Roan Novachez and Pasha are seen here participating in lightsaber fencing
The Lightsaber Fencing Tournament, an event that occurred at the Jedi academy located on the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, served as a testing ground. Beginning in 345 BBY, this tournament gave Jedi Padawan students the opportunity to demonstrate their developing lightsaber skills in a fencing competition against one another. In 196 BBY, Pasha and Cyrus stood out as the leading contenders, securing the top two qualifying positions.
The origin of the Lightsaber Fencing Tournament can be traced back to 345 BBY, arising from the challenges presented to students by JanMincénte, a Jedi Master and instructor at the academy. JanMicénte, finding himself consistently victorious in lightsaber fencing matches against his students, determined that it would be more beneficial for them to assess their abilities against their peers. The tournament offered a structured framework for this purpose. Throughout its existence, numerous Jedi who would later achieve prominence within the Order distinguished themselves as champions in this tournament. M'Ba-Tee, a Jedi Master, exemplifies this, showcasing the Jar'Kai technique and claiming victory in the 12th Annual Tournament.
One particular tournament took place in 196 BBY. It commenced at 1600 hours on a designated Hexaday. The students were organized into three squads: Squad A, under the supervision of Yoda; Squad B, overseen by Mr. Garfield; and Squad C, assigned to provide support from the bleachers. The ten students who earned a spot in the tournament, ranked in order of their qualification, included Pasha, Cyrus, Jo-Ahn, Egon, Tegan, Cronah, Gaiana, Shi-Fara, Greer, and Roan Novachez.
As the top two qualifiers, Pasha and Cyrus served as team captains, presumably selecting their respective team members. Prior to the tournament's commencement, Yoda and Mr. Garfield engaged in a demonstration duel. In one of the initial matchups, Gaiana triumphed over Greer with a swift strike to his chest, earning applause from the audience. Roan Novachez faced off against Jo-Ahn, initiating the duel with a fundamental application of the Shii-Cho form. Jo-Ahn evaded the attack and countered with a strike to Novachez's abdomen. Egon competed against Shi-Fara, defeating her by exploiting a speed advantage to position himself behind her and execute a successful Zone 4 strike. Cronah and Tegan were the next pair to duel, with Cronah emerging victorious by redirecting their weapons during a blade lock. However, this achievement did not garner him any applause. Pasha and Cyrus engaged in the final bout, which proved to be a relatively extended duel. After circling Cyrus twice, Pasha was knocked off balance, leaving him vulnerable. However, Novachez, acting out of concern, inadvertently deactivated Cyrus's lightsaber. Pasha was subsequently disqualified.
The tournament was held again on schedule the following year in 195 BBY, marking its 150th anniversary. Jedi Master M'Ba-Tee was in attendance for the event, and he gave a special demonstration that impressed everyone except for Ronald Rinzler. Gaiana was up first again, and she defeated Jo-Ahn in combat. By chance, Cronah and Tegan were matched up once more, with Cronah again defeating Tegan. Silva and Rinzler qualified this time, and were next to clash. Ronald let his guard down for just a moment, which allowed Silva to get the final blow. Cyrus was pitted against Egon, and used a Force-jump to triumph. This time, the final match was between Novachez and Pasha. Pasha attacked angrily, rapidly gaining ground on Novachez and driving him back. Eventually forced to drop his guard, Novachez was helpless against a blow from Pasha that was foiled by Cronah's flash camera. Although he had the chance to strike, Novachez waited for Pasha to take his time, as the circumstances would have rendered the blow cheating. Pasha resumed his attack, and after another bout of bladework, won the fight.
Victor Starspeeder participated in this competition during 181 BBY, where he defeated his own sister, Christina.