Honor in Balance - Teachings of the Ordo

A book containing the Ordo Templaris teachings. Started during the first Crusade by Keeper Fretti N'has much of it is written during the height of the first Crusade. It was not finished completely until the late in the third Crusade

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Honor in Balance - Teachings of the Ordo

Honor in Balance

Chapter 1

Balance. The foundation of the order and our eternal goal. Balance is the key to life in the universe, it always has been and always will be. To understand balance is perhaps the greatest challenge of any Crusader. The most common misconception is to think of balance between Ashlan and Bogan, and as numbers on a scale. Dark and light, exclusive and unyielding. This is simply not true, something we all knew long ago before the breaking. The truth is balance has always been a factor, long before we were gifted with Ashlan and Bogan in this galaxy. It extends beyond the perceivable universe and is in truth beyond any corporeal beings comprehension. All we can do is learn and study as much as possible to guide us in our actions. Long ago Ashlan and Bogan were viewed as equal parts of a whole. The two personalities of the force that surrounds and binds all living things together. After the breaking everything changed. Ashlan was considered good and right, whilst Bogan was associated with darkness and evil. In fact it was these misguided concepts that caused the breaking itself in many ways, and has set in motion a cascade of events that is spreading across the galaxy.

Make no mistake there is good and evil, but only in the eye of the beholder. What is good to one is evil to another, it is an immeasurable scale that will never be considered the same for any two people. The force is beyond good and evil. It is a tool we use and one that uses us. Bogan is destructive, manipulating and strong but not evil, not dark. Just as Ashlan is peaceful, rejuvenating and constructive but not good. The force is inherently manipulative, it controls us far more than we could ever control it which is why it needs to be used with great care and caution. Too much of one or the other would transform us into something we are not meant to be, taking away our own true nature. This is why we also in the force must practice balance, but it is a small part on the grand scale of the universe. Every creation requires destruction, and all destruction requires construction. Life cannot follow life without death. Too much of one would lead to complete ruin.

Like everyone else we have our own vision of what is good and what is evil. Our definition conflicts with many other communities in the galaxy, something that is unlikely to change. This conflict comes from our fight for balance, a state that the inhabitants of the galaxy constantly challenge. Balance does not serve personal gain, which very few sentient beings agree with. It is for this reason that we are and will always be considered evil by a great many species, cultures and civilizations. However those who look beyond personal gain, those who seek the betterment of all will without a doubt be grateful for our presence.

To be good is to serve the force and the balance of the universe. It is a selfless task that never ends. It will require us to kill and destroy, acts that are considered evil by most in the galaxy. But it will also require us to heal, build and protect, something considered good. We do not take a life that is not required to take. Our core value is to protect life by protecting the balance and so should always go out of our way to safeguard life whenever it is possible. This should not be confused with never doing any harm. The greater goal should always be kept in mind and thus taking a life may be correct more often than not. Listen to the force, let it guide you in your decisions. Those who walk the path of balance will not be affected by the force in such a manner that it will deceive and can therefore be trusted. Every living thing is connected to the force, and as such every living thing can feel the force in some way. Many cannot affect the force themselves, but do not mistake this for a lack of the light inside them. They too can listen to the force and let it guide them. When one gets a notion, a feeling or instinct that tells them to do one action as opposed to another, this is the force manifesting in that individual. Do not dismiss these notions out of arrogance in yourself or in others. The ability to wield the force, to bend Ashlan or Bogan to your will does not make you stronger or better than one who cannot. The force can affect even the weakest of creatures in the most powerful ways. Be mindful that your own strength does not blind you to the truth.

The secret behind balance is struggle, and it is the price we pay. Balance is not a state that can be achieved, only a struggle to be maintained. This is why we can never win, not in truth. We fight to ensure that the struggle remains and our enemies are those who would seek to dominate everything under one rule. If one faction ever grew too strong, the struggle would end. This would in time always lead to the end of all, it simply does not support life in the long run. We are currently on the verge of such an outcome.

