Form III: Soresu

Form III: Soresu, The Way of the Mynock, or the Resilience Form, was the third form of the seven forms of lightsaber combat established by the Jedi Council before the end of the Clone Wars. Soresu, unlike any of the other combat styles, was not an answer to a particular type of weakness. Soresu was considered the consummate Jedi combat form in that it embraced a passive way of life and a literal expression of the Jedi's tenement to defend rather than attack.

Form III was originally developed to counteract the advancing blaster technology throughout the Galaxy. Those to whom the Jedi were mainly opposed usually wielded blasters, and the Jedi needed to find a method of defense that could repel normally overwhelming volleys of blaster fire. Soresu was then founded upon the basic deflection principles all Padawans were taught, the skill that enable them to protect themselves from blaster bolts.

The third form of lightsaber combat utilized motions that occurred very close to the body, in an attempt to achieve near-total protection and expend as little energy as possible while executing moves. This technique minimized the body's exposure, making a well-trained practitioner nearly invincible. Followers of Soresu comfortably remained on the defensive until their opponent left an opening that a Soresu practitioner usually could exploit in multiple ways. Soresu was best described as a passive form of combat, and one that was used by those who were extremely patient and reserved.

Due to the emphasis on defense training, Form III involved preparation for prolonged battles so that the user would be able to learn as much as possible about their opponent or opponents whilst engaged in possibly deadly combat. Also, by being more capable in lengthy battles, a Soresu user was in a position to gain control of the situation and provide multiple options for the duelist; such as the choice to either kill, disarm, or even reason with their opponent. Soresu's greatest power lay in the endurance and control a practitioner eventually developed. Masters of the form left no opening for their opponents to take advantage of, while waiting for the eventual lapses in their opponent's own defense. Even though a truly focused master of Soresu was nearly unbeatable due to a strong defense posture, there was more guarantee of survival rather than victory. Initiates in Form III were known to be more than capable when defending themselves from attack, but might have lacked the experience to trap an opponent in their own offense. Since the defensive tactics of the form included guards and parries that were very close to the body, even a master had to keep a strong focus on his or her actions as small lapses in an otherwise strong defense left little room to avoid injury. The key to truly mastering Soresu may concern the concept and philosophy of Soresu, instead of its combat moves.

Soresu was a very favorable form of combat for Jedi until the Great Jedi Purge. The defense and control it allowed a practitioner made for suitable outcomes in favor of the user when faced with hurried opponents who left themselves vulnerable to counterattack. It was best for warding off blaster fire and multiple opponents as a trained user would be able to defend even outside their visual range. However, its defense required a very large amount of focus from the wielder and even a momentary fault in concentration could have meant the user's defeat. Jedi with less focused minds would usually abandon this style of combat to capitalize on the benefits of other styles that required less dedication to prolonged fighting. Jedi who mastered Soresu were known to be the most successful when dealing in situations when a quick victory was not favorable to total understanding and calculated action.

Masters

 * Tulsar Leidias
 * Kalja Sairu Leidias

Users

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Canon planetary information courtesy of Wookieepedia. Please visit the provided links for the canonical Soresu.