Quotes

Here’s a collection of quotes that have inspired me and helped me to become a better fencer, teacher and person.  Most are fencing related, with a few quotes that “just HAD” to be included.  Hope you enjoy!  Let me know if you have a favorite one by commenting at the bottom. 

“What’s the point in winning if you don’t learn anything?”

(Jennifer Pruna Joyce)

“No effort is too big for a man who loves his art.”  (Ambroise Paré)

“You do not establish mastery of anything from chaos.” (Nick Evangelista)

“I don’t defeat my opponents they defeat themselves.”  (Helio Gracie)

“Normal is not something to aspire to, it’s something to get away from.” (Jodie Foster)

“The only people who get old are those who have the time and desire to do so.”  (Zbigniew Czajkowski)

“When all think alike, no one thinks very much.”  (Walter Lippmann)

“In fencing, weight & strength mean nothing…The fencer need only know when, how and where he must thrust his blade.” (Aldo Nadi)

“The quality of our lives is the quality of where we live emotionally.”  (Tony Robbins)

“Nothing shocks me, I’m a scientist.”  (Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones)

“Fencing is a game of subtlety, and bluff can be met with counter-bluff.”  (Charles de Beaumont)

“Adventure… ha! Excitement..ha! A Jedi craves not these things.” (Master Yoda)

Fencing Student: “You never taught me that!”  Maestro: “You can’t teach surprise.”  (Alexander Villard. film, ‘By The Sword’)

“When you don’t know what path to take, any direction will take you there.” (Yiddish Proverb)

“An athlete should look forward to practice with anticipation, and should not merely consider it a period of drudgery that is a necessary prerequisite for him to perform well in competition.”  (James Counsilman)

“Always remember others may hate you but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself.” (Richard Nixon)

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” (Herm Albright)

“Je prend mon bien ou je le trouve.” (I take my value where I find it) -(Moliere)

“It is all about finding that still point in your mind where commitment drops away.” (Joseph Campbell) 

“Instead of telling somebody…give them an experience and it’s true for them!” (Tony Robbins, from t.v. series ‘Breakthrough’)

“You don’t make limitations. You make modifications.” (author unknown)

“When you are a master at something… it’s not about thinking anymore… it’s about feeling.” (Jason Rogers)

“Swordplay is like conversation. You have to learn to listen to your opponent. ” (Max Suba, film ‘By The Sword’)

“Make yourself aware of your own weaknesses, as well as those of your opponents. The good ones try to cover theirs up. The great ones use theirs.”  (Max Suba, film ‘By The Sword’)

“Never interrupt an enemy when he’s making a mistake.” (Napolean Bonapart)

“We are told that talent creates opportunity, yet it is desire that creates talent.” (Bruce Lee)

“It’s not the most powerful animal that survives. It’s the most efficient.” (Charles Darwin)

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.  (Anna Quindlen)

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” (Aristotle)

“Too much of a good thing is wonderful.” (Mae West)

“Everything you can imagine is real.” (Pablo Picasso)

“My time on Earth is limited, therefore I judge my success by how many lives I can positively affect.” (Rener Gracie)

“There must be a reason for even the slightest motion of your point.”  (Aldo Nadi)

“If you’re trying to take a person by surprise, it’s a lot easier to hit your targets if you don’t yell going through the door.”  (Author Unknown)

(On holding the Foil) “Think of it as a key to unlock your opponent’s defense rather than a hatchet to hew him down.  The first rule in fencing is to remain relaxed at all times except in definite action.”  (Aldo Nadi)

“Existence is relationships.” (Alan Watts)

“The mental threat is far more effective than any threat made with the point.  Should any reader smile at this contention I feel extremely sorry for him, for it proves that he does not even begin to grasp the concept of fencing.”  (Aldo Nadi)

“I know who I am. No one else knows who I am. If I was a giraffe, & someone said I was a snake, I’d think, no, actually I’m a giraffe.”  (Author Unknown)

“It is a great ability to be able to conceal one’s ability.” (Francois de La Rochefoucauld)

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” (Anais Nin)

“Strong people are formed by opposition, like kites that rise against the wind.” (Nelson Mandela)

“Without change, something sleeps inside us and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.” (Frank Herbert, Dune)

Have a favorite quote from above? Or something that has touched, motivated or helped to shape your Life?  Let us know!