Basic Lightsaber Training Center

Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:59 pm by Aeran Kutrak

*Aeran half-smiles and shrugs off her question as she goes on to explain in detail.* *Veran was very skilled. Indeed Aeran knew how fortunate he was to have her guidance. One day he would be like her. He wondered how she was able to do so much with the Force. However he figures that it was nothing more than simply applying in a different manner the principle he had used to telekinetically levitate the arrow. But why would a Jedi rather do these things than fight? Especially if one was skilled in the use of a lightsaber. Aeran thought that one would be more inclined to play to their own strengths, at least that's what he would do. The thing was he wasn't sure what his strengths were yet, but in due time he would find out. However the answer to Veran's question seemed simple enough.*

"Jedi are peaceful beings. Other solutions would mean less violence and less chance of someone getting killed as a result, I would think."

Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:44 pm by Veran Kein

**Veran nods, her lips pursed in thought for a moment as she considers how in depth she wants to go with this lesson.* Aeran's answer is correct, to an extent, and Veran could leave their discussion of Form Zero where it is currently and feel confident that he has grasped it. There is a more thorough answer, however, and Veran decides that she trusts Aeran is capable of grasping it without it risking presenting him with too much too quickly, so says, "That is a part of the reason yes. The Jedi Code, in part, teaches that where we find chaos, we need to seek harmony and avoiding violence is a way to make sure that we always follow the Code. There is another reason though, that has more to do with the risks for a Jedi when faced with situations that could lead to violence. Aggression is something that opens you to the Darkside, and so a Jedi needs to always be on guard against giving into it. It is possible to strike without aggression, and to use a lightsaber without it as well. Keeping the principle of Form Zero in mind is one way to ensure that, when you have no other option but to draw your lightsaber and use it, you do so because it is the right choice, not the easy one, not the emotional one. Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy, and it is natural to feel angry when we see injustice, but we can never act or strike in anger without risking becoming the very thing we fight. I know the Darkside is just a new concept to you, something that even sounds unreal maybe. But it is real, and, as a Force sensitive, you are vulnerable to it's influence. You have to be on guard against it and all the things that would open you to it like anger, fear or hatred."

*Tapping the side of her head, Veran concludes,* "Keep those things in mind as we train with the lightsaber. I want you to know how to use it well, but only when you know there is no other course of action you could take."*

Wed Nov 30, 2011 12:41 pm by Aeran Kutrak

*Aeran nods.* *He really didn't know how to take all of this new information that Veran was throwing at him. It wasn't like there was a lot of it, it was just really deep. How was he supposed to keep the Dark Side out if- from what it sounded- it was constantly trying to get in. Anger was a natural emotion to him, and he'd felt it often. Just because one was angry didn't necessarily mean they were doomed to the Dark Side did it? It didn't make sense. But then again, it was the same thing that Master Roma had lectured him on before. Aeran saw no point in trying to argue something that one: he knew nothing about, and two: seemed to be consensual among everyone here. His best bet would be to just accept it as the way it is, and do his best to understand. Otherwise all of this training he was about to go through would be for nothing.*

Thu Dec 01, 2011 8:33 pm by Veran Kein

**Veran returns Aeran's nod with a nod of her own, wondering whether his silence means that he understands everything that she has tried to pass on to him.* Aeran does not strike her as the type to hold his tongue if he doesn't understand something, and so Veran decides to trust that if or when he does have questions he will come to her. From her own time as a learner and then an apprentice Veran knows that learning something usually tales place in more than one stage; when she heard some of the philosophy of the Light and Darksides of the Force she accepted it but only understood it from an intellectual vantage point. It was only through experiencing the Darkside directly that Veran truly came to understand more of it and the dangers it poses to Force sensitives and she knows that, for Aeran, it will most likely be similar.

"Alright then,"*Veran says after a moment, nodding her head towards one of the room's training rings and walking towards it.* "The first form of the art of the lightsaber we will learn is called Shii-Cho, the Way of the Sarlaac or the Determination Form. It is the foundation upon which the other forms are built and will probably seem a bit simplistic, but it is a very effective style in it's own right and one that some Jedi, such as me, choose to focus and rely solely on."

