Lightsabers are, without question, the coolest thing about the Star Wars universe. In each episode of the franchise, we wait on the edge of our seat for the next lightsaber duel. SportsCenter understands this, and will be airing a special about lightsabers called The Evolution of The Lightsaber Duel. Check out the trailer (with new footage of Finn dueling a Stormtrooper!)
"It's the way of the sword."Star Wars and #SCFeatured present: "The Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel."Posted by SportsCenter on Monday, December 7, 2015
SportsCenter GETS IT you guys. This special looks really awesome- with enough lightsaber magic to please any Star Wars fan. The Evolution of The Lightsaber Duel will take a close look at what first inspired George Lucas in his creation of the Jedi’s weapon. Indeed, Lucas took a lot of inspiration for the Jedi from martial arts, specifically Kendo.
For those of you who don’t know, Kendo is a Japanese form of martial arts which uses bamboo swords in training. The practice of Kendo is an exercise in physical sportsmanship, as well as strengthening the mind. It emphasis honor, and control of the mind in order to be more physically present. Sound like the Jedi practice of controlling one’s emotions doesn’t it?
So why watch the special? (Besides the fact that it’s lightsabers, which are basically the coolest) Well for one, it will be airing a mere 3 days before The Force Awakens is released in theaters. So, it might be exactly what you need to help you get through the final few days of waiting.
Plus, Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill is hosting the special. This seems appropriate, as Luke is the first person we ever see wielding a lightsaber in the A New Hope. So, while he’s missing from any of the promotional material, he’ll be with us in the days prior to The Force Awakens.
I, for one, am excited to see how they explain the distinctively different styles of sword fighting used in the original trilogy vs the prequels. The prequels made lightsaber duels like a dance, while the original trilogy didn’t make it quite as graceful. And now, we’ll see another change in the duels with J.J. Abrams promising more raw dueling in The Force Awakens.
The Evolution of The Lightsaber Duel will air December 15th at 7pm on ESPN.
