Dual Wielding Longswords! Why Anime and Video Games are WRONG!

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[@lazarusknite]

I'm just impressed he had the jaw strength for the Zoro style

[@puddel9079]

Miyamoto Musashi made it clear of two things... 1.) Swordplay is *simple* to learn. Not easy, but simple. 2.) If you are having trouble with dual wielding, use one weapon.

[@lopezroilans.8384]

Master of the Sharpened Oar

[@henrikaugustsson4041]

@@lopezroilans.8384master of all weapons, even sharpened oars.

[@EpherosAldor]

I study Filipino Kali and am so glad you guys addressed the dual wielding inherent within the art. The thing with Kali is that the weapons weave in a variety of directions and movements making it hard to determine where someone's weapons are while in engagement. I think for the longswords, as you pointed out, that it's too heavy to use exactly like Kali sticks and it's too unwieldy to use like it was here with a sorta stationary guard position, but... what if there is a weird amalgam of Kali's weaving but having the mindset of using greatsword, like zweihander or claymore. Since the greatsword is treated closer to a pike or spear I wonder if the weaving can be used with a more highly mobile footwork and have this be a bit more viable (and probably more tiring). Great video though, looks like it was a lot of fun to mess with. Thanks!

[@Nox332960073452]

In Kali there is also some part about use spears and even if i'm a total beginner in this part, the body forms stays the same, but to say the truth i actually hardly imagine some kind of serious sparring with spears or long stisk because if you hit your target you will really hurt him, so i can't really tells you how much weave is part of it

[@Aquilenne]

I was almost about to go off on dual rapiers, but the thrusting weapon disclaimer came very quickly. Good job.

[@amirferdhany3177]

Case of Swords, basically butterfly rapiers

[@coopercummings8370]

Two rapiers is still rather impractical and often leaves you worse off than if you had rapier and dagger or rapier and buckler or even sometimes single rapier, but it is usable and has some advantages.

[@nowayjosedaniel]

There are historical examples of techniques using dual rapiers tho?​@coopercummings8370

[@MrByakkoneko]

I'm not even two minutes in and "Here, hold this." "ZORO STYLE!" Aaaand I've lost it already.

[@euryanagc]

I think the major problem is that you can't really control a longsword with one hand. And you showed that clearly in the video

[@D-RAY97]

Fiore would disagree with you. Lol

[@D-RAY97]

@@ColdNapalm42 true, most longswords we have for hema are longer than the sharps that was used back then.

[@astros8041]

You can. These guys just don’t know what they’re doing. Y’all can’t watch a video made by dudes who don’t practice something, as they’re telling you it just doesn’t work, and you’re taking that as the end all be all. Do your own research. There are notable dual wielders as well as treatise all throughout history.

[@JoshyBoy1124]

I agree it’s unrealistic but i think compared to other fantasy tropes like guts sword or reverse grip its a lot more reasonable

[@astros8041]

It’s not at all unrealistic.

[@astros8041]

There are literally treatise.

[@irrelevantfish1978]

​@@astros8041 While it might not be "unrealistic" in the sense of being physically impossible, it _is_ unrealistic in the sense that even marginally trained fighters would know better than to dual-wield full-length swords that aren't extremely thrust-centric. I admit that I'm far from an expert, but I've seen no period art depicting it and am aware of only one treatise that touches on it, which I've heard treats it as an area denial weapon-set. And even for that purpose, it seems a questionable choice. If you're in a situation where you don't have the reach of a true primary weapon (eg, zweihanders and polearms) which would perform such a function far better, and you're unable to maneuver such that the fight into a series of 1v1's (the only time area denial makes a whole lot of sense) it seems like you're basically just slightly delaying your inevitable death.

