Lightsaber Form IV Ataru - Lore and HEMA application
Ataru – Lightsaber Form IV
Lightsaber Form IV, known primarily as Ataru, is a fast paced and aggressive style that is highly effective against single opponents in combat. It commonly employed force-assisted acrobatics and fast attacking strikes from multiple directions. Also known as the way of the Hawk-Bat, it required intense concentration and athleticism. Its downside was that if a fight was prolonged long enough, the user could become exhausted and defeated in this way. Ataru users would often seem like blurs to those watching them fight and duel, as their speed and constant changing of attack angles was so developed that onlookers would often only see spheres of rotating light.
Notable Form IV Users
Throughout the Star Wars films, one character has stood at the apex of Ataru: Master Yoda. All his actions flowed with an intense smoothness, where one transition to another seemed to have no in-betweens. His small stature made him perfect for Ataru, as he could move faster and be a harder target to hit. Yoda’s mastery of Ataru allowed him to successfully duel Count Dooku, Darth Sidious, and Asajj Ventress.
Another well-known and powerful Ataru master from Star Wars was Qui-Gon Jinn. Instead of excessive acrobatics and flips, he generally employed it with heavy bladework to complement his 6’3”/190cm frame. Part of the reason that Darth Maul was able to defeat and kill him was because in the final location of their battle, Qui-Gon did not have the wide, open spaces that Ataru thrives in, and thus he was defeated.
Other Form IV Ataru users included Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Darth Maul, as he was highly proficient in multiple styles of lightsaber combat and often employed acrobatics in his duels. Qui-Gon taught his apprentice Ataru, Obi-Wan taught his apprentice Ataru, and Anakin taught his apprentice Ataru. Ultimately, they all ended up specializing in other forms of lightsaber combat, and always had their training and repertoire of Form IV Ataru moves and skills that they incorporated into their fighting styles, and Darth Maul is still seen using it even in the new Shadow Lord show.
Real World Equivalencies and Applications
In historical fencing, here are the main applications of Ataru that we see:
- The seizing of the Vor and staying in the Vor
- Subconscious mastery of movement, the proper usage of flourishes, and the Nachreyson
- The importance of athleticism, broken down into strength-speed, agility-coordination, and endurance
- Moving Footwork and gathering steps
Seizing the Vor and Staying in it
In his Zettel poem, the master Liechtenhauer says:
“17 Before and After, these two things, are to all skill a well-spring.
18 Weak and Strong, Always remember the word Instantly.
19 So you may learn To work and defend with skill.
20 If you are easily intimidated, no fencing should you learn.”
In the Von Danzig Fechtbuch, the author speaks about how you should always get “there” before your opponent does, “there” being your attack. In other words, your goal is to always to try and hit the other guy before he tries to hit you!This is why Ataru often works to defeat opponents, because it doesn’t give them an opportunity to properly attack you, only to parry your attacks.
To apply this, when you are fencing your opponent, your thought process should be asking where your opponent’s opening is, immediately attempting to strike it, immediately looking for the next opening, immediately striking it, repeat, etc. You should never stop attacking, but your attacks should not be sloppy. Your strikes should be efficient and aimed at the proper striking zones, depending on which are open for you. Which leads us into our next point:
Mastery of Movement, Proper Use of Flourishes, and the Nachreisen
The master also says:
“21 Learn five strokes from the right side against the opposition.
22 Then we promise that your arts will be rewarded. –
36 Four openings know, aim: so you hit certainly,
37 without any danger, without regard for how he acts.” (1)
When we leave the Zufechten and enter into our opponent’s space to begin our relentless attack, we must know why we are attacking our enemy in a certain way. The Vier Versetzen is the specific application of four of the five Meister strikes in the Kunst De Fechten tradition. Each one can be used to “overcome a certain guard”. Krumphau beats Ochs, Zwerchau beats Vom Tag, Schielhau beats Pflug, and Schietelhau beats Alber. A skillet Ataru user is constantly swapping back and forth between the four Vier Versetzen while attacking their opponent, depending on their guard’s position. They have mastered subconscious technique, and in this way they produce a wild “psuedo-flourish”.
