Details details

"Pay attention to even small things" said a great swordsman. What did he mean by this? Well I guess in his time, when the swords were real and the fights were serious he was talking about the terrain, the direction the sun was coming from, that treacherous stone underfoot and all those other things that could mean the difference between life and death.
In a modern fencing match it could mean may things also. Like how come it's hard to beat the older coach? How come his parries are always too quick? Well, maybe it's because you have forgotten he's older and you're not tiring him out enough! Maybe you've neglected that small detail of varied rhythm or forgotten to keep feinting to throw him off his comfort zone. It's the details that can make a difference. Does your opponent give away their attacks by the same preparation? Do thay always use the same parry? Are they puffing and blowing? Do they display signs of irritation? These are all things that can give you a clue as to the correct next move. Pay attention to even small things....