May the Fourth has been celebrated as Star Wars Day since 1979 because the date sounds like Mike Tyson saying, “May the Force Be with You.” It allegedly began when Margaret Thatcher was elected as Prime Minister to the United Kingdom. Her political party placed a congratulatory ad in the Evening News that said “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations” because it was May 4th. That is the first documented example.
Since then, May the Fourth has been observed by Star Wars fans, conventions, and Disney, who now owns the rights to Star Wars. This year, festivities started early with the Star Wars takeover of the Empire State Building, part of a new Disney campaign, March to May the Fourth which introduces new special Star Wars related events and merchandise.
This year, 2024, the Tiger Claw Elite Championship will be held on May Fourth and Fifth. In honor of the auspicious date, Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagzazine.com Championship is staging the 1st Tiger Claw May the Fourth LED Saber Championship.
I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me
The 1st Tiger Claw May the Fourth LED Saber Championship is a special showcase open forms competition. It’s open to any style, although it will adhere to the General Chinese Division Rules. Entrants can compete with any form that might fit a lightsaber, traditional Kung Fu, modern Wushu, Shaolin, or they can opt to make up their own form.
Like with any of our showcase championships, there will be special prizes. At this writing those include a Custom-made LED saber, a Darth Maul Artbox by artist Lawrence Washington, and a back issue of our JUL+AUG 2016 feature Ray Park (the Wushu champion who played Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Solo).
Most of our showcase championships are one-off. Who knows when TCEC might land on May the Fourth again? And unless there’s an overwhelming response, we’re likely to move on to another showcase next year. So, if you’re at all tempted to earn a shot at the Tiger Claw May the Fourth LED Saber champion title, this may be your only opportunity. Trust your feelings.
Don't underestimate the Force
As I’ve discussed before, lightsaber is arguably the fastest growing martial art in the world. In an article I wrote for UNESCO last year, The Global Rise of Lightsaber as a Martial Art, I identified several of the more prominent lightsaber groups. While each of these organizations teach lightsaber techniques, none of these are affiliated with Lucasfilm, except for some scattered lessons given to kids at some Disney parks and one Disney cruises.
One of the world’s leading lightsaber groups is Terra Prime Light Armory (TPLA). The Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship is cooperating with TPLA for the 1st Tiger Claw May the Fourth LED Saber Championship. Chad Eisner, a dedicated Chinese style practitioner and student of Ma Family Tongbei Kung Fu, is the President, Co-Founder and main creative force behind TPLA. We sat down with Chad, a.k.a. Darth Nonymous, to discuss the TPLA and the 1st Tiger Claw May the Fourth LED Saber Championship.
GC: What inspired you to form the TPLA?
CE: In 2010, my friend Matt and I were trying to find a way that we could spar together with swords etc. He was from a HEMA background. Myself, I’m from a Chinese one. This was before all the fancy practice swords on the market today. We plugged around trying out different things until we found the LED lightsabers. They allowed us to play together without having to adapt to new weapons or styles. They could be anything. That was in 2012 when we formed TPLA.
People don’t fear a saber like they do a sword. If you hand them a sword, they ask “Is it sharp” or “is it real?” meaning “can it hurt me?”. Hand them a LED saber, they start swinging it around and misquoting the movies!
GC: TPLA is mainly sparring based at this time. In a nutshell, how does Lightfencing sparring work?
CE: We have been experimenting with lots of rule sets through the years. Famously, in 2018/2019 one of our French instructors at the time, Cedric Giroux, successfully petitioned the French Fencing Federation to accept it as an official sport. This rule set is now being used internationally and France had it first national tournament and international open recently.
The rules are set up so that a cinematic style of fighting can be displayed. Spins, jumps, rolls, acrobatics, and the like can all be integrated into a match. This is done with the use of priority rules or ‘high top way’. This concept, familiar to fencers, means that one cannot simply attack while the opponent is attack as well. Person must mount a defense before responding to an attack. So one can do spin attacks if they have priority without fear of being hit from behind. This helps cultivate a good back and forth and a more exciting match to watch and to play.
GC: As a Kung Fu practitioner yourself, what does Lightfencing have to offer a martial artist?
CE: It has quite a lot to offer. For me, it provides extra motivation in the form of novelty. With a saber, I am not limited by history or form. It is an imaginary weapon that can invoke almost any other weapon instantly. It allows me to practice combinations of techniques from different weapons that I many never have stumbled upon before.
