Forgive the rant, friends, but it's been a terrible day at work thus far. Â Allow me to crack my knuckles and vent. Â This is going to be a very nerdy and subjective post. Â Brace yourselves. Something has been bugging as of late in the wonderful world of Eorzean RP.
/Rant
Most Eorzean knife fighting is.... painful to watch. Â
Yeah, I said it.  I mean no offense and will elaborate.  You are probably are already very familiar with most types of Eorzean knife fighters, especially rogues and ninjas and the like. Many other types of characters also carry knives as side-arms  (Sig, for example, has more than he knows what to do with).  It's safe to assume there is an obscene amount of knife fighters roaming the streets at all times.  And most follow a similar pattern.Â
Most Eorzean knife fighters are skilled dancers. Â They move like cats and emphasize graceful, sweeping strikes, akin to swinging a longsword or staff. Â They frequently weave jumps, twists, and other amazing acrobatic feats into the melee. Â We'll call this style "dancing with a knife."Â
There is nothing wrong about dancing with a knife. Â It can be very entertaining to watch. Â It can also be effective, as evidenced by Eskrima and similar disciplines. But the flashy show and excessive flourish drown out the true beauty inherent in knife fighting, making it painfully scarce.
Simplicity is the most beautiful and effective aspect of knife fighting. Â Basic, rote movements reduced to repeatable patterns. Â A hand grasps the opponent's outer shoulder, gains a purchase on clothing, and proceeds to pump the blade into the mark like a piston. Â This is the essence of knife fighting. Â There are a few variations but not many. Movements are fast, simple, and direct. Traditional knife fighting is something that almost any character could master in a day, and is so brutally effective that very few could stop a well-timed attack. But alas, we never see such displays. Â They don't make for a good show, afterall. Â Â
...But, at least one character in this zany world, finds few shows more entertaining than a proper, simple knife fight. Â Give it a shot sometime in-character, sometime. Â It's fun and indisputably effective.Â
/Rant.
/Rant
Most Eorzean knife fighting is.... painful to watch. Â
Yeah, I said it.  I mean no offense and will elaborate.  You are probably are already very familiar with most types of Eorzean knife fighters, especially rogues and ninjas and the like. Many other types of characters also carry knives as side-arms  (Sig, for example, has more than he knows what to do with).  It's safe to assume there is an obscene amount of knife fighters roaming the streets at all times.  And most follow a similar pattern.Â
Most Eorzean knife fighters are skilled dancers. Â They move like cats and emphasize graceful, sweeping strikes, akin to swinging a longsword or staff. Â They frequently weave jumps, twists, and other amazing acrobatic feats into the melee. Â We'll call this style "dancing with a knife."Â
There is nothing wrong about dancing with a knife. Â It can be very entertaining to watch. Â It can also be effective, as evidenced by Eskrima and similar disciplines. But the flashy show and excessive flourish drown out the true beauty inherent in knife fighting, making it painfully scarce.
Simplicity is the most beautiful and effective aspect of knife fighting. Â Basic, rote movements reduced to repeatable patterns. Â A hand grasps the opponent's outer shoulder, gains a purchase on clothing, and proceeds to pump the blade into the mark like a piston. Â This is the essence of knife fighting. Â There are a few variations but not many. Movements are fast, simple, and direct. Traditional knife fighting is something that almost any character could master in a day, and is so brutally effective that very few could stop a well-timed attack. But alas, we never see such displays. Â They don't make for a good show, afterall. Â Â
...But, at least one character in this zany world, finds few shows more entertaining than a proper, simple knife fight. Â Give it a shot sometime in-character, sometime. Â It's fun and indisputably effective.Â
/Rant.
