Well yeah.
From my pre-war/post-war Aikido perspective this IS blending and flowing . . .
The blade of a sharp sword is really a wedge that is so fine that it has the ability to pierce and penetrate such that it essentially
blends with its target and, if handled properly,
flows. All of which can have an immobilizing effect on the recipient.
Our pedagogical progression goes from an outwardly obvious piercing, penetrating, immobilizing physical expression to an outwardly
appearing blending flowing expression which is facilitated by a non-outwardly appearing piercing, penetrating, immobilizing. Both expressions are built on a foundation of internal (mental/physical) organization that determines the relative quality of performance and result.
On the Ki/Kokyu/Aiki "trick" side of things how about
:
Receiving oncoming force such that it
flows cleanly through one's structure and then if one chooses
blends with the force generated by the recipient and is then channeled cleanly back out again.
One's ability to "flow" and "blend" in this scenario is dependent upon one's development of physical/mental organization.
Maybe it is just semantic slight of hand, but I was taught to think of these things synergistically, kind of like the paradox of a "Martial Art of Peace."