Musashi Did NOT Invent the Two-Katana Style | Dual Wielding of Asayama Ichiden Ryu 

⚔Join the Online Kobudo Training with Seki Sensei⚔ Sign Up HERE (One Lesson FREE): www.patreon.com/lets_ask_sekisensei Interested in taking lessons directly from the 22nd headmaster of Kobudo Asayama Ichiden Ryu, Seki sensei? Sign up to learn authentic samurai skills with 400 years of history with perfect English interpretation from Let’s ask Shogo (ru-vid.com). ❶ No previous martial arts experience is required; you can catch up anytime ❷ Every lesson will be RECORDED and will be available to rewatch anytime ❸ You can ask Seki Sensei questions about the techniques and samurai culture/history ❹ You can join even if you belong to another Ryuha style ❺ You can receive OFFICIAL DAN RANKS by taking exams online (and opening a DOJO in the future) 🛍Purchase the Equipment You Need for Training: tozandoshop.com/letsaskshogo🛍 🗡Iaitō (training katana): tozandoshop.com/collections/habahiro-heavy-weight-iaito/products/byakko-tenryu-semi-custom-iaito?variant=34479502164101 *🗡Bokutō (wooden katana) with plastic Saya (scabbard): tozandoshop.com/collections/iaido-bokuto/products/the-nyumon-iaido-beginners-set 🥋Dōgi and Hakama: tozandoshop.com/collections/kendo-uniform-sets/products/basic-synthetic-kendo-uniform-set-1?variant=39417538216069 🥋Inner Obi (any color): tozandoshop.com/collections/iaido-obi/products/cotton-kaku-obi?variant=34282096230533 🥋Outer Obi (must be WHITE): tozandoshop.com/collections/aikido-obi/products/white-aikido-obi?variant=34120442413189 🦯Short Jō staff: tozandoshop.com/collections/polearms/products/4-21-shaku-jo?variant=39604823195781 🦯Long Jō staff: tozandoshop.com/collections/polearms/products/5-shaku-bo?variant=34073586106501 🧐Frequently Asked Questions About Our Online Lessons: Q❓: I have no experience with katana. Will I still be able to catch up? A💡: You don’t need any previous katana martial arts experience to participate in our lessons. Seki Sensei, the instructor of the online lessons, will carefully give you instructions on how to handle the katana regardless of your level. You will also be able to access all the videos of the past lessons, so you can watch what every other student has learned in the past. You can also send us videos of your progress, and Seki Sensei will be happy to give you feedback. Q❓: What is the right length of the Iaito (zinc alloy training katana) I should use? A💡: Please purchase an Iaitō that is at least two blocks longer than the standard length. The standard length for Seki Sensei is about 177cm, so he should use a 2.45 Shaku long katana. However, he uses a 2.6 Shaku-long katana that is supposed to be used by someone 190cm tall. If the katana is too short, it becomes too easy to draw, which is not good for training. Q❓: Can I join even if I belong to a different Ryuha style? A💡: Yes, it’s not a problem at all. The Seki Sensei himself has trained in more than five styles and various other weapons. If you don’t want others to know that you are participating, you can join the online lessons with your camera off. To have the Sensei check your progress, you can send us a video of you practicing. 🗡Join the Online Iaido Training with Seki Sensei🗡 Sign Up Here (One Lesson FREE): www.patreon.com/sekisenseiiaidotraining Interested in taking Iaido lessons directly from the 8th Dan Iaido Master with 40 years of experience in Musō Shinden Ryu, Seki sensei? Sign up to learn authentic samurai skills with perfect English interpretation from Let’s ask Shogo. ❶ No previous martial arts experience is required; you can catch up anytime ❷ Every lesson will be RECORDED and will be available to rewatch anytime ❸ You can ask Seki Sensei questions about the techniques and samurai culture/history ❹ You can join even if you belong to another Ryuha style 💻Seki Sensei's Official Website💻 sekisensei.com/ 🎵Original Opening Theme Song "Hyakuren"🎵 Performance: Hanafugetsu (Singer/Suzuhana Yuko, Shakuhachi/Kaminaga Daisuke, Koto/Ibukuro Kiyoshi) Compositions & Arrangements: Suzuhana Yuko Mixing & Mastering: Watabiki Yuta ❓What is Asayama Ichiden Ryu? / Who is Seki sensei?❓ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2aBKmWmJpJw.html 📱Instagram📱 instagram.com/lets_ask_sekisensei/ *Please ask us questions through the DM here ♪Music♪ elements.envato.com/audio otowabi.com/category/material/japan #katana #iaido #kenjutsu #kobudo #asayamaichidenryu

It's interesting because if you read the book of five rings Miyamoto Musashi says that you should learn to fight with a katana in either hand. I think more than dual wielding, he was trying to emphasize ambidexterity. So if for some reason you had to stop using your dominant hand, you could fight without much difference.

