<div> Gerald, I fight in Queen's Champion because, as Robin said, the best fencers are there. I may have the chance to fight one of the top Dons/Donas and learn from them. With the arts, as I see it, I need to better myself and that is not by competing, but by practicing and watching. I will learn from watching and concentrating on the great bards of our Kingdom rather than worrying what the fifth line of my next piece is. When I compete, I am generally too nervous to really watch, learn from, & enjoy the other bards, so I would rather not compete in Eisteddfod just yet and watch instead. I do not really get that nervousness when I fight.
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<div>On a separate note, I would like to thank you, Gerald, for sparking this whole thread. I believe, no matter the outcome, these conversations will benefit Ansteorra's bardic scene.</div>
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<div>Brian</div>