Overview:

Much of Form I’s use requires deliberate tactics, feign attacks, and step-by-step advancement on the opponent. These methods allow a user of Shii-Cho to engage with multiple opponents at once, as the broad, sweeping motions of the form have the potential to cause damage to various adversaries simultaneously. 

Shii-Cho also requires an emotionally heated mindset, which requires a great deal of mental restraint. This is because the requirement of emotion can lead to the temptation to partake in combat with lethal intent, hence why great restraint is essential to prevent undesirable consequences.

Origin: Form I, Shii-Cho, is the first form ever created for lightsaber combat. Also known as the Way of the Sarlacc, it was developed when switching from swords to lightsabers. It is classed as a rudimentary form of saber combat, as many of its maneuvers and fundamental attacks are the same as a standard sword. Shii-Cho was not made with lightsaber combat in mind since it was created before the emergence of the Sith and Dark Jedi. Over time, however, Shii-Cho quickly became judged as inadequate for duels between Force practitioners but is still considered the ideal form suited for basic training. Shii-Cho’s inadequacy ultimately led to the development of Form II, Makashi. Because Shii-Cho was formed during the transition period from swords to lightsabers, it makes sense that it retains the same core move set as a standard sword. A conventional user of Shii-Cho may describe the swordplay as “simplistic and raw,” whereas a master of the blade work is often portrayed as “like watching the water flow over the falls.” 

Shii-Cho in practice: Shii-Cho’s simplicity makes it the ideal form for a beginner to learn. Initially, Jedi are educated on how to use Shii-Cho. As it is the perfect balance between an offensive and defensive play, Form I provides the user with the basic knowledge of sword-fighting and blaster deflection. Interestingly, Form I users usually wear a blindfold while practicing blaster deflection; it encourages them to brood over their senses. They will increasingly rise in difficulty each time to determine whether the user’s intuitive reflexes are present. All lightsaber forms developed after Shii-Cho adopted this method too. Shii-Cho can be utilized in two methods of combat; the Ideal-Form and the Live Combat Form. The Ideal-Form is mainly used in sparring since it emphasizes the importance of technique, with the user expected to execute each move at the perfect angle, attacks, and parries perpendicular to one another. The Live Combat Form is much more practical. It focuses on speed, hence why the executed attacks are diagonal across each body zone, reducing the movement required from the user. 

Notable Practitioners: The most notable user of Form I was Kit Fisto, a Jedi Master who lived during the Clone Wars. He had an advanced mastery of Shii-Cho and made use of it in most of his battles. His most notable usage of Shii-Cho would be in a duel against General Grievous, who was known to wield up to four lightsabers at once. Kit Fisto was successfully able to hold his own and almost defeat Grievous. Additional users of Form I was Jedi Masters Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as Jedi Battlemaster Cin Drallig.