Talk:Form VIII: Kendosu/@comment-208.111.207.60-20121219114604

First, a martial art is never sloppy, only the artist is; Ventress was a sloppy duelist despite using Makashi. Second, you don't seem to understand the relationship between speed and power. Ataru and Djem So are both fast and powerful Forms and use the Force to augment the body. Ataru draws its power from footspeed, rotation, and acrobatics. All of these qualities are related to its agility. Djem So draws its power from bladespeed and rooted stances. All of these qualities are related to its strength. Leaping on someone Ataru style from 4 meters/ 12 feet in the air is going to generate a lot of kenetic energy i.e. power. Spinning around like mad is also going to generate a lot of kenetic energy. Djem So's strength produces insane bladespeed to maintain its offense, defense, and fluid ripostes. You can see this from Anakin in Episode III and in The Clone Wars. Since Kendosu prohibits the use of the Force and emotion to strengthen the body, it has niether Ataru's acrobatics, nor Djem So's bladespeed. As such, generating comparable power of any kind isn't going to be possible.

It's true that most Forms are born from older ones, but they also transend their origins to become unlike anything made before it. Djem So has qualities and principles that niether Makashi nor Soresu have: dominating the pace of battle through strength, emotional heat, and counterattacks. Even Niman brings something unique to the table in fostering tranquility and improvision, developing Jar'Kai, and incorperating Force powers into its bladework. Juyo is the only exception: it's ambiguously described as "like Ataru but" and "like Djem So but", while using vauge terms like "chaotic" and "erratic" without ever pinning down why Juyo is chaotic and erratic or why it is anything more than an Ataru-Djem So hybrid. Only its mindset is described in detail, but there's no reason that mindset can't be applied to other Forms. In short, there is nothing that Juyo offers that Djem So and Ataru can't deliver with a sufficent level of mastery and the right hybridization. The same can easily be said for Kendosu as well, in fact you are saying as much yourself.

A hybrid does not a Form make. There are as many hybrids in canon as there are Jedi and Sith, but only a finite number of Forms. In fact, everyone is expected to create a personal hybrid style. Anakin uses elements of Ataru in his Djem So, evident in his spinning footwork and leaping attacks. As Darth Vader he mixed all seven Forms to assist his Djem So core, with Makashi, Niman, and Soresu featuring heavily. Ahsoka applied even greater use of Ataru with her Shien core. Obi-Wan mixed Ataru with his Soresu. Luminara mixed Makashi with her Soresu core in her duel with Ventress. Ventress herself used Ataru and Niman-Jar'Kai with her Makashi.

Some constructive critism: Build your Form up from Shii-Cho. All of the Forms are simply variations of Shii-Cho that emphasize certain techniques and philosophies because Shii-Cho represents the universals of sword fighting. Makashi is Shii-Cho with an emphasis on minimalist bladework, dance-like footwork, and a one-handed grip. Soresu is Shii-Cho with an emphasis on defensive reflexes and serenity. Ataru is Shii-Cho with an emphasis on acrobatics, agility, and rotation. Shien/Djem So is Shii-Cho with an emphasis on strength, emotion, and fluid transition between defense and offense. Niman is Shii-Cho with an emphasis on balance, originality, and versatility.

Juyo is Shii-Cho with an emphasis on lengthy sequences of half-cuts, powerful stabs, sudden advances, pauses, and sudden retreats. These qualities generate its "Chaotic", "Erratic", and "Staccato" nature. Juyo taps into the thrill of battle and the fear of death to generate focus and speed. Form VII all but abandons control to brutal fighting instinct. (Since Juyo has never been well described, I've pretty much remade the Form from scratch. Note that I describe its physical aspects without having to reference other Forms, allowing the soul of the Form to dictate its technical aspects). Kendosu is Shii-Cho with an emphasis on. . . ? If you can't answer that question without using other Forms as a crutch, then Kendosu is hybrid unworthy of becoming Form VIII.