The order was formed as a final attempt at gathering our brothers and sisters of the Je’daii. We failed, and the galaxy has suffered for it. Now at the verge of complete destruction we are pushing our Crusade against the Infinite Empire to stop them from complete galactic domination. We will fight them to the end but unless Mir can find a new way to fight them there might only be one Crusade.

Looking forward in the hopes that we do prevail all Initiates, Crusaders, Templars or Sages need to understand that our order is based on balance. This means that if we do prevail, we will no longer be required, and must stand down. The future will require us again, of that there is no doubt, but until then we need to remain dormant. To refuse this is to refuse the order and its purpose. Without the Rakata the galaxy can once again go back to a peaceful struggle, a tug of war between life and death, construction and destruction. Civilizations will grow and fall, and from a distance we will observe. We will grow and remember our traditions, but not interfere. Only when the galaxy once again is in turmoil, when one or more factions threaten the balance of power and control will we rise from the shadows. We will ensure that no one faction is left with all the power, and by doing this hopefully we can avoid ever being caught in the dire circumstances we find ourselves in today.

Chapter 2

To protect and ensure the balance within our own order all our rules, systems, rituals and ceremonies are centered around preservation of balance. At the core of the order are the Pillars, the individuals who possess fragments of the souls of the founders. They are the ultimate authority of the order, having the accumulated knowledge and experience of every Pillar that came before them. There are shards for each pillar which is what we call the fragments of their souls. Only those who possess these are to be considered true Pillars with a right to lead the order. One shard exists for each Pillar except the Flame and Architect. The Flame is different in that he in fact is part of the balance we strive to protect. The ritual that broke down the physical form of Teregun was performed mainly for two reasons. Primarily he was reshaped to be the eternal guardian of the order, to ensure that he could remain throughout time to uphold and ensure the order exists and stays true to its cause. The second and less known reason was to ensure that the path of the order was clear. Within the flame lies the key to true balance. In his eternal form he is part of the force that surrounds us all. He will be the first to know when balance is threatened and will be the first to awaken if the order should ever falter. Without balance he should cease to exist, now made of eight shards within him is the constant struggle for power with his soul scattered across the different planes of existence. The Architect who’s sight reaches beyond the realm of the physical cursed the Flame with this gift so that he would forever remain a proof of the cause for which we fight.


The Architect himself is the father of our cause. Whatever wisdom was bestowed upon him by the Tho Yor is what sparked the creation of the order. He is the only one who can see beyond the veil of what is and into what can be. Time is no longer a variable or factor to him, at least not in a sense that we can understand presently. With his constant absence the leadership of the order falls to the remaining Pillars.


The five Pillars of the order who make up the true governing body can sadly be corrupted. The shard can only do so much and there is always the danger and potential for failure as the Architect and Flame have taught us. For this reason it is the duty of every Grandmaster to ensure that the Pillars are following the path of balance in the absence of the Flame and Architect. Much like every Templar should watch every Grandmaster there must be a constant vigil over the order throughout the ranks. We know that all mortal men can be contaminated and loose sight on the true path of the order and it is critical that this be avoided at all costs. Should such corruption be discovered it should be dealt with swiftly. Guidance should be provided, but if this fails then a swift death is the only option. We cannot fight for balance with bad seeds within our own garden.


We have all been given a single warning from the Architect, should corruption threaten the order it is the duty of the Flame to stop it. If we are unable to stay true to the cause the Flame will destroy us all to begin the order anew. Without balance the order is not the order, and so the Flame is allowed to do as he sees fit as we would no longer be considered Templars ro Crusaders but rather pretenders. Admittingly he has shown reluctance to do so, but at his core he will have no choice in the matter. Should such a day ever come then he will no doubt do what he can to prevent the ultimate destruction of life but he can only do so much before his battle is lost and his powers unleashed.


When considering new Initiates of the order it is important that they be made aware of how dedicated we are to the cause and the consequences of failing his or her duties to the order. Anyone joining the order must understand that a Templars duties are for life, and that by joining they give up everything they ever were before. A Templar has no freedom and no life, this is the price we must all pay. It is the only way we can ever serve the universe, if we are nothing we have nothing to lose and nothing to gain. An offer to join the ranks of the order as an initiate is given once, and only once. Once a request is refused then they are no longer of our concern, but if it is accepted then they are part of the order forever and only death shall release them from their vow. This is why we have the Relinquishing Ceremony for all Initiates.


