TOPIC: What draws you to Saber Combat?

For me, I've always had a passion for martial arts, ever since I was a very young child. Even before I was adopted, growing up, watching shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Power Rangers, there's always been a connection between myself and the martial arts. Swords especially. There's something profoundly special about the sword, to wield it effectively takes years of dedication, countless hours spent doing the same motion over and over, and a wit sharper than the blade you wield. It's the perfect culmination of strength and intellect. It's chess, yet it's visceral, it's violent, yet it's philosophical. In a word, sword combat is special.

When I saw Star Wars, and Luke ignited his saber for the first time, I was hooked. That was all I did outside for years... Sticks, pvc pipe, machetes (Don't recommend that last one) Anything I could find for an allegory to a lightsaber I used it to fight rotten trees, broken branches (Mildly shaped like destroyer droids) I fought anything I could find. When I started doing Shorin Ryu, there was no sword program for that style because it is traditional Okinawan Karate. Soon I met a friend who was of like mind, we bought wooden training swords and we beat the hell out of each other after class. (Again, I don't recommend that)

Fast forward a few years I joined the Marine Corps. In SOI (School of Infantry) One weekend I found an MR Luke RotJ saber at sharper image... Instantly bought it, not caring nor fearing repercussions from our instructors. They poked a bit of fun at me, but soon were running through the halls of our squad bay swinging the saber around like mad men. When I got to the fleet I found other Marines who had MR sabers and we beat the hell out of each other. My poor Luke didn't last very long. So I bought another MR, and another, and another. They'd get broken over other blades, barracks walls, (my buddy's face) none of them would last.

I carried a saber with me in Iraq, always had it up in the turret. Still have that saber and I'm actually in the process of restoring it. When I got back, and got out of the Corps I made a few friends down in So Cal and I was back at it with a small core group of people who enjoyed knocking each other around with lightsabers. As I started sparring with actual swordsmen my skills started getting much better. I started learning to adapt and blend my empty hand and traditional weapons with the pugilistic weapons of opportunity and riot baton training I'd received in the Corps. Throw in a little Star Wars flare and now you've got an art starting to form.

I started getting in shape, and staying in shape using workout routines, and maintaining strength doing Saber combat. There's something pure I find in saber combat, it's raw and yet it's elegant. It's exposed but deceptive. It's like a thought that when you think about it directly you lose it. To me saber combat represents a very spiritual experience, not unlike a dance. Except in a dance your goal is to match your partner's rhythm. In sword combat your goal is to destroy your opponent's rhythm, and establish your own.

Anyways, that's my lengthy tale, what draws you to lightsabers?

My draw has always been my love for Martial Arts. The lightsaber did not hold much appeal to me when I first saw the OT in 1977-1983. I was in love with the Millenium Falcon. When the PT came, I was in my twenties and seeing Qui-gon and Maul fighting it out (although) briefly in the desert just immediately captured my attention. I knew that holding a lightsaber something that I must do as I was never able to get my hands on the Millenium Falcon. So I ran out to Sam's Club and bought the Maul/QG combo pack. I worked with them until both fell apart and ended their lives in a trash can.

After pursuing Martial Arts on a full time basis, I began to scan the net for different ideas to make a unique niche for myself. I came across a guy on YouTube who did an entire sword routine with an LED saber and I knew immediately that fate was speaking to me.

After being pretty much spit upon by two forums, I had lost heart until someone directed me toward saberforum. Lucien was one of the first people to say hello and direct me in the right direction. Been addicted ever since.

After seeing his personal videos and hearing he was going to be working for SF, I have found my way here.

My love of Martial Arts, Electronics, and Star Wars has now come full circle and I can see a SF saber being the ultimate expression of the completion of that journey. Saber Combat is an art that I believe everyone should learn. Even if it is not with a lightsaber, sabers will come in handy one day. I live in a location where people are constantly trying to make it more and more impossible to defend yourself via conventional weaponry therefore I seek and encourage others to learn alternative ways of keeping yourself safe.

You will learn discipline, techniques, and confidence to keep yourself and others safe. When others are losing their mind, you know that you'll be able to handle the situation. Martial arts and saber combat should never become a dying art and I plan to pass on what I have learned per Yoda's instructions in RTOJ.

Have a wonderful and happy sabering.

