Is the Force to wield a lightsaber in you? Among the Padawans of Cercle d’escrime Châtillon 92 Thrust and Size., she wakes up every Tuesday and Saturday, under the watchful eye of their fencing master, Renaud Béaur. Since 2017, the French Fencing Federation (FFE) has recognized lightsaber combat as a sport.
“The Fed has built a new discipline, a framework. The supervisors are trained, the protections are adapted to the discipline, ”explains the fencing and lightsaber teacher. The weapon has also been approved, with a standard size of nearly 110 cm, for 2.54 cm in diameter and thickness of about 2 mm.
If, as in science fiction, the sabers light up in red, green or blue, sometimes even making noises as in Star Wars, in reality the practice is more intense and multiple. There is, in fact, four ways to wield your weapon : athletic in a duel, martial with her katas and sometimes cosplay outfits, artistic with her choreographies and playful with her powers.
The apprentices warm up, practice chaining shots with partners without touching each other before deciding on the spot face-to-face during a three-minute match. Equipped in particular with a mask, gloves or even a breastplate, the assailants must touch their opponent in turn and score 15 points, before the final “Cease” (the fight) of the referee.