On Meti's Sword Manual - Precepts 1-3

In seems, in the time since I left the country, my blog was broken into and vandalized. Rather than put hours or even days of work repairing entries on beliefs I now find to be woefully antiquated, I have decided to simply start fresh. It will not be as organized as it once was; I no longer have the patience for busywork. However, I will continue to explicate my thoughts on anything I believe is constructive to discuss.

The first such subject, Meti's Sword Manual. The source of the original text is difficult to determine, and there is credible evidence that it was simply created whole cloth for some fictional work of little historical note (though it is one I must admit I am particularly fond of, regardless of the inherent anachronisms involved.) Whatever its source, I have found the Manual to be a particularly worthwhile and illuminating text, and one which is worth expounding on. As valuable as the Arguments and Mastery can be, it is the Eighteen Precepts I shall focus on, sharing my thoughts, including when I disagree with it. This is a book, not a religion, I have no qualms about contradicting it.

1. Consider: there is no such thing as a sword.
The Precepts begin with a koan, one there are many possible readings of. Given that this was written by someone who is at best unaware of the institution of Mystic Knighthood, I shall sidestep the dull, literal interpretation. Instead, I look to the fifth passage of Mastery, where she refers to a sword as an 'ugly piece of metal,' and in some ways I must agree. Excepting its existence as a symbol of knighthood and our powers, it, along with every other weapon, is little more than a tool. One of the many that a Knight should be prepared to use.

2. Your stance must be wide. You must not be spare with the fluidity of your wrists or shoulders. You must have grip on the handle that is loose and unstrained. I heard it said you must be tender with your sword grip, as though with a lover. This is patently false. A sword is not your lover. It is a hideous tool for separating men from their vital fluids.
What begins as practical advice, warning of the dangers of excessive stiffness, becomes more philosophical. It is an extremely common, and effective, technique used in the text. This is also another of the many passages in which Meti expresses her disdain for the sword and, while I disagree with the direct sentiment. there is great merit in separating the sword as an artform from the sword as an object, and in avoiding deifying the latter as the symbol of the Knight. Mystic Knighthood is not about mastering a single blade, the weapon that answers your call; in the end, it is the swordsman himself who must have his edge sharpened.

3. Going onwards, you must adjust hands as needed, do not keep the blade close to your body, keep your breathing steady. This is the life cut. You must watch your footwork. Your feet must be controlled whether planted on fire, air, water, or earth in equal measure.
There is not a great deal that can be said about footwork that the Manual does not, without going into a full lesson on the importance of it. However, extrapolating from the rest of Meti's philosophy, it is simple to infer that she believes your motions, with your hands and your feet alike, should be fluid, but controlled and decisive. Complain all you like that the ground was muddy, and you lost because you slipped, the Grails you are dueling for do not care. Excuses will never undo defeat.

Introduction and Qualifications

My name is Rutherford Scholl.

On January 1st, 2006, I took up the sword as the Wolf Knight. Within the month, I had taken my first Grail. By the end of the year, I had four. With the sole exception of Woodrow Kumar, I am the most accomplished Knight in North America, and I have never lost to an opponent I did not defeat in a rematch. I say this not to boast, but to impress upon my readers my qualifications, and the effectiveness of my philosophy. It is easy to spout words, but my deeds are the proof. If you take exception to anything contained within this text, I implore you: Duel me. Defeat me. Triumph over my praxis with your own, and I will become your ready, willing student.

Until then, shut up and learn.