Elemental School of Fencing January 12th, 2011 Newsletter

OKay, this time, I'm getting a little philosophical!

In the martial arts, world over, you'll find practicioners who will use words like "Mind, Body, Spirit" (Soul, if you prefer), as if they are inseparable from each other. They will say things like "Bring balance to all three."

I was thinking about this, when I was asked yet again, what the difference between Atheletic Fencing and Martial Fencing is. But this time it gave me pause. I went to the root of the matter. I answered "Competition."

Then I had to explain.

The main point of any atheletic event is competition. Whether an athelete is competing with an opponent, his own personal best, or a high score someone set in the past, they are still competing. Another way of stating it, is its all about the win.

In the Martial Arts, the concept of winning is tied more closely to survival than it is competition. We are not interested in conflict just to prove who is 'better.' In fact, we are not interested in conflict at all. If possible, we'll avoid it. But when it cannot be avoided, then it is about survival. Hopefully our own.

There is no way to introduce the concept of competition into a martial contest. The concept will only interfere in their ability to focus on the resolution of the concept.

So back to Mind, Body, and Spirit. The atheletic fencer must be of a sound mind and a quick mind, for the tempo of the atheletic contest is quick. They must know the rules, and the guidance, as well as the basic forms used in the sport. Their body is finely honed to leap, lunge, thrust, twist, and move in ways comparable to that of a modern ballet dancer. And their spirit must not be confuse by anything else other than winning.

Not so for the Martial Fencer. There are no rules in a martial contest, the Mind is occupied solely on the task of knowing and retaining the knowledge of practice, and the philosophical concepts associated with a martial way. The Mind helps the martial artist enter, and exit a conflict and survive. The Body must be completely tuned, holistically, and able to execute 360* movement. There are over 64 functional parries, with 1,000's of permutations. The body must be able to accomplish them all.

But finally and probably the most important, the Spirit must guide the fencer to total balance between Mind and Body. If the conflict raises its head, the spirit must allow the fencer to survive it, and if there's a doubt, the spirit must vanqush it. What is at stake is not 'winning', but life itself.

As my friend Master Gallo said "The Sports are born from their Martial Arts, not the other way around."