Form V: Shien / Djem So

Shien was a form of Jedi lightsaber combat. Followers of this form practiced an unorthodox method of holding the lightsaber to perform long, sweeping strikes to take down several enemies at a time.

The variant form known as Shien is a rarely seen style that, while effective, was almost a topic of controversy among lightsaber masters due to the drastically different grip taught by practitioners of the form. The style calls for the Jedi to hold the lightsaber horizontally with the blade along side the arm in a "reverse grip" style, using the lightsaber like a large dagger with the blade pointed "backwards" towards the "bottom" of their gripping hand.

All strikes are made by sweeping the arm forward as though throwing a punch while whipping the blade forward away from the arm quickly in a broad arc. Adi Gallia was one of the few Jedi around the time of the Clone Wars known to actively practice the form, as was the Anzati Jedi Nikkos Tyris. Tyris favored a distinctive lightsaber style, in which the weapon was held with the blade pointing toward the ground by the strong side hand, with the off side hand riding loosely on the weapon's pommel.

He moved the blade in a triangular pattern that effectively warded the lower two-thirds of his body from attack. With this unique style, he could deliver lightning-fast slashes and ripostes that could easily split an opponent from groin to neck, while also rapidly rotating upwards to block overhead strikes. Others known to utilize Shien were Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker's Padawan during the Clone Wars, and Jedi hunter Starkiller during the Great Jedi Purge.
Not to be confused with the standard Form V variant of Shien.