A little history on this subject- Musashi is recorded as having frequently meditated at Katori shrine where they practiced Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto ryu. Katori Shinto just happens to have a curriculum dedicated to two sword style. Two sword style most likely long predates Musashi's lifetime.

This is very interesting indeed. For me especially because there's an Indian martial art called Sanatan Shastarvidiya which has similar principles. The first sword style taught within it is known as Garuda, based on the movement of birds. It is used for skirmishing. The sword draw is called fur - bird taking flight. The arms are compared to the wings of birds. There's also focus on ambidexterity.

Correct. Katori Shinto Ryu has 2 sword Nito techniques which predate the birth of Musashi. There are also other schools which have nito techniques independent from Musashi which are Tatsumi Ryu, Shingyoto Ryu and just to name a couple.

Thank you so much Seki Sensei for explaining nito technique, it is very interesting about the history of using a shield in Asayama Ichiden Ryu, it would be amazing to learn Asayama Ichiden Ryu 🙏🏻

Two-sword styles are always impressive, takes a lot of coordination

I would like to throw out a theory about why the wakizashi is in the right hand and the uchigatana is in the left. Both types of swords must be drawn with the right hand. However, if you assume you start the fight by drawing the uchigatana first (maybe via throw-draw), and then later realize you need a second blade to deal with the opponent (or multiple opponents), you simply shift the already-drawn uchigatana to the left hand, and draw the wakizashi with the right hand (which, in Asayama Ichiden Ryu, is a draw that only requires 1 hand while a uchigatana draw is usually done with two hands). Therefore, in a style that optimizes for practicality, this is by far the most likely scenario in which you'd be armed with both katana in a real fight. It's not about the idealized combat techniques of which sword is better in main-hand/off-hand in HEMA or other kenjutsu styles. Since the 1st uchigatana draw is so fast and safe in Asayama Ichiden Ryu, there's a natural advantage that once the sword is out, you can shift it to the left hand and draw the wakizashi in the right hand. I think if there's any room for Seki Sensei to add or create a new kata, it would be a basic training for the sequence which includes shifting the blade to the left hand. I can imagine opportunities in which the "taka-no-ha" concept naturally develops from the motion of bringing the hands together to hand off the uchigatana, and drawing the wakizashi with the right hand.

Musashi did not invent using two katanas. He invented a STYLE of using two katanas.

When i started to learn te ni to ryu, I was taught first to master using my left hand, drawing and using a uchigatana. I also had to learn how to use chopsticks with left hand during meals, instead of my right. The full ni to ryu training came later, when I had to coordinate the two blades for multiple scenarios. Since my style focuses on balance, both blades must be the same. I only came to learn that this was quite an unusual concept later.

5:39 Italian rapier and dagger styles loved doing this to the point that they made simultaneous parry and thrust some of their core moves due to how effective it is, even including locking cross-guards in the dagger to lock swords/rapiers. This however, is unorthodox until he explained that you're actually using the long sword as a makeshift shield because you have a larger surface area. Tates are an extremely underrated topic in Japanese styles and Japanology in general. Outside of sieges where they were incorporated by archers, tangenshima and raiding parties, it was very much non-existent in Edo period. I believe some woodcut works show riders also incorporating it too, but I haven't seen a test whether one stop a 50 cal musket ball from a handgun.

I don't know much about using a katana, but I can tell that Seki Sensei's control is almost superhuman. The blade always starts, moves, and stops precisely where he wants it to go. I love these videos.

Maybe Musashi just didn't invent it, but mastered it in an unparalleled level. すごいビデオです。

I *love* how every time I have a question about swordplay, Seki-Sensei and you always have an answer. Learning Kata has never been accessible until I found this page, and now I practice every day. 🖤

I train in a filipino style that often uses two swords and always like seeing how other styles approach how to do it

Yeah common misconception he invented dual wielding. He did however adapt his family jutte jutsu techniques into his own unique dual wielding style that does do some things slightly different then many ryuha. Simultaneous attack and defense and certain aspects of tempo to use timing to make it harder for the opponent to react.

Very surprised that dual welding was something that happened enough for curriculum to be made around it.

