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In a recent interview Paolini says the worst criticism he received was for being a young writer ( Read more... ) He may be married, bearded and pushing 40 but he is still an immature writer in all senses of the word and contrary to his claim that is his choice as he refuses to do anything about it.
What not to look for in a Martial Art
Jul. 13th, 2020 09:36 pmCody Lundin wrote When All Hell Breaks Lose a book on survival. He does not know how to fight so he made a common mistake, he went to a martial art school. Most martial artists cannot fight. This interview will help identify common martial arts myths. ( Read more... )
Professors Bradley Steiner and Mark Bryans and the American Combato System are an excellent example of why most martial artists cannot fight. Simply put look for a studio with instructors and techniques the complete opposite of these.
Professors Bradley Steiner and Mark Bryans and the American Combato System are an excellent example of why most martial artists cannot fight. Simply put look for a studio with instructors and techniques the complete opposite of these.
Inheritance Cycle
Jun. 20th, 2020 05:59 pmChristopher Paolini
Hello all,
I am new to this site and set out to write an introduction of why I am joining this community and my experience with Paolini’s writing. Instead, this came out. My second post will be that and this is sort of a spork of Eragon and Paolini’s fighting. If Torylltales can repost the video of Paolini “Drawing and Brandishing” you can see exactly what I am talking about.
Mr. Paolini recorded, for BBC International, a video of himself demonstrating a sword form. He titles it, “Shall I draw and banish?” Historically, the purpose of demonstrating a sword form was to demonstrate skill so others would be so impressed there was no need for the demonstrator to kill them.
Mr. Paolini appears to be a big guy using a big sword.
“Why do you need such a big sword, Chris?”
His opening move is to draw his sword. He looks at it while doing so.
“Chris, first learn to draw a sword without looking at it.”
He then shows to moves while watching the blade.
“Chris, learn to move your sword without watching it. Also, your head is too far forward. This unbalances the frame and requires muscles and energy to be used needlessly. Bottom line it reduces speed and power. Your head should be straight up with the weight of the skull supported by the spine. This has the added bonus of increasing the range between your head and the opponent’s weapon which is always a good thing.”
None of this is Chris’ actual form these appear to be warm up moves. His first three moves are swinging the sword from ready position to his opponent’s right ankle, then to the left ankle and then pulling the sword up to chest height and letting it drop into a lunge. These first two moves are suicidal. The counter is either to step back while striking the unprotected head/heart/throat or to strike the unprotected head/heart/throat and continue the motion to counter the blow before it lands. A linear attack is easily fast enough to strike and parry Chris’ arcing blows. Chris’ targets are also ineffective. Hitting an ankle or foot will not incapacitate and he is completely defenseless until he can drag his sword up from the ground back to the ready position. A lunge is not necessarily suicidal but Paolini’s is. He extends his arm but his knee, foot and therefore hip are not lined up correctly. Long story short too slow and lacks power. Also he lifts his sword above the line of attack and drops down into it. This telegraphs his move allowing a vaguely competent opponent to strike (lethally) and dodge or strike and counter or counter and strike.
His second series of moves is a repeat of the first with the lunge modified. Rather than going straight into it he turns it into a three step lunge although he does not take three literal steps. The first step is to shift his weight onto his front leg. The second is to bring the back leg forward and directly under his center of mass. The third step is to step forward in a lunge. This is too slow and telegraphs the move with the problems listed above. Plus he keeps the sword high dropping into a forward thrust extending the arm as before with the same problem. He then twirls the sword in a pair of figure eights which are neither effective for offense or defense. He ends saying “whew.”
“Why the big sword Chris? Why the big sword?”
“The sword is too heavy for you. That’s why the big (suicidal) arcs are employed. You are counting on the weight of the sword to do the damage and it is easier to swing in (suicidal) arcs than fast powerful thrusts. That is why the thrusts are telegraphed. Rather than stab straight forward you have to lift the sword up and let it drop into the stab using its weight because the sword is too heavy for you to control. Your fast figure eights rely on the sword’s momentum for their speed. When an opponent’s blade is hit you will lose control of your sword because it is too heavy. If they strike your blade adding energy in any way other than direct opposition you will lose control of your blade. If your blade is on a down arc and is hit in a downward direction you will lose control because you don’t have the strength or mass (remember that when super skinny elves are using heavy blades superfast) to reverse its direction quickly. That gives your opponent plenty of time to hit your head, heart or throat (killing you) and having time to get their blade back on yours preventing a double kill situation.”
