> Preferably, you wanted to win with strategies that were technically sophisticated and elegant and difficult to do. You see this a lot in competitive fencing

> Preferably, you wanted to win with strategies that were technically sophisticated and elegant and difficult to do. You see this a lot in competitive fencing once people start getting ratings, but aren't really yet top end. They do technically difficult stuff, and it works at that level. Then when you get past that, it goes back to being nearly 100% just footwork. The fancy bladework mostly disappears (except for the occasional kerfuffle in a point once in awhile). No elaborate parries. Disengages almost entirely disappear too. Just footwork.