movements turned out slower than usual, for example, during training or in combat in role-playing games. We tried our best ... J

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Afterword.

There will be no long parting words and closing words, because I'm not a master at such speeches. J Subfight I love because it makes me feel at one with the "deadly" movements that flow through my arms and legs in a martial art dance designed for my favorite heroes. And other people also like this system: it wakes up smiles on their faces and a desire to continue studying, despite the weather or personal troubles in life. However, the most important thing that motivates all of us to come to subfight every week is that we do what gives us pleasure and do not turn this holiday and rest into work for ourselves or others. I do not do subfighting in order to become a great swordsman or "to comprehend the secrets of the Force", although I do not consider these goals shameful or unworthy, I do it because I enjoy the world of "Star Wars" and from communicating with people who they share a passion with me. Perhaps this is too little. Perhaps too many. The main thing is that as long as I meet people who, without taking their eyes off, absorb every movement of the characters, every turn of the sword, brought to screen perfection, and who want to share with me the joy of a duel not only of the body, but of the spirit, I am with I will gladly take my saber out of the case and plunge again, albeit for a short time with them, into the world of my beloved Saga, the Saga of Wars among the Stars ...

Appendix A. Terms and slang used in the textbook.

1. "Subfight" is a fencing system created on the basis of a reconstruction of the martial art of wielding a lightsaber from the Star Wars universe.
2. "Lightsaber" is an abbreviation formed for brevity and convenience from "lightsaber".
3. "Saber" is an arbitrarily chosen term for the model-reconstruction of the lightsaber.
4. "Rebound" is the basic concept of a subfight that allows you to create Star Wars fights.
5. "Clinch" - the combination of the blades of the swords and their fixation relative to each other to squeeze the enemy or carry out a feint.
6. Expanded Universe (WU) - All Star Wars content except Episodes 6 and the Clone Wars animated series.
7. "Forsovik" is a force-fighter, a creature in contact with the Force.
8. The Original Trilogy (OT) is the fourth, fifth and sixth episodes of the saga.
9. "The Prequels Trilogy" (Prequels) - The first, second and third episodes of the saga.
10. "ZVshnoe" is a characteristic that denotes the proximity of this or that thing (this or that concept) to the concepts and stylistics of the ZV.

Appendix B. Officially Famous Racks: Photos.

In lightsaber battles, stances are of the utmost importance. They very expressively convey the philosophy and mood of the fighter. All people are aware of this information on a subconscious level, which can be decisive in the outcome of the fight. But the gradation of the racks is a voluntary matter, so I will not insist on any of the possible options in order to avoid discussions, but simply give illustrations of the variety of racks that I was able to find on the Internet.

Appendix B. Forms of fencing.

As mentioned earlier, the main division of styles that the Expanded Universe offers is the division into various Forms of wielding a lightsaber. All of the following information on Forms is taken from Bob Vitas' Encyclopedia. I remind you that Nick Gillard does not accept this division.

Form 0

This Form was originally defined by Jedi Master Yoda to describe Philanil Bucks' lightsaber technique, but later it acquired the status of the basis of lightsaber fencing. The easiest way to define Form 0 is the art of wielding (in the broadest sense of the word) a lightsaber that you never have to turn on. The subtext of this description cannot be ignored, although it seemed silly enough to many Padawans. To protect and serve the galaxy, a Jedi must know when to light a sword for combat and when to leave it hanging from his belt. A full understanding of the situation in which this or that creature finds itself is the key to knowing what is right and what is not. Therefore, all students who knew the need for Form 0 and used it to find a solution that did not include violence, were truly close to the Force.

Form 1

This technique, also known as Shii-Cho and Idealized Form, was the simplest lightsaber combat technique. It was studied by the Jedi Knights of the Old Republic and, in general, was considered the first technique used by the creators of the lightsaber themselves. Form 1 was characterized by the use of wide horizontal side strikes and blocks with a blade directed vertically upward, beating off the enemy's blade during side attacks. If the attack was carried out from top to bottom and was aimed at the head, Form 1 proposed a simple rotation of the sword to a horizontal position and its corresponding movement along the axis up and down. Within Form 1, all basic attack and defense methods, impact zones and basic exercises were identified. Used in films by: Kit Fisto.

Form 2

This ancient technique, also known as the Makashi, was developed at a time when pikes (spears) and poles (staves) were still prevalent in the galaxy. Form 2 combines fluidity of movement and predictability of where a blow will be struck, allowing the Jedi to attack and defend with minimal effort. Despite the fact that Form 2 is considered by many Jedi historians to be the culmination of the art of lightsaber versus lightsaber combat, it virtually disappeared when blaster weapons began to spread throughout the galaxy, giving way to Form 3. In the movies, it is used by Count Dooku.

