A Long And Busy Day – The Climb #256

Wednesday 4^th October 2017

Today was a ridiculously busy day that left me completely exhausted.
I was up early this morning to go to the gym. Given I was still knackered after yesterday’s busy day, I was feeling tired before I even got there. I did some work to get my glutes activating and left there a hot sweaty mess… which I guess was the aim, except that I had swordfighting training this evening.
Because I only have 1 lesson left in my block (the venue isn’t available next week which I’m not too sad about given that I’m flying to Romania the next day) I’d decided to nick one of Pim’s lessons and do a coaching session. This involves everyone pairing up, fencing for 3 minutes, giving each other feedback, and then fencing again trying to correct any mistakes.
A lot of my students are fighting in their first competition next month at Bucklerthon. Therefore I felt that giving them feedback would give them 6 weeks to work out any problems.
What I hadn’t counted on was them being so good. I got well and truly walloped as we fought. I’d already decided not to go ‘nice’ on them. As an instructor we tend to regulate our ability based on the student so that we provide enough of a challenge without being overbearing. But in a competition they are going to come up against great fencers and as a result it made sense to really try and beat them.
But they were good. They were really good. They were making good use of their buckler. They were delivering nice cuts. And I ended the evening feeling well and truly battered.
I’m really proud of them. I often joke that the reason they are good is because of my excellent coaching, but in reality, we have a really fun group who have levelled each other up.
I’m pretty much at the end of my instructing for the year. I originally took it up for entirely selfish reasons. I’d noticed that everyone who taught saw massive improvement… and well… that was an accurate assessment given how well I’ve performed over the summer. With Swordfish looming (as well as the Wessex League) I need to put that time into my own fencing and trying to improve before competition.
I want to teach rapier next year as I think it’ll be something I’m good at. After all, I actually have a decent ranking in rapier & dagger, and my performance in single rapier this year was pretty decent. Sword & buckler, however, is my weakest weapon and I have no shame in saying I now think my students match me in skill.
That may indeed be put to the test as I have been invited to fight in the steel invitational at Bucklerthon. In many ways tonight was about training me as it was my students.
It’s great that I am now fighting in so many tournaments. With my performance increasing over the summer, and getting quarter final places all year I feel the pressure I’m now putting on myself to perform.
Wessex League Reading is little over a month away and I want to place decently. If I only get a quarter final I am now going to feel disappointed. This is depsite a load of brilliant fencers entering. Am I going to go into competition putting extra stress on myself?
I need to remind myself that I’ve accomplished my goals for the year and whilst any improvement would be great, I’m going to have setbacks and can’t expect to improve indefinitely.
I had a long think about this on the way home. It’s been an incredibly long and exhausting day. If I continue to train hard I should expect to do well, but I can’t expect every fight or tournament to go my way. In that respect I have to take the time to appreciate the progress I’ve made this year, celebrate that I accomplished my goals, and see anything else that happens as either a learning experience or the cherry on top of the icing.
If you want to follow more of my journey, then be sure to check me on my social channels. Likewise, if you’d like me to expand on any point mentioned above, please say so in the comments.