The second best thing is that after three lessons, my thighs are not nearly as sore as before. And I can do ten (slow, imperfect) pushups at a go!
The third best thing is that I’m beginning to get a handle on how one goes about parrying someone else’s sword. Which, really, is more important than figuring out how to hit someone with yours. (Did I mention you can miss hitting someone with your sword even when they’re not trying to stop you? Funny how that works.)