[@astros8041]

@@irrelevantfish1978 it’s just like with anything else; you either train to be able to do it or you don’t. Saying, “it can be done, but by someone with more skill than me” and then saying, “it only works sometimes” isn’t sufficient. There is never a time when a second arm is a disadvantage other than when the duelist does not know what they’re doing. Further, our swords today are worse for it than the swords they used at the time. The scenario you gave is quality deficient; any inappropriately sized weapon for any given circumstance or task at hand is “unrealistic” to use. There’s no such thing as “the reach of a true primary weapon”; it’s either a short, mid, or long range weapon, and from there you, yourself, are either able to maneuver and navigate as necessary or you aren’t. That comes down to knowing your skills/advantages as a fighter, and the weapon you’re using; that is what can help determine what a “primary” weapon means/is for the user. It’s 100% within the realm of possibility as a main art as anything else. If you’re a good fighter with only your left arm, of course trying to use both will take work. The case is simply that most are not athletically capable, dexterous, perceptive, or courageous enough to train dual wielding because they’re ok being told what isn’t possible. That’s the long and short of it. I do it. I’ve seen other people do it. I can’t take “misinformational” videos like this because so many people get the wrong impression from people who don’t even practice what they’re berating. There are a plethora of grip and stance combinations that make it almost impossible to get passed without a major, and often unworthy, sacrifice. Nevermind its multiple opponent capabilities.

[@hogma7989]

Gut's sword serves a purpose (It was forged to kill a dragon, no one could lift it except for Guts) and a thematic connection to the story. Meanwhile, any bastard sword portrayal is unjustified, especially if the fantasy involves dungeons, caves, or any enclosed spaces. At least dual wielding, you can justify with a dagger/shorter sword + superhuman abilities of anime characters.

[@DerangedPacman]

this guys worst nightmare: a giant katana like gunsword in reverse grip being used to parry with the flat while the other hand has a longsword

[@BLET_55artem55]

Doing spin attacks only 💪

[@McGuy-fd3gl]

The other long sword is also in reverse grip

[@giulyanoviniciussanssilva2947]

Sephiroth already show a power of a giant katana.

[@sakonan4883]

O didn’t watch the whole video, but this is why Wing Chun butterfly swords are short. They’re length is also to allow you to swing both in the same direction at the same time for basically power blows, without the length getting in the way, and then binding and if you’re close enough, slashing with one sword. Wing Chun is basically fencing if you used your hands instead because it relies on feeling your opponent too

[@RanmaruPala]

when 2 swords are not working, use a third. -Roronoa Zoro

[@Mimic_Blade_Alex]

Coming into the video I was gonna talk about miyamoto musashi but you got to that already so I am very pleased, another great sellsword arts video

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

Musashi has never focused on dual wielding. His whole philosophy is that if you have to constantly keep 2 hands on the katana, ur a wimp, that you should be flexible between 1 handed grip and 2 handed grip. It reflected directly on his set of techniques in Itto Seiho, the other hand using Wakizashi is just icing on the cake once you mastered the above, not the main focus of his art.

[@bikewater-bc8qm]

You guys must be having a ton of fun and it's great to see. Have a good life and keep flying with your dreams

[@SiewNorthstar]

i'd like to see dual weilding with two different, lesser used weapons. like a khopesh and an ice axe, or an ikakalaka and a khukuri

[@shannonlute2735]

I have practiced double long sword with some of the groups I have been in. It is difficult and will leave your center line open more, if you haven't built up the strength to block and recover after being set off line. And yes, the handle length is a problem. Bottom line is it is scary and mostly useful against timid newbies. Seasoned longsword fighters will usually find the right opening 😂 Edit: the sword drop at 13:17 is also a somewhat common event.

[@zzzzz-em2jp]

yeah they're wrong and unrealistic, but as a Key Animator your goal is to make the fight prolonged yet entertaining regardless of swordmanship fundamentals. It's complicated to explain because animating has their own fundamentals. Maybe with more commentary like this animators could take notes and apply it in future. Also, there might be few that are realistic too , e.g Yutaka Nakamura's works

[@vincentlee7359]

​@letsgo23123shhh let him be ignorant 😂

[@thecomet653]

@@vincentlee7359 fr

[@vincentlee7359]

@@supermansdaddy7019 Look up Adorea Olmouc. He is IGNORANT in his statement regarding making animated fights prolonged for entertainment and how he is defending it. WHILE Adorea Olmouc utilizes actual techniques and makes fights entertaining without unrealistic BS. If you couldn't understand that, or figure it out then you, too, are ignorant.

[@vincentlee7359]

@@supermansdaddy7019 And what do you think the word ignorant means? Because clearly you are ignorant as much as the OP is.

[@astros8041]

Incorrect. There are notable dual wielders in history as well as treatise for you to research before hopping on a misinformed bandwagon. I’ve effectively used the style multiple, myself.