This was an extremely interesting and informative video, thank you for sharing! At 4:15, Seki Sensei mentions that Asayama Ichiden Ryu students trained with _shields_ . Do you know what year(s) in history they trained this, and what type of shield? I never knew that shields were a part of traditional Japanese martial arts in this way! That's fascinating.

By holding the katana in the left hand, it clearly defines the inside and outside lanes against someone who is holding a katana with both hands and is right hand dominant thus making it easier for the individual fighting florentine.

二丁鎌の型があるので、二刀の型もあるのでは？と思っていました。 左右の腕を同時に違う方向に動かすのはかなり難しく、稽古を続けています。

the only down side to these videos that go by so fast. i could listen to yall go on for hours. thank for the great videos.

It becomes a very english method of swordplay. Using the overhead spin to attack quicker, when applied to only one katana.

I think Katori Shinto Ryu has some dual sword work , and it is both older than Asayama Ichiden Ryu and Niten Ichi Ryu.

Seki Sensei has such unbelievable transition from slow to fast. It's instantaneous, there is no tell in his movements before the strike. It's amazing to watch.

I love the Hawks Wing - It looks so cool.

Aún no sé como llegué a este canal, pero gracias a eso descubrí a shogo y revivió mi gusto por fascinante cultura la japónesa lo malo es que no hay muchos lugares en argentina para aprender kendo o iaido x,d

Thanks for the lesson! I dual wield in a similar manner to how Seki-Sensei was doing it in this video. His cross-guard followed by a strike with the shorter sword is very similar to how I score most of my points. I was very impressed by the taka-no-ha (hawk's wings) method and I think I'll be giving it a try. As always, Shogo and Seki-Sensei have put out a fascinating and informative video. Thank you both for the work you do!

3:57 The left and right from got mistaken here if we consider left and right from musashis prespective.

Im a fan of two wakizashi i , its faster than a long sword and more balanced . :) of course it has less reach , but the added speed with better dafence of two swords , is superior . And the weight of the wakizashi is better for one handed swordsmanship . Respect :)

i tried duel wielding and naturally came to the same conclusion on my own, on right hand smaller, left hand bigger, since the left hand is supposed to keep the other guy out of his effective distance, controlling the distance of the fight/as an parrying tool, and most importantly, my shorter sword cuts better then my longer one, and is sharper, so it might not be because of this (they have the same thickness and girth) shorter is 14in blade, 19in total, longer one is 20in blade, 25.5 total

Hmmm, very interesting. This channel is gradually becoming better than Shogo's main channel.

Musashi did not invent duel blade style, but he invented niten ichi

🙏🏽much love

I would love to see some sword and shield style, sounds very interesting!

Great video series! I found this one especially interesting as I practice Kendo and have been playing in Nito Ryu for the last 5 years. I have been critiqued by Sensei that i need to make my Shoto more threatening so seeing kata or waza using the daito to suppress the opponent's sword and striking with the shoto gave me sone new perspectives on how effective the wakizashi/shoto coyld be.

This was super interesting! As a kendōka I always love learning more about traditional kobudō. The things shown in this video are akin to kata - which are pre-set (choreographed) sequences of moves that focus in on particular techniques or philosophies. However, if someone is interested in seeing this style in "action" against a resisting opponent then have a look at nitō kendō shiai.

Fantastic!! we Have this movement in karate-do!! is fantastic.

Great video, I’m a little bit confused. The picture you showed has Musashi holding the longer katana in his right hand, but you demonstrate holding it in the left, opposite to the picture. 3:52

I've heard conjecture that Niten Ishi-Ryi may have had a healthy dose of foreign influence. The Portuguese made contact with Japan in 1543, and the Spanish Destreza style of fencing really took off in the late 16th century, right around the time of Musashi's birth. Destreza makes heavy use of the rapier in the right hand, paired with a long dagger in the left. It could explain why Musashi's style is "backwards."

Thank you!

Thank you for introducing me into the arts of the katana. I was fascinated by these weapons from the young age and I already do some martial arts and I love to learn Iaido and from yesterday I want I start with the Kenjutsu...

Very interesting!

Awesome as always. Thank you for sharing .

great job. really enjoying the demonstration through movement instead of just describing it.

Don’t know what to say so I’m just adding a comment to try and get this in more people’s recommendations!

I love the hawk wings technique!!!

