- 'Best defense, no be there.' - Jedi Miyagi
Three attacks and four parries
A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence only, never for attack. But what if the knowledge gained from the force aids in ones attack, in a battle which is right and necessary, on the light side of the Force? You must make the choice, and what follows is but some of the tools useful in a battle.
There are three BASIC targets in Lightsabre battle.
***Please note, your sword arm is your dominant hand, although the lightsaber is often used as a two handed weapon.
The Head - obviously, the head
The Chest - side of the body opposite the sword arm
The Flank - sword arm side of the body.
When attacking with blade alone (I.e. without compound footwork, that's next week) there are many things to keep in mind. Some basic guidelines are:
Use the fastest, straightest path to the target for a simple attack. (Once feints are added, they too must be straight at a target, so it is a sound tactic regardless)
Do not draw the arms TOO far back before making a cut. Some back swing is necessary of course, but remember that a blade of pure energy need not have much force behind a blow in order to be lethal.
Commit yourself to the attack wholeheartedly, without thinking about the next move. If your technique is correct, this attack will not fail, or it will leave you in a position to defend yourself should it fail.
Follow through, but do not flail. Imagine that you are going to cut through and just past your target, but not all the way around. For example, a head cut should stop with the blade parallel to the ground, about chest height, not on the ground.
Your arms carry the blade to the target. Your wrists make the cut.
* Practice hitting all three areas, in the air or on a stationary target, one at a time, always returning to the On Guard position. Always check your on guard against the list from lesson 1 to make sure you are returning to a proper stance.
* Practice the above actions with an advance forward. Return to On Guard and THEN retreat backwards
*Practice the above actions with a retreat backwards. It is important to be able to strike at any time that the force tells you is right, even while retreating.
Parries
There are four basic blade parries, and four other advanced blade parries. The ninth parry is the most important one of all - distance. In the words of Jedi Miyagi (From the Karate Kid) "Best defense, no be there!" So don't forget, if you can pull distance and let your opponent fall short, do it!
However, the four basic blade parries are as follows:
***please note, all instructions are given for a right handed person***
Parry 3 - covers flank, hands held at stomach height, blade pointed up or slightly towards out and towards opponent
Parry 4 - covers chest, hands held at stomach height, blade pointed up or slightly towards out and towards opponent
Parry 5 - covers head, blade almost parallel to ground, or slightly up, hands on the right side, blade pointing left.
Parry 6 - covers head, blade almost parallel to ground, or slightly up, hands on the left side, blade pointing right
Some notes to consider:
* Always hold your parries well away from your body. Practice getting the best angle possible to stop an attack
* Make your actions smooth, and small. No large swings!
*Parry the opponents blade, do not hit it (that it a different action). The parry should be waiting for the attack, not moving against it.
Carefully practice the parries, always proceeding from On Guard to the parry position. After the parry, return to On Guard. Vary the angle of the blade to what you feel would be the best position to defend. Use a partner (No lightsabres please, use sticks!) to help. They attack an area and you parry it.
Once you are comfortable with the parry, practice the parry - reposte. A reposte is a reply, or counter-attack made after a parry. Your opponents attack has failed, you have parried it. Your attack is a reposte. Try the following combinations:
3a - Parry three, reposte head, return to On Guard.
b - Parry three, reposte chest, return to On Guard.
c - Parry three, reposte flank, return to On Guard.
4a - Parry four, reposte head, return to On Guard.
b - Parry four, reposte chest, return to On Guard.
c - Parry four, reposte flank, return to On Guard.
5a - Parry five, reposte head, return to On Guard.
b - Parry five, reposte chest, return to On Guard.
c - Parry five, reposte flank, return to On Guard.
6a - Parry Six, reposte head, return to On Guard.
b - Parry Six, reposte chest, return to On Guard.
c - Parry Six, reposte flank, return to On Guard.
*Now a creative aspect: add your own footwork (only advance and retreat please!). Perform parry reposte's with footwork in different places.
For example - Retreat back with parry five, reposte head with an advance forward. Develop your own signature footwork and moves! Be creative! Be unpredictable! And always let the force flow!
We have made a huge leap from the last leddon to this one. Make sure that you are VERY comfortable with the basics before adding the extensions. Good luck and may the Force be with you!
Please note: The picture attachments are all one-handed fencing techniques. However, they do give an idea of proper a on guard and the parry techniques. Study the angle of the blade and the placement of the hands in the parries, and then simply use two hands! I have included a picture showing a katana grip that might give you an idea. Please also see the archived lesson # 10.