“This is where the fun begins.”
Anakin Skywalker’s fateful words echoed through my head this week when news broke that lightsaber fighting is now officially recognized as a real sport. I mean, I know it’s a real sport because I participate in it. It’s just nice to see the rest of the world getting up to speed.
The French Fencing Federation (let’s call them the FFF) ruled this week that lightsaber dueling is officially a real competitive sport. This is a big deal for lightsaber-obsessed weirdos like myself because the FFF is an authority on such things and its ruling opens the door for this sport to possibly be included in the Olympics someday. Maybe.
“The idea that something we do as as Star Wars fans, to be on a big stage like the Olympics, I can’t even comprehend how exciting that would be,” said Jimmy Sourile, the world champion of The Saber Legion, the largest saber fighting organization in the U.S. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in 2024, but I think it’s possible in the near future.”Of course, if lightsaber fighting indeed becomes an Olympic sport, it won’t happen for many years, but hey…you have to start somewhere.
Check out the video up top to catch the rest of my conversation with Jimmy, who is literally one of the best saber fighters on the planet. Dan Casey and also I discuss the validity of saber fighting as a sport. It’s a really snazzy video if I don’t say so myself and you should definitely watch it, like it, and share the heck out of it.
It’s the third I’ve made in a series where I explore this sport and the community (which is honestly the very best part). The first one I did was where all this started, which you can watch right here. For the second one, I went and fought at TSL3, The Saber Legion’s national tournament in Las Vegas, which was much more challenging that I expected.
Take it from someone who actually does this: lightsaber fighting absolutely is a real sport and it’s a blast. Try it out and see for yourself. Check out The Saber Legion’s website or like their Facebook page to get started. You won’t regret it.
May the Force be with you.