“Why such a big sword, Chris?”
“Anyone can knock it out of your hand hitting the blade (away from the hilt) because it is too heavy for you to control. Even regular parries by an opponent will disarm you or cause you to lose control of your own blade. It is a leverage thing. Your big sword (lever) is too heavy and long for your wrist (pivot point). Also, the edge of your blade should be parallel to the ground for fast linear strikes and recovery. You keep it perpendicular because you are relying on slow arcs because it is too heavy for you. Also your chin is tucked into your throat as your form goes on. Combat is a dangerous place and this creates a blind spot above your eyes. It isn’t enough to see a blade coming you need to see it in time to do something about it and you can’t do that with your chin tucked.”?
“Also, footwork, it’s a thing. Learn some.”
“Having seen you “draw and brandish,” I can evaluate your skill. You have none. You literally do not do one single thing right. Your posture is wrong before you draw your blade which is too heavy for you to handle. I suspect it is a few inches to long as well. As a general guideline if you let your sword hang from your hand the tip should barely touch the ground at most. The fact you chose a sword too heavy for you means you have never been in a fight or done any form of contact sparring. You literally know nothing of combat. As you demonstrate your form you display complete ignorance in every single category. You literally do nothing, not one thing, right. Nothing.”
It is easy to make accusations. I shall explain some basics of fighting. Those of you at home feel free to follow along. The first principle will be called torso twist. Stand up. Standing with shoulders and hips square extend your arm so fist or weapon just touches a door frame. Shift so that you fist or weapon is in the same position but with empty air in front of it. Now (assuming your right hand is extended) pull your left shoulder back as far as you can. You see how your other hand (and weapon) went forward? This increases speed, power and range of blows. Since your right shoulder is now forward pull it as far back as you can so the left shoulder comes forward. Repeat this. Feel how the blows naturally flow. Then, keeping the shoulders square, alternate striking with both hands merely extending the arms. Feel the difference. This is slower, has shorter reach, less power and is more tiring.
The next principle is hip turn. This is required for speed and power as well as correct footwork (and armored fighting). Stand with your feet close together and your arm pressed into your ribs and extending out at a 90 degree angle at the elbow. Move your left hip back as you did with your shoulder earlier. Now pull the right hip back. Notice how this is moving your (imaginary) sword. This allows for a basic block. Move the hips fast the (imaginary) sword moves fast. This provides speed and power and uses correct body mechanics instead of muscle. The advantages of this are many. It enables competent fighters to use heavy swords without exhausting themselves among many others. To continue, as you pull your left hip back allow your right hip to move your right foot forward. You will take a small step. As a general rule in combat this is the largest step you want to take because this is the most you can move while ending in a balanced position. For comparison, take the largest step you can keeping your knees locked. You will notice all your weight is on your back leg, then you fall awkwardly forward with all your weight on your front leg, then you must pull your body back and balance yourself. This over exaggerated walking demonstrates the problem with taking a step larger than the natural landing place of your foot when the hip is turned. The same problems will be present in some degree with any step larger than that. This reduces speed and power.
If you experiment with hip turn walking and combined it with palm up palm down movements you will notice this is a basic strike and block technique. If you imagine different weapons (fists, knife, stick, long sword, pike, sword and shield or other) you will notice just employing hip turning provides basic strikes and blocks. These blocks and strikes are quite fast if the hips are moved quickly and become faster if the arm is moved too. Until hip turn is mastered there is no point in teaching a novice to move in combat and until a novice can move in combat there is no point handing him a practice weapon much less a real one.
