There are moments in fencing that stand out from the rest. They may be moments of inspiration, realization, humiliation, or epic awesomeness. No matter what those moments end up being, they should lead us to reflection and discussion because we might just learn something important.
I had a moment like that this past week. But first, let me set the scene that lead there.
This past week, Martin was leading the group through scenarios to help us learn more about melee strategy and being a commander in those melees. As part of that training, we were challenged to a classic Storm the Castle scenario. One team was to defend the castle, while the other had a limited time to cross the bridges and claim the point at the top.
It was a tough setup.
Being on the attacking side, we knew this fight would be an uphill battle. Literally. Never-the-less, Sylas formulated a plan that got us across the bridge and on our way to the castle proper, but this was where the moment struck.
As I was heading up the stairs, I saw our force rushing the castle and the other team quickly rushing to their Rez point before returning to the fray.
It was going to be a bloodbath. An epic bloodbath, but still a bloodbath.
I wasn’t sure what to do, but I knew I didn’t want to dive in and get myself killed. I needed time to think. So instead of turning into the fray, I stepped aside and tried to reassess the fight.
In just a moment, I could see that there was an opening quickly forming that lead me straight to the objective.
A Thought Can Win the Fight
Whether it’s a duel or a melee, a single thought can win the fight.
In my case, a thought to step aside instead of leaping in to fight lead to victory. I have seen this happen in other cases, like when Draco walked through an entire army, treasure in hand. Or in a duel when someone realizes a strike is coming a split second before it does.
Fencing is a mental sport, just as much as it’s a physical one. We may fight on instinct a lot of the times, but we should always be striving to incorporate our mentality into our fights.
Sometimes, it is a good thing to think before you leap!
