French fencing is taking the concept of “Force” to a whole new level. The French Fencing Federation has recently announced that competitive lightsaber dueling will become a legitimized sport under the professional fencing umbrella.
What began as a form of niche athletic cosplay has been adopted by the federation as an attempt to lure young people off of their couches and off their phones and into the ring. After all, why would you want to sit home and play a Star Wars video game when you could battle for the Jedis IRL? Thus, a public health issue has found an unorthodox solution. And these LED-lit, rigid polycarbonate weapons are no joke: there’s a lot of training and heavy armor involved (even if does look a bit like a very intense Halloween costume).
In an evermore digitized world, it can be easy to forget the fun you had as a kid, when all you had to play with were a couple of sticks and your own imagination. But sometimes, bringing back that youthful spirit can be not only fun, but actually good for you.
