Corwin Duncan on Why You Fence Great in Practice but Struggle in Competition

Guest: Corwin Duncan is a mental performance coach, former national champion and world team member, and a longtime fencing coach and referee. He works with fencers of all levels to build concrete, in-the-moment skills for managing pressure, emotions, and focus — on and off the strip.

What we cover:

Why tournaments feel different than practice: familiarity, “safety,” routine disruption, and expectations

How spirals start (and how to interrupt them before they snowball)

The “5-second reset” breathing technique you can use between actions

Using time wisely on strip (shoe tie, blade straighten, creating a moment to think)

A parent’s role: supporting without adding pressure, and managing your own stress

“Losing to weaker fencers”: how expectations can lower intensity — and what to do instead

Reframing a bad result so it doesn’t define you

When it’s time to consider a mental performance coach (including “I’m not enjoying fencing anymore”)

Building a mental warm-up and why routines should be consistent, not rigid

Why Corwin cares about skills that transfer beyond fencing (the “doctor’s shot” story)

Links mentioned:

SharperMind Training: https://sharpermindtraining.com/

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn