Rowing

Crew is a divine hammer to mold muscle into steel through perfection of technique, sharpness of mind and loss of self. For a rower, the few minutes of a race are the few minutes you do not think of racing; the only things in existence are the wind, the water, and the individual made up of five or nine parts.

Sometimes I try to think of why I have to jump from seat to seat every other day. I have come to the conclusion that either I am so good that I can row any seat, or that I am just there to plug any holes on the boat. At least I’m rowing!

I think to be stroke you have to act like you have a monstrously huge dick, or be one. How I do pity our poor little coxswain.

Rowing requires racing to the edge of sanity, the limits of your body, and without looking, to jump off.

Since coming to college I have found that the only class that matters is the only class I attend consistently; college life has taught me that waking up at 5 every morning to row is immensely more enjoyable than listening to people droll on about literature, mathematics and all that rat bullshit.

Swain comes from a word meaning servant. Those ancient rowers are just dirty...

You are a rower, irreplaceable in this day and age. That is the boat, a fickle god who gives and takes seats away on a whim. Don't fuck up.

Rowing is living, there is no regret. Otherwise you are just dead weight. Do not fail your boat.


Fencing

To fence is to dance, except that without looking or thinking you must trip your partner.

Fencing is a rarity in sports because you are not simply expressing your dominance of will through the imperfect tool of your body; you and your opponent must mesh minds to create a thing of beautiful, perfect unison, only to henceforth do your best to crush it without being noticed.

Face feroque. [With fire and sword] (Latin expression)

In ferro veritas [The sword is truth]

They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. (Song of Solomon, 3:8)