*Taking her hilt from her belt with her left hand and says,* "Before we get into stances, footwork and strikes I want you to get a feel for the grip of a lightsaber. It is going to be unlike holding a blaster or even a traditional sword because it's design causes it to vibrate slightly at all times, and that is something you need to accomodate for. It also will seem odd because only the hilt will have weight, and all of the balance of a lightsaber is in the hilt." *With a small smile, knowing that it is a huge moment in the life of most Jedi to first ignite a lightsber, to see, hear and feel it in their hands, Veran says,* "Go on. Thumb the emitter switch and take a moment to let yourself really get a feel for it."*

Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:24 pm by Aeran Kutrak

*Aeran nods, biting his tongue to keep his expression serious. He holds the hilt out in front of him, with his right hand on top and his left hand on the bottom. Then, as instructed, he flips on the emitter switch. With a quick swishing sound, a blue blade rises out of the end of the hilt and the lightsaber begins to hum. The hilt itself begins to vibrate slightly as Veran had said it would, and Aeran adjusts his hands a little to accomodate for it.*

*He had just taken another large step on the path to becoming a Jedi. Even if this wasn't an actual lightsaber, it was close enough for Aeran at the moment. The hum of the lightsaber was like music to his ears. It felt good in his hands; he couldn't even describe how happy he was at the moment. He didn't want to show too much emotion though. Afterall this was a serious lesson and required the utmost focus.*

*He takes a step back to ensure that he was well out of the way of hitting something, and begins to move the blade around a little bit, keeping a close eye on it the entire time. It did feel strange because the blade was weightless; Aeran knew it'd take some getting used to. After a couple seconds of this he brings the blade up and holds it there, looking at his knew master. His face has a slight blue hue to it from the blade as Aeran gives a silent half-laugh and lets go with a smile. He couldn't resist.*

Sun Dec 04, 2011 7:44 pm by Veran Kein

*Veran circles around Aeran as he experiments with the lightsaber, watching with a critical eye to see his natural grip and stance for those things she will need to correct in order to begin his training with the art of Shii-Cho. *After she has watched him for a few moments, Veran smiles as she removes her outer robe and tosses it into a corner behind her and says,* "Alright, now the work begins. Shii'Cho is designed primarily to disarm your opponent without seriously injuring them. Keep that in mind throughout our work. OK, let's start with how you need to hold the hilt. Shii-Cho users will primarily utilize a two-handed grip . . ."

Veran loses track of the time for the next two hours as she works with Aeran, beginning with how to grip the hilt and moving to the opening stance of Form I. Veran knows that proficiency with any form of lightsaber combat depends on the concepts that Shii-Cho teaches and so she does not rush her lesson, patiently explaining things like the six body zones (head, right arm and side, left arm and side, back, right leg and left leg) and then exploring the strikes and parries that target each. Veran demonstrates the movements and then, after having him mirror her and watching his attempts and making any corrections necessary, has Aeran practice the stikes and parries at half speed for their first lesson, the deliberateness of the movements and speed designed to begin the formation of muscle memory that will, over time, help his combat instincts become sharply honed.

*Veran, used to more taxing workouts when honing her own lightsaber skill, has only broken a light sweat when, seeing that Aeran is nearing the point where he will not be taking much else in due both to the volume of things they have covered and the exhaustion of using muscles he may not have ever used in the course of their training, she decides to end the session, nodding as she watches Aeran perform the basic strikes on a training dummy at half speed and saying,* "Good. We'll start upping the tempo next time and maybe work on some velocities but I think you've made some good progress today. I know the repetitiveness can get a little boring, but it's worth enduring it for the reflexes it will instill."

*Moving towards a training mat nearby and sitting down to give Aeran the chance to cool down, Veran points to the spot across from her and, when he has taken a seat says,* "Another part of our training routine will include working out to get you in fighting shape. I'm sure you've got sore muscles you don't even know you had, right? So, what questions do you have about Shii-Cho so far?"*

Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:55 pm by Aeran Kutrak

*It had been a long two hours for Aeran. He had clearly underestimated the practice and precision that went into lightsaber combat. This didn't mean that he hadn't learned anything during the lesson. In fact, he had learned things like parries and strikes that worked to target the six zones Veran had explained to him earlier. Aeran had the aching muscles to show for the effort he put in, and this was only the very basics. He didn't say anything about it though. Aeran had never been one to say something when he was tired, even if he was worked to death. He was always afraid that he would appear weak if he did. Plus, despite how much it hurt right now, Aeran was confident that it would grow better in time. His body wasn't used to performing such actions. He was pretty in-shape from working on the farm and hunting, but for this kind of work he was far from it. But deep down he knew that this was all for the best, and that's what he kept telling himself rather than complaining when things got redundant or he got tired.*

*Aeran groans as he slowly sits down across from Veran.* "There's an understatement." *He tries to think of a question for her.* "So why start with Shii-Cho if there are other forms of combat out there?"

Mon Dec 05, 2011 8:51 pm by Veran Kein

**Veran, reaching behind her head to tighten the band holding her hair in a ponytail, explains,* "All of the forms build on the ones that came before them, either because technology changed like when blasters became common or because a way to address the supposed weaknesses or limitations of the forms was found. Think of them like nesting dolls sort of; each form is built around the ones you learn before and Form One is at the very center since it teaches you the very basics of lightsaber combat." With a shrug of her shoulders Veran says, "As we work more with Shii-Cho, we'll start to learn whether it is a good fit for you or if another Form might suit you better."