Form 3

This technique, also known as Soresu, was developed by the Jedi Knights when blaster weapons finally became mainstream in the criminal environment. Unlike Form 2, which was designed to work against a lightsaber, Form 3 was much more effective at deflecting and defending against blaster fire. She focuses on good reflexes and fast movement of both sword and body in space, which allows her to cope with the rate of fire of the blaster. At its core, it is a defensive technique that expresses the Jedi philosophy of "no-aggression" while effectively reducing body exposure. Due to this, many Jedi (especially those who practiced Form 3) realized that this technique requires maximum contact with the Force. After Qui-Gon Jinn's death from the sword of Darth Maul, many Jedi abandoned the open, acrobatic style of Form 4 and began to study Form 3 in order to minimize the risk of injury from the enemy. Used in films by: Obi-Wan Kenobi (starting with Episode 2).

Form 4

This technique, also known as Ataru, was one of the newest lightsaber techniques. It was developed by the Jedi Knights during the last centuries of the Old Republic. Form 4 relied on the potential of acrobatics and power in the blade itself, and many conservatives among the Knights and Jedi Masters took this approach with some displeasure. Ataru was most popular among the impatient Padawans of the time, who believed that the Jedi should become more actively involved in the fight against crime and evil. This technique was also practiced by Qui-Gon Jinn, but his death from the sword of Darth Maul demonstrated its main weaknesses: a low level of body protection and difficulty in using in a confined space. Only Yoda, in particular due to his small size, achieved such speed in Form 4 that he actually provided himself with complete protection from the opponent's attacks. In films it is used by: Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn.

Form 5

Also known as Shien (or Jem So - see Conflicting Facts below), this technique was created by a group of Old Republic Jedi Masters who felt that Form 3 was overly passive and Form 4 was lacking. power. They criticized the weakness of these two techniques, in which a Jedi Master can, of course, become completely protected, but at the same time he himself will not be able to do anything to the enemy. One of the many unique aspects of Form 5 was the development of techniques to deflect blaster beams back at the enemy. Many Jedi Masters have disputed the correctness of the philosophy of Form 5, arguing that it places undue emphasis on harming others. Others, however, have argued that Form 5 is just a way to "achieve peace through superior firepower." In films it is used by: Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader.

Form 6

This technique, also known as Niman, was one of the most advanced lightsaber techniques. During the Battle of Geonosis, Form 6 was the most common form among the Jedi. It was based on the average use of Forms 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Many Jedi Masters called it "diplomatic technique" due to the fact that Nieman's followers used their knowledge of political relationships and negotiation techniques (along with the power of their own perceptions) to achieving the most peaceful solutions without bloodshed. Many Jedi who were really good at Form 6 had spent at least 10 years studying the above four Forms. However, many masters considered such actions a waste of time, believing that such a high level of swordsmanship would not be required for the battles of that time. But among other things, it is the mastery in Niman that is the first step to comprehending Jar-Kai, the technique of using two lightsabers. In the films, Niemann uses: Most of the dead Jedi in the Geonosis arena.

Form 7

This technique, also known as Juyo, was the most demanding technique ever developed by the Jedi. Only by learning a few other Forms can a Jedi begin his journey to understanding Form 7. It required such combat training that even the training itself brought the Jedi very close to the dark side of the Force. Jedi Master Mace Windu studied Form 7. To master Form 7, a Jedi had to use energetic movement and kinetic strikes. Form 7 uses overwhelming power and a series of unrelated movements, movements that continually deprive the opponent of their normal defensive ability. Used in films by: Darth Maul.

Vaapad

This technique was developed by Mace Windu with the help of Sora Bulk shortly before the start of the Clone Wars. It was named after the animal "vaapad" from the planet Sarapin, whose tentacles move with such lightning speed that it is virtually impossible to follow them with a glance. Vaapad is a combination of aggressive maneuvers and falls into the category of Form 7. Even training in Vaapad is so close to the dark side of the Force that it has been banned from anyone other than the Jedi Masters. For Master Windu and his student Depa Billaba, Vaapad was not just a fencing technique: for them, he was a state of mind in which a fighter, in order to defeat an opponent, opened himself to the Force so completely that he absorbed power from both the light and the dark side. Strength. Vaapad uses the joy of joining the battle, a battle rage that goes very close to the dark side. This technique requires tremendous concentration on the paths of the light side, keeping its follower on a fine line. Sora Bulk, like Depa Billaba, could not stand the demands of Vaapad and fell to the dark side. Used in films by: Mace Windu.

