Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-18812574-20150120153532/@comment-24384232-20150123021416

Trying to think outside the box without defining what the box is, will lead to hair pulling and angry shouting. Here's my version of the most basic breakdown of the movement methods.

*Shunpo: A movement comprised of leaps or dashes. Hence why it has "steps", and why varying the step can change the movement.

*Hirenkyaku: A movement akin to skating/riding, except its on a trip wire.

*Sonido: Simplest of all movements, its a sprint.

*Bringer of Light: A reverse of shunpo. Uses the environment to push the character rather than the character pushing themselves from the environment.

While Im tempted to jump in regarding the notions of "flow" and how they relate to the four forms of Shinigami combat, I won't be doing that. Metaphysical concepts are... difficult to describe because each of us are making connections within our own heads that no one else can see and some things get lost in translation.

Some things you may want to concentrate on, are what you hope to achieve with the indicated movement, and what benefits it has over the others. Because believe me, each one has them. All offer high-speed movement but what defines them as unique? I've provided a very very simple example of how they may work, so Ill go briefly into their advantages.

*Shunpo: Greatest degree of versatility, due to it being in steps. User can create techniques that modify the movement, from fast to slow, to afterimages, incorporate deception, etc. The key point of Shunpo is control of the movement. Zero to maximum speed. However they also have the (comparatively) worst stamina, and thus continuous movement is often difficult over a period of time. My Kurama is an example of using various techniques with Shunpo via deception and misdirection to confuse his opponents.

*Hirenkyaku: Versatile in that this movement has the least amount of physical effort. It relies entirely on one's ability to manipulate and control the formation of Reishi, thus Quincy are best suited for this kind of movement. Unlike Shunpo which is a series of steps, users of Hirenkyaku can simply change the "vector" of the Reishi Flow they are moving on, allowing them to maintain high speeds without breaking movement. Emphasis for Hirenkyaku is manipulation of energy. I find this movement is best used for long-range guerilla tactics, but due to how it functions it is best used against energy intensive foes. It would be possible to "ride" the path of an energy attack or magical effect say back to its creator or origin. Travel through gaps in spacetime, dimensions, etc, are possible so as long as the connection between the power and its origin exist.

*Sonido: As a sprint, it has albiet slower acceleration it strikes a balance between the extreme of Shunpo and Hirenkyaku. It has the "steps" that grant Shunpo its versatility, but maintains consistency in the movement once high speed is reached. Arrancar having naturally higher levels of strength and durability likewise can maintain such speeds for long periods of time. Njalm's Grimmjow is a perfect example, he can maintain his speed nigh indefinately if he desires.

*Bringer of Light: A mix between the energy manipulation of Hirenkyaku and the steps of Shunpo. Because the user is using the environment to "push" themselves they have greater utility when it comes to how they can use the environment to greatly influence the state of their speed. Bringer of Light offers unique opportunities to abuse this, as seen in Ichigo's fight against Tsukushima, where he leveled his leg for a kick and then used Bringer of Light to instantly accelerate the attack as part of the action.