CBO 2010

[anotheranon]

Big 2 day local fencing competition this weekend. It's an annual event and a memorable one, so it's good to compare to my experience last year:

• More endurance, physically and mentally. I am tired and a bit sore, but don't feel like I just got scraped off someone's shoe.
  
  
• My big game changer is being better able to focus on the target and let my body work. Given my control-freakiness and distrust of intuition, this is something of an achievement.
  
  
• It's what I do know that will hurt me - I do far better against opponents I've never seen before than I do against familiar faces as I don't know their abilities and can't psych myself out.
  
  
• Most of my attacks are still weak. My defense against disengage attacks is abysmal. V. is right, I "like my parry" so well that my point control falls apart with the riposte.
  
  
• Pro: managed to stay physically loose and not let my tension gather in my shoulders. Con: tension settled in my throat leaving me distractingly verklempt.
  
  
• I am well and truly sick of pollen. Even with medication I feel sluggish and like I'm blinking/inhaling sand.