“…aint like dusting crops, boy!”

Day 7: “…aint like dusting crops, boy!”

One of the things I like about that scene in Star Wars is the elongating single point perspective of the star field effect just before the jump into hyperspace. It was just plain cool. But, I think, one of the reasons it felt so cool is there’s something about the pause before the action that resonates with our perceptions of motion. We inherently recognize the dynamic of potential energy. We readily comprehend the drawing of a bow, the pitcher’s wind-up, the inhale preceding the shout as ordered parts of the whole. This may be why swordsmen are apparently determined to rewrite Newton’s Second Law.

In our attempts to deny our opponent the cues which we believe will reveal our intended offensive launch, we do our best to minimize or even eliminate the positive work that goes into moving the weapon. One of the Holy Grails of swordsmanship is mastery of the blow no one saw coming, and the only way that happens is if the sword is in motion before its target comprehends offensive flight. While that is not entirely true, it sure feels that way; and thus are we compelled to muck with the laws of physics.

It’s vitally important to accept that, when throwing a blow or launching a thrust, the last thing to move is your sword.

It is only through a thorough understanding of, and commitment to, the motions preceding the sword’s launch can we hope to “out draw” our opponent’s comprehension.