When I was young I was very non violent, got picked on a lot and was a really small guy, so my dad decided to teach me how to fight. Only problem is he didn't, he taught me how to let go and go berserk, and it got me in a lot of trouble when I was a kid so I got into martial arts early to try and learn how to control my temper and to gain some self control before I really screwed things up. I loved it, it became my whole life as well as football through high school, unfortunately I got a bad knee injury and had to stop playing, but I continued my martial arts for many years to come, I was fascinated. My first class was Korean Tae-Kwon-Do, I realized after I learned the basics (got my first degree black belt) that it was really not my thing and I branched out going into Judo, Aikido, and Sumo (I got a lot bigger once I got into the gym and bulked up) along with Jiu-jitsu. One day after Judo practice I wandered into another class that was teaching Kendo, and so my love of weapons was born.

I began studying as best I could, but really did not have time for it at the moment with everything else I was doing, it was not until many years later I got into the SCA and started doing full contact weapon combat regularly, I studied extensively with traditional broadsword, longsword, axe/mace, and spear and dabbled in the light fighting (fencing), I had to stop after about 8 years due to my knee (which has gotten worse over the years), leaving the SCA was not easy for me, I still wanted to fight with swords so I started going out to Amtgard which to be quite honest didn't fill the gap but at least it was something. I dropped that once my knee got bad enough to where running was no longer an option.

Several years later (about six months ago) I stumbled across this hobby and it has again re sparked my love of weapons, when I saw Star Wars in 77 in the theater the day it came out, I was hooked. I have always loved it and never knew sabers existed in this form so now I will be picking up my old training weapons and hitting the pell hopefully to get back into shape, I have spent many years laid up because of the worsening situation with my knee and I need to do something, so why not combine my love of weapon fighting with my love of Star Wars and hopefully be able to get back into some semblance of shape.

I have been watching the videos from TPLA by Darth Nonymous and learning what I can about their styles as well as some of the stuff from the New York Jedi and Ludo Sport. Thus far I am really enjoying it and hope it will eventually carry me into cosplay and such.

I wish I had a really cool story behind my journey like the last two posters! But the main reason I love lightsaber combat is because lightsabers are really freaking awesome! And martial arts and fighting also really awesome. Well, sometimes. I've always loved a lot of things related to Superheroes, sci-fi, fantasy and that sort of thing. But I also have always thought martial arts were really cool. I even took tae kwon do for like a month years ago I would have kept it up but we ran out of money. I was really enjoying it because the teacher and the class were really supportive and I was getting in great shape.

I'm not as fat as I used to be, but back then I was not in good shape at all. There was this one exercise we would do where we would balance on our butt and extend our body out mostly flat, then do a sit up. It felt like rowing a boat. At first, I would do one of those where everyone else would do probably three in the same amount of time. But by the end of my time there I was nearly in sync with everyone else.

I've always wanted to learn martial arts and how to use various weapons to defend myself. But I'm the kind of person who says "I can't" a lot. And it's taken me years to be able to at least somewhat get past it. So I never really put forth the effort to get into it. I know I could have found a way around not having much money. I just didn't want to do anything besides videogames for a long time.

But recently I was looking around on dudeiwantthat.com (stay away from there if you don't want to end up spending lots of money or torturing yourself with awesome things you can't buy), and I saw a link to an Italian Lightsaber Combat thing. I looked at some of the videos and the information about it and I was amazed. I had no idea that this was something people did!

So I did some quick searching and found a facebook page about lightsaber combat. I asked if there was anything in my area and I'm pretty sure it was Lucien Kane who responded to me. He teaches a class in my area and so I was really excited. I went to some classes, and I knew I had to have my own lightsaber to practice with and spar with and such.

So I went online and did some research into custom lightsabers and the people that make them. I was suprised at how many there were! But I decided on Saberforge because one, it was local. And two, they seemed like one of the better options in terms of price and quality. And now here I am!

I have a lot of physical and mental obstacles to overcome if I want to be a good duelist. I have terrible reflexes, terrible balance, I was born with clubbed feet so I don't walk right, my left achilles tendon was cut when I was a baby because of the clubbed feet, I'm a perfectionist so I often won't do things unless I can do them right the first time (I'm really struggling to overcome that), I have really bad hand-eye coordination.

