Simplicity

I am currently reading a book about the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi and how one can bring it into one's life. I'm not going to go into great detail around the concept but suffice it to say that one of it's many interpretations can be 'simplicity'. To me it seems that fencing is ripe for simplicity. Many fencers over-complicate things and forget that it is the basics that really work best. For instance, a simple lunge when at the right distance can be devastatingly effective, particularly on your opponent's preparation. A parry riposte when executed in time will bring positive results time and again. Any simple technique well done will usually reap rewards.
But there is another type of simplicity; that of simplicity of thought. If you let your mind become overcomplicated with emotions and strategies you will be encumbered by it. If you can de-clutter your mind so that it can react readily to the situations a fight presents then you will have more chance of being successful. In some ways, the way you fence gives away much about your character. Would you rather be flustered, panicky, over-aggressive, lacking in forethought or would you rather be calm, controlled and effective? Bit of a simple question to me.....

Anna Bentley gets a top 16

Congrats to my old left handed pal Anna Bentley who got her first top 16 finish at a European event. Great reward for all her hard work and perseverence over the last months... and over the last few days actually seeing as the airline lost her kit on the flight over!
Well done and here's to the next one!

Coaching Mantras

At present we have a number of new, young and enthusiastic coaches getting involved in club activity. When you are just starting out it can be quite an overwhelming experience as there seems to be so much to watch for. One of the things that I can recommend from experience is to develop a coaching mantra; something you can keep in your head and recite to students when patrolling your class or club. Some of the things you could include in it are:
Bend your legs
Keep your front foot straight
Don't lean forward in the lunge
Bend your legs
Lead with the hand
Keep your back foot flat on the floor when you lunge
Look up when you lunge
Oh, and bend your legs
The discerning fencer will note that all these comments refer to the basics of footwork and the lunge. As a new Coach you can add huge amounts of value to your students and your sport by constantly driving home the basics. The instant gratification culture that we live in quite often lends it's attitude to people's expectations in sport. They wish to "get on with it", "learn the good stuff" and tend to forget the simple basics. It is the coaches' job to bring them back to the reality of learning any sport, i.e. that you must master the basics before you can attempt the complex. By constantly reminding (some might call it nagging) people about these aspects of their performance you will be doing your coaching duty. You may also find that these flaws underpin virtually all other reasons for techniques going wrong. Foundations built upon sand.....

I didn't know where to look...!

Last night at the salle we discussed where to look whilst fencing. (Well, I was asked to talk about a related subject and expanded beyond it...). There is much debate about where to focus your attention to your opponent whilst fencing; the hands, the body, the feet etc. Let me quote some of the old Japanese masters as a reference:
Musashi says, "The eyes are to be focused in such a way as to maximise the range and breadth of vision....." "In martial arts it is important to be aware of opponents' swords and yet not look at the opponents' swords at all. This takes work".
Munenori says, "There are three points on which to focus the eyes: (1) the Two Stars (the opponent's two hands gripping his sword); (2) Peak and Valley (the bending and extension of the opponent's arms); and (3) when engaged, the Distant Mountains (the shoulders and chest).
Takuan Soho says, "When facing a single tree, if you look at a single one of it's red leaves, you will not see all the others. When the eye is not set on any one leaf and you face the tree with nothing at all in mind, any number of leaves are visible to the eye without limit. But if a single leaf holds the eye, it will be as if the remaining leaves were not there."

So what's that all about? Well, in effect, the three men are saying roughly the same thing. As usual Musashi is not giving it all away and offers a general guideline to the eyes' focus. He throws in a little teaser about being aware and yet not looking for good measure. Then, as is his wont, he admonishes the student to work hard.
Munenori's advice is much more practical, although couched in flowery terms and reflects a very pragmatic and serious approach probably grounded in gritty combat. Munenori didn't become sword instructor to the Shogun without knowing the reality of his craft and although his words initially seem specific, it soon becomes obvious that in order to focus on three things, you can't really focus exclusively on any of them. Once again, there is a hidden meaning behind the obvious one.
Soho (who was Munenori's Zen teacher) really nails the subject using a brilliant metaphor. If you focus on one small thing you miss the whole. This really sums up the topic for me; when I fence I try to cultivate a general awareness of my opponent. There are far too many ways an opponent can distract you with their hands, feet or movement if you focus on any one of them. Far better to gain an overall impression of what is happening and allow your instincts and training to guide you. If you want to see something in the dark, don't look directly at it, look round it. Our brains have a brilliant ability to piece together patterns from scattered information, so trust yours to work for you!