*Standing up and walking to her robe, Veran puts it on as she says,* "When you're ready to move again we'll go and see the archives and then maybe the meditation room. The archives will have everything you need to study for your classes or any independent study you or I want to do. And meditation is something you can do anywhere, but there is a place set up specifically for it which might help until you have the knack for it. I always had trouble seeing the benefit of meditation when I first started training, but then, when I finally got into it, learned that it really does help you connect with the Force more easily, which is something not to be underestimated."*

Mon Dec 05, 2011 9:37 pm by Aeran Kutrak

*Aeran nods.* *It'd made sense to him. Though he did want to know more about the other forms and what it took to learn them. Obviously he was far from even learning Form II at this point, but maybe in time. It would be a while before he found his fighting style, but when he did Aeran was confident that he could master it. As for right now, he was more sore than he'd ever been in his life. He desperately wanted to go and just collapse on his bed, but of course there were other things that needed to be done. He had been here for a few days now and he still hadn't seen all of the Academy.*

*He groans as he slowly gets to his feet.* "I'll be alright. Let's do this." *He was hoping they wouldn't practice any meditating right now. Aeran was fairly confident that he'd fall asleep if they did.*

Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:26 pm by Veran Kein

**Veran claps Aeran on the back and says,* "Alright then," then leads the way back into the halls as she says, "We can take a break after you know where everything in the academy is located so you can recover from the lesson. Don't," she grins and jokes, "get too used to taking a lot of breaks though. Tomorrow we'll start getting you into shape for real. . ."

As they head for the meditation room, where Veran decides they will just poke their heads in and have a look around, she describes what she thinks they will make their daily routine, which will start with jogging and then breakfast after which they will work on meditation and then continue working with Shii-Cho or other applications of the Force. After checking out the meditation room, Veran heads for the archives.*

Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:24 pm by Aeran Kutrak

*Aeran smirks as they he follows Veran out the door and replies,* "Gee Master, I can't wait."

*Only taking a glance at the meditation chamber, Aeran could tell it was a room that he would soon become very familiar with. He really didn't see what benefits meditating could do. However this was merely a bit of ignorance as a result of never meditating before. Once he got the hang of it, it wouldn't be as big of a deal. The room did look peaceful though, which made sense since he was a meditation chamber. The way Aeran was feeling right now, it looked like an ideal place to take a nap. After they had looked into the meditation chamber for a brief moment, Aeran follows his master to their next destination.*

Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:43 pm by Serrin Roma

*Having, the evening before, arranged to meet with Terra in the lightsaber training center to continue our training, I wake and, after doing my routine exercise and meditation before breaking my fast, go to the room to meet her. Thus far we have focused primarily on those aspects of a future Knight's training that are either not related to the martial aspects of a Jedi's role or only tangentally related to it; primarily because I can sense a reluctance or timidness in my padawan where such matters are concerned. A Jedi must, however, be versed and proficient in many things - the martial as well as the philosophical - and so I believe the time has come for us to begin exploring all facets of what it is to be a Jedi Knight, for us to work through whatever reservations Terra might have.*

*Once inside the room, I clasp my hands behind my back and pace the perimeter of the room idly, thinking of how best to begin our next phase of training . . .*

Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:03 pm by Terra Kiros

*Despite all that had happened the day before, Terra managed to get a decent sleep that night and woke earlier than she had the previous day. Remembering that she had agreed to meet her teacher for more training today, she had gotten a quick breakfast and hurried over to the room where they would be working today. She walked into the room, more or less on time, and smiled upon seeing her teacher.*

"I'm here, Ser--er...Master Roma."

*Was that right? Or was it OK for her to call her by her name when they were alone? She had forgotten...*

Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:36 pm by Serrin Roma

*Turning when Terra enters the room, I smile and shake my head, lifting a hand as I say warmly,* "Serrin is fine when we are alone, Terra. Formality has it's place, but I hope that we can dispense with it when there is no need for it." *Flipping my hand outward towards one of the training rings, I continue by observing,* We've spoken, briefly, of your previous training, but not in great depth. *Holding the hand up again, I add,* Nor do we need to do so until you feel it necessary or you would like to do so. A Jedi plays many roles, as I am sure you know, *I clasp my hands behind my back, walking casually towards the training ring but not yet entering it,* and one of those is an active defender of peace. *Unclasping my hands and tapping the lightsaber hilt on my hip, I continue,* Which is why all Jedi learn the art of the lightsaber; from our healers to our archivists, teachers and pilots. *Tilting my head at an inquisitive angle, my right lekku coiling around my bicep while the left drops behind my shoulder, I ask,* Did your previous instruction include using a lightsaber, or perhaps constructing one?"