But none of that will stop me from learning lightsaber combat. I don't list those as excuses or reasons I can't do it. I list those so that I know what my obstacles are because it's important to know what your limits and challenges are if you want to overcome them. I don't say "I can't do that" anymore. Or at least I try not to. I say "I can't do that yet."

Lucky for me, my teacher is a really good duelist!

I enjoy Star Wars.

I enjoy light sabers.

I enjoy fencing.

I enjoy medieval forms of combat.

The rest is about any form of combat -

I enjoy the competition, I enjoy the rush when someone makes contact with something I am holding onto and intending to make contact with them.

I enjoy the camaraderie, the fight, the chess game, the balance tipping movements, the story the arch.

I enjoy the chaotic combatant, as it can be amusing and beautiful at the same time who rewards my patience.

I enjoy the deliberate focused combatant who makes me forget my patience.

I enjoy the meditative action of combat.

I enjoy the mindfulness aspect of combat.

I enjoy the pain when a combatant marks me as it reminds me, every loss is a lesson. Every painful wince is a reminder of how much I have to learn.

I enjoy it, I seriously enjoy fighting.

I fight Ferocity form with a purple Juticar saber and my brother fights Aggresion with two yellow monarchs.

Saber combat is awesome!

Each style of fighting should have a different ideal hilt. Take this quiz to find out which style you should use.

http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_form_of_lightsaber_combat_do_you_use_3

Copy and paste URL into new tab

Comment on what form is right for you.



Anyway, Justicar and Monarch are the best designs in my opinion.
Justicar is so comfortable and Monarch is absolutely stunning.

Finally ventured out of the upper sections of the forum to find this one, and it asks a question that I am not sure I have an answer to, but I am interesting in exploring the idea.

I have owned various sabers for a couple of years, and I have played with them a bit, even "sparred" (if you could call the unpracticed clashing of blades we do such a thing) with my son, but I always felt the desire to get a really learn how to use one properly.

My fascination with them goes back to 1977 (I was 15 at the time) when I saw Luke ignite his father's saber for the first time. I could not imagine anything cooler than having one! After that, anything that resembled a saber that I came across was close enough to pretend with. When I got my first actual saber, I envisioned it to be easier than it was to do at least an approximation of a choreographed fight. Turns out, there is some finesse, and technique required so, it did not go very far.

So, for now, they hang on the wall and wait for the day that I can do more with them than push the button to turn them on, and swing them wildly. It is one of my goals to learn how to properly wield one of these mythical/magical weapons, and sooner or later....I always meet my goals.

My story is actually a little different.

Since I was a young lad (I know I'm only 17, but bear with me), I've loved the theatrical arts. I'm more of a music guy, but theatre is my secondary passion.

Watching Episode IV for the first time is actually my first memory. My dad sat me down and we watched it together and from that point, I always wanted everything to do with Star Wars.

Fast forward now about 12 years. I'm now about 15. My director/coach for the theatre department at my old high school was good friends with the choreographers of the PotC movies. So he asked them if they'd come down and show us stage and film combat and then weapons combat. They happily did and showed us a thing or two. And I was hooked.

Now fast forward another two years. Recently, I was actually inducted into the International Thespian Society with Weapons Combat as my specialty. So naturally, I just love weapons combat in general. That mixed with my love for Star Wars and my kick ass SF saber have made my love for Saber Combat increase even more.

Some of my fondest memories are of when my dad and I would have lightsaber fights as a kid. And that love has continued. I'm looking for more local people who share the same love because I'm looking for people to create a live-action version of the "Deceived" SWTOR trailer. That and I need sparring partners. The Jedi purges apparently have made them very few and far between lol.

But yeah. That's my story!

What drew me to saber combat besides the Star wars films, was the 4 years of fencing in high school and years after as well as a few years of practicing Kendo with friend admiring Japanese sword fighting and having a few Samurai swords.

Other then loving Star Wars and growing up with it in my blood, I found it is a great workout. It can be a cardio workout, strength, speed, reflexes, among other things. That draws me in because Star Wars is something I absolutely love, and I'm really concerned with being in shape, and this is the perfect way to connect two things I really like. I know this is different than most reasons for like combat, but that's why I like it mostly. I do like sword fighting as well so there's that

I started martial arts training when I was 8, but even before then my parents instilled a love for swords. My dad was a Master Sergeant in the Marine Corps, and my parents spent a good chunk of time in Japan in the 60's and 70's.