Another way these Vier Versetzen “flourishes” can be employed is with the Nachreyson. The Nachreyson, also known as the Chasing or the Traveling After, is when you seek to strike your opponent whenever your opponent changes guards or positions. When an opponent changes from Pflug to Ochs, a skilled Ataru practitioner instantly sees an opportunity to deploy a Krumphau while the opponent is vulnerable from their transition. For the Ataru master, the entire fight becomes their use of the Vier Versetzen and Nachreyson simultaneously. They are a master at detecting openings as they appear, using the right strike, and continuously and quickly applying pressure and speed in this way. Speaking of Speed:
The importance of athleticism and endurance in Ataru and HEMA
Perhaps it goes without saying, but in order to fight like this, the fencer and Ataru practitioner must have developed a high level of athleticism and endurance. We can break Athleticism down into two main categories, each of which has two parts: strength and speed, and agility and coordination, and a supporting category of endurance.
Strength is important for HEMA, but not in the way people often think. There’s no point in exerting overly intense amounts of force while fencing, because your opponent can just weaken in the bind and use your force against you. But strength is important because it is a determining factor in stability and speed. A stronger muscle can move faster: it is easier to move, therefore it can move quicker. Being stronger also means the body can stabilize and absorb impact better. When performing Ataru “flourishes”, intense speed is required to keep your opponent in the Nach (response).
In the same vein, agility and coordination are deeply important. Coordination is the ability to use different parts of the body to smoothly and efficiently execute movement, and agility is the physical and cognitive capacity to quickly change direction, speed, or body position in response to stimuli. In other words, coordination is body control, while agility is reaction and speed. Similar to Form II Makashi users, the ability to control precisely where one’s body parts are moving to and how quickly they do so is critical for Ataru. The difference is that a Makashi user practices extremely minimal movement, while the Ataru user practices precise/minimal and overwhelming movement.
Endurance in HEMA and in Form IV Ataru
Last, an Ataru user and skilled fencer must have endurance. If conditioning is not already a part of your training routine, you need to make it a part of it. The main weakness of Ataru is the user gassing out and becoming vulnerable to a counter-offensive. It’s hard to seize the Vor when you’re exhausted. So a strong level of conditioning will let one seize and press the Vor longer, making them more likely to break through their opponent’s guard before tiring out.
Footwork in Form IV Ataru and in HEMA
Finally, we would be amiss if we did not mention footwork. There are two main aspects of footwork in HEMA that relate to Ataru: gathering steps and constant movement. We have already discussed passing steps for power generation in our article on form V Djem So, and those are still important. Without them, your seizing of the Vor will be unsuccessful. But before we can begin generating powerful strikes, we must get out of Zufechten (where we aren’t in striking range) and into the Mittel (striking range), and one way we can do this is with gathering steps. Gathering steps are simply when you shuffle forward on both feet. It is a way to quickly and deceptively gain some distance on your opponent so that you can enter into striking range. (2)
Movement in Ataru Form IV and in HEMA
The final piece to our puzzle today is constant movement. If you stay still, you are easier to hit. Keep trying to step around to your opponents flanks and strike him there. When you strike to the next opening, step to generate power and get yourself offline. But remember that these do not have to be large movements. Those run the risk of telegraphing your moves to your opponent. Learn to generate maximal power and speed with minimal movements.
Lightsaber form IV Ataru is known for its powerful strikes, aggressive flourishes, and acrobatic movement. In HEMA, these translate to seizing and staying in the Vor, mastery of the Vier Versetzen and Nachreyson, the development of athleticism and endurance, and the proper usage of footwork and movement seen in gathering steps and learning how to get maximum results from minimal movement.
Pick up a Timelacer saber bundle and have fun with Ataru, you should. Not be disappointed, if today begins your Form IV training arc.
*All of the above material is my own interpretation of sources and application in the current stage of my HEMA journey and as an appreciator of Star Wars lore, and should not be taken as rigid doctrines.
Bibliography
The Recital of the Chivalric Art of Fencing of the Grand Master Johannes Liechtenauer With Commentary and Illustrations by Master Sigmund ain Ringeck, Master Peter von Danzig, Master Paulus Kal, and Other Inheritors of His Tradition, from wiktenaur.com
Pope, Danny, Back to Basics 1 – Fundamentals and Footwork in Meyer, Scholar Victoria, Feb 25th, 2016.
https://scholarvictoria.com/2016/02/25/back-to-basics-1-footwork-in-meyer/
