[Movies] Star Wars Fan Starts Jedi Lightsaber School in San Francisco
Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 02.21.2013
Taking fandom a step further...
Hero Complex has a story about about Alain Bloch, a lifelong Star Wars fan and 32-year-old San Francisco-based software engineer who has started his own Jedi lightsaber wielding school. The school is designed around combat choreography for lightsabers.
Bloch stated on the concept: "There are a lot of really awesome costuming groups in the Bay Area, but there was no one that was doing reenactments of the lightsaber battles that you find in movies, which I find to be some of the most exciting parts of them. So I went around and was actually looking for somebody who could possibly teach me how to do this sort of choreography."
Bloch was trained by fencing instructor and martial artist Matthew Carauddo. The two founded the Golden Gate Knights. The school meets once a week and averages 25 people a session. Bloch added on the school: "We have people who have their own lightsabers and really want to learn how to use them and look cool flourishing them around. We have people who are into film who want to learn how to do some choreography for their film projects. And we have just a lot of people who are interested in fun weekend activities who want to come out and do something interesting. The lightsaber is a very iconic element to Star Wars. It's the sword. You see that in all sorts of stories and movies -- it sort of represents this force of change. And there's a virtuous element to the light saber; it's made of light, and only those who are keen to the Force can wield it effectively."
A similar school has been founded in Los Angeles as well called the Saber Guild.
