SAN FRANCISCO – Lightsabers are, by definition, awesome.
Who among us hasn’t waved a cardboard tube around, making that sound that only a lightsaber makes, pretending to be a Jedi fighting the forces of evil?
It takes skill to do this, and for few druggats, the masters at Golden Gate Knights will teach you the ways of the Force. Or at least the lightsaber.
“The goal is to allow people to reach their childhood dream – to wield a lightsaber and be a Jedi Knight,” said head instructor Alain Bloch.
Bloch is not your run-of-the-mill Star Wars fanatic. Like a real Jedi, he is adept at the fighting arts, specifically laido and ying-jow pai kung fu. His colleague, Matthew Carauddo, is a licensed fencing instructor. They founded the Knights two years ago to offer “experienced instruction in saber choreography.” They know this might make them sound like geeks. They do not care.
“The common refrain is ‘That’s so geeky’,” Bloch said of the people who learn of the Knights. “Then they ask how they can sign up.”
The Knights meet each Sunday, not far from LucasArts and LucasFilm and ILM. Padawans are promised “you will become an expert at saber choreography, spins, flourishes and a whole lot more.” There is no sparring. The official term is “stage combat choreography.”
The lightsabers are PVC tubes with LEDs and handles made of aircraft-grade aluminum. Some are entry level, beginning at $65. Others are the work of professional “sabersmiths,” with sound cards that make the iconic ‘saber sounds and “Flash on Clash” abilities. That means your blade flashes and makes cool noises when making contact with another lightsaber. Still, the instructors ask that you be polite and turn them off during class so as to not cause a ruckus. Top o’ the line lightsabers run $3,000, but you don’t have to drop that kind of cash. The Knights provide loaners to new students for the first month, but its wise to bring extra batteries.
Of course, a true Jedi builds his own.
“Many of the people who come to class make their own sabers,” said Bloch. “So they end up reflecting the style of the wielder.”
Classes begin with stretching and calisthenics because you don’t want to pull a muscle before defending the realm. Students then master “fancy lightsaber flourishes and spins” before moving on to the dazzling sequences we’ve seen in the movies. It’s a pretty hard workout, actually.
“I’m fat and nerdy and I need this,” Frank Knight during a break in the action. Yes that’s his real name.
The choreography, known as Obi-Ani, is part of the NCSCS (Novastar and Caine’s Saber Combat System). The moves emulate the cool moves we’ve all seen Luke and Yoda and the rest make in the films. Students sometimes pause to review specific scenes on an iPad to get them just right. If you can’t make it to a class, no problem. As with any popular workout, instructional DVDs are available.
Classes end with tired and sweaty Jedis gathering in a circle. The darkened studio is illuminated only by lightsabers as students meditate for five minutes and recite The Oath, which is based on the Jedi Code.
There is no emotion This is only stillness There is no thought There is only silence There is no ignorance There is only attention There is no division There is only unity There is no self There is only the Force.
There is only the Force. And the eternal awesomeness of the lightsaber.
All photos: Sol Neelman/Wired
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