Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — Every month, a group of “Star Wars” fans gather at a park in Bonifacio High Street to learn how to perform dance and fitness routines using the weapon of the Jedi: duel-grade lightsabers. These fans, who use the sabers to perform and not to cut through opponents or avert blaster bolts, are part of an organization called the Philippine Lightsaber Guild (PLG), which aims to expand the participants’ knowledge and skill on lightsaber use.
Mike Atienza, one of the pioneering members of PLG, says that when they do their monthly meet-ups, they usually inject practices from various disciplines, like dance or parkour, into their routines. “We usually pick a few techniques from different disciplines like parkour … some of us are dancers. We get a little bit of everything, everything that we can use and incorporate them into our routine, and they help us increase our fitness level so that we can do all the stuff that we do in our performances.”
Besides performances, the PLG also supports individuals who are keen to specialize in saber combat or saber construction. These specializations have their own Facebook groups, where participants post about sword fighting training in Quezon City, a Kylo Ren helmet they want to sell, or articles about the history of lightsaber training as a form of martial art, among others.
Paolo Bragais, another member of PLG, says that this “Star Wars” group that they have formed not only helped him improve his fitness level, it also enabled him to meet like-minded people. “Joining [the] lightsaber [guild] definitely made me a happy person, not just in person, but also in spirit. Knowing that with them, I’m able to help people, help them experience what they see in movies … These small things make me happy,” he shares. With every swing and every lunge, the PLG community has indeed made participants feel a sense of belonging and made “one of Hollywood’s most beloved and successful franchises ever” closer to home.
Watch how PLG members train for their lightsaber routines: