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 told him that was all right, but if he did it again I was going to bell-guard him. Besides the foilists, I fenced Tom, Mike, Kiersten, and Ahren. Mike asked me what I wanted to fence and I said a ten-touch bout. "Like it mattered," he agreed, and proceeded to give me a pretty decent and interesting bout.

I said to Ahren that I am being very selfish right now--bouting who I want to, picking and choosing--and it's nice that people are willing to go along with that. "We get to be part of the glory," he said, chuckling, and I immediately started to feel gloomy because I have now reached the stage of training where I am quite sure I'm not going to do well. Oh, well, at least I'm predictable.

The lesson was interesting--after parry drills to loosen the arm we did soft step, as usual. If the coach retreats, soft step again, and if he stands still, finish with patinando-lunge. He started to vary it with a circular take and then with a double circular take, and I deceived the take successfully if I stayed upright and kept the footwork soft, or I could step back and parry. He said that if someone is making the circular action or other hindering actions, he noticed that if they were leaning forward they were intending to attack in preparation or do prise-de-fer attack, whereas if they were keeping the distance a little longer and staying more upright they were usually intending stop-hit or making the opponent miss. The most experienced fencers don't necessarily do that, of course.

We finished with parry work with movement.

About half way through the lesson I stopped and said I have got to stop getting annoyed with myself during lessons. I know what I'm doing wrong and I want to do well, so I lose my temper with myself, but it's a waste of time and energy. Ahren asked me what I wanted him to do about it, and I said nothing. I just had to stop getting annoyed with myself. He said, "Besides, it's the coach's job to tell you what you're doing wrong." It was a much better lesson after I stopped scowling, smacking the strip and shaking my fist at the ceiling