Let’s be honest here – we all do childish things when no one else is looking. Some people eat baby food (gross) and some people dance like a maniac in their bedroom while they jam out to cheesy pop tunes. It’s okay, I’m not going to judge you.

My childish guilty pleasure dear reader, is playing with lightsabers. I once crashed a party dressed up as Anakin Skywalker (the costume was $400, and lightsaber was $200 – I take my Star Wars pretty seriously) with my cousin who was dressed up like Obi-Wan and we had a huge lightsaber brawl in the backyard while 30 intoxicated strangers watched in confusion.

Did I mention it wasn’t a costume party? Yeah, it was hilarious. People who I don’t even know still walk up to me in public if they happen to recognize me from that night. Anyway, I digress. I said all of that to say this – I’m pumped that light saber fighting is now a legitimate sport.

Over the course of the past couple of years several lightsaber dueling academies have opened up all over the world, where padawans like myself can go to learn some serious swordsmanship with the most iconic weapon in film history. There are even tournaments where you can compete with fellow jedi/sith for a shot a title.

Pretty awesome if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, the closest academy is in Grand Forks (North Dakota.) It looks like I might have to take the initiative to open my own academy so we can actually have one here in Minnesota. Not to brag, but I think I’d make a pretty solid Jedi master.

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