[@pulsesilver1457]

I enjoy the intellectual argument. I love duel wielding but understand it’s not for long swords:) I like how he explains it can be done with longer weapons (things longer than knives and short daggers) but also how it can’t be done by the guy who thinks he can lift a claymore with one hand and use it.🗿

[@ASnakeintheGrass]

This got me thinking, how well would it work to mix styles? Say a rapier in one hand and slasher like a saber in the other, working around it.

[@archer3813]

@@ColdNapalm42 I think they mean for slasher one-handed weapon.

[@atom8248]

@@ColdNapalm42 Rapier and a short messer in the off hand would probably be pretty good

[@Kenzaki1010]

Unless you can draw a circle with one hand and a square with the other at the same time. that ain't gonna work. Left and right hand want to work in tandem, putting weapons that require each hand to perform a different set of skills will mess you up.

[@TheNitoGaming]

In the Spanish destreza we could often see dual wielding with a rapier on the main hand and a parry dagger, or any element to be used as distraction, on the other.

[@Densoro]

16:00 Here, I noticed that the _handle_ of your higher sword nearly locks out your lower blade. I know we talk about getting crossed up blade-to-blade, but this seems like a hell of a sleeper disadvantage when dual-wielding with a long grip. Would you say a good rubric for offhand blades is, 'Shorter than your arm'? I noticed with kali and sai that I didn't have the versatility, when I couldn't moulinette safely under my own armpit.

[@jonharker9028]

I think it’s a general assumption with FMA that the stick is about your arm length, they’re just standardised today for convenience because most people are a similar height and the sticks break often. I haven’t learned any specific FMA style, but if you can contact instructors past or present of yours they can either confirm this or say I’m silly.

[@thespanishinquisition4078]

Really there's little standarization when it comes to offhand blades. But I have found there's basically 2 camps: 1) Short cutting swords paired with other short cutting swords. 2) Utility-focused tools (most often parry daggers, also bucklers, sometimes other kinds of parry implements like the swordbreaker or daggers not necessarily focused on parrying like the rondel dagger, which was mostly used to ram it into the enemy armor) paired with one handed, normally thrusting-focused swords (which is to say, 9 times out of 20, a rapier, sometimes an estoq or other rapier-like sword like the schiavona) Even the 2 rapier deal I'd classify on field 2 because while it is an extreme oddity, in being the only long weapon used this way, its use looking at the manuals is mostly that of a glorified parry dagger, with the only exception of being usrd to be able to change foot in some maneuvers. Generally I'd say the best offhander is indeed the parry dagger. Most concretely the Daga de Vela (don't know its english name it keeps saying parry dagger which is true but also that's like being told the translation for "duck" is "bird", yes its a bird but its a specific bird damnit) This dagger has a generous crossguard to tangle the enemy sword, an ample hand protection to keep you safe while parrying, and is a relatively long and thin dagger so it has all the utility of such an implement both in combat and for general use. Its no wonder this variation of the parry dagger came to dominate for the longest time at the point in history where offhanders were tried more due to the reduction in armor (if your opponent is armored just use a buckler, no offhander's gonna cut through that so you're better off bonking him anyway and the protection is good). It simply gives all of the defense and utility you'd want from an offhander while being short enough to be maneuverable and discrete. Its also the best combo for the rapier, particularly shell or cup, which again were the dominant styles of swords for this period, and it once again shows why, as for unarmored combat few things beat a rapier so long as you're willing to train with it.

[@colinrobinson9858]

You leave my boy Kirito alone

[@tommyhmt3414]

He is true tho so you can't argue with that. Now practice your foot work

[@lazarusknite]

I would say Kirito's sword are closer to one-handed swords than longsword

[@DualBladesKirito]

@colinrobinson9858 yeah!

[@Nightmare704RY]

@@lazarusknite a lot of Japanese depictions of "long swords" are pretty short compared to what we see has long swords, take Dark souls, all the straight long swords there are pretty short, none of them would be what long sword compared to the ones used in this video.

