THEEXPERIENCE
65
JULY 2015
Most impressive:
PaulineLadoe (left)
joins fellownovice
saber-rattlersunder
thetutelageof JediMaster
LucDellasois (right)
he first attack flashes towardmy left
shoulder and it’s all I cando topivot and
blockwith lightsaber, a clashof durable
polycarbonate tubes that, thanks to the
electronics in thehefty hilt, creates an
audible sizzling sound. Off-balance, I don’t even see the
follow-up strike, a swift 360-degree arc of light that ends
with a surprisingly light impact onmy right shoulder.
“Aaargh!” I exclaim, which is both a requirement of beinghit
and a relatively accurate expressionof how I feel indefeat.
Sometimes dreams can come true. Likemany
30-somethings, I’ve long nursed a fantasy ofwielding a
lightsaber like themost iconic characters in the StarWars
universe. The radiant swordwith the familiar lowhum is
the traditional laser blade for bothbrave Jedi Knights and
evil Sith Lords. Not as clumsy or random as ablaster, it’s
an elegantweapon for amore civilised age.
But it turns out there is ahugedifferencebetween
holding a lightsaber and knowinghow to effectivelyuse
it. In a sports hall in rural Belgium, I am facingThomas, a
young, athletic opponentwho, while sizingupmy frozen
stance andunsure grip, fluidly twirls hisweaponbackover
hiswrist, as ifwindingup for amassive swing. If thiswas
a
StarWars
movie, the spirit of Yoda someuseful advice in
my earwouldbewhispering. But Imust fend formyself.
This is LudoSport, an attempt to transfer thrilling
lightsaber combat from themovie screen to the real world.
Originating in Italy in2006, LudoSport does not involve
role-playing or play-acting, andhas noofficial link to the
famousGeorge Lucas franchise. Instead, it is a fully
realisedmartial art basedon the first principle of “what
if lightsaberswere real?” That is to say, if you got hit
anywherewith aburning laser sword, youwould likely
bedead, or at leastmissing a limb. So learninghow to
effectivelyblock attacks is extremely important. I am
exceptionallybad at it.
Since 2006, LudoSport has expanded from Italy to
Sweden, England, Ireland andRussia, with a Frenchoutpost
set toopen imminently. TheBelgian LudoSport academy,
based in a sports hall 10km fromTournai, is overseenby
Luc (yes, really) Dellasois andhis 17-year-old son, Thomas.
A civil servant, snooker fan andDJ, Dellasois has a twinkle
inhis eye and a goateebeardwith just ahint of Errol Flynn
swashbuckle about him.
I had assumedDellasois, being Luc, might alsobe a
Skywalker superfan, giddy about the release of
EpisodeVII:
The ForceAwakens
inDecember, but he shakes his head.
“
StarWars
, it is really nothing tome,” he says. “I like
Marvel. I love
TheAvengers
!”
What initially impressedDellasois about LudoSportwas
the combinationof technical skill and camaraderie. After
a series of intenseboot camps inMilan, he andThomas
qualified as LudoSport instructors inDecember 2014,
andwastedno time settingup their own academy, which
opened inFebruary this year. “I tookout a small advert,
and thenext day, the first classwas full,” he says. In just
a fewmonths, Dellasois’s academy has expanded to three
separate sessions aweek. To encouragepeople to try
LudoSport, the first class is free. I am eager to trymy luck.
Dellasois takesme through thebasics of LudoSport
combat, and emphasises that thepoint is not tohit hard:
“The contact shouldonlybe a small impact, you should
haveno fear.”What strikesme, apart from a series of
feather-light taps on the shoulders, knees andhead from
aparade ofmore skilledopponents, is thededicationof