There are three more basic principles of power. One is weight shift. You unintentionally use it when you do your stabs which is why they feel faster and more powerful. The reason your second thrust feels faster and more powerful than your first is you inadvertently correct your knee and toe position when you step into your lunge setup. To understand weight shift assume a comfortable stance with one foot in front of the other. Shift all your weight to you back leg. You can automatically accomplish this by lifting your front foot slightly off the ground. Bend you back knee a bit, then straighten your back leg and drive your weight forward. You can accomplish this automatically by ending with your back foot slightly off the ground. You have just shifted all your body weight from your back foot to your front. This allows you to use your entire body weight to move your weapon rather than just the weight (and muscle) of your arm. This is another way to move heavy weapons (and why do you need such a big sword, Chris?) without exhausting yourself and it lets you hit with more speed and power.
Weight drop is similar. I you have ever flopped on the couch you have dropped your weight. Chris is using weight drop from the sword (why do you need such a big one?) to generate the power of the large downward arcs. By dropping your body weight the moment before your sword hits you would add a couple hundred pounds of mass to your blow hitting faster and with more power. The last component is muscle power and it is the only one beginners use. It is tiring. Competent fighters combine these principles. This is how it is possible to hack through limbs or armor or fight for extended periods of time or in armor.
These are not advanced principles. A beginner should be exposed to them before they start training or touch a weapon. These are not art specific. The principles are based on body mechanics and physics. They are not even species specific. Any humanoid must use them if they are to efficiently generate speed and power. They must be used together in a coordinated fashion and that takes time to learn. This coordination should be acquired before more complicated concepts such as moving are introduced. Let me put this another way.
White belt: Introduced to the principles of power and coordinating them.
Yellow belt: Learning to move on varied terrain: slopes, snow, mud, brush and so on.
Orange belt: Use a training weapon to learn single moves such as: strike or block.
Green belt: Combinations. Coordinating both hands such as: sword and shield or fists.
Brown belt: Mastering unusual situations, angles, multiple opponents and so on.
Black belt: Qualified beginner.
That’s right. A black belt is a beginner who has mastered the basics needed to begin advanced training. The above process takes years. It can not be rushed. It takes time to develop a neural network to coordinate the principles of power. Until this is developed there is no point to developing a neural network for movement because the movement neural network cannot utilize the principles of power network before it has been developed. If rushed a movement neural network will develop that uses different movements than the undeveloped coordinated power neural network. This student will never become basically competent until the incorrect opposing neural network has been destroyed. This will add years to training or else force the fighter to use two opposing neural networks costing speed and power. Same thing happens which each set of skills. They should not be learned before the previous neural networks have been developed.
Black belt: white
Black belt: yellow
Black belt: orange
Black belt: green
Black belt: brown
Black belt: black. This stage represents a master.
Where does Brom fall on this list? He and Eragon start their practice duel standing still. Brom has not mastered hip rotation and the basic step. This is confirmed in that Brom is tired after his duel. Even with your heavy sword (why such a big one?), how long can you strike and block using only hip rotation, Chris? Minutes? Hours? All day long? If Brom knew, not mastered but knew, the most basic element of combat, he would not be standing still or be tired when it was over. Brom is not even a white belt. This explains why he gets beat in every single fight.
About the standing still. This is common with all beginners. The human mind has a natural aversion to striking another human. Even though one intellectually know they need to in training they have not yet formed the new neural pathway needed for that to happen. (This is a main difference between physical skills and mental skills and is why even if Eragon “speed reads” his combat training he can’t use it because it takes time to rewire the brain and body’s neural network). Eventually, beginners start banging away on each others swords as you so masterfully described (generating sparks for example). They have still not realized they have to hit the other person and think hitting the sword is fighting. The non-intellectual realization of the need to hit the other person is the first step to becoming a competent fighter. None of Paolini’s characters show any evidence they have reached this stage in the first couple books.
Roran thinks he will allow his opponent’s to hit his shield all they want, he is going to hit them. This is the only character who has mentally transitioned past the unable to fight stage. He has not transitioned to the beginning fighter stage. His comment he will allow his opponent’s to hit his shield all they want is the equivalent of two beginner’s hitting swords. He has not had the more important non intellectual realization his opponents will be hitting him. Roran has mentally transitioned from unable to fight to bully. The realization one may be hit is transformative and necessary to become a fighter or even a competent bully meaning one capable of harming people willing to fight back. Roran’s thinking indicates he has not reached this stage and he is the most advanced fighter in the book.
