Motivation

[RITFencing]

In a few threads now the subject of self-motivation has popped up. It's gotten me very curious:

What motivates you? What do you use to get you through the really hard days, convince you to go to practice or compete when you'd like nothing better than to sleep in, that sort of thing? How do you help motivate others? How have others helped motivate you?

[OROD]

I think about how good it feels to win, to be in the finals of a competition and having everyone watching. The rest of it is fun enough, but this is what drives me to keep going even when I'd rather not.

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[Inquartata]

Sorry, I can't help on this one. Flagging interest is not a problem from which I suffer. What motivates me to go fence is---that I get to fence!

[sabreur]

Sorry, I can't help on this one. Flagging interest is not a problem from which I suffer. What motivates me to go fence is---that I get to fence!

I agree with Quart--but I think this is to some degree the veteran's perspective. In both of my clubs, most of the kids (those under 20) flag a bit. Fencing for them is a lot like work. Those of us who really work for a living tend to think fencing is much more a true joy.

And I motivate myself for gym sessions (weights, aerobics machines, calesthenics and solo footwork) by thinking how they help me to fence better.

Plus, I actually enjoy training, once I get started. Comes from years of having been a swimmer.

I also think that having some experience (cough, cough) under your belt helps you deal with the inevitable ups and downs, and to keep going through the downs--you know eventually you'll feel better, or raise your game to the next level, or whatever.

[Joan of Ark]

Motivate? You make it sound like a chore. I fence and practice because there is absolutely nothing else I would rather be doing.

[lindajdunn]

What motivates me is the desire to fence well, to master a new skill, etc. One of the joys/challenges of fencing is that it will never be possible for me to reach a level at which I feel I have learned it all.

[little_old_me]

1. I really enjoy it. It's fun and I like having fun.

2. I have a goal to achieve. I want to be one of the Mens Epeeists to represent my school/club at USACFCs this year. The only way to get there is to train and practice and prove that I can handle it.

[CheekyCanuck]

Motivation is not required to fence. I love the sport too much.
Practice is sometimes tedious, but if I don't feel like practicing, I don't.
Sometimes absence can sharpen your focus betten than practicing when tired.

[Inquartata]

Practice is sometimes tedious.

See? All those drills and exercises. That's why I don't do 'em. I just fence. ( And occasionally take a lesson. ) All the fun, none of the drudgery.

[Peach]

1. I teach sixth grade prep school boys, and there's nothing I like to do after work as much as hit people.
2. I've always liked hitting people.
3. A challenge motivates me, especially if it's one that is just at the limits of my capacity. Fencing never gets easy.
4. Aimless shopping is a waste of money, and makes me feel guilty. Fencing shopping is way more satisfying, such as when I am looking for the perfect plastron, and paying fencing club membership fees seems much more reasonable than paying for a health club and not going.
5. Winning is really cool. Medals are shiny. Beating a future international medalist is neat when you're old, because you can casually mention it in later years (or not mention it, and enjoy the secret).
6. Losing and getting over it adds sauce to life, because this is a hobby, not a job. Staying up all night cursing myself because I didn't parry that flank cut or didn't wake up until half way through the bout makes insomnia seem purposeful.
7. It's wonderful to be an athlete at my age. They even have a World Championships for us. I get to wear athletic gear and not feel like a doofus.
8. Fencing motivates me to do a whole bunch of other things, such as leave work on time in order to get to fencing, or lose weight, or work out.
9. I really like the people I've gotten to know in fencing. Many of them are friendly, helpful, and interested in talking about what they do.
10. It's fun to learn things.

"The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow "is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then—to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn—pure science, the only purity there is. You can learn astronomy in a lifetime, natural history in three, literature in six. And then, after you have exhausted a million lifetimes in biology and medicine and theocriticism and geography and history and economics—why, then you can start to make a cartwheel out of the appropriate wood, or spend fifty years learning to begin to learn to beat your adversary at fencing. After that you can start on mathematics, until it is time to learn to plough.” White, T.H. The Once and Future King (emphasis added)

[CheekyCanuck]

See? All those drills and exercises. That's why I don't do 'em. I just fence. ( And occasionally take a lesson. ) All the fun, none of the drudgery.

I do love to fence, but sometimes I need to slow it down and the practice seems to be the only way I improve.
I don't get to fence the better fencers at my club much, so fencing the poorer fencers isn't the best place to try new things. Their responses will not be the same.

[Inquartata]

Sigh...the luxury of a club with enough fencers to permit of such informal segregation! In mine one fences all, good and not so good, novice and veteran, perforce...or one gets precious little fencing at all.

[CheekyCanuck]

Sigh...the luxury of a club with enough fencers to permit of such informal segregation! In mine one fences all, good and not so good, novice and veteran, perforce...or one gets precious little fencing at all.

It's not that there is such a separation, it's that they fence to ten points with no time limit and only one box and no one seems to like to fence dry. In my previous club, they fenced to five points with a limit of three minutes with no pause on the time. Then you get to fence everyone.

[Inquartata]

Not such a problem in sabre.

[little_old_me]

1. I teach sixth grade prep school boys, and there's nothing I like to do after work as much as hit people.

Hey, I was a sixth grade prep school boy once. We're not all little demons.

[sleepyweasle]

As in, "If you don't clean your room, finish your English paper, scoop the cat, etc. YOU CAN'T GO TO FENCING CLASS!"

Works like a charm!!!

[Peach]

Hey, I was a sixth grade prep school boy once. We're not all little demons.

No. They're really sweet, and I like them a lot, and they do what I tell them to do. It could be worse--they could be lawyers. I used to work for lawyers. I guess I would have had to learn boxing if I were still doing that.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

The best form of motivation, as we learned in sports psychology, is internal. Mr. Epee, or a coach, or my mom, or my friends telling me that I should want to fence, want to work hard, will not ever be as effective as me genuinely wanting to fence.

Which is the point. I fence because I love the feeling of fencing. Especially when I'm doing things right.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

The fact that Chuck Norris is watching.

Seriously, I used to search everywhere for external motivation, but eventually, the internal motivation developed. The more I train, the more I want to train. That doesn't go over very well with the knees though.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

1. I teach sixth grade prep school boys, and there's nothing I like to do after work as much as hit people.
2. I've always liked hitting people.
3. A challenge motivates me, especially if it's one that is just at the limits of my capacity. Fencing never gets easy.
4. Aimless shopping is a waste of money, and makes me feel guilty. Fencing shopping is way more satisfying, such as when I am looking for the perfect plastron, and paying fencing club membership fees seems much more reasonable than paying for a health club and not going.
5. Winning is really cool. Medals are shiny. Beating a future international medalist is neat when you're old, because you can casually mention it in later years (or not mention it, and enjoy the secret).
6. Losing and getting over it adds sauce to life, because this is a hobby, not a job. Staying up all night cursing myself because I didn't parry that flank cut or didn't wake up until half way through the bout makes insomnia seem purposeful.
7. It's wonderful to be an athlete at my age. They even have a World Championships for us. I get to wear athletic gear and not feel like a doofus.
8. Fencing motivates me to do a whole bunch of other things, such as leave work on time in order to get to fencing, or lose weight, or work out.
9. I really like the people I've gotten to know in fencing. Many of them are friendly, helpful, and interested in talking about what they do.
10. It's fun to learn things.

Delia, I think you missed one. Add it if you like.

11. Because I'm really frickin good at fencing.