Lightsaber combat is the preferred fighting method used by lightsaber wielders, many of the forms and styles being designed to compensate for the gyroscopic effect inherent in lightsabers, and take advantage of the Force-sensitivity common in most wielders. The different styles of lightsaber dueling were initially based on ancient sword-fighting techniques. Throughout the millennia, these many combat styles were refined into the seven "classic" forms that serve as the standard, and numerous other fighting methods that call for advanced levels of skill. Lightsaber combat is difficult to master for a number of reasons, one of them being that all of the weight a lightsaber had was in its hilt, and the gyroscopic effect caused resistance to changes in motion, or built up momentum so quickly than an untrained wielder can lose control of the weapon.
When lightsaber technology was developed to the point where they became a viable weapon, becoming the standard weapon of the Jedi Order by 7000 BBY, a combat form that accounted for the abilities and weaknesses of the weapon was required. Form I, Shii-Cho, was a highly simplistic style, based on age-old fencing principles, and defining the types of attacks, parries, body zones and practice drills that could be utilized with the lightsaber. When Darksiders and fallen Jedi began to arise, lightsaber duels became an almost routine activity, and Shii-Cho was simply not up for the task, as it didn't address lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. This necessitated the development of Makashi, a precise and efficient fighting form geared towards lightsaber dueling. This style's prevalence during this era produced many of the greatest dueling masters the galaxy had ever seen, a notable being Tulak Hord, one of the early Sith Lords.
Makashi was eventually rendered partially obsolete due to the distribution and common usage of blasters and other ranged energy weapons. Due to this, the third form, Soresu, was created. An extrapolation and development of Shii-Cho blast-deflect training, Soresu emphasized defensive coverage, characterized by tight and efficient movements. A true Form III master was considered invincible by many. However, the style was not without its detractors, who criticized its focus on defense at the expense of offense. As an answer to the weaknesses of Soresu, Ataru (Form IV) and Shien (Form V) were developed side by side. Both were highly aggressive combat forms, the former focusing on speed and agility, the latter on strength and attack moves. Notably, Shien exploited the lightsaber's ability to deflect blaster bolts by deliberately deflecting shots towards opponents. Later, a new, more advanced Form V variant known as Djem So was developed, focused on lightsaber dueling.
While Forms IV and V proved highly effective, many more conservative Jedi were put off by their aggressive focuses, and set to work creating a form that balanced all the other focuses with overall moderation, in better keeping with Jedi philosophy. The result was the sixth form, Niman. Developed from the Jar'Kai dual-blade combat style, Niman was a gateway to fantastic lightsaber skill without a focus on power or aggression, though it would ironically become the favored style of the fallen Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Exar Kun, a masterful lightsaber duelist. Due to his obvious skill, Kun came to consider himself the greatest duelist in the galaxy, though he ultimately met his match in the Djem So specialist Ulic Qel-Droma. Kun would go on to defeat Vodo-Siosk Baas, the Jedi battlemaster of the day, and wield one of the earliest saberstaffs, creating the weapon from schematics provided by a Sith holocron.
By the time of the First Jedi Purge, Juyo (Form VII) had been created. An advanced and extremely aggressive form, Juyo required high-level mastery of multiple forms to be studied, as it cut perilously close to Sith intensity of focus on combat ability. Specifically, Juyo drew on the agile footwork of Makashi, the tight, aggressive motions of Shien, and the fluid style of Niman. Masters of the form were loath to teach it to those with proven recklessness, and the rarity of practitioners left it in a state of only partial development for almost a thousand years after the Army of Light disbanded with the Ruusan Reforms. Three of the only known practitioners alive following the First Jedi Purge were Jedi Council Masters Vrook Lamar, Zez-Kai Ell, Kavar, and Atris.
Makashi was eventually rendered partially obsolete due to the distribution and common usage of blasters and other ranged energy weapons. Due to this, the third form, Soresu, was created. An extrapolation and development of Shii-Cho blast-deflect training, Soresu emphasized defensive coverage, characterized by tight and efficient movements. A true Form III master was considered invincible by many. However, the style was not without its detractors, who criticized its focus on defense at the expense of offense. As an answer to the weaknesses of Soresu, Ataru (Form IV) and Shien (Form V) were developed side by side. Both were highly aggressive combat forms, the former focusing on speed and agility, the latter on strength and attack moves. Notably, Shien exploited the lightsaber's ability to deflect blaster bolts by deliberately deflecting shots towards opponents. Later, a new, more advanced Form V variant known as Djem So was developed, focused on lightsaber dueling.
While Forms IV and V proved highly effective, many more conservative Jedi were put off by their aggressive focuses, and set to work creating a form that balanced all the other focuses with overall moderation, in better keeping with Jedi philosophy. The result was the sixth form, Niman. Developed from the Jar'Kai dual-blade combat style, Niman was a gateway to fantastic lightsaber skill without a focus on power or aggression, though it would ironically become the favored style of the fallen Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Exar Kun, a masterful lightsaber duelist. Due to his obvious skill, Kun came to consider himself the greatest duelist in the galaxy, though he ultimately met his match in the Djem So specialist Ulic Qel-Droma. Kun would go on to defeat Vodo-Siosk Baas, the Jedi battlemaster of the day, and wield one of the earliest saberstaffs, creating the weapon from schematics provided by a Sith holocron.
By the time of the First Jedi Purge, Juyo (Form VII) had been created. An advanced and extremely aggressive form, Juyo required high-level mastery of multiple forms to be studied, as it cut perilously close to Sith intensity of focus on combat ability. Specifically, Juyo drew on the agile footwork of Makashi, the tight, aggressive motions of Shien, and the fluid style of Niman. Masters of the form were loath to teach it to those with proven recklessness, and the rarity of practitioners left it in a state of only partial development for almost a thousand years after the Army of Light disbanded with the Ruusan Reforms. Three of the only known practitioners alive following the First Jedi Purge were Jedi Council Masters Vrook Lamar, Zez-Kai Ell, Kavar, and Atris.