An analysis of Paolini’s fight scenes indicate his characters have not yet transitioned to beginning fighter either physically or mentally. This mental status helps to explain the main villain’s complete lack of action. Whatever his natural talent he has not mentally transitioned to the place he is capable of hurting others so he takes no direct actions. At most Paolini’s characters have reached an awareness that they can hurt others without being hurt in return. Civilization permits this. Bullies can harm others physically, mentally or emotionally because the law prevents victims from retaliating physically.
This is what makes Paolini’s deleted scene where Eragon stabs a fencing master while he is outlining the rules so awful. Not that Eragon murdered a man in cold blood while he was outlining the rules of the engagement but rather that he was caught by surprise. Paolini used bully rules. No one is allowed to physically harm me (Eragon) so I can take advantage of the weak stupid morals/ethics to kill be surprise. This is the same as killing safely and the only way a bully operates. They must strike while the victim is still abiding by the rules of civilization. Once someone’s life is on the line they know all bets are off so they must be killed before this realization occurs. The terribleness of this scene is the weapon master would only fall for this if his combat awareness was at the “I can’t strike other people and/or other people can’t strike me” level. This gambit only works on a character who is mentally incapable of combat. Martial artists half bow with their eyes open expecting to be attacked before the fight officially starts. Fencers do fancy salutes but watch their opponent expecting to be attacked. Eragon’s surprise attack working is only plausible to someone who has not reached the stage of completely untrained fighter. Not only would only a bully violate the rules of fair play in this way, only a bully would expect to work. Any semi competent fighter would not be caught off guard as they would either have experience with combat, even if it is just getting beaten, which gets them past the thought someone with a weapon near them isn’t dangerous; or they have had at least one lesson of competent training. The principles of power and situational awareness are literally the first thing any student should be taught.
To conclude: Christopher, I do not need to see you draw and brandish. As soon as you drew I knew the following before your blade cleared your sheath:
1. You have never been in a fight
2. You have never had any training
3. You have never researched combat
4. Your combat thinking has advanced, at most, to the stage of incompetent bully
5. Any competent beginner could beat you literally with one hand tied behind the back, without breaking a sweat, and without breathing hard.
6. You literally know nothing of combat
7. You think you are an expert
Rather than write in such a way that allows the reader to imagine the scene, you, who know literally absolutely nothing about combat, over describe every scene to force the reader to see it the way you envision.
Christopher…
You write how you fight and you fight how you write.
Oh, and why such a big sword?
Hello all,
I am new to this site and set out to write an introduction of why I am joining this community and my experience with Paolini’s writing. Instead, this came out. My second post will be that and this is sort of a spork of Eragon and Paolini’s fighting. If Torylltales can repost the video of Paolini “Drawing and Brandishing” you can see exactly what I am talking about.
Mr. Paolini recorded, for BBC International, a video of himself demonstrating a sword form. He titles it, “Shall I draw and banish?” Historically, the purpose of demonstrating a sword form was to demonstrate skill so others would be so impressed there was no need for the demonstrator to kill them.
Mr. Paolini appears to be a big guy using a big sword.
“Why do you need such a big sword, Chris?”
His opening move is to draw his sword. He looks at it while doing so.
“Chris, first learn to draw a sword without looking at it.”
He then shows to moves while watching the blade.
“Chris, learn to move your sword without watching it. Also, your head is too far forward. This unbalances the frame and requires muscles and energy to be used needlessly. Bottom line it reduces speed and power. Your head should be straight up with the weight of the skull supported by the spine. This has the added bonus of increasing the range between your head and the opponent’s weapon which is always a good thing.”
