The lightsaber in a traditional wuxia universe

[Ken Cheng]

If the lightsabers from STAR WARS were to appear in either Jin Yong or Gu Long's wuxia universes, I think the swordsmen of those worlds would have a difficult time adjusting to the lightsaber...at least at first.

Wuxia swordsmen are accustomed to using material swords (usually made of metal) of certain mass and weight. The swordsman's familiarity with the sword's mass and weight and how these factors will influence its movement is key to his ability to wield the sword effectively. As we saw in Sai Mun Chui Sheut and (fake) Yip Goo Sing's introduction of their swords prior to their duel, the physical properties and dimensions of the sword were details that could not be overlooked.

Aside from the emitter handle, the actual lightsaber blade has no mass or weight. It's essentially like trying to wield a flashlight as a sword. The Jedi and the Sith were able to maneuver the lightsabers well due to their knowledge of the Force, but wulin fighters do not have that particular ability at their disposal.

The only thing comparable to the lightsaber is the 6 Mak Divine Swords, which is also a "massless" blade. A 6 Mak Divine Swords expert *might* be able to adjust to the lightsaber better than his material sword-wielding peers, but it still wouldn't be quite the same.

[Ardor]

The problem with using lightsabers is not the mass. The problem is your own limbs AND a lack of connection to the Force.
To activate a lightsaber, one needs to channel the Force. Even if someone is capable of creating the lightsaber, one needs to have a Force Sense to predict his own moves so that he will avoid from chopping his own limbs off.

-Information paraphrased from KoTOR I and II.

[Bangs]

Oh come on guys, let us not associate wuxia to something that only exists in star wars. But if you insist, then so be it. It would be more interesting to discuss how wuxia characters can use foreign swords though. For example, will DGQB be able to wield a katana? or perhaps a fencing sword? or maybe a battle axe? how bout a boomerang? or a lance? or maybe even modern things like a gun. Bah, you win, lightsabers.....

[strife_au]

Light sabres are pretty hot, so they could use it to make great BBQ's


:]

[dracnom]

light sabers should actually be very heavy, the amount of gravitational force needed to hold the laser to a certain length, this however contradicts itself, as the gravitational force is needed to suck the laser back, which is located in the saber, it will ultimately suck all the laser back, therefore not producing any laser.

[Wu Wudi]

If there were lightsabers in the Wuxia universe, then JY would have to come up with better explanations for why the heroes were completely unharmed or just slightly hurt by weapons because of their superior internal powers. It would be a good addition in my opinion. It's kinda dumb to have heroes who are immune from even sneak attacks because their internal powers can just deflect a weapon or minimize the damage to superficial cuts.

[CC]

Since we are going in THIS direction.

How about the Balrog's whip huh? Could wuxia characters deal with it?

What happens if the whip clashes with a lightsabre?

Hmmm, Chainsaws! Could a chainsaw bust thru Sweeper Monk's chi shield? Would DGKB be able to use a chainsaw effectively?

[Wu Wudi]

Since we are going in THIS direction.

How about the Balrog's whip huh? Could wuxia characters deal with it?

What happens if the whip clashes with a lightsabre?

Hmmm, Chainsaws! Could a chainsaw bust thru Sweeper Monk's chi shield? Would DGKB be able to use a chainsaw effectively?

I thought we established a few months ago that only the combined might of DC and Marvel's superheroes can take down Sweeper Monk's chi wall.

[Ardor]

Light sabres are pretty hot, so they could use it to make great BBQ's


:]

Actually they are not hot unless the right crystals are in them.

[K2Grey]

Han Solo activated the lightsaber successfully, ergo the Force is not required to activate a lightsaber (claiming that this shows Han Solo is a Jedi results in a circular argument). Wuxia folks do enough stuff I'm sure they have the physical dexterity to control a lightsaber properly.

The Balrog's whip is not that important. The major problem with Balrogs is their terror of fear

[Ken Cheng]

Anybody (including droids) can turn on and swing a lightsaber around. To use it skillfully in combat, however, requires the Force.

[ChronoReverse]

Skillfully is relative though. Even wuxia folks can't deflect a rain of blaster bolts; it'd take effort just to deflect one or two (blaster bolts aren't light but they're at least as fast as bullets). Even Jedi children can do that with the Force.

[Wu Wudi]

Skillfully is relative though. Even wuxia folks can't deflect a rain of blaster bolts; it'd take effort just to deflect one or two (blaster bolts aren't light but they're at least as fast as bullets). Even Jedi children can do that with the Force.

Maybe that's true but I'm sure that Chinese Wuxia sword martial arts are way superior to all the lightsaber styles. After all, the lightsaber techniques are still based on Westerner's understanding of the sword and I'm certain that the Chinese's understanding of the sword is much deeper.

[K2Grey]

If you can grab 12 poisoned needles out of the air I'm sure you can deflect blaster bolts with a lightsaber.

Plus it's clear from watching the movies that blaster shots in fact move at a relatively slow speed

[Ken Cheng]

Maybe that's true but I'm sure that Chinese Wuxia sword martial arts are way superior to all the lightsaber styles. After all, the lightsaber techniques are still based on Westerner's understanding of the sword and I'm certain that the Chinese's understanding of the sword is much deeper.

Actually, lightsaber techniques seem to resemble Japanese kendo more than anything else. George Lucas has discussed how for the Jedi/Sith battles in the movies, the actors were trained in a variety of moves based on kendo, among other things.

[Ken Cheng]

Plus it's clear from watching the movies that blaster shots in fact move at a relatively slow speed

And battledroids and clone/stormtroopers can't hit the side of a barn to save their lives.

[K2Grey]

Obi-Wan: Only Imperial stormtroopers could have been so accurate.

[MysteriouX]

Hmm lets see, lightsabers???

Depending on the preference of the jedi or sith who built their own lightsabers as a test of their mastery of the force, they can design it with a manual switch for activition or use the force for activation. Also at the same time depending on the preference of the user, it can be powered by an internal power cell or using the power of the force.

The weight of the lightsaber should be approximately the weight of its handle itself as energy has negligible mass. The length of the lightsaber is controlled by the focusing crystals, multiple crystals mostly imply that the length can be varried. An anology of why the blade exists only to a certain length can be simply explained by comparing with using a magnifying glass to focus the light of the sun onto a single spot. The magnifying glass must be held a certain distance from the surface in order to concentrate sunlight onto the smallest surface area.

However in Star Wars the solidity of the lightsaber is also explained *theoretically* by the term Energy Archs. Which in simplest forms means that the energy beam is focused back onto itself, which is also why unless the blade is in contact with something, the energy loss of the powercell is insignificant hence the long lasting duration of the blade.

[Ken Cheng]

Obi-Wan: Only Imperial stormtroopers could have been so accurate.

Boy, was he ever wrong.

[MysteriouX]

Anybody (including droids) can turn on and swing a lightsaber around. To use it skillfully in combat, however, requires the Force.

You forgot that General Grevious wasn't an adept of the Force and yet his lightsaber skills were exceptional. Also in the extended universe novels, there have been examples of non-force adepts capable of using the lightsaber though of course not as skilled as someone who has the Force.

Even Callista, though it can be arguable that her skill with the lightsaber was enhanced by the fact she was once a former adept of the force, even when she lost her sense of the Force after her rebirth she was still very good with a lightsaber.