Probably the best thing I have found is that it’s very inclusive. Our system accommodates people who want to spar with them, those who don’t, folks in cosplay and in sport. As a sport it is one of the few that all levels and ages can do together without having to do much adaptation. This keeps everyone involved and having fun. Being that it is entirely fictional, is devoid of national, religious, or ethnic biases or dogmas. And as a sport, it is not divided along gender lines. All genders and gender identifications can compete with no problem. Any divisions that will occur as we grow will be based on objective attributes not along gender lines. It is a way to involve whole families, communities and a diverse group of people all having fun with the activity.
As a teaching tool it wonderful because, as I said before, there is no fear of these weapons. How do you get kids to practice footwork drills and basics? Hand them a glowing sword! Now even the most boring of drills hold some enchantment.
Additionally, it gives the arts that I love a modern context so that I can share them with many more people than otherwise. The unapologetic admission of fantasy frees us up to really explore the possibilities of martial art in way we aren’t able to otherwise...
GC: What misconceptions do you encounter with Lightfencing?
CE: There are a host of them. Most don’t take it seriously. They see the saber and the think of Star Wars and that gives them the idea that it’s not exactly like training in any other weapon discipline. The exercises are the same, the ides are the same, the only difference is that the blade glows and there is no hand guard. Beyond that, the content of LED saber is the same as any sword-based art.
The other big one is that sabers allow one to fight or spar with no gear. While it is true our weapons are safer than sticks or practice swords, polycarbonate blades are no joke. You can easily break a finger, damage a joint, or get a facial or head injury that can be serious. Which is why we require gloves and a mask, with back of the head protection as a minimum for any two-person stuff. Add to the s that people are generally a bit reckless with sabers because of the appeal. So gear for sparring and drilling, are a must. But armor is a pretty big deal in the Star Wars universe so we encourage jazzing up gear in any way you wish.
GC: TPLA was formed in 2012 – the Year of the Dragon. Here we are now in another Year of the Dragon. Has the progress of TPLA met with your expectations?
CE: In many ways, it has exceeded them. We started with a little YouTube channel and my back yard. It has brought me to France, and I have seen huge numbers of people join into something that was pretty marginal to begin with.
GC: TPLA is in no way recognized or endorsed by Lucasfilm Ltd. or any of its affiliated companies. Does this inhibit the progress of Lightfencing?
CE: Not so far. Let’s trust that the Force will be with us into the future.
GC: The May the Fourth LED Saber Championship is an open forms competition. Where does TPLA stand with forms practice?
CE: Forms are fundamental to our training method. We call them “Dulon”, an appropriated term from the Expanded Universe material, and they are one of our four components to each level of our system. These are: Formula (basic techniques and philosophy), Accelerations (basic drills), Dulon (Forms or Taolu) and Velocities (two-person drills). Forms provide a way to take your basics and apply them in a dynamic setting. At their basic level, solo routines give us an exercise which can replicate the muscle recruitment, neuromuscular patterns, and cardio stress of a fight without a partner. Technique under stress, thinking ahead, and physical fitness are al optimized with the practice of forms.
GC: Let’s talk about TPLA forms so I can show off my nerd skills. In Season 3, episode 14 of Star Wars Rebels "Trials of the Darksaber," Jedi Kanan trains Sabine on lightsaber combat by teaching her a solo form that can work as a two-person form. Do TPLA use that at all?
CE: Absolutely! Our current 2nd form Dulon can be broken down into two halves and set against itself. Part A is one side, part B the other. We also have choreographed sets and two-person forms called “Kai Kan”. They can be traditional sets or completely invented. This practice is great for getting the tactile feel of clashing with another weapon and learning how you move under the restriction of another person in your way.
GC: Has TPLA done anything like the May the Fourth LED Saber Championship before?
CE: Not on this scale, but Solo- and Two-person forms are a part of the whole sport. So we will have lots of these in the future.
GC: What do you hope to see with the May the Fourth LED Saber Championship?
CE: I am excited to see what the Chinese martial arts athlete can bring to the art form. Much of this training and the backbone of Lightfencing is from the Chinese Arts. I am very pleased to be bringing back home. We have been able to take it all over the world and I very much hope we can show the value and the fun that lightsabers bring.
Remember…the Force will be with you, always.
Note that the 1st Tiger Claw May the Fourth LED Saber Championship is in no way recognized or endorsed by Lucasfilm Ltd. or any of its affiliated companies. It has not been reviewed, licensed, or endorsed by Lucasfilm Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