The Relinquishing ceremony is a ceremony of death and initiation. A Grandmaster or Pillar shall summon the initiates by the words of old; “We who died to protect summon you. Who has come to die?” The Initiates shall speak the words; “I who come freely to my death have done so to relinquish my claim to the universe. I who was born a patron will become the guardian of all. I who am nothing vow to forevermore protect life from life and death from death.” Once the vow is made the Initiates shall embrace one of the eternal relics to forever remember their promise to the universe. It is a simple but important ceremony designed to reinforce the importance and severity of our task.

Chapter 3

Melee Combat:
The object of any melee engagement is to cut down and eliminate your enemy. Simple enough, but as is often the case, the simple things in life are often overlooked which can mean the difference between life and death.

Physical Conditioning. Especially of the back and the abdomen, though cardio and strong wrists are key for melee combat.

Mental Aspects. Specifically, Awareness & Calmness/Serenity.

Deception. Fighting fair is a sure way to get you killed in a melee combat. Foul play is not only expected but part of any combat engagement.

Confidence and Toughness of Spirit. Without confidence you will end up hurting yourself more than the enemy.

Rhythm. Or rather, the lack of it. Falling into a predictable pattern is anathema to melee combat.

Intimidation. Or rather, not being intimidated or using intimidation against a lesser opponent.

Timing and Distance. Simple enough, but striking at the right time and being close enough to actually hit is a skill in itself.

Caution. Not timidity, but having enough common sense to not underestimate your opponent.

Most of these factors to winning a melee engagement, be it in a duel, frontline or a sports contest, are self explanatory, timeless principles. But while quite a few are more or less the correct 'winning' mentality and take years to cultivate, others are simple techniques or tricks. For example, it is relatively easy to learn a few tricks and employ deception in melee fighting. Examples include, feigning weakness or fear before attacking strongly, glancing down at a leg, dropping the shoulder and feinting a downward blow only to whip it up and attack the helmet, or the classic Stav Kesh tactic - feigning to jump aside when the enemy attacks, and then dashing in strongly the millisecond they relax.


Footwork
In any combat situation footwork is important. Even more so in melee situations where each step determines the next course of the fight.

In swordsmanship one needs a stance that is stable but adaptable; one that one can ground into, but is quick and easy to move from as well. The easiest and best way to do this is to always have a 'back foot' and a 'front foot', i.e. One foot should always be farther forward of the other foot than it is to the side. There is an invisible line called our 'Weak Line' which is perpendicular to the line that is drawn directly connecting our two feet. It only takes a small amount of force along this weak line to unbalance us.

Of course, having the feet somewhat to the side is okay, but too far to the side and this shifts our weak line more and more parallel to our enemy. The more parallel this line is to him, the easier he can unbalance us, as he can more readily apply force along this line. Paradoxically, it is not ideal to have the legs too wide with one foot directly behind the other either. The reason for this is that doing so rotates the hips and subsequently the shoulders away from the enemy. The downside to this is that it limits the range of motion of the arms.Approximately two inches below your waistline is where your centre is. This centre should always face your enemy, and all movement you do should originate from this centre.
Having one foot too far back inhibits our ability to keep our centre facing our enemy. One should always have the rear foot carried a little to one side (to allow good range of motion of the arms, and also to keep the centre aligned), but not too far (to prevent the weak line from being too parallel to the opponent).With any stance, there are 2 points called 'Weak Points'. These points lie on the weak line and are always at the spot where an equilateral triangle is formed with your feet.