Sokan

This technique was developed by the Jedi Knights in ancient times. She combined the kinetic movements of Form 4 with tactics that increased mobility and dodge. Sokan, invented during the Great Sith War, was built on quick movements and coups combined with swift lightsaber thrusting at the enemy's vital organs. The battles in which the participants used the Sokan technique were often fought over a fairly large territory, because the opponents constantly tried to put each other in the most vulnerable position.

Jar Kai

Jar Kai is a technique of working with two lightsabers at the same time. When working in this technique, one of the swords is used for attack and the other for defense. However, both swords can be used to create more complex attacking maneuvers. Master Maruk said that those who practice dual lightsaber work usually soon become overly reliant on their weapons. Many Jedi tried to study Niman in order to master the art of Jar-Kai, but only a few succeeded in fully.

Trakata

This technique of fighting with lightsabers was used by literally a couple of the most powerful force fighters. When using this technique, the forcing device grasps the lightsaber in hand, but does not activate it. With the help of the Force, he moves and defends himself from enemy attacks, waiting for the only moment when he can quickly turn on and off the sword, bypassing the enemy's defense and hitting him. This technique is incredibly difficult and requires great skill in the Force.

Other

There are several other, more specific Forms. For example, General Grievous' technique, which comes from his unique ability to rotate his hands in different planes and an extra pair of hands. Also, Edi Gallia possesses a unique technique, who actually fights in Form 5, but at the same time holds the sword with a reverse grip.

V last years LucasArts doing some weird thing. They sponsor strange experiments like bland Fracture... Then they interrupt the development Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings... Then in batches they release simply shameful games based on the series The Clone Wars. Because of this new general line, the Star Wars universe is gradually losing its charm.

That is why the uneven, outdated in terms of game design the Jedi simulator The force unleashed became for fans of the series "New Hope". After all, it was the real "Star Wars" - with Force Choke, lightsaber battles and a tragic ending.

Dark side

The first thing you notice when meeting with The force unleashed 2, is the atmosphere. The utterly noir rain whipping down the cold metal platforms of Kamino, the brutality, dirt and violence around Kaito Neimodya's neon casinos do not fit well with what we have become accustomed to seeing in Star Wars lately. The game begins on Kamino, the planet we saw in Attack of the Clones, where the Republic secretly raised its army. In one of the secret laboratories, Darth Vader is engaged in creepy experiments. It is there that we first see Galen Marek (aka Darth Starkiller) - in chains.

Those who passed the first part to the end know that in the final Marek died heroically. According to the developers, they still cannot believe that LucasArts approved such a dark ending ... and in the new game they are going to embody an even more provocative story! So, at the very beginning of the game, Vader informs the shackled hero that he is a clone, and the real Marek has long been dead. After this frank dialogue, the hero manages to escape under unknown circumstances; in frustrated feelings, he jumps into the first airlock that comes across.

I loved you…

Of course, Marek is not going to commit suicide: flying from the tower is just an introductory interactive cut-scene in which you have to dodge and destroy objects standing in the way. The introductory mission ends in the most impudent way that LucasArts could come up with: Marek hijacks Vader's TIE-fighter and flies off on it to look for Captain Juno Eclipse, to whom he is clearly breathing unevenly.

LucasArts is trying with all its might to show how much has changed the main character and his vision of the world around him. He is no longer eager to run errands for Vader or the rebels. Marek with calm and measured steps goes towards his beloved, habitually destroying everything in his path.

The choice of the masters whom the hero is forced to serve is replaced by the hero's inner conflict. In his wanderings, Marek meets an old acquaintance Kota, who makes him doubt Vader's words. Kota reminds that it is impossible to clone a Jedi, and all previous individuals eventually lost their minds.

Did Vader lie to him? Is Kota lying, trying to take advantage of it? In search of answers to these questions, Galen will fly to Dagoba to meet with Yoda, and visit the famous cave there, where Luke Skywalker will see himself in the form of Vader five years later. The visions that torment the hero along all his way will add special acuity to the wanderings. They must have been caused by severe trauma from the decisive battle of the first part ... or they are the result of cloning, and the replicant Marek goes crazy!

Soresu (also known as Form 3) is a style of fencing based on sharp and precise defensive movements. Unlike most styles, a soresu adept's primary tactic is to patiently block or deflect until the opponent makes the mistake of delivering a fatal blow. An example is the finale of Episode Three, Anakin's fight with Obi-Wan (Obi-Wan was considered one of the greatest Soresu masters).

