French Fencing Federation Recognizes Lightsaber Dueling as Competitive Sport

If you've ever role-played with a lightsaber, it turns out you were really training for a future sport.

According to the Associated Press (via ESPN), the French Fencing Federation has recognized the Star Wars weapon as an official tool for the sport, joining the Olympic-approved blades of foil, epee and sabre.

The swords in question are LED-lit, rigid polycarbonate lightsaber replicas, but they still provide the same effect for fans of the movie franchise even if they can't actually slice off a person's hand.

As the federation's secretary general Serge Aubailly explained, the rule changes are a way to motivate young people to participate.

"It's becoming difficult to [persuade them to] do a sport that has no connection with getting out of the sofa and playing with one's thumbs," Aubailly said. "That is why we are trying to create a bond between our discipline and modern technologies, so participating in a sport feels natural."

Lightsaber dueling could bring Star Wars fans out of the woodwork and allow them to showcase their skills on a bigger stage.