I am not an adrenalin junkie

I recently had a weeks holiday in the Peak District where aside from a bit of hill walking and stately home visiting my Wife and I visited Alton Towers, famed for it's fast rides and attractions. We had a go on a couple of high speed, high-g rides but I soon found that I had had enough of thrills and spills so didn't go on the more obvious high adrenalin rides that dominate the park. (I actually preferred the peace and quiet of the ornate gardens)! Two or three rollercoasters are enough for me! I was mentioning this to someone in the office and they found it strange that I wasn't into adrenalin as I "do a sport that's all about swords and stabbing people", something that they associated with nerve jangling action. I could see their point in a way and looking back used to consider fencing as a high adrenalin activity, particularly competition fencing. Now I have a somewhat different view.
Whilst it cannot be denied that a sport that simulates combat is bound to generate some adrenalin, I believe that too much can be a liability. When I was younger I used to go out on the piste and get really psyched up, my pulse racing, my emotions running free in shouts, yells and grimaces. Sometimes this level of adrenalisation was helpful but more often than not it actually negatively affected my ability. My hand would tremble so much that my point control was rubbish, my muscles would grow tense and unresponsive and my temper would burst forth in the most innappropriate way. In short, I was the sort of fencer that I roundly criticise on this blog! There are so many ways that this was all wrong, not least the fact that I could be quite insufferable if I lost, On a physiological level adrenalin releases a lot of energy, but it is all short term energy and soon drops away leaving a state of fatigue, something that is less than desirable in a 15 hit DE bout. Adrenalin can also cause a feeling of panic (it is the progenitor of the 'fight or flight' reaction) which is not much use to a fencer. Large amounts of this stuff banging around your system is not necessarily what you want if you wish to remain in control.
Conversely, when you fence you want to have some energy in your tank, but I would suggest this needs to be controlled agression or alertness and in general the calmer you are, the more effective your techniques. High adrenalin leads to wide, wild parries, attacks that are uncontrolled and ineffective and general sloppiness on the piste. Controlled agression allows you to remain calm when attacked and decisive when attacking. It also allows you to discern flaws and weaknesses in your opponent.
My old role model Musashi says this on the state of mind in martial arts."In the science of martial arts, the state of mind should remain the same as normal. In ordinary circumstances as well as when practicing martial arts, let there be no change at all - with the mind open and direct, neither tense nor lax, centering the mind so that there is no imbalance, calmly relax your mind and savor this momoent of ease thouroughly so the relaxation does not stop its relaxation for even an instant."
Now, you can argue that I am just trying to justify that I'm not getting old when I say I'd rather look at an ornamental garden landscape than the blurred view from a rollercoaster but that's up to you!