None of this is Chris’ actual form these appear to be warm up moves. His first three moves are swinging the sword from ready position to his opponent’s right ankle, then to the left ankle and then pulling the sword up to chest height and letting it drop into a lunge. These first two moves are suicidal. The counter is either to step back while striking the unprotected head/heart/throat or to strike the unprotected head/heart/throat and continue the motion to counter the blow before it lands. A linear attack is easily fast enough to strike and parry Chris’ arcing blows. Chris’ targets are also ineffective. Hitting an ankle or foot will not incapacitate and he is completely defenseless until he can drag his sword up from the ground back to the ready position. A lunge is not necessarily suicidal but Paolini’s is. He extends his arm but his knee, foot and therefore hip are not lined up correctly. Long story short too slow and lacks power. Also he lifts his sword above the line of attack and drops down into it. This telegraphs his move allowing a vaguely competent opponent to strike (lethally) and dodge or strike and counter or counter and strike.
His second series of moves is a repeat of the first with the lunge modified. Rather than going straight into it he turns it into a three step lunge although he does not take three literal steps. The first step is to shift his weight onto his front leg. The second is to bring the back leg forward and directly under his center of mass. The third step is to step forward in a lunge. This is too slow and telegraphs the move with the problems listed above. Plus he keeps the sword high dropping into a forward thrust extending the arm as before with the same problem. He then twirls the sword in a pair of figure eights which are neither effective for offense or defense. He ends saying “whew.”
“Why the big sword Chris? Why the big sword?”
“The sword is too heavy for you. That’s why the big (suicidal) arcs are employed. You are counting on the weight of the sword to do the damage and it is easier to swing in (suicidal) arcs than fast powerful thrusts. That is why the thrusts are telegraphed. Rather than stab straight forward you have to lift the sword up and let it drop into the stab using its weight because the sword is too heavy for you to control. Your fast figure eights rely on the sword’s momentum for their speed. When an opponent’s blade is hit you will lose control of your sword because it is too heavy. If they strike your blade adding energy in any way other than direct opposition you will lose control of your blade. If your blade is on a down arc and is hit in a downward direction you will lose control because you don’t have the strength or mass (remember that when super skinny elves are using heavy blades superfast) to reverse its direction quickly. That gives your opponent plenty of time to hit your head, heart or throat (killing you) and having time to get their blade back on yours preventing a double kill situation.”
“Why such a big sword, Chris?”
“Anyone can knock it out of your hand hitting the blade (away from the hilt) because it is too heavy for you to control. Even regular parries by an opponent will disarm you or cause you to lose control of your own blade. It is a leverage thing. Your big sword (lever) is too heavy and long for your wrist (pivot point). Also, the edge of your blade should be parallel to the ground for fast linear strikes and recovery. You keep it perpendicular because you are relying on slow arcs because it is too heavy for you. Also your chin is tucked into your throat as your form goes on. Combat is a dangerous place and this creates a blind spot above your eyes. It isn’t enough to see a blade coming you need to see it in time to do something about it and you can’t do that with your chin tucked.”?
“Also, footwork, it’s a thing. Learn some.”
“Having seen you “draw and brandish,” I can evaluate your skill. You have none. You literally do not do one single thing right. Your posture is wrong before you draw your blade which is too heavy for you to handle. I suspect it is a few inches to long as well. As a general guideline if you let your sword hang from your hand the tip should barely touch the ground at most. The fact you chose a sword too heavy for you means you have never been in a fight or done any form of contact sparring. You literally know nothing of combat. As you demonstrate your form you display complete ignorance in every single category. You literally do nothing, not one thing, right. Nothing.”
It is easy to make accusations. I shall explain some basics of fighting. Those of you at home feel free to follow along. The first principle will be called torso twist. Stand up. Standing with shoulders and hips square extend your arm so fist or weapon just touches a door frame. Shift so that you fist or weapon is in the same position but with empty air in front of it. Now (assuming your right hand is extended) pull your left shoulder back as far as you can. You see how your other hand (and weapon) went forward? This increases speed, power and range of blows. Since your right shoulder is now forward pull it as far back as you can so the left shoulder comes forward. Repeat this. Feel how the blows naturally flow. Then, keeping the shoulders square, alternate striking with both hands merely extending the arms. Feel the difference. This is slower, has shorter reach, less power and is more tiring.
