Lightsaber Duelling Is Now An Official Sport
My heart skipped a beat when I saw the news. Finally, I could be the Jedi I was born to be.
France has made it easier than ever to join the wonderful and mystical world of the Star Wars franchise. The country’s fencing federation has officially recognized Lightsaber duelling as a competitive sport.
Although Padawan’s won’t be allowed to chop off hands or use the high ground, they’ll still be encouraged to embody their favourite characters, whether it’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, Maul, or even someone from the extended universe. This combination allows fans the opportunity to participate with other fans and of course, the lightsaber instructors, who will show them the ways of the force and the best way to handle a lightsaber. It may not be powered by a real Kyber crystal, but don’t let that stop you from having fun.
Serge Aubailly, the federation’s secretary said:
“With young people today, it’s a real public health issue. They don’t do any sport and only exercise with their thumbs”
“That is why we are trying to create a bond between our discipline and modern technologies, so participating in a sport feels natural.”
In the past, characters such as Zorro, Robin Hood, The Green Arrow and The Three Musketeers have lured fans to try both fencing and archery. Now it looks as though the Jedi Knights and Sith Lords will be attracting more members who want to learn the art of fencing with a new and exciting twist.
We’ve seen lightsaber duel’s get pretty ugly. Just look at what happened to Anakin and Maul. But the federation have laid down some ground rules to make the competition fair and feasible.
The combatants fight inside a circle. Strikes to the head or body are worth 5 points, arms and legs 3 points, and hands are worth 1 point. The first person to reach 15 points is the winner. Now, if the match goes on for quite a while, the person with the highest score will win. If both fighters reach 10 points, they’ll enter a sudden death stage in which the first to land a blow to the head or body wins.
My hope is that the sport catches on very quickly and spreads to other parts of the world. Imagine how much fun it would be duelling with a friend. Would you want to try Lightsaber duelling? Just for fun, here is an amazing video from a fencing world championship in Moscow.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/feb/19/light-saber-duelling-official-sport-france-star-wars
James Lister is a University student in the UK, currently undertaking his Masters degree in Media & Communication. He has a strong passion for everything Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and Anime related.
