“May the force be with you” here or in a galaxy very very near. For a couple of years now, the force has accompanied the creators of LudoSport, a site where you can become a jedi, a real one.
When you arrive you are stunned to see so many Jedi robes and laser swords to recreate the scene. This is what you can find in LudoSport a whole “combat academy with only lightsabers”.
It was founded as a remembrance of an intergalactic conflict beyond the stars. There you can learn techniques based on kendo and fencing. The “fights” in LudoSport have become a competitive sport with referees and rules. There are even international tournaments.
You can be a jedi in Barcelona
At LudoSport you can learn to fight with lightsabers while listening to an “I am your father” and experience sword handling with all the Yoda technique.
There are already students taking classes in these fictional martial arts in nine countries. Spain is one of them, with offices in Madrid and Barcelona, with a total of 300 trainees.
The owners of LudoSport plan to open schools in Mallorca, Terrassa, Sabadell, Leon and Seville, as there are many “Star Wars” fans, who go to see the atmosphere and end up staying to practice the sport.
Carlos Jimenez, the head of the academy in Barcelona, dresses like villains from other galaxies in his typical red outfit. He is part of the group of evildoers and sports a lightsaber.
In the headquarters of the Condal City there are already 110 students as apprentice “padawans” (students of “jedi” and “sith”). Each class is called “clans”, where men and women between the ages of 13 and 55 fight. There is also a clan of children between the ages of 9 and 13.
“Star Wars” in Barcelona: to learn how to fight like a jedi
In LudoSport you learn galactic techniques and use colored sabers that indicate your “rank”. If you enter a new trial class you get a blue one, which makes the noises as heard in the movie. Keep in mind that this is not their toy saber, as they are made for combat. Each one costs approximately 330 euros, but at the academy about 250.
The first lesson is about the SeCuRi philosophy. The term comes from “servicio”, “cura” and “rispetto”, which translates: service, care and respect. It should be noted that this sport penalizes those who harm their opponents.
After the beginning class you leave with training in three attacks and four defenses. In three years you can become a “jedi” or “sith”, after learning about 10 combat styles using daggers, long swords and double sabers.
