#form ii

Being the Second Form of the Lightsaber, Known Among the Orders as The Way of Contention

“When war becomes art, only the refined endure. And in such contests, brute force is not only crude — it is irrelevant.” — Fragment from the Scroll of Serennian Dueling Masters

§ I. Of Its Name and First Purpose

Annotation: If Shii-Cho is the hammer, then Makashi is the needle — unerring, unshakable, and elegant to the end.

Makashi, Form II, is known across the Orders as The Contention Form, for it was born in contention — not merely with enemies, but with the limitations of the First Form itself. Where Shii-Cho raged against many with raw power, Makashi turned its blade toward the duel.

This Form is not concerned with crowds, nor chaos. It was wrought for one-on-one combat — saber against saber, will against will — in measured confrontation. It moves not to overwhelm, but to outthink, outmaneuver, and ultimately outlast.

Makashi adherents do not strike often. They strike precisely, with intention sharpened to a point.

§ II. Of Its Origins in an Age of Blades

Annotation: As duels between lightsaber-wielders became more common, so too did the need for a method of elegance and control.

The rise of Makashi traces to the Great Hyperspace War, an era when Jedi and Sith met increasingly not in fields of soldiers, but in duels of champions. There, the brute force of Shii-Cho was found lacking — its wide arcs and battlefield instincts poorly suited to the grace and cunning of single combat.

Makashi arose as the answer. Its philosophy was drawn not from armies, but from the dueling salons of old, where lords and scholars sparred with rapiers and sabers. It favored the economy of movement, the clarity of line, and the discipline of the thrust. Where other Forms clash, Makashi glides.

Thus was the Second Form born not in fire, but in refinement. It is not the weapon of war, but of the duelist’s circle, where each motion carries weight and each inch of steel is measured in lives.

§ III. From the Personal Records of Count Dooku

“Makashi is not for those who seek spectacle. It is for those who seek victory. Speed is nothing without precision. Strength is wasteful without grace. The truly refined understand that to strike well once is better than to strike wildly a hundred times. Those who mock this truth have no place in the Circle.” — Count Dooku, Lord of Serenno, Defender of the Line

§ IV. Of the Essence of the Form

Annotation: Where Shii-Cho demands domination, Makashi offers control.

The soul of Makashi lies in the concept of economy — of motion, of energy, of thought. Every gesture, every step, every angle of attack is considered, purposeful, and stripped of excess.

Makashi thrives on distance. It teaches one to maintain the line, to never overextend nor withdraw without design. It employs precise thrusts and targeted slashes, aimed not to maim but to disarm, disorient, and resolve the duel swiftly.

There is no flourish without function. The blade writes its will in the air with delicate authority, and the practitioner becomes as a calligrapher — each motion a letter, each bout a sentence.

The Form excels in disarmament, in counters and reversals delivered with such finesse that the eye may miss them, though the body cannot.

§ V. Of the Grip: Precision Held in the Hand

Annotation: Where power holds tight, precision holds lightly.

Makashi favors a one-handed grip, unlike the two-handed hold of Shii-Cho. The saber is wielded much like a dueling foil — fingers guiding, wrist directing, arm extending with flow and subtlety.

The ring and little fingers anchor the hilt, while the index and middle remain loose, giving the practitioner unmatched freedom of wrist articulation. This allows for fine control of angle, rotation, and direction, especially in close combat.

Though a second hand may join in times of necessity, true Makashi is recognized by the single hand extended, blade poised like a fencer’s sting.

§ VI. Of the Stance and Motion of the Duelist

Annotation: Makashi’s stance does not invite, it challenges.

The practitioner turns sideways to the foe, presenting a narrow target and optimizing reach. The lead foot faces forward, the rear turned perpendicular, knees slightly bent, ready to glide rather than stomp.

Weight is balanced evenly, though some traditions teach it should rest more on the back foot — a signal of readiness to retreat or redirect, never to lunge blindly.

The rear arm is held behind, not limp but balanced — both a counterweight and a mark of discipline.

The blade is typically held in two guard positions:

High Guard: blade parallel to the ground at chest height, point aimed at the opponent, arm extended but relaxed — an offensive posture.

Low Guard: hilt at the navel, blade angled upward across the body, elbow close — a defensive orientation prepared for riposte.

Movement is not hurried. It is measured, like a musician’s beat, and when the opening comes, it is seized with the swiftness of a falling star.

