Now that we have a place for spinning, I thought it would be good to get all of the resources in one place. The following tutorial links all deal with saber spinning or flourishes as a non combat art. We see these in the movies used to block blaster fire, but while they can be used in combat or choreography, they present no strategic advantage. These moves are all about the flash.
The TutorialsLet me begin with some of what I have put together. Some of the moves in these tutorials will be familiar, others are adapted from other disciplines, and still others are of my own design. As a word of general caution, any move in these tutorials (or indeed in any tutorial or juggling, martial arts, tumbling, etc.) has the potential to result in injury. As others on this forum indicate, start slow. Your muscle memory will pick up the move. If you are not fluid with it, don't try for speed. As a disclaimer, these are my humble attempts. I am a teacher by profession, so I like to think they are well explained, but perfection is neither claimed nor guaranteed.
Single saber workThe following playlist is my tutorial series on single saber. While I may add to it, I consider it fairly complete. It begins with a simple spin, and leads to more advanced moves.
Tutorial series linkJar'Kai (dual Wield) saber work)This playlist is my dual wield work (a work still in progress at the time of this post) and is considerably longer than the last. It also begins with the basics but gets much more complex. I do not recommend starting here unless you consider yourself proficient with single saber spinning in both hands.
Tutorial series linkAerial work (flips and rolls)This is one of my earliest tutorial series. As such, it contains some overlap and is a bit more rough around the edges. It also contains moves that are potentially more destructive to your saber and environment. Select your practice space accordingly.
Tutorial series linkFurther ViewingHere are some youtube channels belonging to other people that I found particularly useful. I provide them here as a community resource. The owners of these channels may add or clarify as they see fit.
VenturousVenturous specializes in staff spinning, but he has some very good tutorials on single and double weapon(he also has done some tutorials on nunchucks). These videos definitely helped me over a hump or two. Venturous is also a resident master on this forum so I am sure if you have any questions for him You can post them here and he will see them.
Channel linkBanditcarOne of the earliest tutorial series, he has some good pointers even if the obi/ani instructions are a bit vague.
Channel linkCH3M15TMostly demos, CH3M15T is pretty active on this forum if you have questions. He specializes in all things dealing with dual wield and reverse grip spinning.
Channel linkExpert Village Bo StaffThis tutorial does not use a lightsaber, but I have found it is transferable to saberstaff and is well explained.
Tutorial series linkLordtainsAnother bo staff spinner, Lordtains, deals more with finger rolls than any other.
Channel linkSaberprojectSaberproject has been around for a while. Most of what they do seems to be choreography and performances. Recently though, they have released some tutorials on various flips, spins, and combos for different weapons. The design is pretty straightforward with moves shown once from different angles and in slow motion.
Playlist linksEnd noteHopefully these tutorial resources help. Please feel free to post others you find, ask questions, post your own, make suggestions, etc. Happy sabering.