Think of yourself as a tripod that is missing one leg, the weak points are where the third leg would be to give us the most support. These weak points represent the places where you are most susceptible to unbalancing. Knowledge of the weak points and weak lines is essential when we begin closing in, winding, and grappling at the weapon. In any of these cases, you should see your enemies weak line and weak points and take advantage of them, while protecting your own. There are 3 main types of steps that are commonly used, and a fourth which is a bit more advanced. The first two are called “The Basic Step” and “The Passing Step”. A basic step is one where your feet maintain their relative positions - Front Foot stays forward and Back foot stays back. This is also known as a “Gathering Step”


As a rule of thumb, when taking a Basic Step, move first the foot closest to the direction you wish to move, and follow with the other foot. A Passing Step is one in which the feet change their relationship to one another - Back foot becomes front, and Front foot becomes back. It is called a passing step because one foot 'passes by' the other.

Both of these steps should be done at first with a 'One-Two' count. One the first count (one) the first foot is lifted and then placed. On 'Two', the second foot is lifted and placed. This is especially important to do, and almost all beginners have a tendency to 'drag' their following foot to its new position while taking a basic step, and also they rotate their back foot during a passing step. While this isn't inherently bad, many make the mistake of leaving a portion of their weight on those feet - in a basic step this stresses the knee joint, and in a Passing Step, this grinds both ankle and knee.
It is important to keep bad habits at a minimum and take the time to actually lift and place the feet, as this will improve longevity of the joints of the leg, while simultaneously putting them in a more habitually stronger position. This is because when one is fully aware of the leg (as in lifting and placing the foot), one is more apt to keep the leg properly aligned - and thus more stable. At more advanced levels of training, it may seem that practitioners drag or rotate their feet into the ground, but this is merely an illusion, as a good swordsman will not put weight on such vulnerable joints.
The third step not only deals with physical distance, but also the angle of attack, and where the weight is centred in the body. The third step is called the 'Crossing Step'. It not only switches the feet, but switches angles as well. Basic practice of this step involves stepping forward with the back leg and placing it parallel to the front foot, then moving the other foot behind it.

This motion is highly variable, one can easily change his angle of attack up to 90 degrees with this step, as well as make smaller, more subtle adjustments to his distance with an opponent than with other steps. It is especially important with this step, that the motion originates with the hips. The Fourth step is called “Pivot-Step”. It is difficult to do quickly, but its use in closing and entering into your enemies space is invaluable. One takes a step forward but right as the step lands (on count 'One'), the entire body pivots 180 degrees inward(i.e. counter-clockwise for a step forward with the right foot, and clockwise for a step forward with the left foot). Properly done, this is a very effective way to enter in behind an opponent, and properly timed, will give the advantage in a grapple.








Primary Guards
There are 4 primary guards which represent the ideal combination of both offensive and defensive actions.I will refer to these as Defender Guard, High Guard, Tricksters Guard, Stinger Guard


Defender Guard
Defender is one of the guards with the most variations to it. Defender can be held with either leg leading, and is assumed by holding the pommel of the weapon about level with your centre and with the tip of the weapon pointed at the throat of your enemy. Defender is a very hard guard to penetrate. A good response when an enemy tries to move in on you when you are in this guard is simply to extend forward a bit into a long point. A well assumed Defender guard prevents your enemy from attacking you until he either: a) moves his body, creating an opening for you, or b) moves your sword, giving you the chance to take advantage of this movement. For these reasons the Defender guard is a good starting position - it is a good place from which to begin appraising the skill of your foe whilst remaining safe.

High Guard
High Guard is flexible, and more relaxed, and thus more reactive. This guard is assumed with the feet slightly closer together than the Defender Guard. It is generally more upright, with the knees slightly less bent. It also can be assumed on either side of the body, by holding the hilt at or just above the shoulder on the side of the rear foot. The reason for this is that it facilitates taking a passing step to accompany a strike - thus adding more power to the cut. The blade should be near vertical, angled slightly back. A variation on this guard holds it with the whole sword above and slightly in front of the head, still tilted slightly back, with the elbows wide. When cutting from this position, make sure to close your elbows as you do - this will align your arms and provide more speed and power to the cut.

Tricksters Guard
Tricksters Guard lures one's adversary to attack what they believe to be a fool, for this guard appears very open. Tricksters guard is held with the hilt at the same position as in the Defender Guard, but here the blade is oriented downward, pointing at the ground at a roughly 45 degree angle. The weapon should not actually touch the ground although it could be almost low enough to do so. This guard deceives an adversary into attacking what appears to be open, as it will 'force' an opponent to attack the opening's presented, as an attack otherwise would be very foolish.

