'Star Wars' fans feel the force at lightsaber class

Lightsaber skills class: Jim Collum, foreground, and other students work on lightsaber skills during a Golden Gate Knights class in San Francisco on Sunday. 'Star Wars' fans created a combat choreography class for Jedis-in-training with their weapon of choice: the lightsaber. IMAGE

AP: Jeff Chiu. Lightsaber skills class: Jim Collum, foreground, and other students work on lightsaber skills during a Golden Gate Knights class in San Francisco on Sunday. 'Star Wars' fans created a combat choreography class for Jedis-in-training with their weapon of choice: the lightsaber. IMAGE

2/21/13

Fitness meets "Star Wars" in a San Francisco lightsaber skills class.

SAN FRANCISCO — A group of San Francisco "Star Wars" fans who want to travel to a galaxy not that far away have created a combat choreography class for Jedis-in-training with their weapon of choice: the lightsaber.

At a recent class, Alain Bloch, the self-proclaimed Jedi Master at Golden Gate Knights, demonstrated a slicing technique. He has a background in martial arts and stage combat.

"Always be mindful of the presence!" he said, donning a Luke Skywalker outfit and a green lightsaber.

With "Star Wars" movie music coursing through the dance studio, his disciples clutch their neon-glowing lightsabers. These self-proclaimed "Star Wars geeks" slice and parry as they follow Bloch's lead, and get a little exercise, too.

People in a recent class in the city's South of Market district, including a couple on a date, said they embraced their quirkiness and had even converted some of the skeptical into the "Jedi order."

"At first they giggle because they think it's a little silly. Then they're, like, 'Actually, that's kind of cool,'" said Julio Reyes, a student. "Then they start asking more questions."

Not all Jedis-in-training are rooting for the good guys. Some came to embrace "the dark side of the force."

"I just love Vader, period," said Darth Vader-clad student Gary Ripper. "Just his voice, the way he moved, the power of him. I just liked the powerfulness of him."

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