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What to expect from your first lightsaber class

You’ve done it. Today is the day you finally signed up for that lightsaber school you’ve been hearing about. But you’ve never been to a lightsaber class. Or maybe this is your first time in any kind of martial arts setting. What have you gotten yourself into? What even is lightsaber combat? What's a lightsaber?

First....

Second, if you're unsure what a lightsaber is. Seek immediate medical attention or check out Indy Bat'leth Academy.



At Indy Lightsaber Academy we teach lightsaber combat through a fun and skill based approach. Each of our “forms” are based off a real world martial art influenced by the unique properties of a lightsaber. But don’t worry, you don’t need any martial arts experience. For our Tuesday classes, the only limitation is that you have to be over 12.

Our classes are good for the casual exerciser looking for something different, to the serious martial artist looking for a challenge.

Lightsaber Combat?


It’s what we do. Our forms while based off of mostly western martial arts (HEMA), aren’t intended to hurt anybody. After a few classes under your belt, more than likely you’ll progress to sparring. But again the intent isn’t to hurt, but rather learn a skill and sport. 

Pro-Tip: Reach out to us for any questions you might have before class.

When you show up:

Sign in at the front desk of the YMCA. You don’t have to be a member. If you’ve already bought a pass, you can skip this step. Otherwise your first class is $5. Just say “I’m here for the lightsaber class”.

Pro-Tip:
Try to show up at least 10-15 minutes early. To avoid wasting time looking for a parking spot right near the building, just cruise over to the adjacent auxiliary lot next to Lilly.

Checking in:You’ll be greeted by probably 10-20 students already in the room swinging around lightsabers. Usually there will be an instructor or volunteer by a laptop checking people in. If you find yourself here before you paid, we’ll most likely instruct you to go do that at this point.

Take this time to mingle and talk to people. There are a lot of cool cats that come here. They may even let you borrow a saber if you don’t want to use our practice ones.

Warming up:

Our classes usually start with a 10-15 minute warm up. Please take this at your own pace. If you have any medical conditions or physical limitations please let us know beforehand. Hopefully you’re reading this before coming. While not required it is heavily recommended you come in some kind of athletic clothing.

Class:

Once the warm ups are done you’ll be assigned an instructor and where to go. Everyone’s first class is an introduction to Form I.

What is Form I:

Think of Form I as “Lightsaber 101”. You’ll learn the basic ‘en guarde’ (on guard) stance, how to hold the saber, and 6 attacks and blocks. Form I is a mix of beginner long sword and various other styles (langes messer, Indian Tulwar and many others). Or just think of any 2 handed sword fighting technique you’ve seen in the movies. Point is, don't worry if you have no experience.

What now?Congratulations! You’ve made it through your first lightsaber class. Good job. But what do you do from here? Thankfully we are always accepting new students and beginners. That means that you can pick up from where you left off at any time.

Plus we have 7 Forms of lightsaber combat to learn. You'll start off learning Form I and progress to Form II or Form III. From there you can then specialize in any Form you like. Or learn more about a Form you've already tried. Look out for a full post about our 7 Forms of Lightsaber Combat and the rankings you can achieve.


Thanks for reading folks! Hope to see you in class soon!


--May the Force be with you all (except Todd, you're still banned from class)


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