Fighting with two Shinais

Shogun97 · 25th March 2004, 11:34 PM

On the download webside of Kendo-world there is a video,called Nito,where a guy is fighting with two Shinais .
Lookes cool and strange at the same time.

When can you learn to do this and is it wise to learn it?
What do you think of it?

C.U.

**sminki** · 25th March 2004, 11:47 PM

Yes. It's called nito. There's been a LOT of discussions regarding this already. Look under the "waza" section of the forums or search the forum for "nito".

**mystic_kendoka** · 26th March 2004, 01:58 AM

you wont be able to learn it.... you need to have years of experience in normal kendo, and someone to teach you nito...

Jin-e · 26th March 2004, 03:06 AM

It might look cool but it's not very effective (I think). I once did a shiai with someone using 2 shinai, and it did'nt help him a lot.

**mystic_kendoka** · 26th March 2004, 03:09 AM

i think it would be, although ive never had the chance to try... one sword to defend, one to attack, seems effective... I'll try it on a friend or two :>

**mystic_kendoka** · 26th March 2004, 03:12 AM

besides, nito kirikaeshi would be a pain i think... for the uchidachi AND the motodachi, i think its a pain being hit by 1 sword, imagine wat its like with two...

Mitsurugi_xx · 26th March 2004, 04:08 AM

Hmm nito is crazy. if you are skilled in it, you'd definitely be a tough fighter.. but ya.. unless someone teaches you.. there is no way you can learn it on your own.. I think for sure if you want to do it you need solid basics in kendo. I read somewhere that Mathew Raymond on the Canadian team started nito after 3dan.. and he nito owns..

**Perfect Tommy** · 26th March 2004, 05:27 AM

Originally Posted by mystic_kendoka

besides, nito kirikaeshi would be a pain i think... for the uchidachi AND the motodachi, i think its a pain being hit by 1 sword, imagine wat its like with two...

Nitto kirikaeshi is no diffrent for the motodachi to recieve than normal kirikaeshi as a nitto play can only cut with one shinai at a time, whilst one shinai is cutting the other is on the back swing for it's next cut. There is not a lot of differance in the speed of Nitto or single shinai kirikaeshi.

**Inouye02** · 26th March 2004, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by Jin-e

It might look cool but it's not very effective (I think). I once did a shiai with someone using 2 shinai, and it did'nt help him a lot.

maybe you should keiko with moocow ..

**Catherine** · 26th March 2004, 11:07 AM

I think that nitto can be very effective, but you have to be good at it. I think that it is quite difficult to find someone to teach you.

I think that Matthew Raymond on the Canadian National Team, beat one of the Japanese team members at the World Championships in Santa Clara playing nitto.

The difficult thing with fighting nitto is that the short sword can block your shinai while the long sword can cut you. I had the opportunity to fight against a nitto player in Melbourne, Australia earlier this year and it was a lot of fun. I think that you need to be really grounded in your own kendo to fight effectively against nitto.

Catherine

Shogun97 · 26th March 2004, 06:53 PM

well, is any of you actually using nitto?

**Jarlaxle** · 26th March 2004, 07:25 PM

You need strong arms and in my opinion it also requires ambidexterity to be a good("best") nito player.

**Musha** · 26th March 2004, 07:42 PM

I tried to learn Nito by my self for a few weeks and did not find it too difficult. I also tried it against a Dan grade in my Dojyo. Did not do well, but I did not drop any of the shinai or do any thing really stupid

. It does seem like starting kendo again though and it is a little boring without a Sensei to teach you or any one to practice with so I think I would rather wait till I get to a higher Dan grade before I start again. I am not even Ikkyu yet

.

P.s You can strike with the Shoto and even get points. The Shoto can be used to brake down your opponent and then strike with the Daito because the Daito seems much slower than in normal kendo and you can not just go slashing people with it at will.

**Old Warrior** · 27th March 2004, 03:39 AM

"I tried to learn Nito by my self for a few weeks and did not find it too difficult."

Then clearly you are a much better kenshi than I or perhaps have a much different set of standards. On a good day nito is challenging.

**Musha** · 27th March 2004, 05:22 AM

I have heard alot of people say like Jarlaxle:-

You need strong arms and in my opinion it also requires ambidexterity to be a good("best") nito player.

I find that if you do a lot of Suburi practice it feels as fast as with a normal shinai. Probably not correct but feels ok. I read some thing that Moocow said about Jyoudan, that you should not swing the shinai over your sholder and not doing that does make it a little harder but I can still swing ok

.
I am not saying it is easy or I am any better than bigginers level but I am sure if I did Nito every week insted of Kendo I could do it without any special expertise, Nito seems like a different thing you have to think about Shinai ballence, Hip movement, balence and body posture, Shinai weight Seme, seichu sen lots of different things. Nito is related to kendo but it could almost be Naginata

.

P.s Don't pick at my posts it's only my view on things

.