Stinger Guard
Stinger Guard is an endpoint of an action, and not a guard to be maintained. This is a difficult position to fight from, though it has its uses. It is a good way to see how your opponent reacts to it from it’s aggressive stance. Hold the hilt at the shoulder of the rear foot, as in the High Guard. Instead of having the blade vertical, it points right at your enemies face or throat (which means it is usually angled ever so slightly down). It is important to be comfortable with a vertical edge alignment, and a horizontal one, as well as in between. A good defensive manoeuvre from this guard is to drop it into Hanging Point when thrust at or cut at from your other side. One can simultaneously make a passing step or a switch step and thus enter in deeply and begin to grapple, or strike with the pommel or even the blade(depending on your distance).
Secondary Guards
Secondary Guards are not intended to be maintained as fighting stances; or those which do not offer the same degree of both offense and defense as the primary guards; yet are essential to the art overall. The Near Guard, The Side Guard, The Long Point, Front Guard, and the Hanging Point.
Near Guard
The Near Guard is stable, which means one's tactics while in this guard would be similar to the Tricksters Guard - instead of threatening with a rising thrust as in Trickster Guard however, the Near Guard threatens with the edge of the sword. This guard is assumed by having the sword angled towards the ground and slightly back, on the side of the rear foot, and can be assumed (as all our other guards) on either side of the body. This is a secondary guard, because although one can use it similarly to the Trickster, the weapon has a longer distance to travel and so is easier to see coming when cutting into an opponent's blade as an interception - thus it is more difficult to use in this manner. This guard is still very necessary however, as it is the position into which downward cuts travel, and the initial position for upward cuts from below.
Side Guard
The Side guard is held with the hilt at the same location as the Tricksters Guard, and the blade is still pointed at the ground, but here the blade is also at a 90 degree angle to your facing. It is important to note that in this guard, the flat of the blade faces forward - not the edge. This and the subtle change in blade orientation are the only differences between this guard and the Near Guard.
Long Point
With both arms extended far in front of you, and the blade in line with the arm of the top hand, and the feet such that the forward foot is the same as the top hand (i.e. right hand on top, right foot forward), and the weight shifted forward as well, this is Long Point. It represents the limit of your effective fighting range. This is the position into which one thrusts, and through which a fully extended cut should pass. Many fighters do not extend fully in their cuts. This is sometimes appropriate when the cut is meant to intercept another sword, or catch an enemy moving in. But for attacking, it is both safer and more powerful to extend to the fullest. If your enemy does not extend fully, and you do, this gives you a range advantage, even if you are the smaller or shorter combatant.
Front Guard
Holding the weapon in front of you with the cross of the weapon at eye level and the blade vertical and angled slightly forward and tilted slightly towards the side of the front foot, while the long edge is angled slightly away from the front foot - this is the Front Guard. It's use is in collecting an incoming cut, or pulling up an incoming thrust. This guard has good potential in also deflecting an opponent's sword so that one can move in to grapple. Apart from the above mentioned uses however, it should be generally avoided as a deflection, as it does not offer any immediate offensive follow up apart from the aforementioned entering and grappling opportunity.
