2008-08-20
I found this...
...this morning as I was researching Placement Test Writing Prompts (don't ask). It reminded me of many NSTIW stories from around far too many tables with the fighters and fencers I know:
"The best swordsman in the world doesn’t need to fear the second best swordsman in the world; no the person for him to be afraid of is some ignorant antagonist who has never had a sword in his hand before; he doesn’t do the thing he ought to do, and so the expert isn’t prepared for him; he does the thing he ought not to do; and often it catches the expert out and ends him on the spot."
--- Samuel Clemens
"The best swordsman in the world doesn’t need to fear the second best swordsman in the world; no the person for him to be afraid of is some ignorant antagonist who has never had a sword in his hand before; he doesn’t do the thing he ought to do, and so the expert isn’t prepared for him; he does the thing he ought not to do; and often it catches the expert out and ends him on the spot."
--- Samuel Clemens