Fencing and the Learning Process

Greetings,

As you can tell by the subject this blog will address the idea of fencing and the learning process. More to the point it will have a look at the attitude of the fencer toward fighting different opponents and how this can affect the learning process.

In fencing when you are bouting there will always be a choice between the easy win or the hard fight. This is a question of who you go out to seek to fight. Do you seek simply to win, or do you seek a challenge and the opportunity to learn from the encounter? If you are simply looking for the win there it is more likely that you will seek opponents that you can easily beat whereas if you are seeking a challenge and an opportunity to learn this will inevitably lead to finding the harder opponent. While the instant win gives you some sort of ego gratification it is a much shorter path and actually leads not too far. If you go out and seek the harder opponents not only is a win against them more gratifying a loss can also lead you to learn something from the encounter, this will enable you to learn more and improve yourself, a much longer term goal. It is important that we all seek the harder opponent and be grateful for their presence as it gives a much wider opportunity for us to learn than fighting those that we can easily beat, which leads us on to something else.

Everyone knows that they have a set of techniques which are reliable for them, which in some cases will guarantee victory over the opponent. So, should we use these same techniques and be satisfied with the victory, or should we look to learn new things and put them to the test against an opponent? As with fighting opponents who are easier, the win is instant gratification whereas the other will extend our fencing experience. Even where the technique does not work something is learnt. Was it the way the action was performed? Was it the timing or the distance at which the action was performed that needs to be corrected? These are things we can learn from extending ourselves and trying new things, this is vital to the learning process. Even where the loss is to an easier opponent something can be learnt when using a new technique, so the expansion of ones repetoire is a good thing and will help us down the path.

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The rest of this article can be found in Un-Blogged: A Fencer's Ramblings by Henry Walker, which is available in paperback from:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blogged-Ramblings-Henry-Leigh-Walker/dp/098764470X
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/un-blogged-henry-leigh-walker/book/9780987644701.html
Among other places...

It is also available in electronic format (pdf) from: https://buy.stripe.com/fZecP419c7CB9VKeUV

... or direct from the author.