So one of the main uses is the same reason rapier and dagger was used. You had both and you could block the attack and attack your opponent in the same beat. People also used capes to divert the weapon or blind the attacker.

nitpick, but at the 3:50 mark where you refer to Musashi's 1640 self portrait, the wakazashi is in Musashi's left hand, not his right. Unless it was common for 17th century Japanese artists to not invert handedness for figures facing out of the page, like left hand is page left not figure's left and right hand is page right... but I've never heard of this and I understand Musashi was a sculptor as well as a painter. It does relate to a video on your other channel about left-handed samurai, as a lefty I got excited when you suggested Musashi was left handed, but I found no other testimony to that effect and the only evidence being that he was buried with katana in his left hand and a cane in his right. Everything else interesting though, two-sword styles predating Ni-Ten-Ichi-Ryu kind of render moot the speculation on Musashi's inspiration - his father's jutte technique, witnessing Portuguese fighting with parrying daggers, taiko drummers etc. when there's this simpler explanation that two-sword styles already existed.

So Japanese used shields in combat (aside the barrier shields for fortification.) And they use two swords like dagger and rapier. Learned something new.

Thank you for the lesson of using 2 katanas. I've been searching knowledge on how to use a short and long katana.

Thank you, From Serenity Dojo in Kokomo Indiana

Thanks!

Great Techniques, It is so nice to see someone show real two sword Fighting Style!!!

Ofc Musashi didn't invent it he mastered it which is what no person will ever master

Como alguien que se crío con una espada Ropera en la mano derecha y una Vizcaína en la izquierda, soy incapaz de usar una espada a dos manos (tiene que ser muy grande para usarla a dos manos) motivo por el cual cuando empecé a practicar Kenjutsu me lancé directo al estilo de dos Katanas. En base a mi experiencia, el secreto de usar dos espadas (una larga y una corta) es saber aprovechar las distancias y bloquear con la espada adecuada. Hay ocasiones en las que es mejor blorquear con la larga y atacar con la corta y al revés, es cuestión de practica.

I would love to see two katana vs rapier and dagger

Excellent highly informative video. Arigato

I was trained to never cross your own sword. Even on the five rings it says blocking and attacking should be one move.

Very familiar with HEMA's rapier and dagger

Good video and thank you for the info. And to be interesting to see more of the 2 sword style and in the method of using the shield with the sword.

Very cool

Awesome I could practice with sensei all day long 'let's stocks work and chefs cook

great series! Seki Sensei and Shogo translation !

Shouldn't you be able to move your katana faster if you are holding it with two hands? You may be able to beat the dual wilder by feinting because his katana held in one hand takes longer to recover, and your katana has more reach than his wakizashi.

Lots of the techniques in this ryu remind me of techniques in classical Filipino Martial Arts, which commonly use two weapons and cut the body rather than focusing on the weapon. The Hawk cuts with two weapons are very like the gunting/scissor cuts used in Espada y Daga/Sword and Dagger in certain FMA styles.

Shogo please keep making videos with Seki Sensei.

A pleasure to watch the fluency and grace in the moves, big ous, when I was a younger around 7 years old I loved martial arts and samurai moves I started karate at 7 years old now I'm 46 have tried many arts in fighting but the love I have for Japanese arts goes on but I never got to train with the sword but anyway full contact ashihara karate is what I've been doing since 2010 I'm kuro obi,ous from Ireland to Japan 💯👊👊🙏🙏

Somewhat similar in form to rapier and main gauche though the wakizashi may have a few advantages, it would be slower than the main gauche to defend and parry, and perhaps closer to using a tanto with katana which may not have been an actual technique used? When "two-katana" fighting is mentioned, I was initially disappointed to learn it was katana and wakizashi. I had practiced with single katana, then two katana; the second katana in your inferior hand is much slower, however that can be reduced or overcome by first practicing single katana with reverse hands to build strength and speed, then moving on to one katana with one hand, left then right then two katana. I am blessed to be very tall with long arms, so drawing two katana simultaneously isn't difficult to clear the saya, I found with diligent repeated practice using the right hand to draw the left katana and the left hand to draw the right katana, the blade naturally sets to the proper position. However, your single hand is then close to the tsuba making the balance and control very different, so I have a practiced a technique to use a katana with one hand, left and right independently, then both which needs more practice tl;dr, not knowing any better, I practiced using two katana vs katana and wakizashi; is there any historical record for this technique?

Awesome content

Really loving the new channel!!!

I think you are mistaken, because in that picture the sword and Musashi’s left-hand is the wakazashi and the katana is in his right hand

But the pic at 3min 52sec of Musashi it appears he's holding the shorter sword in his left hand.

