You've got to have attitude.....

A fellow fencer was telling me the other night after a fight that she was working on changing her attitude during matches by being more energetic and assertive. This matched my observations during the match, there was a lot less preparing going on and a lot more doing. I commend her for her attempts as is not easy to change your attitude to anything but fencing is one of those sports where attitude counts for a lot and it can be sensed by your opponent to your advantage. This will only work on people who have fenced for a while though, someone who is aware what is going on during a bout so that they will pick up on these nuances. It's not exactly Jedi mind tricks (and it works just as much on you as your opponent) but it is worth trying. Changing from relaxed to energetic, passive to active etc can take an opponent by surprise, particularly if they have caught your mood, which is likely as it is a subconscious human activity to mirror someone as it comes from our primitive tribal beginnings and the need to belong. Brushing up or changing your attitude can do a lot of good......