Mind the sword, mind the people watch, mind enemy - Too many mind

So last night fencing was awesome. Matt was instructing me about different parries (4,6,7,8, if you're interested) and I felt pretty good that I knew which one was which. So he starts attacking me, seeing if I'm using the correct parry. After a few minutes, I got kinda bored of parrying and backing up, so when he trust to a 4 parry, I rolled my blade over his and got the touch on the back of his shoulder. He kinda stopped, and looked at me, and told me to do it again. So I did. Apparently, that's an advanced riposte, that they normally teach you after a while of basic parries and ripostes. Sweet.

On that note, I think fencing is my new snowboarding. Not in the sense that I will abandon everything else and focus exclusively on that, but in the sense that fencing allows me to shut everything else off. While snowboarding, it wasn't uncommon for me to just put my headphones, and spend an entire day without saying a word to another person. It was easier to just lose yourself in the music and the ride, feeling every slight bump and slope under your feet and adjusting to them. You don't care about anything else but your position and feel. Fencing seems to be the same way. Anytime I just stop thinking about what exactly I'm doing and just go with what feels correct, I end up moving smoother and striking with more speed and accuracy.

Plus, it's really nice to be able to just shut your personality off. Putting on the mask, like the goggles and headphones, allows me to shut off the ego. I could be anyone, so it's easier to just be no one. Leaving your ego at the door allows you to stop worrying about everything else, and focus on that one activity. The only problem is turning that back on when I get in the car; I was still focused and not myself when I started driving last night, and had to quickly remember "yes, paying attention while driving is vastly different than it is when riding/fencing."

This post was kinda introspective today, and not my usual prattling. Don't get used to it; I just feel content today for whatever reason. Maybe I still am not turned back on.

But with that, I will leave you with a swordfighting quote from Pirates of the Carribbean:

"Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again.

-You didn't beat me. You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you.

That's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?"