General WoT Rant of the day. *spoilers*

[Faroresdragn]

Something that's been bothering me for the last few books as I'm finally getting through AMoL: the whole "resting a hand on their sword" thing.

 

They seem to talk about that as if it makes them intimidating, as if they're saying "I could draw this right now, or at least I'm thinking about it." They even say this explicitly in ToM where they mention that guy showing his kandori commander respect by resting his hand on his sword, because it showed that he considered his commander worthy enough to be a threat. And when that one borderlander king was asking rand the important question at Far Madding, he has his hand resting on his sword, and it said something to the effect that from that position he could have decapitated rand in a second.

 

Am I the only one who has a hard time picturing this? You typicallywould keep any sword on the opposite side of your dominant hand, so you can draw it out across your body. If your full length sword is hanging on your left side, you can't just draw it out with your left arm, or else you'd have a very hard time if it, and you'd be holding it upside down.

 

So if this gesture or stance or whatever you want to call it is supposed to suggest they can draw blades quickly, as the incident in far madding clearly says it does, does that mean whenever they say this, the characters are reaching their right hand across their body and holding the hilt of their sword as if they're literally about to draw? Because it seemed like the move was described as more subtle than that. How did you guys picture it?

 

Sorry for talking about basically the most insignificant stuff. This is what troubles me as I get towards he end of this awesome series. This really hit me when in the field of merrilor, it mentions rand resting his hand on his sword, which made me think, wait what? He has no left hand, but he's right handed so he keeps his sword on his left side, so he either started carrying his sword on his right making it impossible for him to draw (not that he needs to use it but still) or he's reaching all the way across his body to accomplish this, while looking threatening as all hell.

[wotfan4472]

Well, there are characters that can do that in a move. Deadpool, Deathstroke, Wonder Woman, Vandal Savage, Ras al Ghul and Katana can do this. There are also real swords men that could do this also. I know there are men and women that can today, mostly martial art masters that train to do this. In fact those ones would consider it a technique that would be the first before the more advanced forms. Many of the characters that I listed would consider it the first thing to learn and find it dull and boring to teach.

[Sabio]

Also not everyone keeps a blade on their hip, shinerians use two handed blades, one of the heroes of the horn had two blades on his back.  But I assume, yes they are using the hand they draw with across their body on the hilt, to symbolize being at the ready.  Depending o nthe situation and me be trying to be sneaky without them noticing or just to show you are ready if needed. Slowly also shows they aren't going to immedietly draw, if the King at Far Maddening did it in  quick motion it probably would of started a fight.  Since everyone would assume you are drawing.  Also for some might just be a force of habit, something to do with your hands.