Injury stories thread

[Bern Sal Becca]

My worst saber injury just occurred recently, about two weeks ago, my friend and I have been doing martial arts training together for several years together and been doing bokken training for awhile. About 6 months ago we were dueling, he had a polycarbonite hand and a half sword versus my  wooden katana. I came in and parried his attack and went for a strike, but the differnet materials caused the blades to bounce more than i anticipated and my blade caught him right over the eye, just under his head gear. Thankfully he didnt need stitches but he does have a nasty scar. At this point we decided to use something a little safer than the bokkens and to get eye protection. and this is when we discovered US. We got complacent and though the blades were safer and didnt get the eye protection we planned on. Well of course ultrasabers draws attention and my friends neighbor came over and we started teaching him. We had taught him for a few weeks, and i was a little overconfident in my abilities and though i wouldnt need any eye gear against a beginner because i was good enough. We were all dueling and the beginner an myself were going after my other friend, when the beginner wasnt paying attention, i stepped in close and delivered a nice blow to his midsection and continued walking through him, but at the same time he was spinning around and a while unctrolled swing landed right in my left eye. I immediately started bleeding from a cut directly over the eye, as well as my eye swelling shut, the best part was it being so bad i had to call out of work the next day because my eye was swollen shut, and then explaining to both coworkers and clients that is was due to lightsaber fighting, you can bet that i bought eye gear that very same night

[Master Lucien Kane]

Lol yeah don't underestimate beginners. In many ways they are more dangerous sparring partners than experienced fighters... Due to the fact that they don't usually practice control or restraint.

[Jammo]

The novice has no sense of space and any unfamiliar sparring partner can be trouble if you cross up the wrong way. I always try to create a little space and feel someone out if I've never crossed blades with them before...

[Volund Starfire]

Safety gear at all times.  If you are sparing, you always need safety gear.  Even as a Black Belt on Black Belt, you need safety gear.  For Saber Combat, because of the size of the blade, you are very lucky you didn't lose your eye.  The same is true for your partner when you were armed with a bokken.

Fencing gear, Bōgu (Kendo-style fencing gear), even hockey pads or paint ball gear.  A mask is a requirement, not just a good idea, but a requirement.  Something that protects the crown, sides of the head, and the face.  Not just the eyes.  Wrist protection, collarbone protection, and groin protection are also a requirement.  The wrists and collarbone are the most often broken bones during training, so you need to focus on those.

Safety, safety, safety.  You wouldn't work with fiberglass without eye and breathing protection, don't practice with weapons (even pretend weapons) without safety gear.

[Laeradex]

Not strictly lightsaber combat, but me and a friend were trying to translate the Forms into bokken styles. About an hour in, I struck for his head as he went for my legs: his bokken slammed into the side of my knee, and I've been walking with a limp ever since.
I went to the doctors with it two or three months after the event, and he said I don't have sufficient cartilage behind my kneecap. I've permanently got a knee support on now.

Hasn't stopped me, though.

[Darth Nonymous]

Safety, safety, safety.  You wouldn't work with fiberglass without eye and breathing protection, don't practice with weapons (even pretend weapons) without safety gear.

The only thing I would add is the word "Ever".

[kagemusha shin]

Trying it for kicks a double soreasu minor arc and was too close to my bod and hit my eye.

[Master VorNach]

Point !

Safety gear at all times.  If you are sparing, you always need safety gear.  Even as a Black Belt on Black Belt, you need safety gear.  For Saber Combat, because of the size of the blade, you are very lucky you didn't lose your eye.  The same is true for your partner when you were armed with a bokken.
...
Safety, safety, safety.  ....don't practice with weapons (even pretend weapons) without safety gear.

Just in case it was not highlighted enough:
Safety gear !

[ScorchMark]

I've actually taken two good saber injuries. The first when I was a young teenager.

I was dueling three of my neighbors. They were jedi, I was a sith. I think I had the hasbro darth maul staff. Anyway we started in a playground, I dispatched the youngest and weakest first which created an opening. I ran like heck through the gap before the other two could close in. It was a great fighting retreat all through the neighborhood. When we got towards my house I jumped up onto a low concrete wall. They jumped up on either side. I fought with great determination, but their bond was strong. They played each others strengths well and I was forced to again run towards my apartment (my plan was to race up the stairwell and gain the higher ground). But as I approached I had to turn to face them. I kept moving backward and tripped over a curb. Throwing my left hand out behind myself to catch my fall, I broke my wrist. But I kept fighting with my right hand. I was in fact victorious that day, despite my wounds.

Fast forward 10+ years to college life

I was dueling my room mate Andrew (he had graduated the year before, but I am still a student -_-) two weeks ago. It was dark out, and we were outside. I had the cheap plastic Dooku saber and he had the obi-wan blade. We clashed and fought and for a great while we were evenly matched. I made a fatal flaw, he cut off my left arm. As I stumbled back he nicked my right leg. I fell to my knees. Not prepared to die I lifted my saber and threw it in a great arc towards him. Just as this happened he came in for a decapitating sweep. As my saber caught him in the chest he lurched off balance.... but his momentum carried the saber through. He missed but it slid across my left cheek an inch under my eye and slammed into my nose. I still have a red streak across my face. At the very least I killed my enemy though ^_^

What I learned from the first fight is that if a sith is prepared to fall (ie reaching out to lessen the blow), than he is prepared to die. A true sith does not die and as such will not fall. In the even that one does get knocked to the ground he should fall with determination, keeping his hands on his weapon, fighting the whole way down (I probably would have been better off).

From my second match I learned that winning at all costs, may not always be a win.

The next duel with Andrew he brought his blade down directly over my hilt and shattered in. Since then I've been practicing a lot with my force fx. I was never a great duelist. But after learning the basics he has not beaten me once And now I have 3 US on the way

[Master Lucien Kane]

Learning to fall was one of the most valuable lessons I learned in life.

I hate lightsaber throws personally... I generally spar under the assumption that it is against the rules, and that people care enough about the saber not to chuck it. Plus I earned four stitches on my eyebrow from a saber throw. I can pull a strike so it isn't done with lethal intent, but once you release the weapon it's going to accelerate on its own, and only stops when it hits its target. Just no control.

Anyways funny stories, make sure you're more careful with the Ultrasabers, they pack a harder punch than the fx sabers.

[ScorchMark]

I will treat US products with great respect, and promise to use correct safety equipment.

Even with the FX saber we are careful - we only goofed around like that with the cheapo plastic extending ones.

[Master Lucien Kane]

We had a girl sprain her ankle a few weeks ago. She was backing up jumped back and landed wrong. People wonder why I harp on footwork much

[Jammo]

The only time I ever had a saber thrown at me, I made the parry.

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[Knuckles]

Yes--my 3 year old just bloodied me while sparring. While her and I are used to parrying and playing around with traditional wasters, we're new to the light saber and it's nuances. Namely: the lack of any handguard. As a result  daddy is sporting a new knuckle bandage along with the understanding that there is no handguard to parry attacks with.

Ow.

[The_Ronin_Jedi]

I will treat US products with great respect, and promise to use correct safety equipment.

Even with the FX saber we are careful - we only goofed around like that with the cheapo plastic extending ones.

How does one respect that which is a blunt instrument with no real life traditions to go with it? The things are designed to be abused, so I don't see how or why one needs to 'respect' it.