The 10 Light Sword Gifts That Still Get Used in January (Chosen by the Academy That Teaches the Art, Not by a Toy Aisle)
Every one of these is used on a real training floor. The sabers are the ones the academy trains on: polycarbonate blades built to be hit, hilts built to be gripped for an hour. The art behind them has nine forms, a sash ladder and a federation, so the gift still gets used in January. Here’s exactly what to give, in the order we would give it.
In the order we would give them.
The Legacy Student Kit, $134: the gift that opens complete.
One box: a training saber with a polycarbonate blade, padded gloves and a protective helmet. Everything a first class needs and nothing it does not. The price is the exact sum of its three parts. See the kit.
The first real saber: the Pocket Star, $68.
A moulded hilt that fits a smaller hand, colour-changing light from inside the hilt, motion-reactive sound, and a blade that takes a hit. The entry saber on the store, the one to give before you know which hilt they will love. See it.
The blade that lights from the hilt up: the Pocket Star Xenopixel, $78.
The same hilt with a pixel blade that ignites along its length and flashes on a strike. Ten dollars more, and it is the one the whole room watches. See it.
The serious duellist’s saber: a Proffie.
Machined aluminium and the programmable sound board duellists ask for by name. The Rebel Gambit at $530 is the one on the floor this season; the Proffie collection runs the range.
Not sure which saber fits their hand?
The free sixty-second fitting tells you the saber and the size
Pick the giftThe LSMA Uniform Bundle, $50: what the floor wears.
Shirt, pants and the padded gloves, sized by email after checkout. The gift under the kit. Separately, the gloves are $20, the pants $40, the shirt $25. See the bundle.
A spare blade: the gift that is never wrong.
Every saber owner runs out of one. The polycarbonate tube is the wear part of the art, the piece that takes every hit so the hilt never has to. The Blades collection carries the sizes.
A place for it to live: the Acrylic Display Stand, $24.99, or the Collection Case 3-in-1, $79.
The stand floats a hilt on a shelf. The case carries it, converts to a stand and ships with a blade plug. The stand or the case.
The Floor Saber Stand, $119, for the one who already owns three.
A floor-standing rack that holds complete sabers with blades. It ships oversized with a freight surcharge, which the store states on the page. See it.
The Shadow Warriors year, $970: the gift that is a path.
A year of the art at home on Virtual Saber Academy: the nine-form library, a master reviewing their form video every week, their sash tested remotely and recorded on the Global Roster. Two months free against the monthly $97. Registered in their name, for adults and teens 13 and up.
The free lesson: where every path starts, and it costs nothing.
The sixty-second Guard, by email, over the first seven days. Give it with the saber. It is how every warrior on our floors began. The free lesson.
Pick the Gift
A beginner. The Legacy Student Kit is the gift that opens complete: saber, padded gloves, protective helmet, one box.
- Used on a real training floor
- Polycarbonate blades, built to be hit
- Sized by email after checkout
- Shipping and returns as the store states
The Legacy Student Kit
- A training saber with a polycarbonate blade
- Padded gloves where a blade lands
- The protective helmet the path requires
- Sizes and blade colour confirmed by email
The Shadow Warriors year
- The nine-form library on Virtual Saber Academy
- A master reviews their form video every week
- Their sash tested remotely, on the Global Roster
- Adults and teens 13 and up
The Class Pack
- Ten sabers, ten pairs of gloves, ten helmets
- A school, a club or a Commander’s floor
- A lending kit for a free open mat
- One order, one delivery
What is included
- A training saber with a polycarbonate blade
- Padded gloves where a blade lands
- The protective helmet the path requires
- Sizes and blade colour confirmed by email
The facts
Guarantee, delivery and returns
The Trading Post covers defects in materials and workmanship for 90 days and takes a change-of-mind return within 7 days of receipt in unused condition, as its return policy states. Blades are the wear part of the art and are sold as such. Read the policy before you order; it is linked under every button.
Not sure which saber fits their hand? The sixty-second fitting tells you the saber and the size.
The store’s warranty.
The Trading Post covers defects in materials and workmanship for 90 days and takes a change-of-mind return within 7 days of receipt in unused condition, as its return policy states. Blades are the wear part of the art and are sold as such. Read the policy before you order; it is linked under every button.
We made giving a martial art, like, ridiculously easy.
Pick. One click.
