If you have been to a convention you’ve probably seen them, their colorful lightsabers and colorful costumes you really can’t miss them, they are the PA Jedi -  and among Star Wars fandom they are a unique bunch. This is probably due to the fact that they are not the most canon fan group out there. Canon for those of you not in the know basically means “authentic, from the movies or licensed media”. This is a big point of contention in many fandoms from Star Wars to anime, it’s a pretty big deal. Because while most groups like to see how accurate they can be to the films and media the PA Jedi Like to see how creative they can be with the world Lucas has given them.

I went to one of the PA Jedi’s meetings last Friday, they meet at St. Stephens Church Parish Hall every week. They are not affiliated with the church but do donate for using the space for their meetings.  When I was asked to do this quite I honestly I didn’t know what to expect. I arrived early as I normally do with every thing(nervous habit of mine), and was met with a nice couple Phoenix and Dale who were there early was well. I chatted with them a bit about the organization. They also showed me their custom made lightsabers, it’s here things start to get interesting. See unlike most fandom groups the PA Jedi not only want to look the part but they also train as the part as well.

The lightsabers some of them use are master replicas that are converted to be more durable, because they also use them to spar and train with. See, the way the really expensive master replica lightsabers are designed, heavy use will eventually shatter the LEDs in the blade – and when your fencing and fighting with your lightsaber on a regular basis this doesn’t bode well for said LEDs. The conversion as they call it changes the lighting system in the blade and they sometimes put a more durable blade onto the hilt as well.  Several members also custom make their own brand of home-made lightsabers made to hold up to the rigorous training it will need to withstand as someone learns the fighting style of the PA Jedi.

The style that the PA Jedi use is a mixture of American fencing techniques, Shii-Cho(The Lightsaber combat style from the Star Wars films) and various other sword techniques. This mixture of styles was developed by the NY Jedi and adopted by the PA Jedi when they formed in June 2007. The Style is broken down into a series of letters that correspond to strike patterns that they learn with their lightsabers. A normal practice consists of a moment of meditation, stretching, working on your letterforms and sometime to practice your fight choreography. The physical aspect of this really impressed me. There was quite a workout involved, as compared to most fan activities that the most you would exert yourself is walking to the kitchen to get more Cheetos, trust me on this one.

At the end of the session, time is spent on their individual character development. Character development is a very important part of the PA Jedi and a lot of thought goes into this. Members are encouraged when they first join to come up with an origin story if you will for their character if they are not picking a pre-existing character in the Star Wars universe. The sky is the limit here and I think unlike with most fandoms where you kind of identify with someone else’s character and instead create your own gives a much deeper connection to their character. After their character is fleshed out and the back-story is in place, it is then worked into the other member’s storylines for use in their choreographed battles that take place at conventions or their gorilla street scenes where they stage fights in public places. These fights almost seem like a great piece of performance art when you think of a Spartan Jedi VS. a Renaissance Sith – and pretty badass none the less.

The PA Jedi are not your typical fan group, they choose creativity over conformity and work hard to create original characters that while they might not be in the Star Wars universe might give Luke Skywalker himself a run for his money – if he were ever to face them. They also prove most fandom stereotypes wrong by being a very regimented and physically active group learning and practicing their letterforms, sword style and blocking to movie perfection. True to their Jedi ways, when they aren’t practicing and honing their lightsaber skills they are doing charity work and helping out in the Philadelphia community, and will be participating in this year’s Philly Aids Walk. The PA Jedi meet every Friday night, and are always looking for new members you can check out their site at www.pajedi.com or contact them for more information. They also make appearances at cons as well, if you have a chance to see them put on a presentation I highly suggest you check them out, they are a great group of folks and deserve your support.