Flowbat is just as intense as real combat—the difference is in the focus. Every person who picks up a lightsaber, from complete beginners to international saber school operators, shares the same goal:
But film fights are choreographed—designed for spectacle, not survival. They have no uncertain outcomes, no real danger. You can’t apply the values of real combat to a style that exists as a fusion between performance and real fighting.
In Flowbat, your opponent isn’t the fighter in front of you—it’s the audience’s perception. Have you targeted well? Used enough power? Put your heart and soul into every move? Have you convinced them that you’re truly fighting?
Staged combat takes real fighting and makes it fictional—designed for storytelling, with no uncertain outcomes. Real combat is about survival, where every action has consequences.
Flowbat stands between the two. Unlike staged combat, the outcome isn’t predetermined, and unlike real combat, the goal isn’t to defeat your opponent—it’s to convince the audience that you're truly fighting.
In Flowbat, success comes from maintaining control, targeting well, and committing to every movement. The goal is not to overpower your opponent, but to create a performance so seamless that the line between choreography and combat disappears.
Mastering Flowbat requires both precision and presence—making every strike believable while maintaining the fluidity and control that set it apart from both staged and real combat, with the goal of blurring the line between dance and violence so seamlessly that, to anyone watching, there is no difference.
Both Flowbattents will bow, salute, or in some way acknowledge the other.
Both Flowbattents will take a Stance from their Form, and wait for the Match to begin.
The Officiator will call 'BEGIN!' and the match begins.
During the course of the Match, Flowbattents will be observed by everyone present, and are critiqued based on how convincing they are, smoothness, control, Speed Adherence, and Form Adherence. Some Flowbat Matches are Judged with a winner, based on the previously mentioned criteria, but most are judged purely on how cool they looked. During a regular Flowbat Match, only the Officator can end the match. Accidental tags to the body, misses, dropped sabers...unless the Officiator calls for the end, the Match continues. Every Match has a Metronome that determines the maximum speed of that match, with Flowbattents encouraged to keep to that speed the entire Match. Matches are 30 seconds (rare but useful for first day people) 1 minute(the standard beginner time) or 1 Minute 30 seconds. Times can be adjusted. Flowbattents are encouraged (and in some cases required) to not be disengaged for more than 2 seconds.
The Officiator will call 'TIME!' and that ends the Match. Both Flowbattents will acknowledge each other positvely and exit the arena area. The Officator (if there is time) may ask each Flowbattent 1 thing they liked about the others fighting, and offer 1 peice of advice to each.
For the Types of Flowbat matches, please see this document.