§ VII. Of the Art of Offense

Annotation: The duel is not won by force, but by forethought followed by perfect action.

Makashi favors short, precise strikes — lunges, disarming flicks, arcs aimed to unbalance or wound, not to obliterate.

The Form employs sudden directional changes, making it difficult to anticipate. But its true power lies in its counterattacks, for each parry is not an end but a beginning — the riposte is built into every defense.

In this, Makashi turns the enemy’s aggression into a path to their undoing.

§ VIII. Of the Discipline of Defense

Annotation: The best defense is absence, the second best is redirection.

Makashi does not seek to meet power with power, for it knows such contests favor the strong. Instead, it evades, redirects, and parries with the edge of precision.

A Makashi adept often seems to not be present when the blow falls — a slight pivot, a glide back, a subtle rotation of the wrist that sends the attacker’s momentum past its mark.

Blocks are discouraged unless required, for they risk binding the blade, losing initiative. Instead, a Makashi defense is fluid, meant to preserve motion, create openings, and transition seamlessly into offense.

§ IX. Of the Form’s Nature and Temperament

Annotation: There is no fury in Makashi. Only focus.

Let the following names be counted among Makashi’s character:

Elegant, yet not delicate.

Precise, yet not rigid.

Fluid, yet not formless.

Swift, refined, measured, and collected.

It is a Form for the patient, the poised, the practiced. Those who seek to batter or overwhelm will find themselves outmaneuvered — defeated not by strength, but by superiority of method.

§ X. Of the Observations Upon Other Forms

Annotation: Makashi respects all Forms, but acknowledges few equals.

Shii-Cho: “Brute force only triumphs over the weak or the witless.”

Soresu: “Stalwart, but too imprecise to exploit an opening in return.”

Ataru: “Energetic, but exhausting. Why leap when a step will suffice?”

Djem So: “Powerful, but still unrefined. With time, it may yet evolve.”

Niman: “A flavorless dilution. It tastes of everything and satisfies nothing.”

Vaapad: “Passionate, but clouded. Rage blinds; clarity cuts.”

These are not insults, but evaluations — born not of arrogance, but of observation.

§ XI. Of a Duel Remembered

From the Archives of the Outer Rim Campaigns, 22 BBY

“The duelist moved like water made light. His blade never clashed — it sang. One strike flowed into the next as though all had been choreographed by fate. When the Sith came down with fury, the Makashi warrior stepped aside — not fully, just enough — and let the rage pass him.

Form II, or Makashi, was the second form of lightsaber combat. Developed to respond to the rise of the Sith, Form II was a formal dueling style, with deliberate movements and precision being the main focus. As the Sith became less of a constant threat, Form II became less popular due to the lack of lightsaber-wielding opponents. Makashi was the form of choice of Dooku, both during and after his fall to the dark side.

Source: The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force (2010)

First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones novel (2002)

elegant, refined, and totally fucking swag lightsaber dueling form?

On top of that, the sound effects team gave Dooku’s lightsaber a really unique resonance to the hum his saber produces, and the clashes sometimes sound like thunderclaps with a hissing echo. It’s particularly pronounced when Anakin uses it to execute Dooku. When Dooku’s saber slides against Anakin’s as Anakin beheads the Count, there’s a horror movie style sound effect— the echo crackles and it sounds like whispers in the background.

Form II (Makashi, The Way of the Ysalamiri, The Contention Form) was the second lightsaber form created for combat. It was created to address the failings of Form I, focusing on lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. Makashi relies on precision and efficiency over wild and sweeping motions. It is often described as focused and elegant when used against a single opponent. The bladework mainly uses jabs and light cuts instead of Form I’s hack & slash attacks. Due to Makashi’s emphasis on blade manipulation, many practitioners usually wield lightsabers that are specialized for its use. The most practical weapon for Makashi is the Curved-hilt lightsaber. The major downside to this form, however, is that it is weak against multiple opponents and blaster deflection. After the fall of the Sith and the lack lightsaber-to-lightsaber warfare, this form would become mainly obsolete with the creation of Form III and IV. Notable Practitioners are Count Dooku, Shaak Ti, and Asajj Ventress.

“...a technique that helps one resist the Force attacks of an enemy, and is also excellent for lightsaber combat. It does more damage, but it leaves you vulnerable to other attacks.” - Darth Traya

Appears in:

Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

Red Harvest

The Old Republic: Annihilation

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

Labyrinth of Evil

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