The Case for Single-Hit Combat

In a time when a lot of European LED Saber circuits have chosen to use a continuous, flowing system of combat, is there still a seat at the table for one-hit combat?

I would argue yes.

This is, of course, not to say that continuous combat is objectively bad or that single-hit is in direct competition with it, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every continuous combat match I’ve fought to date!

What do we mean when we say “Single-Hit Combat”?

Single-Hit Combat is defined, in my view at least, as a system where ANY valid hit stops the fight (though hits landed within a brief window after the initial strike – the ‘afterblow’ – cancel out the hit). The score is then immediately adjusted, the fighters reset their positions and continue on.

What does this mean in practice?

It incentivises defence, unlike in the Saber Tour’s continuous assault system, I can’t just take a leg hit to land two heads. I have to protect myself in some way, whether by removing the target or simply parrying.

This rewards tactical fencing, setups of parries, counter-cuts, feints and the like. It lets us reward our fighters for being clever, for concealing their intentions, rather than purely being the fastest around. Speed is still rewarded of course – but speed without protection becomes self-defeating.

In this post, I’ll take a look at some of their arguments in favour of single-hit combat systems and some of their counter-points.

It’s Better for the Audience

Defenders of continuous combat systems will often say that their format is more epic because it lets fighters land multiple blows. And yes, I agree that in theory this results in stunning, cinematic matchups of long chains of attacks and fast, furious, flurries.

But the harsh reality for me, as someone who has attended international continuous combat tournaments hosted by the Saber Tour and the Silver Sabres Combat Academy, is that in practice that sadly happens less often than the format promises.

From what I’ve seen, the meta, certainly at the mid-high level, is for players to attack at the same time as their opponent, to try and outspeed them and score that extra hit.

However in single-hit combat, this is structurally discouraged, not rewarded. Single-Hit done properly forces you to avoid doubles, to dodge and parry incoming strikes, you can certainly still have rallies of attack and defence, but they’re martial; someone’s attacking and someone’s always defending, not both going full on at once – and is that not what we love film fights for?

Of course, there’s always the argument that we’re athletes not actors, our sport doesn’t need to look amazing to become popular, and if we were fighting with steel then yes I would agree but, we’re fighting with lightsabers!

And lightsabers don’t just allow spectacle — they demand it.

But moving away from the comparison to films and media, the other issue with continuous combat from a spectator standpoint is that it is very difficult to tell what actually happened. A single exchange could contain four or more hits in either direction, some valid some not, and while this is understandable to fighters and referees, to the casual viewer it often isn’t.

It’s Easier For The Referees

I’ve had matches in Saber Tour events, and at SaberFest as well, where I’ve landed several hits that the referees didn’t score. This highlights what I think is a major issue with continuous combat; it’s just too dense.

I don’t want to slight on the referees at all here, they are all exceptionally skilled at what they do and I respect them immensely, I think that they’re incredibly accurate – it’s just that a full-on simultaneous combat assault is too much for three humans to handle without video review.

And I do of course understand that this is simply part of the game and that I should make my strikes clearer, and I will, but Single-Hit gives us options.

With a single-strike system the fight stops after a hit is landed (there is often an afterblow rule as well, so doubles score as nothing), this means the referee simply halts the fight, addresses the hit and then resumes.

This reduces the room for error hugely and lets every fighter test themselves to the maximum without needing to worry as much about whether the strike was obvious enough to be seen as one of many heading in both directions.

But What About Doubles, Luck, and Over-Caution?

Of course, if we were using a single-hit system with priority then matches become a race to the first point. And I’ve fought under these systems when I was a student at First-Strike Lightsaber Combat Simulation, it doesn’t feel like true lightsaber because there is no continuity, no afterblow, nothing.

Practically, this meant whoever touched first won the point – regardless of what happened immediately after. No questions asked. Defence just wasn’t needed after you’d landed a hit.

One of the things I would praise continuous combat for is exactly that, forcing you to defend or keep attacking.

But single-hit with an afterblow is my favourite choice, it welds together the best of both. You have the intricate tactical layering of single-hit systems and the need for defence and awareness after you’ve landed your blow.

To address the issue of it all coming down to luck on the day. There is chance involved, for sure, but when you have multiple rounds each with multiple exchanges I feel it balances out. Even if there is too much luck involved for one’s tastes, there’s no less luck than in any other system I’ve fought under.

And to tackle over-caution, the problem of both fighters waiting for the opportune moment to start their moves and so nothing happens, all that’s needed really is a timer on the match. If the match ends after a certain time has passed, then you have to attack either to get a lead, or to make up lost ground.

So, a Seat at the Table?

I think, having fought in many systems of combat, we should give single-hit more of a chance in our clubs, because for me it creates the most cinematic, exciting and tactical fights of all my time competing so why not try it out and see what you think?

In a time when a lot of European LED Saber circuits have chosen to use a continuous, flowing system of combat, is there still a seat at the table for one-hit combat?

I would argue yes.

This is, of course, not to say that continuous combat is objectively bad or that single-hit is in direct competition with it, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every continuous combat match I’ve fought to date!