Every gift here opens its own page at the Trading Post, the academy’s own store.
Size. By email.
Glove size, helmet size and blade colour are confirmed by email after checkout, so you never guess.
Train. In January.
The free lesson by email and the Shadow Warriors path mean the gift has somewhere to go on the first morning.
1,500+ warriors. Most of them started with a gift like this.
Verified reviews from the Norfolk and Virginia Beach floors • the founders’ record • the academy’s own store
Sifu Edward Armstrong
Entrepreneur of the Year, a Board-Certified Tai Chi Instructor and a published author. Founded the Light Sword Training Academy in Virginia Beach in 2015 with Sifu Julliana; opened the Norfolk academy in 2019.
Sifu Julliana Armstrong
3× WEKAF National Champion, a two-time World Champion under GSBA and a Team USA competitor. Delivered the curriculum under U.S. federal contract at Langley AFB and Fort Eustis.
“Didn’t expect to be inducted into a legitimate martial arts group. Just thought it was a fun date idea for me and the wife. We are both hooked and have our goals set on getting a black belt one day.”
Chris F., verified Yelp review, Norfolk“Our instructor was fantastic, very entertaining and friendly. We went through the basics and then had the chance to all fight each other! I can’t recommend this enough.”
Ava, verified Airbnb review“As a 15-year traditional martial artist, I was skeptical. After one session I understood. This is a complete, legitimate system. The 9 forms are grounded in real combat traditions.”
Marcus T., student“As a woman in martial arts, I’ve dealt with a lot of uncomfortable environments. LSTA is different. The Code of S.A.B.E.R. creates a culture of respect that I’ve never experienced anywhere else.”
Amanda P., student“My expectations for this experience were blown out of the water and we had so much fun. Edward was so great and we will absolutely come back the next time we’re in the area!”
Lizzy, verified Airbnb review“I visited as a tourist in Norfolk. I stayed as a student. Sifu Armstrong is the real deal.”
a visiting student, NorfolkReviews are verified reviews of the academy’s classes (Airbnb and Yelp) and named students, shown as the experience the gear leads to, not as product reviews. The one proof figure, 1,500+ warriors trained since 2015, is the academy’s own record.
Built in Virginia Beach. Equipped by the Trading Post.
Where the nine forms were built.
The founding academy of Sifu Edward and Sifu Julliana Armstrong, where the curriculum, the sash ladder and the safety rules took shape, and where the art is still taught on Sundays.
The academy’s own store.
The sabers the floors train on, the LSMA line of kits, gloves and uniforms, and the Armory of blades, stands and cases. Sizes confirmed by email, a 90-day warranty.
The standard behind the gear.
The Light Sword Martial Arts Federation sanctions competition in four formats. Combat-Classic is scored by a judging panel, so the kit needs no sensor; the instrumented armour of Combat-Electronic Score is an upgrade, never a requirement.
Read the label.
Gift Facts
Questions
Is it safe for a child?
The blades are padded polycarbonate and the kit carries padded gloves and a protective helmet. The academy’s own classes are for adults and teens 13 and up; younger children use the gear at home under an adult, as with any sporting equipment.
What age is the kit for?
The kit is sized by email after checkout, gloves and helmet both. The academy trains members from 13; the Shadow Warriors path is 13 and up, registered by a guardian under 18.
Does it need a class?
No. The free lesson by email teaches the sixty-second Guard in the first seven days, and Shadow Warriors carries the whole art at home. A floor is a bonus, not a requirement.
What is the difference between the Pocket Star, the Xenopixel and a Proffie?
The Pocket Star lights from inside the hilt in any colour. The Xenopixel blade lights along its length and flashes on a strike. A Proffie is the programmable sound board on a machined hilt, the duellist’s saber. All three take a hit.
What if it breaks?
The store’s 90-day warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship; a blade is a wear part and is replaced from the Blades collection. The return policy is linked under every button.
One box, one student, and a path to take it. Give the kit.
The Legacy Student Kit at $134, the free lesson in the inbox on the first morning, and the Shadow Warriors year if they want the whole art. Chosen by the academy that teaches it.
Give the Kit, $134Not sure which saber fits their hand? Take the free sixty-second fitting for them.
Four questions about the person you are buying for. We tell you the saber that fits their hand and height, and the size to order. No account, no card.
The same fitting every new warrior takes on their first Saturday.