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

*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

[therolentless]

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.

[brandon]

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.

[anantasheshanaga]

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.

[txinterceptor]

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.

[renaero]

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

[georgethomas]

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 🙏🏻

[jwgoon]

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.

[xshumbo]

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

[ManLikeKitch]

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.

[Krishnaeternal]

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.

[Unaffected_Unknow]

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. 🖤

[pacosolis]

Thank you, From Serenity Dojo in Kokomo Indiana

[kyuremthefrozen]

thank you for the info sensei i like the dual wielding aspect of sword techniques it's more strategic than using one sword

[stewblare]

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.

[shoePatty]

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.

[CrispyChristieMAC]

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.

[bmxriderforlife]

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.

[terrytheblackmage]

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!

[rays-tfl]

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.