Mindset is how you react mentally to the challenges, problems, and situations. It governs how you apply yourself to training exercises and how you overcome your opponents on the strip.A good mindset is a realistic one. You need to know your abilities, strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of your opponent. The admonishment of the poet "Know Thyself" is never more important than when fencing, because, in my experience it is better to understand ones own weakness and limitations than those of an adversary. Humility is very important, by humility we can see ourselves as we really are, not as we imagine ourselves to be. Every time I fence, even against the most inexperienced of students, I tell myself that they can and will defeat me. Then I resolve to do my very best in spite of certain failure. This is very liberating. Victory usually follows because I can forget about previous victories and concentrate on getting the touches, one at a time to win. This mindset is one that I highly recommend. Many people concentrate on their opponent, thinking that the opponent stands between them and victory. This is only true when one is way over matched. For 90% of the matches you will fight, YOU not THEM are the real obstacle to victory. Experienced fencers I have known do similarly, they always master themselves first.

How important is the state of ones mind? Important enough that when I forget, I fail - Consistently. When I remember, I win. Usually. Nothing can guarantee victory. For the normal person, overcoming something is almost always a mental exercise. You must have both a realistic view of yourself and a drive to survive, or a drive to win...either one works. People who posses these will survive things that would kill anyone who did not. Disasters, accidents and wars have demonstrated again and again that those who understand themselves and have a drive to win almost always defeat the more powerful forces of the enemy or nature. A will to win, but an unrealistic view of one's self will cause their possessor to bite off far more than they can chew, resulting in their untimely demise. On the flip side, no drive to survive will result in losses in sports or death in times of adversity from trivial occurrences. There was a Sci Fi show a while back called "Andromeda" and in one episode the Captain and the Weapons Officer are stuck on a planet, being hunted by the bad guys. The weapons officer said "We are cornered" or something and the Captain tells him "'Una Salus Victus,' it was the Special Forces motto. It means 'The one hope of the doomed'" and then they make a really crazy escape. But the point is "The one hope of the doomed is to take no thought of life" as the full saying runs. Unless you become willing to lose, you can not win. That's a profound thought, and it sums up what I'm saying nicely. When you pick up your sword to fence, repeat those lines. That will put things in perspective.

It is said, true knowledge is achieved when we know that we know nothing. Likewise true humility is achieved when we realize we are worthless, weak and proud. The moment we think we are being humble is the moment we must re-evaluate our attitude, or, as the Bible says, "Great was the fall thereof."

Erik Schlagel, December 8, 2009
  

Back to top