The Void and blademasters

[42Bonzo88]

    Rand learned the void from his father. Siuan in TGH asked Moiraine if he (Rand) learned it from Lan. Is the void something that all blademasters are taught? I would assume (and we know what that means) that being able to put aside all emotions and feelings to total concentration would be a need in going against a blademaster.

 

    Also, how do you become a blademaster? Is there certain things you need to do?

 

[Majsju]

I would be very surprised if not all blademasters had some kind of focus technique, though there might be a few different ones.

 

As for how one becomes a blademaster, either by showing your skills in front of five blademasters, and have them recognise you, or by defeating a blademaster in single combat.

[safwd]

Im not sure if all Blademasters learn the Void but if so i dont think they all use it. It didnt look like Eamon Valda was using the Void when he fought Galad. And i dont think Galad knows it and he is now a Blademaster since he defeated one.

[nornagest]

RJ drew lots of references from earth here and now to create WOT. the 'void ' is a state of mind attempted by martial artists to allow focus on whatever they want to focus on. in my own experience ( in a black belt testing) i remember lining up with the brick that i had to break with my hand ..... and then i found myself with half a brick in my hand, the focus of the moment all went into the breaking of the brick. how it can be sustained for any length of time is impossible for me to say... thats WoT for you ...

interesting to note that in certain chinese martial arts movements and sequences for attack and defense also have titles ( like Swordwork in the WoT) 'Waving hands through the clouds', 'step back and repel the monkey' and 'man becomes mountain' all spring immediatley to mind. not that far from Leopard in high grass

[Galad]

And i dont think Galad knows it and he is now a Blademaster since he defeated one.

 

Yes, he does. From the KoD prologue:

"By the time [Galad] reached young Bornhold, he had achieved what Gareth and Henre had called the oness. Floating in emptiness, he drew his sword from the scabbard Bornhold proffered, and the slightly curved blade became part of him... Galad was not distracted. Every creak of the saddle leather was clear and distinct, every ringing stamp of hoof on paving stone. He could hear flies buzzing ten feet away as though they were at his ear. He almost thought he could see the movements of their wings. He was one with the flies, with the courtyard, with the two men. They were all part of him, and he could not be distracted by himself."

 

 

That sounds pretty much like the Void to me. And Lanfear also has referred to the Void as "the Oneness."

[aevogt]

What Rnad learned was "The Flame and the Void" to acheive the Oneness.  There are likely many way to get there.  The women use "blossom opening to the light" to embrace the source. 

 

Remember the old saying - "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side."

 

 

[Luckers]

It's fairly widely known. In the Borderlands its called the Ko'di, which translates as the Oneness, and that is what Lanfear called it as well.

[safwd]

And i dont think Galad knows it and he is now a Blademaster since he defeated one.

 

Yes, he does. From the KoD prologue:

"By the time [Galad] reached young Bornhold, he had achieved what Gareth and Henre had called the oness. Floating in emptiness, he drew his sword from the scabbard Bornhold proffered, and the slightly curved blade became part of him... Galad was not distracted. Every creak of the saddle leather was clear and distinct, every ringing stamp of hoof on paving stone. He could hear flies buzzing ten feet away as though they were at his ear. He almost thought he could see the movements of their wings. He was one with the flies, with the courtyard, with the two men. They were all part of him, and he could not be distracted by himself."

 

 

That sounds pretty much like the Void to me. And Lanfear also has referred to the Void as "the Oneness."

You are so right. I cant believe i forgot that, especially considering it came from my own example.

[Duneflayer]

lol

[Daedrid]

What Rnad learned was "The Flame and the Void" to acheive the Oneness.  There are likely many way to get there.  The women use "blossom opening to the light" to embrace the source.

 

i dont think aes sedai or any women use it. when a man channels he has to hold the void or lose his grip on saidin. the way women do it doesn't sound like oneness to me.

[aevogt]

Lanfear seems to use it, or at least knows more about it than casual knowledge. 

 

 

[xander]

And i dont think Galad knows it and he is now a Blademaster since he defeated one.

 

Yes, he does. From the KoD prologue:

"By the time [Galad] reached young Bornhold, he had achieved what Gareth and Henre had called the oness. Floating in emptiness, he drew his sword from the scabbard Bornhold proffered, and the slightly curved blade became part of him... Galad was not distracted. Every creak of the saddle leather was clear and distinct, every ringing stamp of hoof on paving stone. He could hear flies buzzing ten feet away as though they were at his ear. He almost thought he could see the movements of their wings. He was one with the flies, with the courtyard, with the two men. They were all part of him, and he could not be distracted by himself."

 

 

That sounds pretty much like the Void to me. And Lanfear also has referred to the Void as "the Oneness."

 

Wow, I never really thought about it before but it sounds to me like Galad just filled himself with the OP. 

 

Hearing the flies buzzing and almost seeing the movements of their wings sounds much like senses enhanced with the OP.

[Galad]

Wow, I never really thought about it before but it sounds to me like Galad just filled himself with the OP.

 

Hearing the flies buzzing and almost seeing the movements of their wings sounds much like senses enhanced with the OP.

 

IIRC, in New Spring Lan describes embracing the Void in much the same way. And I think we can be pretty sure that if Lan were going to start channeling, he would already have done so.

 

On the other hand, there's still a chance Galad can channel, since RJ said the cutoff age for the spark manifesting in men was in the mid-thirties. And even if he doesn't have the spark, there's still a good chance he could learn to channel, considering he has three close blood relatives who can channel.