“I would say that there is a minimum level of fitness without which you can do nothing at all. And since your sword and gear are rather heavy, and you need both to stay low on your knees for a long time AND to be quick when you decide to attack (i.e, you need both stamina and explosive strength), this minimum is already rather high. Of course, it is common to see a fencer beat someone stronger thanks to superior technique and tactics. But that doesn’t mean that fitness is useless. Better fitness doesn’t only mean more strength, it can also mean more speed depending on how you train. And all top-level fencers are, in fact, rather fit. To sum it up I’d say that the importance of fitness tends to be underestimated. But what is essential is to train the right way: fencing requires a certain type of muscle. And it is obvious that just fitness in itself is not enough.”
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