Why a fencer should be like a swan...

And I'm not talking about the fact that they are mostly both white. I am referring to the old classic saying "grace above the waterline, frantic paddling beneath". What I mean by this is that a fencer should think as if they have a horizontal line at their waist. Below this, the feet are moving rapidly, changing rhythm and distance in order to confuse the opponent and bring them into (or keep them out of) range. Above the waist the fencer is relaxed and ready to smoothly extend the arm to complete the lunge. If the fencer starts to tense up above the waist, they will snatch at the attack and most probably miss by a country mile... Also they may start punching the hit, which is illegal and will lead to penalties.
You must think of the whole body as nothing more than a point delivery system; whilst the legs and feet are doing all they can to get you to the right place, the torso, shoulder, arm and fingers must be relaxed enough to get the point onto the target in the correct way.
This should be considered at all times when you are fencing; if you are missing your hits have you forgotten to emulate the swan?