I Handed Zatōichi's Katana Cane to a Katana Master and THIS Happened

*The content of our videos is based on the teachings of Asayama Ichiden Ryu and personal studies/experience | There is no intention of denying other Ryuha styles, theories, and cultural aspects

⚔️Join the Online Kobudo Training with Seki Sensei⚔️

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)

🧐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 instruct you 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. 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 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🗡️

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💻

🎵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?❓

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*Please ask us questions through the DM here

#katana #iaido #kenjutsu #kobudo #asayamaichidenryu

[letsasksekisensei]

⚔Join the Online Kobudo Training with Seki Sensei⚔

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)


🧐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 instruct you 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. 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 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🗡

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💻

🎵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?❓

📱Instagram📱
*Please ask us questions through the DM here

#katana #iaido #kenjutsu #kobudo #asayamaichidenryu

[Megidramon]

The fact that Seki-sensei is such a master to where he can imagine all these kata simply by looking at the weapon only goes to show how deep his knowledge actually is. Relating the shikomizue to the wakizashi, tanto, and jo rather than the katana is just brilliant, and proves that, in the hands of a true master such as Seki-sensei, anything can be just as effective and dangerous as a bladed weapon.

[edmartin]

I really like the “take a knee, break his foot, then draw up into the neck” sequence. It really captures the idea that you’re done fighting while the other guy is still working their way through the whole “Wait, that’s a sword?!” Series of thoughts. Seems like a good plan. Plus the sensei saying that it isn’t a good sword for actual sword-fighting sword, so you have to end things quickly. Very sensible 🤺

[NSResponder]

I've been a Zatoichi fan for many years, and this is the first time I've seen any sensei talking about this weapon. Thanks for a very informative lesson.

[gsomethingsomething]

_"Everyone has a plan until they get cut by a Shikomizue."_
- Miko Tysono

[markfergerson]

This was wonderfully educational, and just wonderful in general.

When the Zatoichi films starring Shintaro Katsu hit American late night TV in the1980s I was instantly hooked. (I much prefer his portrayal to those of other actors who played the role specifically because of his plain appearance and humble demeanor, exactly what a ronin should be even with hysterical blindness.)

As I understand it, the three diagonal grooves on the hilt are only on one side to indicate by touch where the edge of the blade is. In many of the films you can see Ichi-San feeling the mouth of the saya to know how to hold it so he can sheathe the blade after a fight, but he always knows where the edge is. There is usually an insert shot (an extreme closeup) of his hand finding the grooves when he has laid down or dropped the sheathed sword so that he knows it’s orientation.

It was amazing to see Seki sensei almost instinctively use reverse grip and have it be effective. For so many years people have dismissed Zatoichi’s reverse grip as pure fantasy but we now have proof that it can be effective even if only in the hands of a master like Seki or a literal legend like Zatoichi.

Thank you both for this. I may have to binge watch the Zatoichi films again. 😊

[fafadk]

There is so much anyone could learn from someone like Seki-sensei. He's not just a great martial artist, he's a fantastic teacher. It's not just passion, you can see the man is full of joy when he demonstrates and talks about his art and the history behind it. If all of us could have this level of accomplishment about something in our lives, the world would definitively be a better place.

[SkyFrameCreations-pk]

Seki Sensei would be the Endboss in every Samurai Game :) His Skills are amazing!

[bigmoe]

Thank you sensei.
The issue I've had with most of the "Debunking the reverse grip style" videos is they try to use it as a dedicated dueling form, rather than the close range, short burst, surprise attack style that it's suited for. They also forget the big role that footwork plays. Zatoichi's style may be exaggerated, but it still held to this principle, and illustrated the flaws by the simple fact that the only times he was truly in danger was when an opponent was able to escape the initial strike and drag it out into a proper duel.

[mannywilliams]

As skilled as Seki Sensei is I greatly admire his ability to remain humble.

[jrlonergan]

Seki Sensei has such an infectious joy when he is demonstrating his arts.

[tnh]

Im just so grateful that Sensei is so patient and a good sport entertaining all of the stuff we have dreamed about asking the real deal expert. Thank you for all your awesome topics :-)

[lucasfv]

Wonderful! More glory for the reverse grip today
Not only is it great to see these skills and experiments, but it genuinely looks like Seki-sensei is having fun too. That makes it more engaging to watch, like we can witness the joy of creating something (weapon skills and kata, in this case) from his years of experience

[PeterJDeer]

"For those who don't know about Zatoichi he is the model for Fujitora--" next you'll tell me there's a legendary swordsman named Zoro known for wearing a black bandana

[KMO]

Great video. I really enjoyed seeing the real-life application of the cane-sword. When I was in high school in the 2000s, the IFC channel in the United States use to have a Saturday programming block called Samurai Saturdays where different samurai movies would be shown on tv—a lot of those movies were either Kurosawa or Zatoichi films.

[Luka-Garu]

Seki sensei is amazing, he can make anything work

[FangedBeauty]

This was my favorite video of you yet! So awesome! <3
I love Zaitochi. It's one of my favorite samurai movies and I always wondered how practical this reverse grip style was.
One of my favorite moments on your channel, was where sensei showed the Shooting Star technique from "Shigurui" (best samurai series I've seen).
To see that this wild technique is actually real and not made up, is so great. Especially when shown by a true master.
And omg...it looked like Sensei could play Zaitochi effortlessly. His moves were so fast and natural.
I absolutely love it when sensei showes these exotic kata's.

[richt]

Fantastic. I enjoyed watching Seki Sensei in these videos. Especially in this one explaining the techniques and history of this weapon found in the movies and anime was actually used in the Meiji period. Love this video ❤

[SlideIX]

My family own two European style sword canes and out of interest I have learned about how they should be used properly. Watching this I can say that the way to use a European sword cane and shikomizue is very different but they do have one thing in common, using the cane/scabbard in conjunction with the blade. Again they way it is used is different but both everything I learned/was taught and the way Seki Sensei demonstrated the uses of Shikomizue maximum it usage.
Anyway I just thought it was interesting

[MrScary]

With regards to Zatoichi I found the movies to be enjoyable. I know his sword fighting style was fictional but I like how even seasoned samurai didn't know how to fight him. The actor, Shintaro Katsu was a great actor with a unique physicality, a way of moving, that was very much a part of the character. I have to say one of my favorite moments is at the end of "Zatoichi and the Fugitive"... at the very end. As he is leaving, he is dancing down the road...smiling and happy. Once he knows that nobody can see him, it's like a mask fell from him and we see his true self. There are many moments like that throughout the series. Superb.