Have you always wanted to emulate your Sith or Jedi heroes by becoming a lightsaber-wielding bad-ass? Well, there’s good news coming out of the Bay Area right now, because one of the world’s premiere Lightsaber dueling academies has opened in San Francisco, opening up the world of competitive Lightsaber battles to a whole new market.
As if the huge number of sci-fi productions hitting the market isn’t evidence enough that now is a great time to be a geek, the fact that we live in an age where acting out our childhood fantasies is now a very real prospect surely is. Thanks to the pioneers at LudoSport, competitive Lightsaber dueling has been taking the world by storm since 2006, but until now, the sport wasn’t available to those of us in the US.
Created by Simone Spreafico, Gianluca Longo and Fabio Monticelli, LudoSport has evolved to encompass both philosophical and physical elements of Lightsaber dueling. This goes far beyond pretending to be the next Obi-Wan, this is the closest thing to a genuine sci-fi martial art we can imagine. The three founders are all experienced in a variety of martial arts and combat sports, including medieval fencing, Ju-Jitsu, and Aikido, and for the last decade, they’ve been combining these combat principles with those that they grew up studying from the Star Wars franchise.
Using a lightweight, well-balanced lightsaber replica, LudoSport students will learn to master a number of increasingly complex fighting skills. For added authenticity, each lightsaber comes with their own soundboard, while colors are customizable: red for wannabe Sith and Blue for wannabe Lightsiders. Once you move up the ranks, the color options for your saber are opened up to the full spectrum. Oh, and don’t expect to see any Kylo Ren-style flourishes to these hilts, LudoSport doesn’t deal with any such nonsense.
For those who want to take things to the next level, national and international competitions allow students to test their skills and earn a range of accolades, such as Best Technique, Best Fight, as well as securing the titles of Best Sith or Best Jedi.
A #sport with a unique #saber! In #LudoSport women and men train to spread the #light and have #fun! Weekly classes each Saturday. pic.twitter.com/wrt1nZeJIo
— LudoSport Saber SF (@LudoSportSF) November 13, 2016
In short, this is the perfect way to practice your lightsaber skills on something that’s not a video game, while also ensuring that you don’t lose any limbs in the process.
Check out LudoSport’s Official Website for a list of locations and classes.