At TFU, Marek used soresa for added protection, such as heavy blaster fire.

Sheen and jam with

This style was created by the Jedi who practiced soresu, but felt that Form 3 was too low in attack potential, making fights too long. The style is divided into two options - shien itself and jam with. Shien is aimed primarily at battle with numerous opponents and at repelling blaster fire. A characteristic fighting stance: the sword is retracted behind the back, the handle is squeezed with both hands, the supporting leg is retracted. Jem So is a more aggressive form, more suitable for single-opponent duels.

Galen Marek uses Shien as his primary form of combat. At the same time, he owns the rarest version of this technique - the Shien of the Sith.

Ataru

Ataru (form 4) as a style of fencing is practically not used either in games or in films (except for the first episode and fights with the participation of Master Yoda), but there are elements in absolutely all games in which the Jedi can be controlled. The basis of the style is the use of the Force to accelerate and strengthen the movements of the Jedi, including for making jumps over gigantic distances. Ataru is considered the most aggressive of the seven canon styles, but it also requires a high concentration and connection with the Force, as well as a lot of free space. It was because of the uncomfortable environment that one of the most famous masters of ataru, Qui-Gon Jin, died.

In TFU, the atara is used exclusively to give Marek agility and speed - Force Jump and Force Dash are the manifestation of this style.

Jar'kai

Double burn

In every interview, the developers from LucasArts emphasize that TFU2 is, first of all, a giant work on the errors of the first part. And, strictly speaking, there were a lot of them. This is not the most successful game design (here is the level, here are the opponents - have fun!), And the imbalance, and the vaunted physics, not used anywhere except the very first level.

The game is now more linear and more streamlined. The general structure is the same: TFU2 is a slasher. If Marek is like a mixer not crushes droids, he solves puzzles like "where else to stick a sword" and with the help of telekinesis collects bridges over abysses. There will be fewer boss battles, but they will be more difficult, longer and more spectacular (the shamelessly giant monster Gorag is a living proof of this).

Well, the main innovation flaunts right in the game logo. Game number two - Marek holds the same number of lightsabers in his hands. How exactly the combat system will change, the developers are still keeping a secret - for sure it will be sharpened for battles with several enemies, the long-awaited combo-breaker will be added, allowing you to stop the combo in the middle (if you suddenly notice that the beaten enemy is somehow unnaturally limp). But all this is not so important, because the fights look just stunning.

Lightsaber fetishism reaches its climax. Marek foppishly holds both Light Sabers with a reverse grip - crossing behind his back, the swords seem to fit the hero into a glowing triangle. When the hero begins to swing two swords at once, uniform rhythmic gymnastics, exercises with a ribbon take place in the frame. Shining "blades" trace intricate patterns in the air - hitting their curls, enemies fall apart. Do not forget that you can choose a personal color for each sword. In theory, the color indicates some kind of unique opportunity, but - let's be frank - who cares about any possibilities when you can swing a blue sword and a green one at the same time!

This is the horror of what is happening

Paired with skillful swordsmanship, the new use of the Force looks great, which won us over at the London event. Activision... Since Marek became a Jedi at the end of the first part, he now has access to the classic Jedi ability - Mind Trick. Remember the famous scene in A New Hope where Obi-Wan Kenobi, with a wave of his hand, convinced the patrol to let the heroes through? Galen Marek doesn't deal with such trifles. If he really waves his hand, then whole detachments of enemy infantry will stand on his side. And if there is no one to fight with, they will commit suicide out of chagrin. In the build shown to us, the Imperial stormtroopers with a running start, almost squealing with happiness, leapt into the abyss like a fish. Massively. Selflessly. Practically waving a pen goodbye. In the case when there is not a single decent abyss nearby, the stormtroopers do not get lost, they look for red barrels, almost sit on them and are happily blown up. What will happen when the intoxicated enemy is left alone? Perhaps he will hit his head with a running start against the wall, we do not exclude such an option.

The more Mind Trick is pumped, the more destructive its consequences. In the first stage, you can knock only one fighter off the pantal. More powerful forms of telepathy will allow you to turn entire armies of enemies to your side. The developers gave the following example. In a collision with two squads of stormtroopers, Marek drugged one squad, and then simply stepped aside - the fighters perfectly dealt with each other without his help. Finally, at the extreme stage, a psychic attack will literally blow up the brains of your enemies. At first, the stormtrooper will convulsively squeeze his temples, trying to cope with the pouring Force, and then the head of the unfortunate one will explode, causing serious damage to everyone standing nearby.

