My own experience learning fencing may illustrate some solutions. Fencing is not an “instinctive” sport. None of the motions feel natural, and if you try to rely on instinct, you almost invariably lose. You literally have to outthink your opponent. Obviously, this isn’t something you have a whole lot of time to do (most fights last significantly under 30 seconds), so you do have to develop that “ability to react” that you’re talking about. Typically, beginning fencers will get so caught up in their own thoughts as they make a plan that they can’t react to anything the other fencer does that is unexpected. They way this is typically overcome (at least with the groups I’ve worked with) is by developing the student’s own aptitude, and simultaneously forcing them to adapt their thoughts to fit whatever is changing in the fight. In general, I think those two things are the best things to develop in order to get better at reacting.
Make sure you know what you are doing. Freaking out about it, or feeling like you are unsure of what to do slows you down and makes you hesitate. This doesn’t sound like your problem, since you’re apparently a competent nurse-in-training.
Learning, by experience, that in these situations the world changes frequently and rapidly, and when it does, you shouldn’t try to hold onto your old plan or what it was that you were trying to do, but instead you should decide what to do now and do it. Experience is extremely important for this.
Fascinating. Fencing is something I have zero experience with (although I once read a book, The Speed of Dark, that you might find interesting.) Your second suggestion is very relevant to me; once I get past the beginner step of really having no idea what I’m doing, I like to turn my knowledge and experience into a plan, but I don’t think fast enough on the spot to make a second plan if the first one doesn’t work. I guess one thing that comes with experience is the ability to plan in real time.
Also, it makes me very happy to be described as a “competent nurse-in-training”!
By the way, who wrote The Speed of Dark? I didn’t find anything in a quick google search that seemed to be about swordfighting specifically, although it is possible that some of the characters could be fencers. the reviews didn’t state anything explicit.
It’s by Elizabeth Moon. It’s not expressly about swordfighting, but the main character is autistic and does fencing as a hobby. I was interested by the descriptions of how he struggles at first to learn the technique, but ends up being quite good because he is better than most people at thinking through and planning his actions.
My own experience learning fencing may illustrate some solutions. Fencing is not an “instinctive” sport. None of the motions feel natural, and if you try to rely on instinct, you almost invariably lose. You literally have to outthink your opponent. Obviously, this isn’t something you have a whole lot of time to do (most fights last significantly under 30 seconds), so you do have to develop that “ability to react” that you’re talking about. Typically, beginning fencers will get so caught up in their own thoughts as they make a plan that they can’t react to anything the other fencer does that is unexpected. They way this is typically overcome (at least with the groups I’ve worked with) is by developing the student’s own aptitude, and simultaneously forcing them to adapt their thoughts to fit whatever is changing in the fight. In general, I think those two things are the best things to develop in order to get better at reacting.
Make sure you know what you are doing. Freaking out about it, or feeling like you are unsure of what to do slows you down and makes you hesitate. This doesn’t sound like your problem, since you’re apparently a competent nurse-in-training.
Learning, by experience, that in these situations the world changes frequently and rapidly, and when it does, you shouldn’t try to hold onto your old plan or what it was that you were trying to do, but instead you should decide what to do now and do it. Experience is extremely important for this.
Fascinating. Fencing is something I have zero experience with (although I once read a book, The Speed of Dark, that you might find interesting.) Your second suggestion is very relevant to me; once I get past the beginner step of really having no idea what I’m doing, I like to turn my knowledge and experience into a plan, but I don’t think fast enough on the spot to make a second plan if the first one doesn’t work. I guess one thing that comes with experience is the ability to plan in real time.
Also, it makes me very happy to be described as a “competent nurse-in-training”!
Glad to hear it.
By the way, who wrote The Speed of Dark? I didn’t find anything in a quick google search that seemed to be about swordfighting specifically, although it is possible that some of the characters could be fencers. the reviews didn’t state anything explicit.
It’s by Elizabeth Moon. It’s not expressly about swordfighting, but the main character is autistic and does fencing as a hobby. I was interested by the descriptions of how he struggles at first to learn the technique, but ends up being quite good because he is better than most people at thinking through and planning his actions.
Sounds interesting. I’ll check it out.