As we build up the Open de France – the largest Saber Tour tournament of the year – I’m joined on Saber Tour by World # 5 fighter, Secretary of Sport Saber League and highly skilled referee: Arthur Gautier.

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Arthur, welcome to Saber Talk, let’s start at the beginning, how did you first get involved with LED Saber as a sport?

Hi William! First, thank you for having me here!

I joined LED Saber and Sport Saber League back in 2016, one year after the association was established. I was looking for a new sport to practice, close to fencing, because I practiced sabre for a few years back in high school. However, it is a very rigid sport and I was looking for something a bit more fun and casual.

When I arrived, my instructor at that time was Mickael Khalil, an astonishing fighter, a wonderful friend and a really great instructor and he gave me the will to invest myself and to keep pushing in LED Saber.

Then, a year later, in November 2017, one of the 3 founding members of the Sport Saber League left, and Adrien offered me the spot to help them manage the association. It was really an administrative role at that time, but with the time, I started to invest myself more and more in building LED Saber as a really distinctive sport, codifying its rules and building something bigger than just our club!

LED Saber has seen a huge surge in popularity in recent years, what do you think makes it so special? And what would you say is one misconception that most people have about the sport?

Well, I think that the first distinguishing thing about LED Saber is clearly the LED Saber. And this is what brings most of the people I think : they like Star Wars and they all dreamed of being a Jedi or a Sith. Then, it is also a sport. But it is a sport that talks to fans of Star Wars (and of pop culture as general), that are practising sports or not, as well as people that want to practice opposition sports with more liberty than what usual sports offers (e.g. fencing). 

Regarding misconceptions, there are many, but the biggest one is people think this is some kind of a joke. This is a serious sport, even if we are not taking ourselves too seriously. But we put a lot of thought and effort into building interesting rules that can create interesting fights.

As the 5th best player in the world, you’re obviously a highly skilled fighter, how would you sum up your style in the arena? Has it changed at all over your time competing?

I come from fencing and I think this is something that is really reflected in my style. In addition, I started fencing again (but epee this time) after the Tokyo Olympics, to help me improve some key points that we are less focusing on in LED Saber. Overall, I am a fighter that loves to put pressure on my opponents, forcing them to make mistakes that I can then punish. Whether it is by forcing them to make desperate attacks or by creating openings, I really play the tactical game in my match. In comparison with Sébastien, with whom I’m training weekly, our games are very close but he will usually be much more offensive than me, when I tend to cause my opponent to attack to make a parry riposte. 

You’re also a very respected figure as a referee, as there anything you would say is particularly satisfying about this side of the sport? Or is it more something you do as a necessity?

I would say that refereeing is definitely the tougher part of the sport. But it is also as enjoyable as fighting to me. Getting the right calls while fighters are saying that even they are not sure what happened, it’s really satisfying. 

I was drawn to it particularly because I greatly contributed in drafting the current rules. In addition, I always loved to ref, whether in fencing or in LED Saber. 

And because I did not participate in the first editions of the Open de France at Charléty (mainly because we needed people to be able to organize and coordinate), I found myself on the spot and everyone concluded that I was maybe the best main referee to date, which is also something enjoyable !

Today, my main focus regarding refereeing is helping people to grow their refereeing skills, because I am going further and further in tournaments and I am not able to referee each and every match as I used to haha ! But we have an amazing team of very skilled referees that are always happy to help and that can replace me when I’m going to the semi or the final !

We have the 8th edition of the Open de France just around the corner (on the 20th-21st of June), how do you typically prepare for an event like this? Is it just an extension of normal training or do you increase the amount you practice in the run-up to the event?

It will be my first year participating in the Open de France, so this is definitely a bit stressful, as much for the sport than for the rest, as I won’t be dedicated to the event only this year. Specifically regarding the sport side, I focus my training mainly on trying to consolidate what I’ve learned during the year, to feel confident about that and be able to use it during the tournament ! The SSL internal tournament on June 8 will help me to see where I am and what I can use confidently ! I hope to reach at least the quarter finals, but my goal is, obviously, the cup !

You typically fight with a green saber, did anything in particular draw you to that colour?

I love green ! But overtime, I fought with a yellow saber at first, then a blue one, and now a green one ! I’ll see what the next one will be !

A lot of fighters will listen to music while warming up or practicing, is this something you’ve ever given a try? If so, did you find it helped you to focus or improve your performance at all?

I am a huge fan of music, and I love listening to very different songs ! And therefore, people will usually see me with my headphones while warming up ! It definitely helps me to focus, because it helps me clear my mind from what is going to happen next by making me focus on the music ! If you’d like some recommendations, the followings are my current favorites:

• The Emptiness Machine & Up from the Bottom – Linkin Park
• Fantastic – King Princess
• Training Season – Dua Lipa
• Fire – Youssoupha

Do you have a favourite match from any tournament you’ve attended? If so, who was it against—and why does it stand out to you?

I think I have 3 specific matches in mind. In a historical order, the first one would be the semi final against Marco Cuomo during the UK Open 2023. This victory ensured me a place in the first edition of the Saber Tour Finals and Marco was the reigning Open de France champion ! Also, it had just won over Adrien Koch and I was really willing to avenge him !

The second one was during the Open 77 2024 where I faced Adrien in the final. It was the first tournament of the season, it was our first DE match together, and even though I lost, it is an amazing memory and the beginning of an excellent season for me !

Third one was during the Open 95 2025 where I faced Guillaume Pevee in the final and I won, making me one of the few that won a Saber Tour® Open tournament (which is really close circle, as there is only 5 of us I think : Sébastien Berard, Marco Cuomo, Amaury Mouhtajjib, Adrien Koch Forbin and myself) ! The match was really close but I got the better of Guillaume tactically ! He avenged himself during the Riviera Open 2025 in Nice, where he bested me in the semi-finals !

Where do you see LED Saber going over the next five years, especially with its growing international reach?

I see LED Saber strengthening itself and its reach. We are discussing with more and more people and clubs, in France and internationally ! Overall, we will keep our best effort to develop the sport and the results will come. Rome was not built in a day, nor LED Saber ! It will be a long process and time but I am pretty sure that by keeping a core of people committed, we will get there ! 

Finally, if you could step into the arena for a full three-round match under official Saber Tour rules against any opponent—historical or fictional—who would you choose to duel, and why?

Only one is really tough ! So I’ll say several haha ! Regarding actual fighters, I’d love to fight Marco when he’s healed and feeling better ! He is so impressive in his footwork while injured, I can’t imagine what it would be when he is at full capabilities !

Another one would be Hugo Potier, who was a former fighter at the SSL Paris, with an amazing potential ! He stopped to LED Sabre to go practice HEMA, but maybe he’ll come back one day !

Final one would be someone from the French Fencing Saber team : Boladé Apithy, Maxime Pianfetti, Sara Balzer, Sarah Noutcha … I would love to see how fencers, and more particularly saber fencers, would fight under our rules.

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A huge thank you to Arthur for participating in the En Garde series I wish him all the best of luck in the SSL Internal and the Open de France.

Thank you all for reading and I’ll see you again soon for more Saber Talk.

May The Force Be With You