Form VI: Niman

From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.

Form VI: Niman, also known as The Way of the Rancor, The Moderation Form, and the diplomat's form, was the sixth form of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.

Contents 1 Description 1.1 Known Moves and Maneuvers 1.2 Applications 1.3 History 2 Practitioners 3 Behind the scenes 4 Appearances 5 Sources 6 Notes and references

[edit] Description

Form VI attempted to balance all elements of lightsaber combat, combining the techniques from Forms that came before into a less intensely demanding combat style. In practice, Form VI was a combination of older forms (Forms I, III, IV, and V), and all of them in moderation. In the blending, much of the individuality was lost, but the strengths were spread evenly, and there was little weakness in it. Due to its "jack-of-all-trades" nature, the success of this form was largely dependent on the practitioner's intuition, improvisation, and creativity in combat rather than the rote responses derived from other forms. This broad generalization made Form VI well suited for diplomats, as they could spend their time training in the areas of politics and negotiation instead of combat training.

[edit] Known Moves and Maneuvers

One of the stances utilized by Niman had the blade cocked high at head-height, held in both hands angled slightly inwards, with the dominant foot forward. Obi-Wan Kenobi was known to frequently use this stance in combat.^[7]

One of the attacks utilized by Form VI was referred to as "Draw Closer". It consisted of the duelist telekinetically seizing an opponent and pulling the enemy into the path of his blade.^[13] A technique that was the reverse of the "Draw Closer" was also developed, dubbed the "Pushing Slash", in which the duelist would slash an opponent before blasting him aside with a Force push.^[13]

[edit] Applications

Niman was not a weak form. While many other lightsaber forms bolstered the wielder's abilities in one area, while leaving him vulnerable in others, Niman was capable in all situations but had no dramatic strengths. It provided no edge in battle, but achieved its worth in not leaving its wielder as exposed as some of the more aggressive forms. Its strength was its balance. The form was also considered a basis for more 'unorthodox' fighting, as Jedi who used it were less frequently using automatic reflex than constantly thinking and often had time to invent unusual strategies for combat. It also provided a decent defense versus enemy Force powers and blaster fire.

Sometimes, sparring with another one could achieve a state of meditation, and the Niman form was one of the best such techniques. Its great strength was the way it allowed the Force to flow through its practitioner, revitalizing him even in the middle of combat. The philosophy of Form VI was "the leaf swept in the winds of the Force." Users of this lightsaber form achieved a mindset of one who was not troubled by their surroundings, but simply rode the current of the surrounding turmoil, being well-balanced within.

According to Cin Drallig, if a duelist dedicated himself exclusively to Form VI, he can expect to study the style for at least ten years before achieving mastery.^[14]

[edit] History

Niman, the dual-blade style developed by the Royale Macheteros of the Kashi Mer, was named for the dual triumvirate of the Kashi deities. The style was adopted by the Legions of Lettow, a group of Dark Siders responsible for the First Great Schism of the Jedi Order. After the defeat of the Legion at the hands of the Jedi, Niman was adopted by the Jedi order, eventually being refined into the sixth form of lightsaber combat, referred to by the same name.^[15] It should be noted that there were Jedi who engaged in dual-blade combat prior to the adoption of Niman by the Order, an example being Awdrysta Pina, who wielded a pair of Jedi katanas in battle. Many Jedi Knights and Sith Lords trained to use Form VI in the hopes of gaining a basic knowledge of the dual-bladed combat, but very few ever achieved complete mastery of Niman.

Both styles predated the invention and usage of lightsabers, but being designed to be practiced with swords, they were easily adapted. In addition, the word "Jar'Kai" became a blanket term for dual-blade combat in general, leading to the birth of the term "Jar'Kai tactic", which was to simply employ two blades in combat, regardless of whether one received training in any dual-blade fighting style.

It remains unknown how common Niman was in ancient times, but several Jedi masters were known to have practiced the form, Zez-Kai Ell, Vrook Lamar, and Kavar being among their number.^[4] The style was even utilized by the Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Exar Kun.^[8]

By the time of the Clone Wars and the following Jedi purge, Form VI was the standard form within the Jedi Order. This combat discipline was often referred to as the "diplomat's form." Unfortunately, all of the Form VI practitioners at the Battle of Geonosis were killed.^[16] As a result, full masters of other lightsaber forms sometimes considered Form VI to be insufficiently demanding.

Aspects of Form VI may have been adapted for the Medium style of the New Jedi Order.

