Everything somebody does or says is information. We sometimes note this in a self-defence context when we discuss such things as awareness or threat assessment - but how often do we apply this to the people who influence us and how often do we think about the information we ourselves are giving out in the context of instruction? I remember an instructor friend of mine attending a seminar, the sort where there is a round-robin of teaching. One of the instructors was 'holding court', explaining to the kyu grades how he "was always sharpening his warrior's edge". My friend asked if that was a euphemism (he didn't find it funny). Why do people say such things? What response are they hoping for? I don't know, however, it's good when they do because you know something important and relevant about them straight away. There are times when we are hyper-aware of these bits of information - in dealing with a prospective employer for instance - but too ofte