Star Wars lore has extrapolated a number of fighting techniques by observing what is visible in the movies. While it's important to note that these fighting forms are not based on the combat choreography used by swordmasters Nick Gillard and Bob Anderson, they've nonetheless captured the imagination of fans who want to know more about the galaxy's most powerful warriors.
Now that some of these warriors will soon be pitted against some of the most skilled duelists and martial artists in videogames, it seemed a good time for a refresher of the lightsaber fighting forms. This week, Namco/Bandai unleashes Soulcalibur IV to next-generation platforms, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Star Wars legends Darth Vader and Yoda, and a new character, the Starkiller, will face off against such awesome adversaries as Astaroth, Taki and Mitsurugi. What kind of fighting philosophies work best in such an arena? Here's a primer on Star Wars expanded universe fighting forms.
Basic Zones
Attacks and parries in lightsaber combat are described in terms of body zones they concern. For example, an attack that targets the head is called an "Attack 1" while a parry that deflects such an incoming strike is a "Parry 1". In idealized sparring drills, most attacks are executed with horizontal swipes, while parries are carried out with vertical blocks meant to push the point of the enemy's blade away. The exception is the aforementioned "Attack 1", which is generally done with a vertical downslash towards the head and a horizontal parry. This idealized sparring sessions, called velocities, are practiced until they become instinctual reflexes, forming a foundation of maneuvers that are then elaborated upon by trained masters.
The basic body zones are as follows:
Zone 1: Head
Zone 2: Right arm and side
Zone 3: Left arm and side
Zone 4: Back
Zone 5: Right leg
Zone 6: Left leg