Hanging Guard
This guard is similar to the Stinger Guard. If you assume the Stinger Guard, and then let the whole weapon 'hang' somewhat forward and down, with the point dipping at a slightly steeper angle, this is the Hanging Point. It can be assumed on either side, and a skilled fighter in this guard is devastatingly hard to hit. This is a good guard from which to initiate a bind or grapple.
Basic cutting
Just like in an unarmed fight, you want to use the minimum amount of effort to the greatest potential effect - and you want to keep it as surprising as possible. A cut that you can see coming a mile away is not only a wasted cut, but a surrendering of your initiative to your enemy. A good way to practice your cuts is to imagine circular movement. The most basic cut is one that moves from the High Guard to the Near Guard on the opposite side of the body, and passes through Long Point. Ideally, this movement involves a step - though one does not always HAVE to step to cut. If you can step to cut, this is preferred, and at the beginning levels, all practice cuts should be made with a step: This is because stepping forces you to move your body with the cut. Once this becomes natural, you can begin to cut without a step (remembering to keep the motion originating in the hips). Try to time the cut so that at the moment of your fullest extension (i.e. In long point) your stepping foot touches the ground. The feeling should almost be one of 'throwing' the sword tip out as far as you can, before continuing it's arc back to your side into the Near Guard. It's also important to be aware of which arm does what during a cut. The bottom hand (usually the left) is the one where power derives. This is accomplished by a 'pulling' feeling coming from that arm. Remember that relaxation and extension are important in both arms. There should also be a feeling of the sword moving like a lever with the top hand acting as the fulcrum - by moving the bottom hand and keeping the top hand in place, the entire blade moves.
The top hand is the hand that aims the cut. Generally speaking this is done by extending that arm towards your target as your bottom hand 'pulls' to create a motion that is both moving forward and also arcing. The top hand especially should be very relaxed. There should NOT be a feeling of 'pushing' the blade with that hand. The path of the bottom hand should be an arc that ends around your centre. The top hand should have made a similar arc but end more extended towards the target, while rotation in the hips is where the power to drive the cut through comes from. The most common problem that all practitioners have is using their shoulders too much in the cut. When all is said and done, the pommel of the sword should be pointed right at your centre. One tip to executing good cuts is to pay attention to the elbows and wrists. At the end of a downward cut, the wrists should be rotated on top of the grip of the sword. The elbows should have started wide at the beginning of the cut, and closed rapidly during the cut, and should end up very, very close to your sides. This closing of the elbows should be done simultaneously to the rotation of the wrists, which will create an additional 'snapping' motion of the blade. From a scientific standpoint, the ability of a blade to cut is increased by three things. Decreasing the surface area of the edge, increasing the mass of the blade, and increasing the speed it is travelling. We cannot in a duel change the first one, we can augment the second, and we can directly control the third. By rotating the hips and 'putting the body into a cut', we can effectively add our own mass to the sword. This increases it's inertia which also increases it's ability to maintain a high velocity despite the adverse effects of friction. Being relaxed will allow our muscles to move freely, which will increase our ability to accelerate the blade to a much faster velocity.

