The great fencing maestro Lajos Csiszar once wrote:
"Nobody is hopless."
...
Some of us thought that he meant HOPELESS (a favorite saying of his), but some people took it literally.
BTW, one of his best students was Walt Dragonetti, #1 in Vet-40 epee and who made the finals of the DIV 1 NAC in Sacramento (and he is closing in on 50 YO!).
Rick
"Some people are born great fencers, some people achieve fencing greatness, and some people have it thrust upon them."