Yes, but how does lying about the prevalence of lightsabers help in any way? All the others are to hide the past from Luke until he's ready. Lying about lightsabers just seems pointless.[/quote]
It's exceedingly pointless, but it makes more sense if Obi-Wan was lying. Remember, a lightsaber is the symbol of the Jedi (and the Sith). You'd have to be a certified idiot to carry one around in the days of the Empire if you weren't actually a Force user.
"I want to mow down a bunch of motherfuckers with absurdly large weapons and relative impunity - preferably in and around a skyscraper. Then I want to fight a grim battle against the unlikely duo of the Terminator and Robocop. The last level should involve (but not be limited to) multiple robo-Hitlers and a gorillasaurus rex."--Uraniun235 on his ideal FPS game
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
Pure Sabacc wrote:Perhaps they are only practical with specific dueling styles. After all, with shorter blades, you might be able to get inside the defenses of an opponent with longer ones more easily.
Hrm, I would've thought reach was more important than getting inside your opponent's defenses.
Well, I guess it depends on this, and I'm not sure.. is getting inside someone's defenses a practical consideration in real-life swordfighting?
Trogdor wrote:You'd have to be a certified idiot to carry one around in the days of the Empire if you weren't actually a Force user.
I agree, but I'd like to add that you'd have to be a certified idiot to carry one around int he days of the Empire even if you were actually a Force user.
"..history has shown the best defense against heavy cavalry are pikemen, so aircraft should mount lances on their noses and fly in tight squares to fend off bombers". - RedImperator
"ha ha, raping puppies is FUN!" - Johonebesus
"It would just be Unicron with pew pew instead of nom nom". - Vendetta, explaining his justified disinterest in the idea of the movie Allspark affecting the Death Star
Comosicus wrote:Regarding light-daggers and short lightsabers, I think that Yoda's lightsaber could fall into that category.
It's not that much shorter than a "human size beings" saber though.. compare to Palpatine's. Sure the hilt is small, but the blade is decent. So "short lightsaber yes," light dagger? No. (I assume you mean a little knife sized deal)
Cykeisme wrote:is getting inside someone's defenses a practical consideration in real-life swordfighting?
Well, yes. Technically speaking the entire point is to get inside your opponents defenses. It's rather hard to kill someone outside their defenses.
However, I think what you're asking is it practical to base a sword style on short weapons and having yourself inside your opponents defenses. Again, yes, several styles work around this. Notably any style that focuses well, on short swords or long knives. The caveat is you aren't generally working with a weapon that has a 360 degree blade edge. Many of the locks and binds would be impossible, if not horrifically dangerous with lightsabers.
IIRC Talon Karde confirms that Lightsabers wheren't just carried by Jedi. WHen he captures Luke in Heir to the Empire Luke asks how Karde knew who he was and Karde replies "with a lightsaber on your belt? your either Luke Skywalker or someone with an insufferable opinion on their swordsman ship". Plus i definately remember a story in one of the Tales Of books about some wee street rat saving up for a Lightsaber she saw a vendor on Nar Shaddah selling.
Mobiboros wrote:However, I think what you're asking is it practical to base a sword style on short weapons and having yourself inside your opponents defenses. Again, yes, several styles work around this. Notably any style that focuses well, on short swords or long knives. The caveat is you aren't generally working with a weapon that has a 360 degree blade edge. Many of the locks and binds would be impossible, if not horrifically dangerous with lightsabers.
Indeed I was, thanks.
I guess this is a logical reason for why Yoda would carry a short lightsaber. I mean, at first glance, it makes sense that a little guy would carry a little lightsaber, but there really isn't any reason to except for this.
"..history has shown the best defense against heavy cavalry are pikemen, so aircraft should mount lances on their noses and fly in tight squares to fend off bombers". - RedImperator
"ha ha, raping puppies is FUN!" - Johonebesus
"It would just be Unicron with pew pew instead of nom nom". - Vendetta, explaining his justified disinterest in the idea of the movie Allspark affecting the Death Star
I guess this is a logical reason for why Yoda would carry a short lightsaber. I mean, at first glance, it makes sense that a little guy would carry a little lightsaber, but there really isn't any reason to except for this.
well "standard" human lightsaber is 130 cm long when the blade is lit and is less then meter tall (66 cm (IIRC) for him to have saber were hilt alone nearly half of his height is really unpractical and could be very dangerous.
I may be an idiot, but I'm a tolerated idiot
"I think you completely missed the point of sigs. They're supposed to be completely homegrown in the fertile hydroponics lab of your mind, dried in your closet, rolled, and smoked...
Oh wait, that's marijuana..."Einhander Sn0m4n
In any given pose or dynamic move, the length of your lightsaber does not affect whether it intersects with some part of your anatomy or not. The only possible problem he'd have is that he'd be chopping into the surface he's standing, on occassion.
"..history has shown the best defense against heavy cavalry are pikemen, so aircraft should mount lances on their noses and fly in tight squares to fend off bombers". - RedImperator
"ha ha, raping puppies is FUN!" - Johonebesus
"It would just be Unicron with pew pew instead of nom nom". - Vendetta, explaining his justified disinterest in the idea of the movie Allspark affecting the Death Star
Cykeisme wrote:No more dangerous than his short lightsaber.
In any given pose or dynamic move, the length of your lightsaber does not affect whether it intersects with some part of your anatomy or not. The only possible problem he'd have is that he'd be chopping into the surface he's standing, on occassion.
IIRC a longer blade is harder visualize and as you said he'd be cuting stuff he's standing on (which is not really a good thing).
I may be an idiot, but I'm a tolerated idiot
"I think you completely missed the point of sigs. They're supposed to be completely homegrown in the fertile hydroponics lab of your mind, dried in your closet, rolled, and smoked...
Oh wait, that's marijuana..."Einhander Sn0m4n