Fencing with the lightsaber - now possible in France
You may have already read it on social media: Lightsaber dueling is now a recognized sport in France. The official French Fencing Federation (FFE) is now combining the elegant weapon of a far, far away galaxy with classic fencing and is adding this form of fencing to its repertoire as a new discipline. The fencing is done with lightsaber replicas in which the polycarbonate blade is illuminated by LEDs - just as we know it.
But this unusual combination will probably not make it to the next Olympic Games in Tokyo, and we will probably not see any lightsabers in Paris in 2024 either.
But with all the attention this message is receiving at the moment, the fencing sport behind the lightsaber remains clearly recognizable: similar to other groups that have already tried to combine it with Kendo. The difference for fencing is that it is now official recognized.
Lightsaber fighting exists as an art form, as a choreographed performance as you could see it especially in episodes I to III. The lightsaber fight lives from its dynamics, its speed and its elegance, in this respect it is closer to dancing than to sword fighting. The form recognized by the FFE is hardly comparable with the lightsaber duels we know and love so much.
Time will tell to what extent Star Wars fans in France will be able to enjoy it, but let us ask heretical: does fencing really need the lightsaber in addition to foil, sabre and sword?