Master Strikes
These strikes are so named because of their surprising simplicity at the beginner levels and complexity at advanced levels; but most importantly because of their ability to provide good defense along with a strong offense, as well as good follow up options. There are 5 such strikes, in order: Vur (Strike of Ferocity), Bodhi (Artful Strike), Akar (Balance Strike), Kaleth (Splitting strike), and Qigong (Dark strike). Each is designed to not only provide defence in offence, but to provide a counter to the likely attacks of specific guards.
Vur
The first of the Master Strikes is also the easiest. Not unrelated, it is the most commonly used in a duel. A Vur is any strike made such that instead of driving through in a complete arc, the blade goes just far enough to threaten the opponent's face with the tip of the sword. At it's most basic, this strike can be described as merely a strong transition from the High Guard (either above the head or at the shoulder) into the Defender Guard. Such a strike serves two purposes - It intercepts an incoming thrust or cut negating it, and it immediately threatens the opponent. The latter of the two is often taken for granted, but should not be overlooked. The ideal finish to this strike positions you with the Initiative. Once you have the initiative, you should fight to keep it. This is best done by taking another attacking action - A thrust, a wind, or a grapple are all equally effective. Clearly a thrust is most obvious in this position. This strike is particularly effective at countering an incoming downward diagonal or horizontal cut. It is important to make sure that the pommel points clearly at your centre, as this will ensure that the point stays pointed clearly at your opponent. As a note, it is important to understand the difference between striking in a wrathful manner, and wrathfully striking. Control and Discipline are at the heart of good swordsmanship, and we should never compromise our control by lashing out in wrath. Rather, we have all felt wrath at one point or another - tap into that, and remember the feeling of it. Use that feeling to really give power to this strike.
Bodhi
The second of the 5 Master strikes is the Artful Strike. It is called so because unlike most other strikes, this one strikes out almost directly to your side, rather than in front of you. In the basic form of this strike, the sword moves in a manner like a 'windshield wiper' - in an arc in front of you going sideways. From a technical standpoint, this is done by strongly transitioning from High Guard(at the shoulder) or Side Guard into a Side Guard on the other side of the body at the same time as one takes a passing step, or a switch step. It is important to note that this strike should be with the long edge when striking to your left, and should hit with the short edge when striking to your right. The target of this strike should be the extended hands or forearms of your opponent while he is in the Long Point guard. Since Long Point is a transitory guard most often seen in the middle of a cut or at the full extension of a thrust, you must time this strike along with your opponent's actions. This strike, like the Vur, should also be followed up quickly so as not to give up the initiative. From the askew position in which you are in, the easiest follow up is to cut straight forward into your opponent's face or chest. If your strike lands over his sword, you can still make this movement, or you can wind. If your sword is too early and lies under his sword, this is a more difficult position, from which winding or moving in to grapple is best.
Akar
The Akar is a good attack to use on it's own, or as a follow up to another attack, even another Akar. The unpredictable nature of it along with its offensive and defensive capabilities make it a potent strike. One executes an Akar by transitioning from either High Guard (at the shoulder) or Stinger Guard into an Stinger guard on the other side of the body. This should be accompanied by a step, but doesn't have to. This movement in particular among the movements one makes with a sword should originate with the hips, as this will allow a very quick movement that is simultaneously powerful. One can sometimes get away with poor use of the hips with other sword movements (though one shouldn't), but with this one it is imperative to use the hips well, or else the strike is useless. The target of this strike should be the head of your opponent, and the blade should strike horizontally with the short edge when struck from the right to the left, and with the long edge when striking from the left to the right. The nature of this strike is that by moving into the Stinger Guard, you close off your upper opening on the side that you transition the guard into. This is perfect for collecting and setting aside an incoming strike. As mentioned, a very good follow up attack to an Akar is another Akar. One can chain them together in this way, and it is very powerful to do so, as you can overwhelm an opponent in this way. Interestingly, the counter to an Akar is another Akar - if your opponent attempts an Akar, perform your own Akar under his, and you will be protected from his strike, and he will be hit. With practice, one can use this strike to hit lower in the body - mixing up the targets of your Akar is another good way to get a good hit. It is important to note that when striking a Akar low, one should still hold the hilt high in front of the head.
Kaleth
The Kaleth is related to the Akar in execution, but differs in it's target. In their basic form, both begin in High Guard and transition into the Stinger guard on the opposite side of the body. But when the Akar offsets an incoming attack at the same moment as the offensive strike is made, the Kaleth initially collects an incoming strike, sets it aside and places your blade on the inside of the opponents, then your blade moves in to strike. Also, it is important to note that a Akar strikes horizontally, where a Kaleth strikes downward. Both are aided by the 90 degree grip. Kaleth is unusual in that if you strike it from your right side, your target should be the right side of your opponent's head(or his right trapezius muscle). Those with quick minds will realize that this means your sword crosses over and strikes the far target (as the left of your opponent is a nearer target). This is done because it is harder to evade, and also affords you more leverage the more your opponent's blade is set aside. Strikes of similar mechanics and execution will become natural to you as you gain comfort in executing this particular strike. This principle can be applied to any setting aside motion into any of your 4 openings.
Qigong
This is used to attack someone in the Tricksters Guard or to counter thrusts which rise from below. One executes a Qigong by raising the hands high and pushing up with the bottom hand which will lever the blade of your sword downward. Your target is the front-top of your opponent’s head(his fore-head or even his face will do also). Done properly, this will keep your sword far enough away from the Tricksters Guard to preclude his ability to intercept it easily. It is important however, to keep in mind that one must step off line somewhat when making this strike. This is to help avoid any thrusts or upward cuts your opponent makes while you execute this strike, as if he tries to Go Through your attack and move inward, this stepping off the line will keep you out of his attack’s way.

Close

Type

Manual, Military

Medium

Digital Recording, Various

Authors

• Fretti N'has