A Guide to Soresu

[Lord Iezkon]

Introduction

Form III, Soresu, or the Way of the Mynock, is a lightsaber form created after the emergence of blaster weaponry, and thus it is widely seen as the most defensive form of lightsaber combat. The focus of this form is on deflecting blasters and lightsabers alike, and conserving energy for the user. Used correctly, used like a Sith should fight, Soresu can be deadly.

The focus on energy conservation allows the user to outlast their opponent, where more offensive forms use their energy in forming attacks, and true blocks, Soresu’s focus remains on efficient dodges, parries, and rarely a stationary defence. Manipulating one’s blade with only their wrists, holding their elbows close to their body, allows the freedom of movement with significantly less energy expended. A master of Form III is one who knows when to dodge, when to deflect, and when to remain in their present position, allowing for the maximum defence with the minimum energy expended. Remaining in one position leads the practitioner to waste energy on hard blocks and provides further challenge for deflection; leaving the practitioner as a still target for whomever they are fighting.

Soresu, however, has its own unique disadvantages. It fails to create its own openings, thus relying on the opponents mistakes to deal any fight-ending blows. In combat with a superior duelist, it often simply delays the inevitable. Additionally, it cannot be used with other variants of lightsabers, for these weapons do not allow the user to hold them close to the body, something Soresu requires.

Opening Stances and Associated Moves

The most recognisable opening stance for Soresu is the one I will touch upon here, for there is little need to delve into too much detail. This stance begins with a single handed grip, the saber held beside the user’s head on the same side of the hand being used. The blade would be pointed towards the opponent, while the non-dominant hand remains lower, extending towards the opponent. This non-blade hand raises to form into a claw shape, a taunting gesture to their opponent. Then, the back leg bends, becoming coiled like a spring ready to move in any direction. The front leg is sloped towards the opponent. This stance must be loose, ready and able to move with the energy of the opponent. The taunting aspect is essential to Soresu as a form. As a practitioner of Form III, the goal is for your opponent to overextend, to use too much energy that they begin making mistakes, such that the user can step in and deal a fight-ending or killing blow.

A master of Soresu allows their opponent to fight themselves, their blocks efficient and their blows devastating. The weapon of a Soresu user is the failings of their opponent. The goal is not to meet an opponent head on, power blocks will simply fatigue the user prematurely. Instead, one should guide blows away from themselves, subverting the momentum. Additionally, it serves the user to remain just a touch further from their opponent, such that the foe will have to reach towards them in order to hit. Retreat is also useful, for the longer a duel lasts, the more advantage the Soresu user will gain.

There are two main ‘associated moves’ which should be touched on here, the first being the Circle of Shelter, which is a technique that allows the blade to move continuously, using its own momentum to continue and thus also cutting energy waste, and it provides the user with the maximum amount of their body covered by their defences. While this is ongoing, one can channel their rage, preparing themselves for what is to come. This Form need not be ‘peaceful’ as the Jedi would preach, but vicious and brutal in the hands of the right Sith. This technique allows the user to bat aside blows, and blaster bolts, without breaking a sweat, their momentum maintaining itself with very minimal effort on their part.

The second, then, is  the Deflecting Slash. A Soresu user aims to remove the blaster bolt from the battle in its entirety. Soresu is - as shown with the Circle of Shelter - a Form which works in circles around the body, aiming to cover as much of the body with the saber as possible. The Deflecting Slash takes full advantage of this, meeting the blaster fire - or even incoming saber - perpendicular to its line of travel. These movements, perpendicular to the direction of travel, are essential to Soresu deflection and defence, and allows the user to deflect with relative ease and step in for a fight-ending blow, should the opportunity arise.

Summary

It is essential to note that Soresu is at its core reactive and flexible, with the user ready to move in any direction depending on their opponents actions. The user will retreat, evade, and dodge if needed, even using the environment where they can. The user utilises every advantage offered to them, with certainty to their movements, looking for solutions that others may overlook. The user often seeks to end the fight in the most efficient way possible - there is no use in Shiiming an enemy to death when a single blow to take a limb, the head, or cutting the opponent in half. They should only need a single blow to end their foe, but it must be brutal in and of itself.

It is also worth noting that a Soresu user may find difficulty in duelling a Makashi user, for both forms rely on a concept of energy conservation. However, Soresu users hold their blade close to their body, which can very easily allow an opening for the swift, elegant attacks of Makashi to break through their guard. Soresu is not always the correct choice, and while it is a useful form for defence, and one which provides a non-fatiguing way in which to do so, its lack of specific offensive movesets leaves it vulnerable against more experienced duellists. While Soresu can be seen, and used, as a passive form, it is a fatal weapon in the hands of one who masters it in line with the values of the Sith.

Fought as a Sith should fight, Soresu remains defensive, and often waits for the opponent to present opportunities, but these opportunities are seized and used in brutal, deadly, and efficient ways. Without Form III, there would be no Form V, which takes much of its defensive capability from Soresu and combines it with its own set of offensive moves. While Form V, in that way, repairs some of the faults of Form III, it also loses a portion of the defence provided by Soresu. Thus, there are right and wrong times to use each form, and there is no one size fits all for choosing which saber form to fight with. A master of Soresu is efficient, subtle, and ready for anything.

I shall leave you with one question: If one picks up the lightsaber held by a Jedi and uses it to cut said Jedi in half, does that blade remain a Jedi weapon?


(*Post by Eddi Arkiti.*)