[@SellswordArts]

😂

[@LordOwenLongstrider]

Speaking of Kali and duel-wielding, I'm an SCA armored Chivalric fighter, one of my favorite duel-wielding or florentine drills is a basic Kali drill. Basically, you start by making a strike to the head (in this case, let's say you're right-handed, you hit with your right sword to the right side of the "head" of the pell), then rotating your wrist toward the left, you bring the sword down and strike the left side of the leg, followed by using your left sword to strike the left side of the head, bring it down as you rotate your wrist to the right and strike the right side of the legs, while pulling your right sword back into position, and you continue in this pattern; I usually start and end all my pell-work sessions by doing this drill, hitting 100 times total. Of course, this drill can be further enhanced by circling around your pell as you strike it, getting use to moving while striking, especially moving to strike from a different angle, but you can also do this with a partner, where you are both hitting your swords together, part of the training being to maintain rhythm and timing, because if one of you is too slow or too fast, you could hit your partner. Also with a partner, you can add movement, with one of you walking backwards while the other moves forward to maintain the same distance from one another, while still keeping up the rhythm of strikes, switching from one person moving backwards and the other following, then the other person moves backwards while the first person is following (with one of you training to keep your distance against an advancing opponent, and the other maintaining striking distance with a retreating opponent). Likewise, you can switch out moving clockwise or counter-clockwise, circling as you continue the rhythm of striking. Ideally, you don't want to be watching the swords, rather, you should maintain eye-contact (or be staring at the "head" of your pell, or staring just past their head), but not concentrating on your partner's eyes, but rather keeping your eyes on one spot but using your peripheral vision to keep track of the swords and our opponent's movements.

[@willlliorca7024]

The only time dual wielding has ever worked for me was when me and my brother were doing a 2v2 casual bout with some friends. They were newer to sparring and me and my brother were fairly experienced in swordplay and martial arts. But nevertheless they were still skilled enough to take my brother down, leaving me in a 2v1. I grabbed my brothers longsword and gave them a quick flurry(which against any experienced opponent would have ended very badly) but it gave me the space I needed to take the one on one. Once I had the space I needed I discarded my second sword and was able to cut them both down. But I’m not an expert or even a great swordsmen. This was amateur sparring with polypropylene sparring swords. It still felt pretty awesome 😂

[@Eri587]

What are your thoughts on Let's Ask Seki Sensei? he has some great videos on dual wielding but obviously he uses katanas and your point about dual longsword being harder to handle would still be true but he shows some great techniques that i am almost sure would be very useful with dual longsword. Ultimately two hands in one sword is inherently better, no question about it and maybe with long swords dual style can't work but who knows maybe there is a way to make it work.

[@Varim.Gaunniss]

@@ColdNapalm42 if I recall correctly both Shogo and Seki Sensei are experimenting there, some of the techniques are merely a discussion, a "what if", for example take his vids analyzing Zattoichi fighting style and how it could be applied in real-life situations which is also an experiment here, not a solid "this is the way"

[@Varim.Gaunniss]

@@ColdNapalm42 I guess I need to rewatch vids then, maybe I missed something, though I should mention that a katana can be wielded one-handed, it was designed to be both two- and one-hand weapon, I didn't try that with a yari or naginata, it would be a pain to do so

[@jonharker9028]

“Most longswords can also be used one-handed” sure but the *average* blade length on a katana is 67 cm (≈26.5”) across 80-90% of their multiple centuries of history, that last margin accounting for the period of strict blade length restrictions. That’s arm length for most people, basically the same specification for sticks used in kali/arnis/eskrima training. Given your specified choice of longsword in other comments, that’s a lot less blade than even you like to swing around. See the problem of hilarious overreach and blind assumptions here? This doesn’t even account for the mechanical differences due to the thick spine and curve (even a modest one). Please don’t come in like an authority on all weapons when you know one.

[@jonharker9028]

