Hi, this may sound like a dumb question, but i was wondering since watching Sci Fi Science with Michio Kaku as the host. He talks about building a real lightsaber.
I was wondering since the lightsaber is within grasp. Will we be creating a new fighting style or based it on current kendo or kenjutsu style of swordmanship?
Leaving off the "within grasp" aspect...
Should it be possible that such a weapon is created and made available, and ignoring the fact that such a short-range weapon will have little place in a modern military, or as a home-protection item, what form will it's use take? Well, a great part of that will depend on the physics involved.
In the original film, David Prowse and Sir Alec Guiness were told that the blades themselves would weigh nothing (having virtually no mass, instead being composed of a pure energy), however the method of holding the shape of the blade was achieved by charging the surrounding air, using something akin to magnetic fields to "push" the energy into the shape of a blade. The effect of this was to have the actors move as if they were constantly fighting to control the weapons, with the energies pushing it in all directions. This is why the "action" in this film is so much slower than the other (later) films.
This idea continued, to a degree, with Empire and Jedi, with the tempo being raised only slightly. By the time George and Co got to Menace, his ideas had changed. He now said that the reason the action was so slow in the early films was that "so far, we haven't really seen the Jedi in action. We have seen an old man, a half-mechanical cripple, and a boy taught by the old man. Now we get to see what they were really like, in their prime" (that was, of course, paraphrasing... but it was something like that!).
For the new films, George wanted a new style for the lightsabre battles. He employed Nick Gillard to come up with a new form, and Nick looked to as many sources as he could. Obviously, he included Kendo, but he also looked to fencing, European broadsword, and more unusual things such as tennis-strokes. So that is what makes up Jedi Combat in the films (I'm not getting into the 7 forms, especially not Vaapaad, the 7th form, taking you dangerously close to the Dark Side, giving Mace Windu his only chance against the evil Darth Sidious... honest, I'm not getting into that).
Based on my experience, Kenjutsu is more natural in terms of footwork and handling of a real samurai sword but will it be to slow for a lightsaber? Or Kendo would be too fencing like for a real sword fight?
I've probably spent far too much time thinking about this, but no, it is not like handling a katana or shinai. To begin with, the handle of a lightsabre is far too short, leading to a much narrower grip than a katana, which is again far narrower than a shinai. This leads to less manoueverability, but a greater feeling of control. You are also restricted from things such as bracing the blade with your hand.
As with anything, the use will be based on a number of factors: the experience of those using it, the strengths and weaknesses of the weapon itself, and cultural considerations. By that I mean that if you are used to a certain way of moving, that will be the base of your actions, you will use the length, cutting and blocking abilities of the energy blade, but not allow it to touch yourself, and a westerner will approach it differently than a Japanese, who will be different again than a Chinese person.
Out of interest, I didn't see any swordsmanship in your profile, what is your experience with swordsmanship?
I guess another question is will we be creating a jedi like religion? Part of it could be because the lightsaber is closely related to the jedi knights in star wars but also because a lot of people whom might be interested in a lightsaber might be a science nut and atheist?
You know, this part I just don't get. Yes, "Jedi" has been classed as a religion (in the UK, I believe. I think the loophole used was something like if at least 10,000 people put it as their religion for a census, it was in), but to my mind being a Jedi just doesn't cut it as a religion. There is no doctrine of faith, the Force is a tangible construct, it's effect can be demonstrated, it's transmitting units are able to be seen and registered (midichlorians), and not everyone is able to be a part of it, due to genetic traits rather than faith based ideologies. That, to me at least, does not a religion make, despite a few tiny references to the ways of the Jedi as one (from memory, only in the first film.... I think George may have altered his outlook on that).
So does it need to be a religion? I say no, it is not designed for it anymore than any training in a Koryu system, although it may be highly influenced by various religious and philospophical ideals, insists on you having a particular religious belief.
http://mkaku.org/home/?tag=sci-fi-science
This is the discovery science show hosted by Michio Kaku.
