| |
| Form I: Shii-Cho | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Notable users |
|
| Description | |
| Chronological and political information | |
| Affiliation | |
Form I: Shii-Cho, also known as "the way of the Sarlacc" or "the determination form", was the oldest and most simple form of lightsaber combat.
Description[]
Despite, or rather because of, its simplicity, Shii-Cho was an effective combat form. As an extension of traditional sword-fighting styles, it retained the basics of attacks, blocks, and body zones established by such ancient methods. Shii-Cho had an emotionally-heated mindset, which could result in the temptation to execute combat with lethal intent, meaning users had to restrain themselves from going too far. Despite the pull to kill, the style was designed to disarm without seriously injuring.
Shii-Cho was designed to be used against multiple opponents, usually ones with blasters and the wide, sweeping motions were ideally suited towards attacking numerous adversaries. However, Form I was not as useful against a single lightsaber wielding opponent, because such enemies had complete mobility and could find weaknesses in Shii-Cho's comparatively clumsy bladework. Form II: Makashi in particular was specifically designed to dismantle Shii-Cho and duellists like Dooku, Sora Bulq and Asajj Ventress saw even the most advanced Shii-Cho practitioners like Kit Fisto and Saesee Tiin as being sloppy and amateurish in lightsaber duelling. Palpatine and Mace Windu viewed Form VIII: Juyo/Vaapad as coming full circle, essentially going back to the basics established by Shii-Cho - the emotional mindset and aggression - but, when mastered, Juyo/Vaapad was far more deadly than anything that even the most proficient Form I practitioner was capable of.
Shii-Cho swordplay was simplistic and raw. In the hands of a master, the bladework was "like watching water flow over the falls." However, less adept practitioners displayed a much more basic and somewhat clumsy technique. Form I encouraged deliberate tactics, calling for continuous, step-by-step advancement while cutting off the opponent's angles.
As the most simple form, Shii-Cho was the first form taught to younglings within the Jedi Order. Form I training provided the basic knowledge of the sword-fighting principles and blast-deflection skill that was required for practice of all the other forms. Its sweeping techniques provided a relatively easy transition into the reverse grip style, Form VI: Shien.
In order to teach students to draw upon the Force, early level Shii-Cho blast deflection training was often conducted with a blindfold or similar, forcing younglings to rely on their instincts. Later training was conducted through the use of sequences and velocities, the continuous repetition making the moves instinctive. These training regimes were carried over to the other lightsaber combat forms, which used similar methods.
Stance and maneuvers[]
Lucien Draay uses the Horizontal Slash on Zayne Carrick.
The stance of Shii-Cho was to hold the lightsaber horizontally across the shoulder. From there the user could swing their lightsaber down or around at their opponent. A commonly used Shii-Cho maneuver was called the Sarlacc Sweep which was a wide, sweeping blow designed to take down several enemies at once.
Shii-Cho practitioners would often attempt to disarm their opponents and therefore used a technique called the Disarming Slash where they would attempt to smash the opponents weapon out of their hands with a powerful blow. However this technique was almost useless against Makashi practitioners. Another Shii-Cho technique was known as the Horizontal Slash.