Offense 1
Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 11:58 am
Just a thought here: could we swap Offense 1 and 2, so that Medium is the first style learned, rather than Fast? Here's my reasoning:
- Shii-Cho is designed to teach placement and precision of strikes - in essence, to give the student some understanding of Points of Contact, the different types of strike, and also to teach them to handle a lightsaber without slicing parts off. Fast Stance = quick (and reckless) motion, absence of precision and close-ranged (ultimately more risky) strikes. Medium, however, focuses on medium-range, slower-paced strikes that are far more precise in placement, and this better suits initial training sequences.
- Fast stance requires considerable understanding of footwork, motion and accuracy in movement - from an IC perspective, no Jedi would move so quickly in using a lightsaber unless they already had some skill with it. If you've ever used a real sword, you know that you certainly don't flurry around or use lots of spins and turns (even when you know what you're doing!), because this is both risky in terms of how the weapon handles, and also because it offers opponents unnecessary openings. Although Fast Stance has many useful abilities (the lunge, in particular), it always struck me as something that would be appropriate for someone who has has a lot of practice.
- Honestly, Medium stance offers a lot more in terms of precision training: combinations and drills are far more extensive in Medium, both because you're limited to a maximum of 3-4 chained movements, and also because each is slow enough that they can be broken down and combined easily. With Fast stance, you have nanoseconds to decide on your next movement, and this is far harder both to teach with and learn from!
- Students new to the lightsaber are encouraged to use two-handed strikes: the single-handed emphasis of Fast Style runs counter to this, suggestive of a fluidity and confidence in handling of a lightsaber that no new student is likely to experience.