Constable: A short time ago, in a park district not far away … lightsaber dueling became a thing
They cannot escape their destiny.
"Did you hurt my dog?" accuses Carla Hasegawa-Ahrendt, a 60-year-old woman from Schaumburg.
"I hate dogs," fires back Carlos Garcia, a 50-year-old software developer from Streamwood.
Lightsabers are drawn. The battle begins. And after blocking several blows aimed at her head and legs, Hasegawa-Ahrendt takes a lightsaber to the chest and falls to the gym floor. This completes their choreographed fight built around the fictitious dog story.
"I didn't even know this thing was a thing," Garcia, the local Jedi Master, says of the sports he now teaches to others in his Intro to Lightsaber Sport Dueling class at the Schaumburg Park District.
New to the suburbs, lightsaber sports dueling is poised to take off, says Nick Kuta, the park district's supervisor of athletics, who stumbled onto the sport drawn from the battle scenes in "Star Wars" movies.
"France is blowing up. It's huge in France," Kuta says, showing lightsaber battles on his computer. "It's crazy. Who would have thought?"
The Schaumburg Park District had nine participants - five junior-high boys and four adults ages 32 to 60 - in the class that just ended. The next class starts Wednesday, with weekly classes through February, and costs $50 for residents and $70 for nonresidents. For details, visit the park district website at parkfun.com.
Garcia, who has finished third in his category the past two years at The Saber Legion and CombatCon event, hopes to win the senior division at CombatCon 2020, July 30 through Aug. 2 at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Garcia discovered lightsaber dueling while he was attending a Wizard World convention in Rosemont dressed as Groot, the Marvel superhero who is part of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie franchise and looks like a tree. After seeing a booth featuring The Saber Legion, Garcia decided to branch out. The international sports dueling club founded in 2015 has more than 10,000 members scattered around the globe.
"Leagues are popping up all over," Garcia says.
Saber Legion member Thomas Straza, 46, of Elgin has gone to weekly events in Elgin and Barrington that draw competitors from around the state and beyond. Straza, a former hockey player and coach, says he enjoys the workout and competition, but he also likes the social aspects and seeing the costumes some people wear.
"We're just out here to have fun," Straza says, explaining how he sometimes reminds overly aggressive fighters that they should "parry hard, hit soft and don't target the back of the head or the groin."
Lightsaber dueling borrows from the sport of fencing, but, mimicking moves seen in "Star Wars" movies, participants sometimes slide across the floor on their knees or perform daring spins.
"I've seen all the movies," says Aidan Molberger, 11, as he battles with friend Charlie Carter, also 11.
"It's fun to hit people," Charlie says.
"I'll win next time. I promise you that," vows buddy Daniel Angelov, 12.
All participants must wear a mesh fencing mask, which prevents combatants from getting poked in the eye with a lightsaber. After that, duelers make use of an equipment stash that includes baseball shinguards, motocross vests, and hockey and lacrosse pads.
Most of the time, participants use padded lightsabers. For the last class, they use battle-ready polycarbonate lightsabers, some of which actually light up.
"I have a lightsaber at home," says Hasegawa-Ahrendt, quickly adding that hers is strictly ornamental. "I love the 'Star Wars' stuff, and this looked like a lot of fun. And it is."
The park district provides all the equipment. Lightsabers used to be ornamental movie look-alikes to be displayed, or kids' toys with light and sound but weak on durability. Dueling sabers with aluminum handles and hard polycarbonate blades can be found for under $100, Straza says, but cooler blades with LEDs and realistic sound effects cost hundreds of dollars.
Garcia medaled in the exotic division at last year's CombatCon by dueling with a pike, a much longer lightsaber. This year, he's hoping to win the senior division. A competitive swing dancer, Garcia says his grace is an advantage.
"My footwork serves me well," says Garcia, who hopes his class inspires a new generation of Jedi duelers.
As they say, the force is strong with this one.