When I was growing up, I was raised on a steady regimen of Star Wars, Highlander, and a bunch of other sci-fi and martial arts themed movies.

It's no wonder I became a kung fu instructor with geeky hobbies.

Through the past 26 years, I have studied Kendo, Iaido, Batto-jutsu, 18 Traditional Chinese Weapons (and some non-traditional ones too), and just recently Western saber and Epee. I have dueled heavily the past decade, yet nothing has ever topped the feeling of igniting my dueling saber and hearing it's hum and clash as I go through a form, performance, or duel.

The lightsaber to me is full of symbolism. A blade with no edge, but the whole blade is a cutting surface. Every hilt is personalized (hooray ASP) to the wielder. To paraphrase Musashi, learn to swing a lightsaber not to cut flesh, but to forge the will to adhere to your beliefs.

May the force be with us all.

When I was a kid, I regularly would have the same dream. Blades would be authorised weapons all over again, to carry and to use, and my dad would be one of the greatest swordsmiths on Earth. And his best piece would be mine, and it would be a lightsaber.

I always had a connection to the Jedi Order. Such selflessness, empathy and all the qualities they have and show, and yet the skills of extraordinary fighters.

I can't wait to get my first saber and start training with the best sparring partners I can find around me!

My story starts not with a love of swordsmanship, but with a love of Star Wars. When I was a little kid (like six), and all we had were Hasbro sabers, my brother, my dad and I didn't concern ourselves with being epic swordsman. All we wanted was to thwack one another with lightsabers.

Fast forward almost a decade, and I turn my life to martial arts and a new way of life. I spent at least 5-6 months consistently training my body and my mind, with inspiration from watching Dragon Ball Z for the first time. As my skill increased, I felt good. But I also felt dangerous, unchecked. Despite precautions and meditation, I felt like a ticking time bomb. And then I returned to the world of swordsmanship. Despite my transformation into a mixed martial artist, my fascination with swords had remained as a part of my consciousness that refused to disappear. I got into HEMA and learned some tricks of the trade. But something was missing. I wanted to return to that world in a way that I understood.

And then my love of the lightsaber was rekindled.

I knew I could never outrun my emotions. They crafted me. But I wanted to become calm, collected. And that is how I came to become a Silver Knight of the Gray Jedi. But there was one more thing, one more person that pushed me back into the world of swordsmanship. And that was the story of Roranoa Zoro. It was a tale written by someone else. Zoro didn't exist, sure. But there was something about him that called to me. His ambition and personality became me.

I want to be him. I want to become a master swordsman.

I want to become me, who I want to become. I want to become me, crafted from the chisel that made legends. And that is what led me to saber combat.

First and foremost, love of Star Wars has drawn me to saber combat, so pretty much since I was five years old. The classic saber hums, clashes, and activation/deactivation sounds always put a grin on my face.

Beyond that, a friend of mine who happens to be both a history buff and a Star wars fan, drew me in by pointing out the similarities between saber styles and real world sword/fencing techniques. I found it very fascinating how the techniques of various styles are employed, both in the Star Wars universe and historical context, whether it be breaking enemy lines or pinpoint precision. Hope to get past Shii-Cho one day, just need to figure out this orbit, and I feel like I can move on, maybe Makashi! If I can figure out all their real-world counterparts, maybe I will study these styles.

Additionally, the finesse, athleticism, intensity, and elegance, hard not to be impressed by all of that. Also the emotional regulation, states of mind one must place themselves in, planning your next move, guessing/predicting your opponent's, there's a certain thrill to it, especially when you emerge victorious. I'm no martial artist, but I won't let that stop me from learning!

I also like the symbolism of it as well, as it has become the one of strongest identifying characteristics of Sith, Jedi, and Gray Jedi, to the point where it is nearly a fault *insert KOTOR II quote here about how lightsabers don't truly define force sensitives* .]

Lastly, the overall experience of saber combat. Went to a big old saber clash last year in San Diego, Jedi vs Sith, and, needless to say, was awesome. Seeing so many people of differing ages, races, skill level with sabers, etc., all united by one thing, their love of swinging a saber at the other person! Not to mention, there was sort camaraderie between opponents, having heard the occasional "good duel" and "crap! are you alright!?". Swung my saber until my body grew heavy, and even then, still kept going until the girlfriend physically dragged me out! Very cathartic, if I may add. With that, I'm always eager for a good saber spar!