The Void

I've been reading the Book of Five Rings again, and I've been trying to work out what Musashi means by the Void. He says that using it, we can determine our enemies spirit, and use it to influence our own. He doesn't directly describe it, saying that it is nothingness and vice-versa. So, I've been puzzling over it, and I think that I've come across a plausible answer.

The void is nothingness. Nothingness is all around us. Take away the landscape and the air, and there is nothing at all. But the fact is that there can NEVER be nothingness, because there is always something there. Even if you drain the air out of a space, we proclaim that there is a vacuum there, still far from nothingness. But perhaps nothingness doesn't have to be the absence of physical things. It can maybe represent the potential of existence, because there is always the potential for something to exist in a space occupied by nothing. Therefore, we are surrounded by this potential; a potential that enables us to see what could occupy a space, and when it will do so. To use the void is to see past nothingness into potential. If this were to happen, you would be able to see the enemies attack before it happened, because the potential would be there before the physical action of the attack was. So, the true void, I believe, is a realisation that there is a potential to do anything, at any time, and that to become a true follower of the way, a warrior has to interpret and react accordingly and instinctively to the changing of the void.

Sportsmanship and Fencers

I think that fencing is one of those sports where sportsmanship is of vital importance. It is essential in my opinion to show respect to everyone; your opponent, the referee and even spectators. Yesterday, I met an opponent at the Suffolk Open who ignored all of these values. I was fencing him in the final, and he did not behave in the best of ways. He argued with the referee or what was basically every alternate point, even when it was as simple as a parry riposte against him, he swore that there had to be a mistake. He claimed that I had hit him in the eye, and that it effected his fencing. I should clear this up now: The hit beforehand had hit him on the shoulder. I know this because I placed the point there deliberately, and the hit registered on target. Even if it did flick upwards to the mask, it would never have landed squarely in the eye, since the point was almost level with the back of his head during my recovery. Add all of that on to the fact that he was WEARING A MASK and you can see why I was disbelieving of that (particularly when a few months ago, the same guy claimed I fleched into him, injuring his shoulder and ruining his fencing arm). He also had the nerve to shout at a woman in the audience, claiming that she had said something that had distracted him, which had meant that his attack had been parry riposted. This claim caused most of the spectators, including the referee and my opponents coach amusingly, to tell him to shut up and keep fencing.

This is probably the only thing about fencing that annoys me. You can meet some really nice people when you fence, and they see fencing as a laugh and a fun hobby. Then you see die-hard fencers who believe that mercy is for the weak and to win by any means necessary is fair play. I like to think that I am someone who enjoys fencing as a hobby, and I am friendly when club-fencing, but I also try to be friendly at competitions, and talk to the nervous ones. Yesterday for example, people were introducing themselves to me, and I made some new friends. My final opponent, however, talked to his coach, and told anybody who would listen (which wasn't that many people to be honest) his game plan, and how he would make it to the final. Some people are just annoying, and see fencing as a serious sport. It can be at times, but you have to realise that it isn't restricted to that. It can be a lot of fun as well, and that's what I enjoy about it. It's a hobby as well as a sport. So, it is sort of ironic that the thing about fencing that annoys me is the fencers themselves. Not all of them, I hastily add. Most fencers are kind and respectful of other people. There are only a select few who are not like this.

While I am writing, I would like to thank Joseph Igali for supporting me, and also congratulate him for doing extremely well consistently throughout the day. Good on you!