By Marisa Dawson, Photos by Haley Hickson
Black Belts Jake and Katie Nielsen of Rosenbach Warrior Training Branch (RWTB) in Bennington led an impressive lightsaber demonstration at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland last Thursday evening, tying perfectly into the grand opening of the new traveling exhibit “Unofficial Galaxies.”
The exhibit, which opened on January 16, features one of the largest fan-owned Star Wars collections ever assembled. It includes more than a hundred artifacts such as costumes, detailed character recreations, props, and collectibles dating back to 1977. Described as a fan-built celebration of the saga’s stories, characters, and creativity, “Unofficial Galaxies” offers fans a chance to revisit the universe and introduces families to its magic through imagination and storytelling. The exhibit runs through May 10, 2026.
The invitation for Rosenbach Warrior Training Branch to perform came about serendipitously. Jake Nielsen explained how it started during a family visit to the museum.
Jake recalled an impromptu trip to the SAC Museum with his family. While exploring the planes and space exhibits, he made a comment to his daughter: “You know what would be really cool is if I brought some of my lightsaber students up here and we did a demonstration.” An employee overheard the conversation and approached him about the upcoming Star Wars exhibit. This led to more conversations and ultimately the performance came together with collaboration from multiple RWTB locations.
About two years ago, Jake (pictured below with his family) started the lightsaber class, which he describes as a “Ninjutsu meets Spartans meets parkour kind of class.”
The event brought together 19 performers (including Jake), with ages ranging from 12 to 26. Students came from the Bennington branch under Jake and Katie Nielsen, as well as the Fremont branch led by Jaina O’Leary (running an extreme martial arts class) and the Scribner branch with Sophia Vaca. The performance featured an original score and music composed by Chris Pederson, adding to the collaborative energy.
Jake expressed deep pride in the achievement: “Honestly, I was very proud and very privileged at the same time- I was proud of the students… We started our school six years ago here in Bennington and we started in our backyard with like five students. So the fact that it’s grown to this and I was able to bring nine or ten of my own students to that and have them perform… I was so proud of them. They did so well, especially on the caliber that we were at.”
Katie highlighted the community impact: “At our school, we want to have a sense of community, inclusion and belonging for these kiddos.” She shared moments at the museum seeing many children in Star Wars costumes and lightsabers: “We want to be that place that is inclusive for all abilities, all talents, everybody to be able to come and gain self confidence, get that sense of belonging in a community- in our school.”
Performing in front of approximately 450 people showcased the group’s talent and fostered inclusivity across skill levels, from newer students to advanced black belts. Katie emphasized the value of public events: “We had all levels of students- we had some of our newer students who have only been with us less than a year. Then we had top level black belts who do competitions. So it was very fun to see all of them get a moment to shine and have an opportunity to have their picture in the paper … to just continue to foster that inclusivity in our community and highlight everybody’s activities because everybody deserves that little moment to shine.”
The Rosenbach Warrior Training Branch, operating in Bennington under Jake and Katie Nielsen, continues to build community through martial arts. Upcoming highlights include plans to bring the lightsaber class to Bennington in the spring (currently offered in Fremont), an adult self-defense class (Krav Maga/Filipino Kali style) now exclusive to Bennington, self-defense seminars, and a “match event” with Big Brothers Big Sisters featuring self-defense, games, and fun to support the nonprofit.
Additionally, the Winter Lil’ Dragons session for ages 5–9 just started on January 20, with a few spots still open on Tuesdays from 5–6 p.m.
For more information on classes or events at Rosenbach Warrior Training Branch in Bennington, visit their Facebook page or website.
