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| Form V: Djem So | |
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Form V: Djem So, also known as "the way of the Krayt Dragon" or "the perseverance form", was an offensive form of lightsaber combat.
Description[]
Djem So was the creation of a group of Form III users who felt that Soresu was too passive. It addressed the shortcomings of Soresu, in which a master of the form may prove to be nearly unbeatable but was likewise unable to overcome a focused and patient opponent. While a Soresu user stayed on the defensive and only counterattacked when an opening appeared, a Djem So practitioner was not nearly so passive. Immediately after defending against an opponent's strike, a Djem So stylist would follow with an attack of their own, bringing the force of the opponent's own blow against them and seeking to dominate the duel. Djem So placed heavy focus on brute strength and pure power, with powerful strikes and parries followed immediately by counterattacks.
Djem So had an emphasis on strength and power, allowing a user to make good use of their own physical size and strength. It was for this reason that Sith blademaster Kas'im advised the young Darth Bane to learn Djem So; Bane's large size and great strength would serve him well whilst using the style. Even if a practitioner didn't look very strong they could still employ the form effectively by increasing their strength through the Force. Power attacks from a Djem So user could knock an opponent back through sheer force, throwing them off balance and leaving them vulnerable to further brute force strikes and power blows that sought not just to penetrate an opponent's defense, but push them back and leave them unable to counter blows.
After Anakin Skywalker transformed into Darth Vader he continued using Djem So.
Despite its effectiveness, Djem So practitioners were known to lack mobility and could therefore be outmaneuvered by more agile duellists. However, a skilled practitioner was capable of overcoming this weaknesses and employing the form effectively in combat. Anakin Skywalker compensated for this drawback by combining Djem So with Ataru although after becoming Darth Vader and being rebuilt as a cyborg, the lack of mobility and inability to use the acrobatics he used to find so easy became a severe weakness in his otherwise overwhelming fighting style. Other practitioners such as K'Kruhk utilized Force Speed, enabling them to rely entirely on Djem So while still being fast enough to overcome the lack of mobility.
Though Djem So was designed mainly for lightsaber duelling, it was also useful against blaster weilding adversaries with skilled practitioners using it to deflect bolts straight back towards the opponent. This was in keeping with Djem So's technique focussing on using the opponents own strength and momentum against them in addition to the practitioner applying their own strength. Indeed, this deflection style proved extremely effective even when heavily outnumbered.
Stance and maneuvers[]
The Djem So stance was to hold the lightsaber above the head angled back and down at a roughly forty five degree angle. The dominant leg would be forward enabling powerful step-through strikes to be used. Practitioners would often bring their lightsabers down hard on the opponent in a powerful blow known as the Falling Avalanche.
Another maneuver was known as the Fluid Riposte where the user would smoothly parry an attack and then swiftly counterattack.