As a lefthander, I noticed that having the heavier katana in my right hand (even though my swords are made of EVA foam and aren't very heavy to begin with) and the lighter wakizashi in my stronger left hand gave me equal reach and near equal strength with both swords. Maybe the headmaster who devised this style was lefthanded like me 😂

thanks you!! show katana with tanto please

I call my double style, TORNADO OF DEATH

Very neat!

Thank you

Thank you for showing Old School lantana use The old ryu ha of Japan are great

I love this channel!

Please do some Naginata work next🙏

Fun to watch. Thanks.

Very nice moves guys 💪👌👏👍❤️😎

You know what would be great? Since this partnership has developed on this youtube channel, [whereby with his Kyoshi Shogo, Seki Sensei can reach a broader audience, because of English translation and subtitles], then, COULD YOU PARTNER TO PUT SUBTITLES ON SEKI SENSEI'S 'ASAYAMA ICHIDEN RYU HYOHO' VIDEO? There's hundreds of people in the U.S. and Europe that have been asking for this, for years. That would be a TREMENDOUS SERVICE to the Martial Arts Community, [not to mention a money-maker].

I’m literally practicing RN

関先生、いつも説明してくれてどうもありがとうございます。 出来れば、大小の下げ緒の結び方も教えてくれませんか。 Thank you for the video! Could you perchance make a video about how to tie the sageo of each sword when you're wearing them together?

What i dont get is why they use a wakizashi instead of two katanas i read that people mainly used the wakizashi as a secondary weapon blocking with the wakizashi and attacking with the katana but isnt having two katanas better you can block with either of your katans and strike with either of your katans instead of having one side completly for blocking and attacking i just dont get it maybe wielding two katans is extremly hard but i think its possible isnt it?

If any of you are interested, in Ako Roshi Episode 35, Kobayashi Heishichi fights off some of the Ako ronin with 2 katana.

I think the biggest problem is that real katana is a bit too heavy for one hand, plus you don't have two hands to do the lever work on the handle.

I've always found even the idea that Musashi invented two-sword usage ridiculous. There is absolutely no way nobody else in the 600+ years that samurai wore two swords before his time didn't go "wait, we have two swords... and two hands. Maybe use both at once?"

I don't think there is anything historical that says musashi invented or started using two swords/two hands (where as it did not exist prior). Wonder where the idea came from

I myself have also received training withe the Japanese Katana from one The Great Masters.

I always wondered about two sword techniques

3:53 You may not be correct about which hand the katana and wakizashi are in in the painting...could you take another look?

You might have misspoke at @3:56 when you described the way Musashi held his swords. 🙏🏻

I'm having a little trouble figuring out how the timing in the kata and the description connect. Several times the narrator says that you can defend and strike in one movement. In the kata as shown there is a defending phase where both blades are engaged with the opponent's sword followed by a deflection or hold with one of the defender's swords and a strike with the other. Is this because Master Seki is making it easier for the viewers to see how the hands coordinate? For example: 1 -> Block with crossed swords 2 -> Move the attacker's sword with the longer blade and strike with the shorter blade That would seem to be two beats or a beat and a half. A true one-beat engagement would seem to be defense with one blade and a simultaneous attack with the other 1 => Deflect with one blade while hitting with the other

These videos are exceptional, full of information and it's a real honor to be able to watch them.. but I laugh so much at the facial expression the assistant make everytime he get's hit LOL

I noticed that around 4:18 Seki Sensei says "kodachi" although the subs translate as wakizashi. I'm curious if these (the 2 terms and/or the 2 different types of swords) are used interchangeably for all intents and purposes, at least in this context

Very interesting to see, especially the differences of this style and Filipino Kali which I practiced a lot and also often uses 2 sticks or swords. Also interesting that Kobudo considers 2 sword techniques advanced things that are to be trained after you already are very experienced with a single blade while in Kali, they are tought right from the beginning to teach you movements and body mechanics. Then again. the Katana is primarily a weapon for use with both hands while most filipino swords are primarily one handed weapons so maybe that is something that plays into it. Also one thing that IS considered more advanced in Filipino martial arts is the use of 2 weapons of different lengths (mostly sword and dagger) because it makes a lot of use of the concept of utilizing the different ranges of those weapons and moving between ranges.

A simple theory on why the left hand holds the katana: armor. It is hard enough to use a katana to cut through a kabuto with both hands, so probably impossible for most people to do this single-handed. Better results using the wakizashi in the right hand. People who think of Musashi style, or rapier and main gauche, are thinking of styles of unarmored combat.

There are techniques which can be used to defend and strike concurrently with a single blade.