The next principle is hip turn. This is required for speed and power as well as correct footwork (and armored fighting). Stand with your feet close together and your arm pressed into your ribs and extending out at a 90 degree angle at the elbow. Move your left hip back as you did with your shoulder earlier. Now pull the right hip back. Notice how this is moving your (imaginary) sword. This allows for a basic block. Move the hips fast the (imaginary) sword moves fast. This provides speed and power and uses correct body mechanics instead of muscle. The advantages of this are many. It enables competent fighters to use heavy swords without exhausting themselves among many others. To continue, as you pull your left hip back allow your right hip to move your right foot forward. You will take a small step. As a general rule in combat this is the largest step you want to take because this is the most you can move while ending in a balanced position. For comparison, take the largest step you can keeping your knees locked. You will notice all your weight is on your back leg, then you fall awkwardly forward with all your weight on your front leg, then you must pull your body back and balance yourself. This over exaggerated walking demonstrates the problem with taking a step larger than the natural landing place of your foot when the hip is turned. The same problems will be present in some degree with any step larger than that. This reduces speed and power.
If you experiment with hip turn walking and combined it with palm up palm down movements you will notice this is a basic strike and block technique. If you imagine different weapons (fists, knife, stick, long sword, pike, sword and shield or other) you will notice just employing hip turning provides basic strikes and blocks. These blocks and strikes are quite fast if the hips are moved quickly and become faster if the arm is moved too. Until hip turn is mastered there is no point in teaching a novice to move in combat and until a novice can move in combat there is no point handing him a practice weapon much less a real one.
There are three more basic principles of power. One is weight shift. You unintentionally use it when you do your stabs which is why they feel faster and more powerful. The reason your second thrust feels faster and more powerful than your first is you inadvertently correct your knee and toe position when you step into your lunge setup. To understand weight shift assume a comfortable stance with one foot in front of the other. Shift all your weight to you back leg. You can automatically accomplish this by lifting your front foot slightly off the ground. Bend you back knee a bit, then straighten your back leg and drive your weight forward. You can accomplish this automatically by ending with your back foot slightly off the ground. You have just shifted all your body weight from your back foot to your front. This allows you to use your entire body weight to move your weapon rather than just the weight (and muscle) of your arm. This is another way to move heavy weapons (and why do you need such a big sword, Chris?) without exhausting yourself and it lets you hit with more speed and power.
Weight drop is similar. I you have ever flopped on the couch you have dropped your weight. Chris is using weight drop from the sword (why do you need such a big one?) to generate the power of the large downward arcs. By dropping your body weight the moment before your sword hits you would add a couple hundred pounds of mass to your blow hitting faster and with more power. The last component is muscle power and it is the only one beginners use. It is tiring. Competent fighters combine these principles. This is how it is possible to hack through limbs or armor or fight for extended periods of time or in armor.
These are not advanced principles. A beginner should be exposed to them before they start training or touch a weapon. These are not art specific. The principles are based on body mechanics and physics. They are not even species specific. Any humanoid must use them if they are to efficiently generate speed and power. They must be used together in a coordinated fashion and that takes time to learn. This coordination should be acquired before more complicated concepts such as moving are introduced. Let me put this another way.
White belt: Introduced to the principles of power and coordinating them.
Yellow belt: Learning to move on varied terrain: slopes, snow, mud, brush and so on.
Orange belt: Use a training weapon to learn single moves such as: strike or block.
Green belt: Combinations. Coordinating both hands such as: sword and shield or fists.
Brown belt: Mastering unusual situations, angles, multiple opponents and so on.
Black belt: Qualified beginner.
That’s right. A black belt is a beginner who has mastered the basics needed to begin advanced training. The above process takes years. It can not be rushed. It takes time to develop a neural network to coordinate the principles of power. Until this is developed there is no point to developing a neural network for movement because the movement neural network cannot utilize the principles of power network before it has been developed. If rushed a movement neural network will develop that uses different movements than the undeveloped coordinated power neural network. This student will never become basically competent until the incorrect opposing neural network has been destroyed. This will add years to training or else force the fighter to use two opposing neural networks costing speed and power. Same thing happens which each set of skills. They should not be learned before the previous neural networks have been developed.
Black belt: white
Black belt: yellow
Black belt: orange
Black belt: green
Black belt: brown
Black belt: black. This stage represents a master.
