the word queer, outside of being a slur, is honestly just so … hard for me to look at anymore because i don’t think i can ever /not/ associate it with liberal buzzfeed loving creeps who will tear your throat out if you dare to speak of the word negatively
It’s interesting to see how many trained students still try to compensate for incorrect technique by simply swinging harder. The ones who failed to cut are visibly in a poor stance, or keep their waist too stationary while using nothing but their arms.
Ideally, they should be twisting their waist fluidly and leaning forward to combine the swinging motion with a pulling motion. If done correctly, that draws the edge across and through simultaneously.
Note how the successful cuts end with the sword’s tip near the straw target, and the unsuccessful ones come to a stop with half the blade sticking out the other side. Note how the master’s entire body moves in a smooth arc, both downwards and forwards into the target.
Note how the wooden stand doesn’t even shake because the edge was perfectly aligned with the direction of the swing, which focuses all the pressure on cutting and none of it on pushing the target.
Technique will always win out over raw power.
This is what we mean when we talk about discipline. It takes a lot of discipline, patience, to get to that point. You cannot rush it, you must be in absolute control of your body, you must be calm, and know that it’s not all about brute strength. So many people don’t understand what discipline is, and I find that sad.
Slow correct will eventually become fast correct. But fast wrong will never be fast correct.
Yup. My dad learned this in karate, where he didn’t realize over time, exactly how he was getting faster and faster, until he went up against a newbie, or watched the masters fight and was able to actually keep up and see exactly what moves they did.
It’s the same principal with art. I can actually do a simple headshot portrait in about an hour, because I’ve practiced a lot. The portraits of the boys with the horses that I did, each one took me maybe 2 hours. My line art, the fine detail stuff? Doesn’t look very small to me anymore… I can go smaller, if I can get a smaller pen… it’s a wonderful feeling, honestly. Self accomplishment.
When you have that moment of realization it is amazing. Because you now have some kind of…tangible measure as to how far you’ve come.
Someone stole a 21 foot hammer from the community center in Healdsburg, CA and it hasn’t been returned so someone else (I’m assuming) mysteriously installed a 3 foot nail that reads “BAIT” on its head. (article)
The best part of this which people often don’t realize is that Dwight was the one who took the family picture of them. So him seeing that picture is even more startling to him.
Obscure Fandoms 