Halcyon Repose

I finally made it back from today’s tournament. I was placed 16th going into the tournament out of 52. We had lots and lots of new people, which is always good to see. I won all of the bouts my pools (beating a B and a D fencer) and was placed 3rd going into the DEs. But in the round of 16 I drew up this squirelly little punk who had a serious case of the disappearing target area. Actually I can’t complain too much. He played me beautifully. My frist attack he would suck in his stomach so that I would hit him (but not hard enough) and he would get me on the counter attack, and then the next attack when I go deep, he would step in and even though I could catch him on the flank, he would suck and twist preventing me from sinking the hit yet again. So many grazes and yet he cleaned my clock. I find it strange that even though I started out as a purely defensive fencer (parry and riposte) I seem to have gotten to the point that when I start getting flustered I am an all out attacker.. and of course that fell right into his game.

I salute him and I walk away realizing that I still did incredibly well in all my other bouts, I just have to keep fencing and learning and at some point my time will come.