How to get started?

[steadfastivory]

I'm looking for opinions and things to consider regarding how to get into lightsaber combat as a martial art. I'm in the Grand Rapids, MI area.

As far as I know, the options that exist, and their downsides, are:

• TPLA in Ann Arbor. Driving two hours there, and two more back, is a nontrivial thing to accept.
• Find a sparring partner. Maybe others are more social/less shy than me, but I just can't bring myself to investigate whether such a sparring partner exists.
• Sign up for a more traditional martial art. The two issues I bump into are (1) Which art, and (2) What would I have to unlearn for lightsaber combat?
• Create a lightsaber club. It'd be great to have a suitable group around here, but I'm not sure I'm fit to lead/make such a group, even if I make it clear I'm just a student.
• Watch the videos TPLA has posted on YouTube. I find it rather difficult to know that I'm actually doing the moves properly.
• Get a book. I did this, and books are even harder for me to learn martial arts from than YouTube videos.

Out of this list, I think the two most likely for me personally are TPLA, and signing up for a more traditional martial art. Out of the limited research I've done, I know Kendo, Shinkendo, and Aikido are all options (although I haven't checked legitimacy of the people involved). It would be great to have someone else who knows a few things make sure I'm doing the movements well, and have other students learning alongside me. If TPLA had a branch in Grand Rapids, I likely wouldn't be posting this.

So, what does everyone else think? Am I being unreasonable for wanting to stay closer to Grand Rapids? Is Kendo a reasonable step towards lightsaber dueling, or would I have to unlearn half of what I knew in the transition from Kendo to Lightsaber? Is there some detail that I really should know before thinking too hard about this?

[scifidude79]

Be happy you're within driving distance of TPLA. 

By the way, if you do Facebook, you can apparently join their group and post videos of you trying out the moves, then their Masters will let you know what you're doing right and wrong.

[steadfastivory]

I should have clarified that I'm not a Facebook user.

[scifidude79]

I should have clarified that I'm not a Facebook user.

Neither am I.  I really wish they had a forum.

[Darth Nonymous]

Greetings!

I was just popping by and saw this thread.

We actually have people who come down from Grand Rapids to the Workshops we hold periodically. These are 4 hour workshops which may be more worth your trip. Our next one is June 10th. If you can get with those guys, you may be able to start your own study group up there.

And we do have ways to study on line. Watch our FAQ video. It has information about every place you can connect with us in the description. (Yes, our own forum as well)

Hope to see you sometime! Happy Sabering!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds0dmrsVUzo" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds0dmrsVUzo</a>

[steadfastivory]

And we do have ways to study on line. Watch our FAQ video. It has information about every place you can connect with us in the description. (Yes, our own forum as well)

I'll have to check on those forums again. Thanks for pointing them out.

And yes, a 4-hour session less often would likely be easier to justify. I'll have to keep an eye out for the one after June 10th, though, as June 10 is a schedule conflict.

[Master Nero Attoru]

I'm looking for opinions and things to consider regarding how to get into lightsaber combat as a martial art. I'm in the Grand Rapids, MI area.

As far as I know, the options that exist, and their downsides, are:

• TPLA in Ann Arbor. Driving two hours there, and two more back, is a nontrivial thing to accept.
• Find a sparring partner. Maybe others are more social/less shy than me, but I just can't bring myself to investigate whether such a sparring partner exists.
• Sign up for a more traditional martial art. The two issues I bump into are (1) Which art, and (2) What would I have to unlearn for lightsaber combat?
• Create a lightsaber club. It'd be great to have a suitable group around here, but I'm not sure I'm fit to lead/make such a group, even if I make it clear I'm just a student.
• Watch the videos TPLA has posted on YouTube. I find it rather difficult to know that I'm actually doing the moves properly.
• Get a book. I did this, and books are even harder for me to learn martial arts from than YouTube videos.

Out of this list, I think the two most likely for me personally are TPLA, and signing up for a more traditional martial art. Out of the limited research I've done, I know Kendo, Shinkendo, and Aikido are all options (although I haven't checked legitimacy of the people involved). It would be great to have someone else who knows a few things make sure I'm doing the movements well, and have other students learning alongside me. If TPLA had a branch in Grand Rapids, I likely wouldn't be posting this.

So, what does everyone else think? Am I being unreasonable for wanting to stay closer to Grand Rapids? Is Kendo a reasonable step towards lightsaber dueling, or would I have to unlearn half of what I knew in the transition from Kendo to Lightsaber? Is there some detail that I really should know before thinking too hard about this?

As a fellow TPLA Headmaster, I'll follow up Darth Nonymous and recommend training with us.  Even if you don't get to attend physical class as often, we offer lots of possibilities for online study.  Everyone starts by working through Shii-Cho as an Initiate, while we give feedback.  After that, Apprentice level includes pairing you with a Knight or Headmaster to train through the next three Forms.

I know I'll sound biased, but it really is a solid system.  Otherwise I wouldn't be so involved with the organization!  Lots of great folks there, and a massive amount of martial arts experience from various sources.  Any other questions, you can always let me know, or check out our forum for further answers.

[steadfastivory]

As a fellow TPLA Headmaster, I'll follow up Darth Nonymous and recommend training with us.  Even if you don't get to attend physical class as often, we offer lots of possibilities for online study.  Everyone starts by working through Shii-Cho as an Initiate, while we give feedback.  After that, Apprentice level includes pairing you with a Knight or Headmaster to train through the next three Forms.

