By Joe Nguyen
Is the Force with you? Have you checked your midi-chlorian count? Have you ever felt compelled to follow a bearded robe-wearing white guy across the galaxy? Do you find yourself saying, “I have a bad feeling about this” way too often?
If the above is too Star Wars-y for your taste, then make like an X-Wing pilot and get the hell out of here.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away … well, actually, three years ago on the Internet, The Bold Italic participated in a class with the Golden Gate Knights (GGK), a local group that offers lightsaber training and choreographed battle performances. With Rogue One out now, I decided to step up my intergalactic game and see for myself what the Knights have been up to.
In a sketchy alley of SOMA, not unlike those found in Mos Eisley, I found the dance studio where GGK holds its weekly classes. I walked in and saw a nice variety of people milling about, including nerds, couples and a woman with three younglings. Many of them were in costume. One overly intense newcomer kept yelling things like “LET’S DO THIS!” as Star Wars music blasted throughout the studio.
The instructor, Alain Bloch, welcomed attendees and directed us to a pile of high-quality lightsabers that are loaned out during classes. He handed me — nay, bestowed upon me — a Luke Skywalker replica. After a surprisingly intense warm-up and stretching routine, we learned a series of spins and flourishes that combined into figure eights. Then we learned a few attacking and defensive choreography basics before breaking into pairs to practice, with Padawans like myself paired with more experienced attendees.
I thought that maybe if I was good enough at these moves, I could someday impress Natalie Portman, but by the end of the class it became apparent that I would at best catch the eye of an extra from Jabba the Hutt’s lair. Suffice it to say, I would fail the Jedi trials, but it was a lot of fun and a decent amount of physical activity. And at least my hand didn’t get cut off.
Another reminder of my inadequacy came after we finished, when a group of performers who were preparing several fight scenes gave us a preview of an upcoming performance. They re-created scenes from several different movies in the Star Wars series, and they were pretty damn good.
After the performances, the lights were turned off, and we gathered in a circle for meditation. We began with silent reflection as we basked in the glow of our lightsabers and then recited the mantra of the Jedi code. This being the ever-inclusive Bay Area, we also recited the Sith mantra (which, if I’m being honest, appealed more to me).
After class I joined some regulars for pizza, a food you’d never guess lightsaber choreographers would be into. I chatted with them about the Knights and the greater community of Star Wars enthusiasts. After discussing everything from Kylo Ren memes to materials they used for their custom-made lightsabers, it would be an understatement to call these folks superfans.
While the classes attract these hardcore regulars, they are open to all and are very welcoming. When I asked about the types of people who show up, Alain said, “We have your weekend Jedi warriors and then more dedicated ones who really enjoy the community we’ve created here [as well as] the idea of being able to do performances and get into the costuming.”
The Knights aren’t alone in their quest to bring the Star Wars movies to life. Groups like the 501st Legion and Rebel Legion focus on the costuming aspects. Others, like GGK and Saber Guild, focus more on live performances and lightsaber combat techniques. There are more like them throughout the world in places like Italy, Singapore and Australia, to name a few. I hope the Aussies have choreographed a “That’s not a lightsaber; THAT’s a lightsaber” scene.
Alain doesn’t see these other groups as competition but rather as more opportunities for people to experience the Force. Most lightsaber instructors, including Alain, are trained in multiple martial arts, which influence their different styles. GGK cofounder Matthew Carauddo, a.k.a. Novastar, helped develop Novastar and Caine’s Saber Combat System, which is taught at GGK and through instructional videos.
All these enthusiast groups and more will collaborate in a massive lightsaber battle on the release day of the new movie. The attempt at a world-record turnout highlights the sense of community among these groups. As Alain explained, “I’ve been doing this for four and a half years, and I have to say, I see the same people coming every week. That’s more than I can say of some of my best friends, who I’ve known since childhood who I see on occasion. It’s an activity-based community and a lot of fun too.”
As the conversation at the pizza place became more nuanced and esoteric, I couldn’t keep up. My attempts to chime in made me sound worse than Jar Jar Binks. So with the subtlety of C-3PO I left, barely saying goodbye to avoid disrupting the intense but friendly argument that had started about who would win hypothetical battles. I thanked Alain again for the awesome class. Naturally, he had just one last thing to say to me:
“May the Force be with you.”
