Lightsaber Combat Form I

Form I

Shii-Cho was the first lightsaber combat style created by the Jedi Order and was intended for use against opponents with no attunement to the Force. The rise of the Sith Order caused lightsaber wielders to abandon this form in favor of the more refined techniques of Form II. Shii-Cho was practiced as a means to become attuned to the both the Force and to the lightsaber provided by a master to the Jedi aspirant.

The strikes and counters of Shii-Cho are straightforward and deliberate attempts to disarm or otherwise render a foe incapable of inflicting harm as quickly as possible. It relies on speed and intensity, but is very much informed by the Jedi’s regard for life and peace. As such, it has a limited array of deadly strokes and these are usually part of sequential attacks that give the target time to recognize their peril and yield.

Although rarely practiced beyond the early stages of Jedi training, this style nevertheless often saw use by Jedi warriors when severely pressed or when other styles had proven ineffective. In fact, this form enjoyed a brief resurgence during the early Clone Wars when the Jedi regularly engaged large numbers of battle droids which lacked the programming and processing speed to counter a sudden Shii-Cho onslaught. Against humanoid foes with no lives to lose, Jedi generals could strike with uncharacteristic brutality.

Unfortunately, General Grievous was trained by Count Dooku to take advantage of this situation, particularly early on during the Separatist campaign when Grievous was thought of merely a droid general. Grievous’ combat versatility and superhuman reflexes made employing Shii-Cho attacks a deadly mistake made by many Jedi Knights.

Advantages: All-out Attack, Daze, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Quick Draw

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