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Thread: Quick Questions For Practitioners Of Niten Ichi-Ryu

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    Default Quick Questions For Practitioners Of Niten Ichi-Ryu

    I'm new to the forum. I don't personally practice Niten Ichi-Ryu, being only recently introduced to the art. As such I have a few questions for anyone who practices Niten Ichi-Ryu, particularly related to the daisho:

    1. How precisely is the daisho worn in the sheath(s)?
    1a. Does one refer to the sheath(s) of the daisho as the sheath or the sheaths?

    2. How the flying censorship do you draw them at the same time, assuming you do? And if not, what is the proper way to draw them?

    3. This one is more a confirmation of information I already have- both swords are worn sharp-edge up, yes?

    4. Another confirmation- the daito and shoto used in Niten Ichi-Ryu are typically the katana and the wakizashi, respectively, correct?

    5. When it comes to the daito, I assume it is held closer to the guard, except in very rare instances when the wielder may be wanting in the range department, and thus moves their grip down towards the hilt. Is this assumption correct?

    6. The particular practice of using the daisho is referred to as Hyoho Niten Ichi-Ryu, right?

    The information I was able to find online was unsatisfactory to answer these. Thank you in advance for your help!

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    Hello John,
    Welcome to e-budo.
    Like you, I am also not a practitioner of Niten Ichi ryu. However, I have been practicing a koryu sword art for quite some time, so I am familiar enough with the terminology and practices to be able to give you some answers ...

    1. The daisho is worn with the shoto (short sword) inserted in the sword belt (obi) more toward the center, and the daito (long sword) to the left of it. The two swords will be separated by at least one layer of the obi to prevent them from rubbing against each other.
    2. I am not certain in what order Niten Ichi ryu draws the swords, but other schools that I am familiar with draw the long sword first. There is a particular manner of grasping the short sword in order to draw it left handed and have it in the correct position to be used. It is not something that can be described, it has to be shown.
    3. Yes.
    4. This is correct.
    5. In the schools that I am familiar with, the daito is held in one hand the same way it is held in two hands. The right hand position does not change.
    6. This is incorrect. Hyoho Niten Ichi ryu is the name of a koryu sword school. Most of the school's curriculum involves the use of the long sword, like every other koryu sword art. They do, however, have a number of kata dedicated to the use of two swords. They are not the only school which does, they are just the most well known because it is the school that Musashi started, and he talks quite a bit about using two swords in the well known Gorin no Sho (Book of Five Rings).

    Lots of good information on Musashi and the Hyoho Niten Ichi ryu can be found on Watkin sensei's web site ... http://hyoho.com/

    Cheers,
    Paul Smith
    "Always keep the sharp side and the pointy end between you and your opponent"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Festive Satan View Post
    I'm new to the forum. I don't personally practice Niten Ichi-Ryu, being only recently introduced to the art. As such I have a few questions for anyone who practices Niten Ichi-Ryu, particularly related to the daisho:

    1. How precisely is the daisho worn in the sheath(s)?
    1a. Does one refer to the sheath(s) of the daisho as the sheath or the sheaths?

    2. How the flying censorship do you draw them at the same time, assuming you do? And if not, what is the proper way to draw them?

    3. This one is more a confirmation of information I already have- both swords are worn sharp-edge up, yes?

    4. Another confirmation- the daito and shoto used in Niten Ichi-Ryu are typically the katana and the wakizashi, respectively, correct?

    5. When it comes to the daito, I assume it is held closer to the guard, except in very rare instances when the wielder may be wanting in the range department, and thus moves their grip down towards the hilt. Is this assumption correct?

    6. The particular practice of using the daisho is referred to as Hyoho Niten Ichi-Ryu, right?

    The information I was able to find online was unsatisfactory to answer these. Thank you in advance for your help!
    Well as a member of the ryu perhaps I can answer all your questions:

    Musashi had many duels. Towards the end of his dueling period he found a wooden weapon to be more than proficient. Add to this the fact that he made the transformation from Satsukin ken (Murdering sword) to Katsujinken (winning or life giving sword). That is say all the waza use Sen (To respond after the agressor has committed to a physical attack). So everything is "defensive".

    The ryu does not use and dicourages the use of metal blades. There has been a time when we considered asking other ryu who do use live blade to participate in our embu. But this idea was kicked out by two Soke and myself as Koho Bucho.

    As to drawing weapons ther is no actual waza that cuts from the draw such as Iaijutsu. All waza are done with weapons already drawn.

    Finally Hyoho also pronounced as heiho means strategy.

    May I ask you who introduced you to Niten Ichiryu (two heavens as one) using blades?

    P.S The next seminars take place throughout Canada in 21 days time. Not too late to register and give it a try if you live in that area. I will be accompanying the Soke on this trip.
    Hyakutake Colin

    All the best techniques are taught by survivors.


    http://www.hyoho.com

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    To answer question number 6: "Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu" is a specific koryu...a traditional school of martial arts. Using the daisho in general is called "nito" or "nito waza," meaning "two-sword methods," as opposed to "ito waza," which is "one-sword methods."
    Yours in Budo,
    ---Brian---

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    Thank you all for your help! Much appreciated.
    Quote Originally Posted by hyaku View Post
    The ryu does not use and dicourages the use of metal blades.
    I believe I read something about that- that some forms are practiced with a partner (the attacker), meaning actual blades would just be plain stupid, even if you were well-practiced- even the most skilled swordsman may trip on a rock in battle.
    Quote Originally Posted by hyaku View Post
    May I ask you who introduced you to Niten Ichiryu (two heavens as one) using blades?
    A friend, after I told them "You can't dual wield with a katana! That's ridiculous!"
    Turns out I was wrong, as their quick search of the internet showed. Being the weapons dork I am, I found Niten Ichi-Ryu particularly interesting. It also interested me that, from what I've seen, many of the techniques used with the daisho bear a remarkable resemblance to techniques used in other martial arts.
    Quote Originally Posted by hyaku View Post
    The next seminars take place throughout Canada in 21 days time. Not too late to register and give it a try if you live in that area.
    Unfortunately, I do not.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hyaku View Post
    The ryu does not use and dicourages the use of metal blades. There has been a time when we considered asking other ryu who do use live blade to participate in our embu. But this idea was kicked out by two Soke and myself as Koho Bucho.
    This is very interesting! I never knew that. Thanks very much for that snippet of esoterica.

    I knew that the kata were all two person with bokuto, but I never thought that the ryu might not use metal blades at all.

    Very cool!
    Paul Smith
    "Always keep the sharp side and the pointy end between you and your opponent"

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    Well many waza consist of cuts made with hara that stop a centimeter from the ground. Even with a wooden weapon you 'will' suffer serious injury, even death as a result. How fast and how hard one cuts is left to the senior/teaching size in waza. Needless to say this rule goes out of the window at embu.

    It is also a falacy that weapons are light. They are light for beginers. Nothing light about Musashi's weapon.


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    Last edited by hyaku; 16th June 2017 at 03:02.
    Hyakutake Colin

    All the best techniques are taught by survivors.


    http://www.hyoho.com

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