“Unlike you” and “not a single bit of common sense” wow you’re aggressive about this! Maybe I should’ve left the comments section alone this time. I didn’t assume you know ‘nothing’, I deduced that you like historically-specific longsword fencing. Cool, I like big sticks, spears and greatswords mostly, but I also do some longsword. But bro, vitriol aside, I have to wonder how much do you feel like you know about sabre fencing? Sabre in the broadest sense, including katana and dussack and Filipino bolo and naval cutlass. I’m only gonna reply to give David the channel owner more updoots, so don’t take this too personally. Yes, two hands is still an advantage with something like a cutlass, but it’s really just not necessary. Diminishing returns, they call it. You see where I’m going with this? I’ve done enough two-handed sword to figure how to transition from two hands to one for the sake of arm grapples without getting punished for it every time - it’s in the European sources, in the tradition of Liechtenauer and across the various Northern Italians (and my bro Pietro Monte, who might be Spanish but lived in Italy). From this, I can appreciate when Seki-sensei (for example) puts the edge of his blade’s middle against the flat of his opponent’s weak and slides in to slice from there. That’s in one of the videos I can recall. Mechanical advantage, something the rapier fencers love. Can the opponent disengage and change lines? Sure, but Seki-sensei’s doing a demonstration for beginners watching from a camera. Gotta be slow and extra clear, a concession. Plus, there are times when the opponent may want to fight and regain control of the bind, but at full speed maybe they can’t achieve that and so get sliced. Me, I love collapsing in off the bind, pinning their lead hand with my off-hand against their chest (me with one hand on my longsword!) and freeing my blade to cut their legs even if they try to back away. That’s slightly modified (ideally for the source their arm doesn’t collapse) from a Northern Italian treatise, Opera Nova by Achille Marozzo. But one hand on a longsword [and a biggun at that, it wouldn’t be allowed in most HEMA longsword tournaments because of overall length!] is a disadvantage, you said. Every decision in a fight is also a concession, you’re risking one thing by trying something else. Some are edge cases, they’re unlikely to happen - usually they’re the cool ones you demo nice and slow for a camera. And to actually address an earlier point, the videos titled ‘why you shouldn’t do X’ are specifically for marketing - the Let’s Ask Seki Sensei channel has one for every major attack: vertical, diagonal, and horizontal cuts, as well as thrusts. So should you never throw any attacks? No! that’s not the point behind any of the videos. It’s all about keeping the balance and well-roundedness of your fencing system, a point they make at the end of each such video in question: favourites are nice, but everything has a counter, so over-reliance can be bad. Remember, Seki-sensei also has a history of regular competitive kendo like several other people he knows in the little world of koryu. It’s common among kenjutsu practitioners to do kendo and test-cutting / tameshigiri as activities alongside their ryuha. He’s even let himself be filmed in a video doing light sparring with gloves and no thrusts (the lack of thrusts at the other person’s request), using a softer type of shinai that functions like a boffer. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpvRhXqcmKuUfqs I’m gonna leave this here, and I hope that particular video actually entertains or satisfies somebody who reads this. See ya!

[@farzwolf2]

@@ColdNapalm42 Get back to your basement Ted.

[@henrikaugustsson4041]

You’d have to be pretty strong to effectively use a weapon intended for two hands I. One hand. I’ve tried making the same swings with a katana with one and two hands, the difference in stability is unreal. Granted, I’m not very strong and out of shape, but that just shows all the more the importance of gripping with both hands. If you use one hand, you’d have to be much stronger than the other guy to be able to effectively parry, strike and even just hold your guard up.

[@kahelkenkai]

Thank you for pointing out the difference in dual wielding longswords and short swords! Dual wielding in general is so misunderstood that I really appreciate that people like you are trying to explain why some dual wielding can be less effective than others.

[@cspahn3221]

Can you elaborate on your filming locations? Dealing with judgement from random people over swords is something I feel like we all have to suffer

[@Vyrlokar]

I know I'm late at the party, but what about dual rapier "Florentine" style? I know it's not something that really caught on, but there's at least some historical references to dual rapier fencing

[@Jurassiccanonking]

Normal duel wielding is so fun, but even though I’m no expert, when I saw “double longsword” I was like, Oh-no.

[@ChaseVader20]

Do you think that a long sword with a shorter sword would work?

[@miguelalejandrog.datiles9809]

what if it was like a really big dude

[@theolabbate1611]

Now try using the left longsword in reverse grip, like an icepick grip, and use it as a steady sidearm mostly to protect yourself !

[@thespanishinquisition4078]

The problem with that is if you grab something with the guards, as in, yknow, parry... That's gonna direct the blow directly into your hand. So at that point you can only use it as a sort of spiky vambrace that also leaves your hand fully exposed. Even by edgy anime bollocks logic the reverse grip is just pure cancer.

[@zacharycain2259]

Lmao is this a joke, that would go terribly

[@pimsutter]

I hope you can also make a video about the new job in FF XIV, the Viper, they use dual sword and combine them into a single two-handed weapon. I wonder if this kinda of fighting style is more better then using anime long swords for dual wielding.

[@JoshuaBlackmon-pf6xf]

Gonna take notes on this stuff for a game I'm making

[@Enraged-Gecko]

@Sellsword Arts As it’s technically a dagger, would you consider a cinqueda unsuitable for parrying?