Where does Brom fall on this list? He and Eragon start their practice duel standing still. Brom has not mastered hip rotation and the basic step. This is confirmed in that Brom is tired after his duel. Even with your heavy sword (why such a big one?), how long can you strike and block using only hip rotation, Chris? Minutes? Hours? All day long? If Brom knew, not mastered but knew, the most basic element of combat, he would not be standing still or be tired when it was over. Brom is not even a white belt. This explains why he gets beat in every single fight.
About the standing still. This is common with all beginners. The human mind has a natural aversion to striking another human. Even though one intellectually know they need to in training they have not yet formed the new neural pathway needed for that to happen. (This is a main difference between physical skills and mental skills and is why even if Eragon “speed reads” his combat training he can’t use it because it takes time to rewire the brain and body’s neural network). Eventually, beginners start banging away on each others swords as you so masterfully described (generating sparks for example). They have still not realized they have to hit the other person and think hitting the sword is fighting. The non-intellectual realization of the need to hit the other person is the first step to becoming a competent fighter. None of Paolini’s characters show any evidence they have reached this stage in the first couple books.
Roran thinks he will allow his opponent’s to hit his shield all they want, he is going to hit them. This is the only character who has mentally transitioned past the unable to fight stage. He has not transitioned to the beginning fighter stage. His comment he will allow his opponent’s to hit his shield all they want is the equivalent of two beginner’s hitting swords. He has not had the more important non intellectual realization his opponents will be hitting him. Roran has mentally transitioned from unable to fight to bully. The realization one may be hit is transformative and necessary to become a fighter or even a competent bully meaning one capable of harming people willing to fight back. Roran’s thinking indicates he has not reached this stage and he is the most advanced fighter in the book.
An analysis of Paolini’s fight scenes indicate his characters have not yet transitioned to beginning fighter either physically or mentally. This mental status helps to explain the main villain’s complete lack of action. Whatever his natural talent he has not mentally transitioned to the place he is capable of hurting others so he takes no direct actions. At most Paolini’s characters have reached an awareness that they can hurt others without being hurt in return. Civilization permits this. Bullies can harm others physically, mentally or emotionally because the law prevents victims from retaliating physically.
This is what makes Paolini’s deleted scene where Eragon stabs a fencing master while he is outlining the rules so awful. Not that Eragon murdered a man in cold blood while he was outlining the rules of the engagement but rather that he was caught by surprise. Paolini used bully rules. No one is allowed to physically harm me (Eragon) so I can take advantage of the weak stupid morals/ethics to kill be surprise. This is the same as killing safely and the only way a bully operates. They must strike while the victim is still abiding by the rules of civilization. Once someone’s life is on the line they know all bets are off so they must be killed before this realization occurs. The terribleness of this scene is the weapon master would only fall for this if his combat awareness was at the “I can’t strike other people and/or other people can’t strike me” level. This gambit only works on a character who is mentally incapable of combat. Martial artists half bow with their eyes open expecting to be attacked before the fight officially starts. Fencers do fancy salutes but watch their opponent expecting to be attacked. Eragon’s surprise attack working is only plausible to someone who has not reached the stage of completely untrained fighter. Not only would only a bully violate the rules of fair play in this way, only a bully would expect to work. Any semi competent fighter would not be caught off guard as they would either have experience with combat, even if it is just getting beaten, which gets them past the thought someone with a weapon near them isn’t dangerous; or they have had at least one lesson of competent training. The principles of power and situational awareness are literally the first thing any student should be taught.
To conclude: Christopher, I do not need to see you draw and brandish. As soon as you drew I knew the following before your blade cleared your sheath:
1. You have never been in a fight
2. You have never had any training
3. You have never researched combat
4. Your combat thinking has advanced, at most, to the stage of incompetent bully
5. Any competent beginner could beat you literally with one hand tied behind the back, without breaking a sweat, and without breathing hard.
6. You literally know nothing of combat
7. You think you are an expert
Rather than write in such a way that allows the reader to imagine the scene, you, who know literally absolutely nothing about combat, over describe every scene to force the reader to see it the way you envision.
Christopher…
You write how you fight and you fight how you write.
Oh, and why such a big sword?
