Quotes Archive

Most of our quotes, unless otherwise attributed,
are from BFC fencing master Bin Lu.

""Fencing is basically timing, distance, coordination -- and practice."

"Focus your footwork and keep your footwork small, especially on the feint."

"(In foil): If you can reach the target with your hand, but not with your body, you should not attack. The hand and feet need to be coordinated."

"It is okay to lose a bout. But you should not lose by too much."
-- Bin, to a BFC epeeist who will not be named, at the 2005 Cherry Blossom Open.

"You cannot always just lean forward. Sometimes,
you must move to keep your balance."

"We all have excuses, when we lose.
But sometimes, you just have to win."

"Your actions are not small. Your actions must be very small.
If they are not, you cannot fence."

"Improve your balance, coordination, footwork and handwork,
and I'll be happy."

"You cannot force the disengage.
You need to let your opponent set the tempo, and
then accommodate to it. This is the only way."

"When you disengage, you must focus, focus, focus. You cannot just go."

"Your opponent won't tell you (what he is going to do)."

"Sometimes, we do the handwork too much, and the footwork too little.
We need to coordinate to make them even."

"Let your distance be your protection, not just your parry."

"Simple words:

Do not force yourself.

Whenever you push your opponent, you need to retreat.

You have 14 meters. Why are you just standing there?"

"Don't guess!"

"You cannot practice too much footwork."

"On the attack: Start slow; finish fast."

"You can take a chance, or you can make a chance.
If you can make the chances, you will be a great fencer."

"Practice should not be too comfortable.
If you are comfortable when you practice,
you will not be comfortable when you compete."

"Sometimes, against a good fencer,
you think what you are doing is too
simple. But sometimes it _should_ be simple."

"It's easy, if you do it right."

"I didn't come too late. You lost too early."

(Bin, upon hearing a BFC foilist complain to a teammate,
"I would have fenced better,
had my coach not gotten here so late.")

This one is not from Bin, but a U.S. Army officer,
on the subject of training for combat. It applies
equally well to fencing:

"Hope and enthusiasm are not a method."

"You don't go backwards, ever."

(Albie Axelrod, 1960 bronze medalist, men's foil;
five-time member of the U.S. Olympic team)

"If someone comes at you with a sword, run if you can. Kung Fu doesn't
always work." -- Bruce Lee

"The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement;
you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory or defeat.
Let nature take its course, and your tools will strike at the right moment." - Bruce Lee

This one is from BFC coach B.C. Milligan:

"You don't have to be better. You just have to win."