[@WhatIfBrigade]

I think if for some reason I had two longswords I would throw one at the enemy. Even if the throw doesn't hurt the enemy it would probably provide useful information about how they are likely to react.

[@johncarterfr]

What if you’re like a 6’8” monster

[@leonxpc1]

Really interesting take, I always though that it could be possible. Now then the question the arise is, what about 2 one handed swords ?

[@oshwaflz]

they literally said in the beginning that people already do that. its just 2 longswords that are too unwieldy to use

[@leonxpc1]

@@oshwaflz really ? I heard rapier and dagger. Sword and dagger/knife. I heard katana and wakizashi But I did not hear 2 one handed swords. That's what I was curious about.

[@atom8248]

@@leonxpc1Wakizashi is a sword though, the longest ones have blades that are almost 60 cm. They also mention different symmetric pairs like 2 rapiers and 2 short swords. 2 one handed swords exist in pretty much every culture to some extent so it works. You get some extra stuff to parry with and another angle of attack so it's safe to say it's practical, it wasn't common since you had to lug around 2 swords and then somehow draw them if you get attacked, while a buckler or small shield is easier to deploy and while it can't attack as well has better defense. In some ways had similar disadvantages to 2 handed swords. Godinho has 2 swords: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGiagImqqZx2aNE&ab_channel=LondonLongswordAcademy

[@Kingdomkey123678]

@@leonxpc1 They mention two rapiers for the thrusting centric style of duel wielding

[@Emrirwastaken]

​@@leonxpc1 1:35

[@akademiacybersowa]

Guys here say the dual wielding is more valid with shorter weapons. And at 3:30 they show exactly that. I just wanted to add that dual wielding is a change of paradigm. A different skill set. It's not always obvious who has advantage when there's fencer with one weapon against dual wielding guy.

[@akademiacybersowa]

@@b.h.abbott-motley2427 I think I saw an artistic depiction for two rapiers. But by "full length sword" do you mean two longsword? Do you know any online materials that show it? I'll be very happy to see it!

[@jonharker9028]

Manciolino and Marozzo in particular wouldn’t prefer sideswords over ≈100 cm in blade length [this being a distinction from overall length], because their style includes a prevalence of cuts in a way that most modern Bolognese practitioners prefer 90-95 cm blades (similar to many arming swords). I have no more than passing familiarity with Di Grassi, and I haven’t read for myself the two swords section of Godinho but plenty of the plays he shares are adapted from or otherwise akin to his greatsword (and thus meant for multiple opponents, a different context to single opponents with dissimilar or matched weapons).

[@williamsandersan7168]

You HAVE to try Battle Talent in VR, its harder than blade and sorcery when it comes to sword combat and I think you would enjoy it

[@ShintaSNT071]

Another example i'd like to add are the ginunting blades, used by the filipino army. Ginunting is a pair of blades, one short and another even shorter, and they were used in dual wielding, like rapier and dagger.

[@godmodecheater153]

The problem is your right sword can do the same as the left sword. So you dont have any value. Sword and shield for example works because you use two different items with different advantages. So you have more techniques. Same with Sword and dagger, sword and axe, etc. But two swords dont really ad something

[@AlexPokladnik]

This makes me want to go back to the double bladed sword with a double bladed long sword,

[@samuelanders7597]

Clearly you need to do reverse grip. Also your hair isn't a bright enough color.

[@runchuu]

aint no wayyyy

[@radaro.9682]

My ranger only takes a -2 to the off hand with two long swords! You just need more feats.

[@dgresham2729]

My next question is, relative to the size of the fighter, what is the ideal or max length for dual wielding 2 shorter swords? Or for long and short, how long should the long be, and how short should the short be?

[@AmazingMrMe123]

Musashi did teach two full length katana, but the system was for developing coordination and ambidexterity, not for actual combat. You observed how tiring it was to fight this way, double full length sword was more of a handicap for training purposes than anything else. I think at some point musashi said something about how you should be able to use even the nodachi type long boys in one hand, but once again I think he's talking more about training and strength development than how you would actually use it when your life is on the line.

