All photos courtesy of Nick Romano

Jedi communities have sprung up all over the United States, and although it may not be on the U.S. census yet, anyone interested (including this GammaSquad reporter) can go to the “Church of SciFi-entology” to hone your lightsaber skills. The New York Jedi is a group of lightsaber enthusiasts that offer a wide variety of Star Wars themed classes such as Jedi boot camp, one-on-one choreography, martial arts conditioning and lightsaber sequences. I caught up with Jedi Grand Master Flynn Michael to learn the basics of being a real life Jedi.

Flynn Michael, a tall, long-haired guy fit from his years of studying dance, martial arts and swordplay, is the entrepreneur you can thank for this relatively new sub-culture of Jedi geekdom. The Connecticut-born Grand Master and founding member of the New York Jedi is DJ and engineer by day, by night he leads a team of Jedi Masters who offer their skills with lightsaber stage and film combat. Having the students learn the techniques together “challenges them physically and mentally,” says Flynn. “It’s a bigger world of dorks.”

Flynn Michael (on the left) and Mike Zhang (on the right) demonstrating some choreography to the class.