The Dark Side

You no longer need to be kept in the dark — Lifestyle Writers Aysha Quek and Nadhirah Ismail shed light on two of the latest night activities you never knew existed.

By Aysha Quek and Nadhirah Ismail

PHOTOS: CALVIN CHOW

The Saber Authority

http://www.thesaberauthority.com/

Classes:
Bishan Park 1 (open space beside Cornerstone Café)
Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8

Kids: 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Adults: 6.45pm – 7.45pm

Every Sunday evening, Bishan Park transforms into a battleground for lightsaber duels. For Star Wars fans who wish to live out their lightsaber dreams, this is one activity that cannot be missed.

Armed with the vision of merging function with fantasy, sci-fi fans Reza Emmanuel, 38, and Kong Ming Jie, 29, founded The Saber Authority in October last year. Both of them had wanted to make lightsaber duelling an aesthetically beautiful yet useful activity with techniques that could still relate to real-life situations. With Mr Emmanuel being a certified self-defence instructor and Mr Kong, a local distributor of lightsabers, working together allowed their dreams to turn into reality.

PHOTOS: CALVIN CHOW

Besides being the first provider of lightsaber lessons in Singapore, the people behind The Saber Authority are also purveyors of custom lightsabers imported from the United States. Quickly gaining popularity among the masses there, local sci-fi fans can now experience the Star Wars universe right here at home in Singapore.

Class commenced under the cover of the night sky. When we first held our lightsabers, we were surprised at how heavy they were! We found out later that the weight was essential in giving us a better grip, and hence better control of the sabers during duels.

Upon switching them on, it was almost as if we were transported into a Star Wars film. True to the movies, the lightsabers came to life with their signature buzzing sound. With the glowing sticks juxtaposed against the dark, swinging them created almost hypnotic trails of light that are sure to make passersbys stop in awe.

However, not everything was inspired by fiction. The fighting manoeuvres are based on different Asian martial arts, from kendo to taekwondo and wushu.

We started off by learning the basic strokes and footwork before progressing on to more advanced techniques. The steps looked deceptively simple when demonstrated by the coaches, but it took us quite a while to grasp. Our masters were extremely patient and made sure we Padawans (a Jedi in training) understood all the steps well before challenging us to a proper duel.

Being able to finally spar with the coaches was an honour for us — we were thrilled that they thought we were ready to finally put what we learnt into combat practice. The pace of the battle was much faster than it had been during training, and we were forced to think and react on our feet.

Despite deflecting most of our attempts at jabbing or striking, witnessing the lightsabers dancing under our control and clashing into one another was what made this experience truly like the movie.

Not only was the match exhilarating, we found ourselves perspiring profusely by the end of it. It definitely felt like we were fending off the Dark Lord’s cronies.

PHOTOS: CALVIN CHOW

Just like the franchise, this sport’s popularity is undeniable. It has attracted a diverse age group — from the young to the young at heart. According to Mr Emmanuel, his youngest participant is a five-year-old child, while the oldest is in his 50s.

Classes are priced at $80 a month for four lessons within a month. Do not worry if you do not own a lightsaber — it will be provided!

Undeniably one of the most enjoyable ways to exercise, we would be lying if we said that we did not feel like true Jedi warriors after the class.

All that was missing were Jedi robes to complete our Star Wars experience. Indeed, the Force is strong with this activity.

PHOTOS: CALVIN CHOW

Skyhigh Trampoline Park

Burghley Lifestyle Hub
45 Burghley Drive
#01-05/06
S559022

Opening Hours:
10am — 9pm daily

Should you ever yearn for a jumping good time, Skyhigh Trampoline Park is the place for you.

The first trampoline park in Singapore to offer a unique night segment from 7pm to 9pm daily, Skyhigh undergoes a transformation during its ‘Neon Nights’ segment. It turns into a dark and enclosed area, and ultraviolet (UV) lights are reflected from almost every corner of the park.

Founder Ms Danni Zhang Rehman had always wanted to try out her crazy yet innovative idea of allowing people to “jump as well as have a bit of fun under UV lights”. With that goal in mind, she opened Skyhigh Trampoline Park, with ‘Neon Nights’ as the park’s highlight, early last December.

Even though it is situated deep in the Serangoon Gardens neighbourhood, the building’s colourful graffiti will help goers locate it. Loud terms such as ‘Jump High’ and ‘Play!’ hype players up even before they enter the main playing area. The interior does not pale in comparison — bright and bold colours such as yellow and red line the perimeter of the different zones, foreboding the visual spectacle that will ensue once the lights are turned down.

At 7pm sharp, the lights will be dimmed; UV paint, wall tape and ceiling fans will illuminate the park instead. For a full immersion into the ‘Neon’ atmosphere, customers may choose to purchase cosmetic-grade neon face and body paint from the counter at $4 a tube.

Though your initial movements might feel slightly clumsy, the darkness is actually an advantage if you’re a beginner.

Under the cover of dim lights, we weren’t shy to get our groove on or replicate parkour moves we’ve seen in the movies. Rather than being a hindrance, the darkness gave rise to a unique and more intense jumping experience.

We jumped over hurdles, did cartwheels and played leapfrog while aiming to bounce as high as we could in the air. These were all stunts that we would never have been able to accomplish if not for the trampolines.

The highlight for us was definitely the huge foam pit — we held a mini somersaulting competition and hurled ourselves repeatedly into it. By the end of it, our hair was all frizzled and messy, our shirts drenched with perspiration, and we were breathless from all the tumbling and laughing. There really is no better and more fun way to work up a sweat than engaging in mindless trampoline competitions.

Skyhigh Trampoline Park is almost as big as two soccer fields. Sparing no space, even the walls running along the edge of the park are lined with angled trampolines, allowing thrill-seekers to safely practise their Matrix-style wall-running impressions. Do note, however, that the park is non air-conditioned — all the bouncing about may leave remnants of perspiration that could make the cushions slippery and prove slightly unsanitary to some.

Apart from that, basketball fans will be glad to know that the park has also installed several basketball hoops. With trampolines as the ‘court’, even amateurs can slam dunk.

The experience that we had at Skyhigh was like no other. Accompanied by catchy tunes by pop artists, we felt especially energised while jumping and singing along to the infectious lyrics of the music.

Before jumping to conclusions and dismissing it as just another trampoline park, do consider Skyhigh Trampoline Park’s ‘Neon Nights’ for the time of your life. Admission fees start at $10 on weekday mornings, $12 on weekday afternoons (from 1pm onwards) and $15 on Friday afternoons and weekends.