[@windrider970]

you could probably pull it off with very early longswords if you tried really had. the late 14th century (italian) longswords were primarily knightly weapons and were often used while riding, which necessitated that you wield it in one hand so you could hold the reigns in your other hand. but due to that they were significantly shorter (120cm) and balanced differently than the later types of german longswords (130-140cm), which is why they are sometimes called hand-and-a-half swords, while german longswords are definitely two-handed designs. as to whether early longswords were ever used with a shield? I don't think they were. two-handed weapons became common once armors were good enough that you didn't need a shield. so if you were using a longsword, it can be assumed that you could afford a plate harness or its equivalent. only later did the longsword become a weapon of common citizenry, but by that time, they were a rare sight on the battlefields.

[@davidmelo500]

Wing chun is great for dual wielding, but only with knives. Trying to join the Canadian army. Wing chun is how I learned the ergonomics of knife fighting, and how to grip a knife properly

[@АнтонОрлов-я1ъ]

What about two arming swords (or other long cutting one-handed blades)? Also, what about a longsword and a dagger? I assume both those options are more viable than two longswords, but still worse/harder than a rapier and a dagger?

[@mageyeah7763]

One thing of note is that in fantasy settings, we're often talking about characters that are abnormally strong, and some RPGs specifically include this in the rules. They specify a strength stat that allows using 2 handed weapons with one hand. There are real life examples in the more sportified boffer fighting entities that have no weight requirements, or ludicrously low weight requirements, like 12 oz. So people trying to game it use carbon fiber tubes to make 12 oz 47 inch swords. A fraction of the weight of even the skinniest real rapiers. Not realistic, but a good simulation of fighting with superhuman strength. And they're fantasy games anyway. In that context, two long weapons does really well against two handed swords. Though shields are still better.

[@Eunostos]

This guy would certainly have a strength rating that most of those rulesets would require for the weaponstyle. :p

[@1987gherardo]

I have some questions about parryng with the dagger: 20:08 is it normal to hold the thumb over the dagger's guard? Isn't it risky? And why it wasn't it positioned the same way when parryng with the longsword?

[@TheRansomed55]

Yeah, totally impractical in practice. I've tried dual-wielding thrusting weapons (foils, specifically), and even then the fact that it forces you to square your body against an opponent is problematic. You need to square off to get better reach with each sword if you intend to attack with both, otherwise the off-hand sword sits back and becomes an obnoxiously cumbersome parrying dagger.

[@jtyYEE]

I think it’s hard to totally right this off unless you try 36” longswords with short handles, but my gut tells me it isn’t much better

[@kaynhuros2050]

The funny thing is that it's usually with a wakazashi on the right and a katana on the left that it would work

[@With__Humor]

What about dual longswords BUT one of them you hold with a reverse grip?😂 Or even both of them.

[@Ohimeshinso]

Funny thing. I can dual-wield longswords just fine. It just... Took me decades of practice and sparring to do. But I can do it and not get tangled at all. It is a simple, but extraordinary difficult, matter of "just use your arms independently of each other and never let them cross paths." It's not complicated at all, but it is really hard to do. Why? For the same reason that patting your head and rubbing your belly simultaneously is hard, your body naturally wants your arms to either operate one at a time or in unison- doing the same thing. Using them independently isn't natural and it requires a loooot of practice to overcome that baseline hurdle. The next thing is maintaining balance and keeping track of both weapons at once. It doesn't matter if you can punch someone in the gut and pet your dog at the same time if you can't actually tell where your limbs are in relation to each otber, and this is made worse by you having weapons that basically extend the length of your limbs for the purpose of the analogy. So what ends up happening more often that not is, while doing something with one hand, you forgot what you were doing with the other or you didn't realize your other blade was close to an artery... Effective dual wielding of a longsword, and longer weapons, requires constant and total awareness of your entire body. And developing that awareness generally takes years, if not decades. I will say, and this is just a me thing I suspect, I find it easier to dual wield a sword with a polearm than two longswords. You should probably learn to be a gymnast before trying it, though. I should also mention my strength is borderline superhuman

[@Crash32378]

Weapon balance and weight are the biggest concern for dual wielding. Length is also a concern so a lighter more balanced weapon is preferred. However trident and net works well for some reason. lol.

