Saber Forum

This is the biggest event of the year in my little part of the world and it is only one week away- May 18, 19 & 20. I don’t know who is more excited me or my 12 year daughter that built from scratch/hand sewed her very own costume of her original character.
All the normal big convention appeal of cos play competitions, vendors, artists, local breweries, panels and experiences (yay!). The local Star Wars costumers, the North Ridge will be there and always do a fantastic job- as does the Super Hero alliance. Not the huge line-up of guests as year’s past, but Jeremy Bullock (Boba Fett) is the Star Wars celebrity to see.
Of course part of the reason I am so pumped up is that for the second year in a row, the American Force Academy will be in the thick of things! Each day of the event we will be running a totally free one hour, adult Light Saber Training class in one of the big event rooms.  Show up with your Ultra Saber (or borrow one of ours) and we will take you through some of the very basics- holding the saber, how to stand, footwork, striking methods, whatever else we can pack into the hour. In addition, we will also have a booth on the main convention floor with our vast arsenal of Ultra Sabers, customizations and combat gear on full display. We hope to have 30+ sabers on display in between classes. Even if you are not into the combat aspect, we love to meet and chat with all types of sabering enthusiasts. It’s always a fun crowd and the AFA is a really nice, inclusive group of people.
If you are a reasonable drive from downtown Buffalo, I highly recommend this event. And if you are planning on attending, please stop by and say hello, get a pic together for the forum, show off your ultra saber and check out ours. PM me if you have any questions.
I will post pictures and updates on this thread through and after the event.
This is going to be a loooonnnnggg week... I feel like a kid counting down to Christmas with an AT-AT sized box under the tree!!!

That sounds like a great Con. Shame that I'm down in Philly and it's a bit out of my radius for Con-going. Sounds like a super Star Wars focused convention, most of the ones in my area can really suffer from a lack of representation from Star Wars I find. Jeremy Bullock is really cool, just saw him at a local Con a few weeks ago.

Thrilled to see the AFA on the big schedule of events and scope out all the other highlights! My daughter and I are excited to try the Stranger Things escape room. We are also very relieved Saber Training Classes do not conflict with the Cosplay competitions, especially her age group or the Jermey Bullock panel. If I wasn’t so busy, I would have loved to check out the Clerks screening with Jason Mewes on Saturday night. Oh well, can’t fit it all in. Only one more day to clean the battle damage off my blades and get my sabers nice and shiny!
(http://i.imgur.com/l5Tw7bh.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/pX0XKNx.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/PXjw0Qe.jpg)

Hulk Hogan gonna be there too! Wuuuuaaaaat

Great start!!
(http://i.imgur.com/1VHVG6U.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/D1CL26X.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/F7b3KGa.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/jxSnGx6.jpg)

Nice pics there

Phew... what a whirlwind of a weekend. I am looking through pictures and videos now that I either took or am in with absolutely no recollection of the moment. Sensory overload for three straight days on Star Wars, costumes, light sabers, classes, interviews, coffee, photo ops, cos play, photo requests, adult beverages, talking, talking and more talking, on and on. All very successful as we met so many great people, made new many friends and talked to a lot of very interested potential students. Not to mention my daughter won the 11-17 division of the cos play competition!!
501st / Rebel Legion / North Ridge on patrol always made a stop by the booth.
(http://i.imgur.com/25s9bir.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/e3pBYZD.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/boWhxka.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/wyinM0f.jpg)

There was a bit of a wrestling theme given the high profile guests...
(http://i.imgur.com/M9Kaz1R.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/1GSDrvu.jpg)

The booth was always hopping.
(http://i.imgur.com/PrzmZ5v.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/ZRdqY9i.jpg)

Hi Musashi Padawan, a fantastic collection of photos. Glad you enjoyed the Con.

There are just two small things I want to ask, first is, does the Wookie in that Hollywood Hogan shirt look a bit like Bingo out of the Banana Splits? (or is it just my imagination?) and second did Master Plo Koon have a Dorinian saber? That would have been cool!

points incoming (and congrats to your daughter too)

Great pictures, looks like it was a blast!

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Point to you for the cool pics. It looks like ya'll had a good time!  ;D  MTFBWY!

Thanks Mav and Tx!
That Wookie looked like nothing I have seen before!  As far as the Dorinian, that is where my murky memory comes in again.  I know someone had that saber, because I got to hold one for the first time.  Feels and looks really nice!  Was it Mater Plo though?  I think it was, but I am not 100%.

A few more... apologies in advance for the disturbing image of MP as Jabba's captive
(https://i.imgur.com/yGk9sUa.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/BhriDGB.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/K5IEQ36.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/okSIaYX.jpg)

Finally, had some time to put up a short vid of Light Saber Training at the Con
https://youtu.be/bCU6rLilTb8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCU6rLilTb8

Great pictures and video!! Looks like you had a good showing and a blast!

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Thanks tx, a great time was had by all. About the only thing that could be better for next year is if Ultra Sabers would come up!

They make a ton of sales at the Cons! Not only just because you can't miss the display, but every time somebody ask "where do you get those" to the many people with them, you just point them in the right direction.

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Tx, I can only imagine the kind of ruckus that eye candy of a display creates. Our little piddly saber display was generating a lot of attention.  Plus (if anyone is listening...) there is Buffalo’s proximity to the border. The Con always has a ton of Canadian traffic, and depending on the guests, many from Toronto. Between shipping, customs, taxes, etc, ordering an US can cost double that of strolling up to a booth. Just saying...

Thanks for the share.  Looks like this is a good con and your saber experience booth only adds to the appeal.  That's a nice saber collection.  Hopefully the one in my city will improve next year as it will be the 2nd one.  Very few cosplayers with lightsabers but the 501 was there... oddly without any sabers... I could have lent them some of mine.

point  :)