Disclaimer for great justice: This article, while interesting and informative, is not canon in any sense. It’s still a fun read, though.

Disclaimer for great injustice: This post contains many umlauts, due to Finnish being te derivative language in use. You’ve been warned.

While many people have mentioned fighting styles on the site, including the various forms of lightsaber combat, another style is mentioned often, but spoken of in little detail This form of hand-to-hand combat is known as Terӓs Kӓsi. It was developed in order to combat Jedi, after a war erupted between the people of the planet Palawa and the Jedi. After the conflict, Palawa was no more (records are uncertain if the planet was destroyed, or merely fell to a different group of people), while the remaining “followers of Palawa” developed a tradition to protect themselves from further Jedi interference. This tradition was known as Terӓs Kӓsi.

Literally translated as “steel hands” from Palawan, Terӓs Kӓsi is a form that focuses on controlling the body above all else. Even force powers developed by force sensitives who use this tradition are more commonly derived by manipulating the force inside the user’s own body rather than outside it. Although external techniques, such as telekinesis and force lightning, are not unheard of, force users are more often pushed towards internal disciplines and close-range techniques. Interestingly, many powerful force adepts with Terӓs Kӓsi training find using force powers on other people to be easier, as learning how the body resists the force better empowers one to disrupt the minds and bodies of an opponent with it.

Each Oppilas (pupil) must learn their own path. Mestari, or masters are Oppilas as well—even the greatest master has more to learn, as battle always has new trials for masters to face.

Most forms of TerÓ“s KÓ“si do not require power in the force, however. There are many styles and stances used by various opponents, developing complex techniques that one can master and learn. Some of these include:
  • Strutsi leikkaus—the ”Aryx Slash,” an ancient technique dervied from how the Flightless Cerean bird cracks nuts. This attack is swift, and is usually a chopping motin aimed as vital points in the body. A master who is force sensitive may use this technique in conjunction with the force power of ”Shatterpoint,” allowing him to break enemies with power and force.
  • Lataus Apina—The Charging Wampa, this attack involves one strike aimed at the jaw and another two aimed at the neck afterwards. This attack is often used to quickly stun opponents when you are outnumbered.
  • Tanssi lohikäärme—The Dancing Dragonsnake. This, instead of an attack is a stance, relying on quick footwork and light steps. A true master of the Dancing dragonsnake can move on sand and leave an untrackable trail of erratic, wild movements.
  • Kuolema Kutoa—Death Weave. The final technique of Dancing Dragonsnake style, the Death weave is a seires of strikes on an opponent to attack his vital organs while darting with a half-dozen feints. The Death weave is highly dangerosu against an opponent weilding a lightsaber, as it is not easy to parry the final blow.
  • Förräderi—Betrayal, or treason, depending on your translation. Förräderi is a neutral stance, appearing to be entirely harmless, where the arms are positioned behind the back, yet clasped openly so a drop into a fighting stance quickly. Attacks made out of Förräderi are designed to quick, so as to give the opponent no time to mount a defense.
  • Peto läimähtää—The Gorax Slam, an attack where both hands are swung over head in unison and brought down on the enemy. This attack is always done as either a charge or a leap to preserve momentum.
  • Sarvikuono marssia—Gronda Stomp. Designed as a finishing blow, this is a stomp designed shift the full force of movment onto one foot, slamming it down with concussive force. Force-using Veli will often use this to channel a small shockwave, making it harder to dodge and capable of damaging even the ground itself.
  • Ihmissusi isku—Gundark Slap. Like the gundark flying claws, this technique is done with an open hand, with the fingers curled in a raking motion. It is primarily used to start a grapple agaisnt an opponent.
  • Loikki paviaani—Leaping Veermok. One of the more unusual styles of a TerÓ“s KÓ“si Oppilas, the leaping veermok style is hunched over slightly in most of its forms and katas. This allows for more leaping, bounding ,and crawling, which is the key to this acrobatic and unstable style.
  • Ilves irvistää—Nexu Grin. An unsettling shift of weight designed to un-nerve the opponent, the Nexu grin is a standard feint. It is often used in conjunction with the Aryx Strike.
  • Hirviö nousussa—Rancor Rising. If leaping Veermok is designed to allow for movement and Dancing Dragonsnake is meant to decieve, than Rising Rancor is intended to crush. It is a wide, aggressive stance, with open hands and deliberate, committed movements of the legs. Rancor stance is often used for agressive, but obvious charges, such as the Aryx Strike and the Gorax slam. Rancor Stance is common in tournaments, as it is powerful and aggressive. It is not often used in plain fights, as it telegraphs it’s mvoements easily to an armed opponent.
  • Ratsastus härkä—Riding Bantha. The sluggish counter-point to the Rancor stance, and one that is commonly taught in formal training. Riding Bantha is the introductory form of TerÓ“s KÓ“si, and it focuses on stability and control of movement. Although it isn’t as flashy as other forms, a trues master of this form is an immovable object, lumbering like a beast of burden in spite of his opponents. Bantha form is mostly used to set up counters, but some masters use it nearly exclusively, making them brutal masters of defensive grapples and counter-strikes.
  • Huuta lisko—Screaming Squill. A dangerous technique, the Screaming Squill is a forward lunging kick, typically aimed directly at the kneecap of a sentient of approximately even height. The name is derive from the strange lunging motion squills make during a mating display, screaming loudly and hopping with one leg extended.
  • Parijono luu murskaimen hyökkäys: Shenbit bone crusher blow. Based on the pouncing, snapping attack of the Shenbit Bonecrusher, this attack is a body-length flying tackle with the arms folded. The body is kept parallel to the ground for the longest time possible, creating a difficult profile to target with ranges attacks. This attack is often used to close distances for this reason.
  • Leikkaamalla apina—Slashing Wampa. This technique involved a flying chare similar to chargign wampa, but instead of striking upward, the slashing wamp aims down, with chopping movements centered at the abdomen and legs. This move tlegrapsh the same as Chargign Wampa until the last moment, ruining the opponent’s intuition.
  • Nukkuminen teho—Sleeping Krayt. This stance is essentially a mixture of two other forms. While the upper body is brace for ponderous, deliberate defense, like in Riding Bantha, the lower body is gear towards the darting movements of dancing dragon snake. The few who master this style are known for mad dances of fights, poodooinf across the battlefield only to block their opponents with malicious counters and ruthless pins. Multiple, darting kicks can erupt form this style without warning.
  • Sylkeminen kiila—Spitting Rawl. Often claimed to be the msot powerful technique in Teras Kasi, the Spitting Rawl consists of a sideways flip, successively bringing one's feet down on the opponent three times before bashing with both fists at the same time in a vertical fashion. It can be performed from the Riding Bantha or sleeping Krayt Stances, and it was developed on Bonduki around 2000 BBY, according to scholars. This brutal and sudden attack requires the opponent to be in an exact position, and is thus as much about controlling the flow of battle as it is physically training to initiate the attack. It is particularly effective against force-wielders actively using Soresu form.
  • TerÓ“s KÓ“si—Steel Hands. The technique after which the style is named, and derived, is a simple internal discipline. It allows the wielder to practice tensing muscles before striking, and controlling how and when they tense up. Even without the force, a skilled practitioner of this technique can crack stone with his hands.
  • Silmiinpistävää kuiluun—Striking Sarlaac. The name of this technique sounds like an odd choice. How does the immobile Sarlaac strike an enemy? The answer is simple enough: By being beneath it. The strike sarlacc is a crouching grapple designed specifically to counter aerial attacks from force-users who like to jump around using the aerial forms or Sokan-based principles of seizing the higher ground. My reaching for the limps with flexible strikes upward, the aerial attack is thrown off course, providing and opening for other attacks.

This list, while not comprehensive, is a good discussion of the most well-known forms, and a few of the better-know techniques, of the followers of Palawa. Feel free to use this knowledge as it suits you. Vorhi out!