I know I'll sound biased, but it really is a solid system.  Otherwise I wouldn't be so involved with the organization!  Lots of great folks there, and a massive amount of martial arts experience from various sources.  Any other questions, you can always let me know, or check out our forum for further answers.

Yeah, of course you're biased, but that's OK; it's kind of part of your job.

Thanks for clarifying how the progression is supposed to work in TPLA. I was really confused, since it looks like I'm locked out of some of the boards on the TPLA LX forum, pending a commitment to becoming an Apprentice. You should have seen steadfastivory make an intro post over there.

I'll think my way through the situation... slowly...

[Master Nero Attoru]

Yeah, of course you're biased, but that's OK; it's kind of part of your job.

Thanks for clarifying how the progression is supposed to work in TPLA. I was really confused, since it looks like I'm locked out of some of the boards on the TPLA LX forum, pending a commitment to becoming an Apprentice. You should have seen steadfastivory make an intro post over there.

I'll think my way through the situation... slowly...

Yeah, you unlock more boards as you progress.  Once you finish Shii-Cho, you'll be raised to Apprentice level, where your options open up a bit.  Then you can start training in Makashi, Soresu, and Ataru.

[Master Seblaise]

Hello,

I agree with Darth N. and Master N.A. : Online materials are great to learn and to improve your skills. And if you can join workshop sometimes it will be great.

However, you should consider also your 3rd option: "Sign up for a more traditional martial art". You know, combat is, in my opinion, more than skills. It is also a question of feeling. You can feel the pressure from your opponent, you can feel moves and speed and positions ... and you can feel the impacts of weapons, the sound of these impacts ...

I think that there is no martial art more suitable than an other ... you can practice weapon based Kun Fu, Japanese, historical European and even modern fencing ... it will be no wasted time

[steadfastivory]

Hello,

I agree with Darth N. and Master N.A. : Online materials are great to learn and to improve your skills. And if you can join workshop sometimes it will be great.

However, you should consider also your 3rd option: "Sign up for a more traditional martial art". You know, combat is, in my opinion, more than skills. It is also a question of feeling. You can feel the pressure from your opponent, you can feel moves and speed and positions ... and you can feel the impacts of weapons, the sound of these impacts ...

I think that there is no martial art more suitable than an other ... you can practice weapon based Kun Fu, Japanese, historical European and even modern fencing ... it will be no wasted time

(For the sake of this post, I'll assume you've done at least a martial art or two, despite that you didn't say you had in your post)

It's really nice to hear someone say that any martial art would help. My research has been really inconclusive on that front, so I had very little idea what to think. Have a point.

[Master Seblaise]

(For the sake of this post, I'll assume you've done at least a martial art or two, despite that you didn't say you had in your post)

It's really nice to hear someone say that any martial art would help. My research has been really inconclusive on that front, so I had very little idea what to think. Have a point.

Yes, sorry

I practice several forms of "french" wood stick combat and also savate kick boxing. I put some vids in a topic page 3 or 4 of this section

Any martial art would help to consider how to deal with a real aggressive opponent ... and it will be very useful

Point back (as soon as i can connect the forum with a real computer and not tapatalk app lol)

[Master Nero Attoru]

Hello,

I agree with Darth N. and Master N.A. : Online materials are great to learn and to improve your skills. And if you can join workshop sometimes it will be great.

However, you should consider also your 3rd option: "Sign up for a more traditional martial art". You know, combat is, in my opinion, more than skills. It is also a question of feeling. You can feel the pressure from your opponent, you can feel moves and speed and positions ... and you can feel the impacts of weapons, the sound of these impacts ...

I think that there is no martial art more suitable than an other ... you can practice weapon based Kun Fu, Japanese, historical European and even modern fencing ... it will be no wasted time

This is very true.  We mostly offer online training for those who may not have the option of training at a dojo/school/center, but training in-person with a legitimate martial arts outfit will always be the best choice.  We have an Apprentice who is currently moving through our system while she trains in kendo, and it gives her quite a bit of added perspective.

[steadfastivory]

This is very true.  We mostly offer online training for those who may not have the option of training at a dojo/school/center, but training in-person with a legitimate martial arts outfit will always be the best choice.  We have an Apprentice who is currently moving through our system while she trains in kendo, and it gives her quite a bit of added perspective.

The question from my original post was not "is there any benefit at all to training in a martial art," it was closer to "Is there a martial art that comes with a significant downside if my real goal is lightsaber combat". It sounds like the answer to that is "no", based on you and Seblaise. Which is great information; there's both a Kendo place and a kenjutsu place around here. Not 100% certain about legitimacy, but that's a matter I can look into.

Thanks for the input, everyone who's contributed to this thread.

[Zyn]

Speaking as a former student of martial arts, there really is not what you would call a "useless system". Some are better than others in certain situations, but the more styles you practice, the more you'll know what to do given any kind of threat.

Sure, the kinetics of karate may not translate particularly well to saber combat (as karate is focused on empty hand striking, although certain dojos do offer weapons training), most all martial arts are more than just combat. It's more of a mindset. Martial arts training also instills other, nonphysical skills, including threat recognition, faster responses, and increased reaction times, all of which can translate into other areas outside of combat.

If you're set that you can't make the saber specific classes, get into anything. You won't be disappointed.