Wed Feb 08, 2012 12:19 pm by Terra Kiros

*Terra didn't like fighting in any sense, but she figured that eventually she would have to learn to defend herself properly, especially in light of what happened to Aeran. She thought back to her brief Sith training, which hadn't included lightsabers at all. If she recalled, her old master had wanted her to learn to use a sword. Or had she wanted to? It didn't matter much now anyway.

She shook her head.* "No." *She looked at Serrin's lightsaber resting on her hip.* "Is that what we're doing today?"

Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:18 pm by Serrin Roma

*Nodding my head, I smile and say,* "It is. *Remembering that Veran had worked with Terra, albeit briefly, and had touched on Form Zero, I look from Terra towards a rack on the wall that contains several training lightsabers and walk towards it as I continue,* Typically, learners are introduced first to the Jedi philosophy of first attempting to avoid confrontation or conflict by alternate measures such as negotiation or even retreat. Form Zero, as it is called, is the foundation upon which the other lightsaber forms is built. *Picking up one of the training hilts, I toss it underhanded to Terra and say,* Catch, *and then ask,* I believe you and Veran have already discussed Form Zero to some degree? Do you have any questions about it?"

Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:35 pm by Terra Kiros

*Terra easily caught the training saber that Serrin threw to her and recalled her training session with Veran. She had learned the basics of Form Zero from her, about disarming and non lethal techniques more than any type of negotiation. And as for any questions, she shook her head feeling that she understood the concept of trying to avoid battle well enough. Honestly, she would rather avoid fighting in most cases.*

"No questions right now."

*She looked at the training saber in her hand, having never actually held any type of lightsaber before, at least that she could remember.*

Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:50 pm by Serrin Roma

"Alright then, *I say with a smile, walking forward and then to Terra's right side as I say,* Shii-Cho, or Form I, is the next logical progression of Form Zero; when conflict cannot be avoided and a Jedi needs to use their lightsaber, they will attempt to disarm an opponent without injuring them. *Tilting my head to the side, I crinkle my nose and admit,* It sounds simple, doesn't it? In practice, however, it is not quite so easy. But, *I shake my head, realizing that I am getting ahead of myself,* let's start with the basics anyway, shall we? *Nodding towards the lightsaber I have given her, I say,* First, we learn the weapon itself and familiarize ourselves with it's features and it's unique . . . "

*After pointing out the basic features of the lightsaber - the training hilt built with a dead-man's trigger, which requires the user to have a thumb on the activator in order for it to remain activated - such as the activation switch and switches to adjust the power level of the blade - the training saber only capable of a range from slight stinging to one that could result in only a mild burn - I have Terra activate the emerald hued blade so that she can get a feel for the constant vibration of the hilt and it's oscillating effect which a Jedi must be prepared for and able to compensate for. After Terra has become relatively comfortable with the feel of the hilt, I begin by demonstrating the proper two-handed grip for Shii-Cho and then move on to the proper stance, hoping to ease her into Shii-Cho by focusing, at first, on the postures and footwork involved in utilizing Form I rather than the strikes and parries . . .*

Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:41 pm by Terra Kiros

*Terra followed along as Serrin showed her the basics of handling the lightsaber, surprised at the blade itself being weightless, unlike the swords that she had tried to use during her previous training. It felt strange at first, but hopefully she could get used to that in time. She did her best to follow along to learn the stance and proper grip, adjusting it as Serrin instructed.*

Fri Feb 10, 2012 9:00 pm by Serrin Roma

*Once I can see that Terra has begun to become familiar with the unique grip and level of control using a lightsaber requires, I continue to further her command of the two handed grip most practitioners employ as well as the stance and then, standing beside her and igniting my own lightsaber, show her the basic strikes Shii-Cho employs; discussing, for now, only the common target zones - head, right arm and side, left arm and side, back, right leg and, finally, left leg - to avoid giving her too much information to absorb.*

*After I have her mirror my movements several times so that she gets a feel for them and then, have her repeat them while I circle her and watch for things in her stance or strikes that would benefit from adjustment. After I believe she has a firmer command of the strikes and the foundations of an understanding of the footwork - focusing on the crucial matter of maintaining her balance and only touching on how to avoid being driven in a direction beneficial to an opponent - I have Terra practice the strikes as I parry them so that she can both further her command of the strikes and see how to effectively parry - redirecting the energy of a blow by angling the lightsaber's blade rather than attempting to simply block being my focus for now - in order to continue easing her into both the Form itself and the idea of combat . . .*

Basic Lightsaber Training Center

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