I threw my lower back out this morning somehow. It didn't seem serious so I set out for a leisurely bike ride, and pulled over to write a sonnet near a fountain. When I got up again I had a flat tire on the bike and had to walk it a mile home. Over the course of the day my back didn't exactly worsen so much as it didn't get better. I think this is the thing that happened to me when I was pregnant, which I now realize was 26 years ago. Frustrating. However, I'm pretty sure the ...
My standards are so low. Today, I did a parry two, which was the wrong response to the attack, and I did not get the riposte while the attacker scored the point and I was deliriously happy. Why? because I actually managed to hit the blade. Yes, I made the wrong response to the attacker's action but I HIT THE BLADE! I've been trying for over a month to do a successful parry 2 and every time I've tried, I've missed the blade. This time, my aim was correct. ...
A few years ago, someone asked for advice on starting a career as a fencing coach (the poster was a young fencer). I made a reply, and forgot about it. Someone just reminded me of it and I wanted to put it here, so I don't forget it: Very few coaches in the United States make their sole living as fencing coaches. Most of us have jobs or significant others that support what we do. However, with a little planning, some perseverance, and some luck, it's possible to turn fencing ...
Picture a scrambled egg in a frying pan. What is it about getting a lesson that makes my IQ drop at least 40 points? On the plus side, I note that I am making progress on one of my major fencing goals: patience. With the newer fencers, I can set up second intention attacks and I'm managing to be patient, retreat, and to parry and riposte. I cannot yet do this with our teenage fencers, but the number one item on my list of problems to correct for this season was my ...
We had 16 people fencing sabre tonight! When I got there, three of the foil kids were suited up and fencing with Kiersten & Ben, and then Chris, Mark, and Nick also suited up later on. Besides the foilists, we had Tom, Bob, Ahren, Mike, Jessi1, Dick, somebody else, and me. I fenced two of the foil kids, including James. James was holding the sabre like a bat and cut me on the wrist, the inside arm, and twice on my leg. I lifted my mask and told him what he was doing; he apologized and I ...
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