SHADOW CIRCLE

Train alone.
Belong somewhere.

Local Shadow Circles for live sparring when you’re ready.

Included in every Shadow Warrior membership. No added fee.

Find My Circle Become a Shadow Warrior
What It Is

One city. One floor.
One hour a week.

A Shadow Circle is a weekly, in-person gathering of Shadow Warriors in one city. Live sparring, partner drills, and form work with people at your rank, governed by the same Code and the same curriculum you train with at home.

It is not a class. Nobody teaches from the front. Your instruction happens online: weekly personal form review, your live class, and the Council broadcasts. The Circle is where you put it to use against a real partner.

Every Circle is led by a volunteer Host, an active Shadow Warrior who holds the floor, keeps the Code, and pairs sparring by sash level.

Live sparring

Scored or open, always by sash level, always under the Code.

Partner drills

The two-person work that a camera at home cannot give you.

Your people

The same faces every week. The part of training that keeps you training.

Charter #1

Norfolk, Virginia.
Where it started.

The first Shadow Circle meets in Norfolk, hosted by Light Sword Martial Arts. If you trained in Norfolk under Sifu Edward and Sifu Julliana Armstrong, this is your floor. It never moved.

Host Light Sword Martial Arts
Floor Norfolk, VA
When Floor and schedule from the Host
Contact the Host

More Circles open as Shadow Warriors gather in new cities. Every active Circle is on Find a Floor; the host of each one grants access to its room.

How It Works
1
Join Shadow Warriors
Train at home with weekly form review and live classes. Your membership includes every Circle.
2
Reach the host
Find the Circle in your city on Find a Floor and contact the host. The host sets the floor and the schedule and grants access to the room. No extra fee.
3
Spar, drill, belong
Work with partners at your level under the Code. Your rank advances through the online assessments; the Circle is where you sharpen it.
Host a Circle

No Circle near you yet?
Build one.

Hosts are volunteers. To host, you need Form 3 certification and 90 or more days of active Shadow Warrior membership. You hold the floor, keep the Code, and pair sparring by sash. You are not the instructor; the curriculum and the assessments stay online.

Apply to Host a Circle
The Code

Same Code.
Same standard.

Sparring is paired by sash level. Nobody spars up more than one level without the Host’s call.
Protective gear and the LSTA safety standard apply on every floor, every week.
The Host’s call is final on the floor.
The Circle is for Shadow Warriors. Guests may watch; participation needs an active membership.
Before You Come
What does a Shadow Circle cost?
Nothing beyond your Shadow Warrior membership. It is included.
Do I need a certain rank to attend?
No. Every active Shadow Warrior is welcome. Sparring is paired by sash level, so a White Sash and a Blue Sash both have partners.
Is this where I earn rank?
No. Rank is earned through the online assessments and your instructor’s review. The Circle is where you train with partners.
There is no Circle in my city.
Train at home, and when you meet the Host requirements, start one. New Circles are listed on this page as they open.

Train alone.
Never fight alone.

Become a Shadow Warrior See the Norfolk Circle

Shadow Warriors is an online training membership: not a license, franchise, or business opportunity, and it grants no territory or exclusivity. Individual results vary based on effort and consistency; no income or success is promised or implied. Training equipment is not included and is sold separately.

Light Sword Training Academy is an independent martial arts organization. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Walt Disney Company, Lucasfilm Ltd., or any related entity. The combat training equipment used in our curriculum is purpose-built for fitness and martial arts training and is not a Star Wars-branded product.

Shadow Circles are member gatherings led by volunteer Hosts; they are not instructional classes and Hosts are not LSTA-certified instructors unless separately credentialed. Participation is at your own risk; protective equipment is required and sold separately.

© 2026 Light Sword Training Academy. All rights reserved. · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service