[edit] Practitioners

Some of the most prolific masters of the style during the ancient times included the Sith Lord Exar Kun^[8] and the Jedi Masters Zez-Kai Ell, Vrook Lamar, and Kavar.^[4] Another practitioner was the Sith Blademaster Kas'im, who mastered it along with the other six forms.^[6] Johun Othone, the former Padawan of Lord Hoth, prominently used this form to survive the various battles of the Ruusan campaign, though a decade later, as a result of laxed training, he used it to a more limited effect during combat, nearly being beaten in an attempted kidnapping and hindering the efforts of Sarro Xaj in their duel with Darth Zannah.^[10]

While Niman was not a weak form, it proved ineffective in the pitched combat of the Clone Wars, as demonstrated during the Battle of Geonosis, where all Form VI practitioners died. Among these unfortunate casualties were Sarrissa Jeng, Sar Labooda,^[2] and Joclad Danva.^[2]

Darth Sidious' Sith apprentice, Darth Maul was also a Niman practitioner, having learned the form during years of intense training at the hands of his Master.^[9] Count Dooku appeared to have enough knowledge in the style to train the Kaleesh cyborg Grievous in it, as well as Grievous's IG-100 MagnaGuard bodyguards.^[5] Obi-Wan Kenobi was known to have utilized some of the styles stances in combat.^[7]

Jedi Master Cin Drallig was considered the most prolific instructor of Form VI, as he was of the five forms below it, teaching Niman to thousands of students during his Jedi career.^[3] However, despite his mastery of the style, he was easily cut down by Darth Vader's use of Form V during the Great Jedi Purge.^[17]

Despite the limited battlefield benefits provided by Form VI, it remained in use up until and beyond the ressurgence and takeover of the Galactic Empire, a notable practitioner being the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Krayt.^[18]

[edit] Behind the scenes

In the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, the Jedi Masters could teach the Jedi Exile the Niman form only if she was a Jedi Sentinel or the Sentinel's corrresponding prestige classes, the Jedi Watchman or Sith Assassin.^[4]

It was speculated that Coleman Trebor was a practitioner of this form since he was quickly killed by Jango Fett and since he was described as being a "diplomat." However, it has been stated that he focused on Form III.^[2]

Sora Bulq may also have had knowledge of Niman, based on comments from the official Databank.^[19]

While Darth Sidious is believed to be a Form IV user, no source has confirmed his lightsaber form. Due to comments from Nick Gillard that Sidious has been shown to use several different forms proficiently, it is possible that he has mastered most of them, including Form VI.

Niman, along with the other lightsaber forms, appears in Star Wars: Galaxies as part of moves and techniques employable by Jedi characters. This has not definitively been clarified to be canonical. ^[20]

[edit] Appearances

• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
• Darth Bane: Rule of Two
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (First appearance)
• Labyrinth of Evil
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

[edit] Sources

• Jedi vs. Sith: Essential Guide to the Force
• "Fightsaber: Jedi Lightsaber Combat" - Star Wars Insider 62
• Order 66: Destroy All Jedi
• Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary
•  Sora Bulq in the Databank
•  Fightsaber: Mastering the Art of Lightsaber Combat on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Squadrons Over Corellia (Card: Niman)

[edit] Notes and references

	Lightsabers
Combat	Duel · Dun Möch · Fast style · Medium style · Strong style · Form "Zero" · Mounted · Niman/Jar'Kai · Sokan Three rings of defense · Trispzest · Tràkata
Forms	I: Shii-Cho · II: Makashi · III: Soresu · IV: Ataru · V: Shien / Djem So · VI: Niman · VII: Juyo / Vaapad
Techniques	Cho mai · Cho mok · Cho sun · Dulon · Faalo's cadences · Faalo's Will · Falling Leaf · Flowing Water · Jedi ready · Jung · Jung ma · Kai-kan · Lus-ma · Mou kei · Sai · Sai cha · Sai tok · Sequence · Shiak · Shiim Shun · Su · Sun djem · Twin Suns · Velocities
Variations	Crossguard lightsaber · Curved-hilt lightsaber · Dual-phase lightsaber · Double-bladed lightsaber Imperial Knight lightsaber · Lightclub · Lightfoil · Lightwhip · Long-handle lightsaber Lightsaber pike · Protosaber · Shoto / Guard shoto · Training lightsaber / Sith training saber
Lightsaber-resistant materials	Armorweave · Cortosis · Darkswords · Force Weapon · Mandalorian iron · Neuranium · Orbalisks · Phrik Sith alchemy · Ultrachrome
Technology	Blade emitter · Crystal · Diatium power cell · Emitter matrix · Focusing lens · Hilt · Inert power insulator · Pommel cap