Don't keep to yourself

Not all of the editorial staff liked Marek's new skills - they say, the already messed-up setting turns into a comedy at all. Only in this case, the hyperbole is more than appropriate. As an infant, the hero could snatch the sword from the hands of Darth Vader. Now he is a true master of the dark side, and the developers are not going to artificially weaken him.

From the very beginning of the game, he is full of strength - or rather, Strength. This is such a bombardier beetle pumped up with turpentine, smashing the anthill to pieces. The force is overwhelming. In the colossal Force Push, a dozen stormtroopers are carried away into the abyss at once, another squad in a single rush leaps into the abyss of their own free will, and the most persistent rush to Starkiller and fall into a shining lightsaber meat grinder. In this crazy disco, phrases of the caliber of "I am your father" are perceived as heavy, but we actually have a dark Jedi, literally loose from the chain, so sorry.

* * *

If the original TFU was expected to continue the great series Jedi knight(see the article on the next page), then the second part is our last hope for getting rid of the plastic Ahsoka Tano and for the first Star Wars game with a really strong storyline since Knights of the Old Republic 2. And at the same time - the ability to destroy a couple of planets, beat a giant rancor on steroids, watch the mental anguish of one of the strongest Jedi in history, and possibly stuff Master Yoda's face.

Will wait? Potentially one of the best games in the Star Wars universe. But even if it doesn't grow together, blowing the heads of Imperial stormtroopers and smashing casinos is always fun.

Percentage of readiness: 50%

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Lyrical and humorous digression (not serious information) Forms of lightsaber combat Swords first appeared. Then - the first form (logical, right?) 1. Shii-cho The most that neither is the basics. In the first form, the one who swings the sword stronger wins. The name comes from "what are you ?!" - the words with which in ancient times began duels with lightsabers. Well, all junior students can do that. 2. Makash "We ate little porridge" - they said to those students who wore glasses and constantly lost in fights in the first form. They endured for a long time, and then came up with a second form, in which the one who swings the sword not stronger, but more cunning won. And they named her in their honor - Makashi. Count Dooku is a classic example. The most unlucky pupils and apprentices worked part-time at the Jedi temple as loaders and cleaners. Once they got tired of it (oh, bad stories always start with this) and they invented the 3rd and 4th form. 3. Soresu (comes from "rubbish") - allows you to remove garbage with minimal effort and not get dirty at the same time. The classic example is Kenobi. This is who is known as the greatest scavenger of the Galaxy, who took away Grievous and Skywalker. 4. Ataru ("And the tara?" - asked the Jedi-loaders. - You can do without the container, by the Force alone, - they answered. Well, they did it) - allows you to load anything and anyone from any position. The classic example is Yoda. He raises the fighter, then moves the booths ... 5. Jam-so. Subsequently, it turned out that feeding the students with porridge alone was not enough - they needed vitamins. A new generation of Jedi switched to jam and, as a result, began to defeat avitaminosis sufferers and less agile opponents. A typical example is Vader (navitaminit, where did the old cleaner Obi-Wan before him). 6. Niman (from "nothing new") - a form in which a piece from the first five forms. It was considered the most advanced form. A typical example is most Jedi, whose corpses covered the arena of Geonosis (the most advanced, huh?). 7. Juyo (from "let's chew!"). The next reformers explained to everyone that the students eat porridge, jam or something else, the main thing is that they chew their food thoroughly. Anyone who knows the 7th form can chew and spit out the enemy (in a figurative sense, although anything can happen). A classic example is Darth Maul, who chewed Qui-Gon in this way. Alas, then the poor Sith relaxed and decided to swallow Obi-Wan without chewing, for which he paid. Later, the form was improved and named Vaapad (from "Wow! Otpad!"). A vaapad wielder is practically invincible. The best way to defeat him is to pretend to be a friend and then suddenly chop off his hand. The classic example is Mace Windu. 8. Dong urine. - And now I’m like a dun with all my might! And all of you will be carried away! - the Sith of the Jedi often intimidated, and when they flinched from surprise, the Sith laughed and teased: - Believe me! Believe it! This is how this form of combat became known as "Dun Moch". The Jedi complained that it was dishonest to tease, and in protest they never included the uniform on the general list. Example: Count Dooku, who, despite his venerable age, never missed an opportunity to tease. None of the Jedi could object to him with dignity, and in order for this disgrace to finally stop, he had to chop off his head. Form zero. Well, and those Jedi, about whom desperate teachers said "he is a complete zero in fencing!", Constantly argued that problems should be solved with words, not swords. Their success was also zero, which is where the name of the form came from ...

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