By fighters. For fighters. Owned by fighters.

Today, we’re announcing a fundamental change to how Saber Talk operates: Saber Talk is becoming member-owned.

This isn’t just a symbolic gesture. It’s a restructuring of power, accountability, and purpose. And it matters because of what this sport is becoming – and what it needs to avoid.

Why This Matters

LED saber sport is growing. Fast. We’re seeing more tournaments, bigger prize pools, international expansion, and genuine athletic progression. That’s brilliant. But growth brings pressure.

This isn’t a critique of any organiser or federation – we respect the work they do. This is about safeguarding the space for honest reporting as the sport grows.

Right now, Saber Talk is essentially my blog. But I don’t want it to stay that way.

I want Saber Talk to become the media hub for Saber Tour – multiple writers, diverse perspectives, comprehensive coverage. I want us at every major tournament. I want fighters to trust that we’ll tell their stories fairly.

Member ownership means those decisions aren’t just mine. They’re yours. The Council exists so that when Saber Talk has five writers, a budget, and real influence, the community decides how that power gets used.

We’re building the structure now, before we need it, so it’s not created in crisis later.

Saber Talk really exists to serve the community – not the organisers, not the sponsors, not any federation or tour. We exist to report honestly, preserve history, call out problems, and celebrate excellence without asking permission first.

But “independence” is a promise that’s easy to break. It needs structure. It needs accountability. It needs to be more than one person’s word.

That’s why we’re handing ownership to the people this sport actually belongs to: you.

What Member-Ownership Means

Membership in Saber Talk is free and open to fighters, officials, organisers, and supporters. When you become a member, you gain:

• Voting rights in annual elections for the Members’ Council
• The power to propose motions and shape governance priorities
• Access to members-only communications and consultations
• A stake in the long-term health of independent saber journalism

The Members’ Council will be elected by you. It will safeguard our Charter, ensure governance integrity, mediate disputes, and hold leadership accountable. Council members will serve as guardians – protecting the principles that make Saber Talk worth having.

But here’s what member-ownership does NOT mean:

Members cannot edit articles. Members cannot suppress criticism. Members cannot demand we cover (or ignore) specific stories. Editorial independence remains absolute. The Director-General retains full editorial authority, and the Council exists to protect that independence – not undermine it.

This is ownership in principle, not control of content. Because a publication that bends to popular opinion isn’t journalism – it’s a popularity contest. And we’re not here to win popularity contests. We’re here to tell the truth.

The Charter

We’ve codified all of this in The Saber Talk Charter – a governing document that lays out our purpose, powers, limits, and principles.

It’s not perfect. No document is. But it’s clear, it’s binding, and it’s designed to outlast any individual ego or short-term pressure. Read it. Challenge it. Propose amendments if you think it needs them. This is your organisation now.

What Happens Next

Starting today, membership applications are open. We’ll be running our first Members’ Council election in January. We’ll be publishing regular updates on governance, hosting consultations on key issues, and building the structures that make member-ownership real – not just rhetoric.

This is the beginning of something. Not the end.

Why We’re Doing This

Because this sport deserves better than manufactured hype and conflict-free coverage. It deserves journalism that asks hard questions. Journalism that holds people accountable. Journalism that treats fighters as athletes, not content creators to be monetised.

And it deserves to be owned by the people who actually care about it.

So if you’re a fighter who’s ever felt unheard, an organiser who values transparency, an official who wants the sport to grow sustainably, or a fan who just wants honest coverage – this is for you.

Join us. Own this with us. Let’s build something that lasts.

Become a Member →