Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-18812574-20150120153532/@comment-18812574-20150120163601

What I get from that, is basically, fighting is about energy, and energy is about flow, and for Shinigami there are four distinct methods to manipulate that flow: 1. Zanjutsu- Manipulates the flow of energy within the individual themself, drawing on that energy and channeling it into a sword.

2. Kido- Manipulates the flow of energy around them, and utilizing that flow to bring it under one's own will.

3. Hakuda- Similar to Zanjutsu, utilizes the flow of energy within oneself to enhance and control one's own body, the body as a weapon.

4. Hoho- Flow of movement. I'm thinking it's similar to Kido, in that they draw upon the energy around them, running under them, in order to move along with, in conjunction, with that "flow." Like riding the wind.

But then, I suppose, this leads us to the stickier problem: what is then the difference between Hoho and Hirenkyaku, Sonido, or Bringer Light (or whatever Z calls it, :P)? Because looking at it from that perspective, all of these are essentially the same: tapping into the flow of energy to move. From what I have gathered so far:

1. Sonido- I like N's version, acceleration. Like a race car. Velocity. Not sure how that relates to "flow," though, I suppose they build, with momentum. Using small force, small amount of energy (or "flow") and building on that until they themselves become part of that flow.

2. Hirenkyaku- Probably the one of least resistance, not concerned with manipulating the flow of energy, per say, but travelling along the reishi pathways that form the flow, like currents, sliding between one location and the other.

3. Fullbring- Pulls on the soul of the enviroment around them. The air, earth, wind, whatever, in order to achieve high-speed movement.

4. Hoho- I have no freaking idea. Shunpo is the steps, perhaps like Z said, combining inner flow (reiryoku) with external in order to "latch on" to the flow of energy around them. But that seems clunky to me. Changing the nature of the flow around them in order to move? How is that different than the other three then? Or are they all essentially the same, just with a different technique?

Perhaps I should go at this from the physics spectrum here: "Just as distance and displacement have distinctly different meanings (despite their similarities), so do speed and velocity. Speed is a scalar quantity that refers to "how fast an object is moving." Speed can be thought of as the rate at which an object covers distance. A fast-moving object has a high speed and covers a relatively large distance in a short amount of time. Contrast this to a slow-moving object that has a low speed; it covers a relatively small amount of distance in the same amount of time. An object with no movement at all has a zero speed."

So basically, using physics to break physics!!!