Long Time No Blog

It's been a while since I last posted anything on the blog so apologies to my millions of readers out there. Been a bit busy. But never fear I have returnd so here's a brief piece I call...
Going the Distance
It is important to develop your skills to the maximum in whatever you do in life. Take observation for instance. Some people go through life's journey without ever taking notice of their surroundings, other people or the situations they find themselves in. Other folk occasionally pay attention to things that interest them. Some people develop their observational powers to the extent that they are aware of everything around them, but these people are rare. When I was younger and in my 'pub going' phase my mates were always surprised at my ability to spot when a fight was going to break out and who was likely to start it. (We used to go to some rough pubs).There was no real skill to it, I just paid attention to the behaviour of my fellow pub goers. On one occasion I bemused a girl friend by wanting to leave a perfectly quiet pub with only a few people in it saying that I didn't like the atmosphere. She was amazed to hear later that only ten minutes after we left a fight broke out. The thing that did it for me that night were the two gentlemen who were sat together drinking a bottle of wine - each. They already looked a bit worse for wear and belligerent and I suspected something was going to happen. And it did! The point was I spotted their behaviour early and did something about it.

So what's this got to do with fencing? Well, ask yourself this. When you are at the club and not actually fencing do you check out the other fencers who are? Do you see their strengths, favourite moves, weaknesses? If so good; you have gone some of the way to developing good observation skills. If you then observe yourself for the same strengths and weaknesses then you have taken a far greater step towards going the distance....