User blog comment:Njalm2/The Beauty of Zanjutsu/@comment-18812574-20150410193452/@comment-2089817-20150410230442

"Come on, Neo. Stop trying to hit me and HIT me."

That is what it means for a Grandmaster to strike; whether by a fist or a sword.

And on the note of Mihawk, don't let animation fool you, Shonen. That's just for dramatic effect. The "glow" you see is the vacuum left in the wake of his sword swing.