[@FredbearOfficial]

What about Sundowner's pincer blades? I'd love to see you do a video on that. Granted, you may have to custom make this weapon

[@liorashiri6036]

You are all wrong. The reason you wasn't able to dual wielding is because you didn't use *reversed grip* while believe in *the heart of the cards* and *the power of friendship* Cool video

[@fargrave6019]

they didnt unlock the unique perk

[@DynomitePunch]

i should start watching further into these before i comment, so i don't waste time talking about something only for him to bring it up five seconds later >.>

[@SellswordArts]

😂

[@DynomitePunch]

for context i was gonna compare how in REAL duel wielding such as rapier and dagger, and niten ichi ryu, they use a short blade, like the dagger or wakizashi, etc, and then as soon as i went to comment, you said it in the video i was like "@#$% damn my impatients, it'll be the death of me someday" ironically it has almost been the death of me several times over the years lmao@@SellswordArts

[@nvaech9225]

I only see him thrusting with the duel swords and not actually swinging, I know it would be more dangerous but I think dual wielding is more about slashing and being flashy. But then again two long swords are to heavy so don't think that's possible.

[@somethingaboutgames819]

The only argument that even viable is that strength is portrayed different in anime. Awkward length aside, the idea is that they are able to move past those restrictive barriers of the real world. Love your stuff!

[@discipleofkhorne9472]

The "Filipino" sword (it's a dha/daab) you showed isn't actually Filipino, it was used across other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand or Myanmar. In Thailand It's used as part of a martial art called Krabi-Krabong where it is often dual wielded.

[@SellswordArts]

Fair enough. It looks a lot like some of the other swords that I've used in FMA. Not my area of expertise, but I do know that many of them have similar mechanics when it comes to how they're used.

[@bellzeppelin6913]

Filipino also has a Dha sword it’s called the luzon dha

[@discipleofkhorne9472]

@@bellzeppelin6913 It's not a filipino sword, you're referring to a dha which was traded to the Philippines and there is a single example of it in the Wikimedia commons. It's not filipino in origin, it was traded to the Philippines from another Southeast Asian country and isn't something which was particularly common there either. Other weapons not native to the Philippines also show up there such as katana or Chinese dao.

[@StergiosMekras]

So... moral of the story: if you absolutely must use two weapons of equal length, make them at most arming swords so that they don't trip each other?

[@vksasdgaming9472]

In what anime greatswords are being dual-wielded?

[@ettubrute_]

So if I can bench 350 with a single arm, are you telling me there's a chance? 🤔

[@angrybirder9983]

I think it's not about force, but about torque. A longsword has a high moment of inertia and it's hard to turn it with one hand. With two hands, you can produce torque by pushing with one hand and pulling with the other (which gives you quite a bit of leverage), but with only one hand, you only have the leverage between the thumb or index finger (depending on the direction of the torque you're trying to generate) and pinky finger. Also, you can produce less force with individual fingers than with the entire hand. It might boil down to grip strength.

[@tomvhresvelg9286]

Is DFO/DnF duel Berserker dual wielding Katana(due to having independent damage, not physical percent damage, Katana benefits him more for crit and attack speed, less self stagger than Zanbato) and a sword made of his blood on frenzy not that realistic?

[@duckod]

8:45 when you were talking about one directional attacks... Yeah ghe only way i could see double wielding longswords is doing the exact same thing with them in the exact same direction, exact same force and at the exact same time. Thatvis too much to be effective.

[@DerangedPacman]

i have a question theres this guy that i forgot the name of but hes from an anime called rorouni kenshin im sure youve heard of it he uses a shorter medium sword to block attacks from other swords and is mostly specialized in hand to hand combat would THAT work?

[@guilhermel.decicco8]

Is there a style of fencing that might resemble Zoro's style in some way?

[@amateurcrastinator9523]

I would love to hear people's thoughts on Ahsoka's style. I've only seen some clips from the show. But from what I saw, she basically uses her sabers one at a time. Thanks to this channel, it immediately caught my attention.

[@astros8041]

One of the best ways to dual wield is exactly as you’ve noticed; one move at a time. Attack and defend at the same time, or with a lag for the opponent’s reaction, or dedicate each side to offense or defense. Proper. It’s about technique and dexterity.

[@TheRogueJedii]

Cringe and terrible choreography, like everything since Disney, they don't understand lightsabers

[@thespanishinquisition4078]

the fact that she reverse grips a lightsaber is all I need to know to say that's just trash. Also I watched one fight scene and the choreogeaphy was assinine. She's not doing the one at a time thing for logical reasons she's just intentionally delaying hits to fit her cue and her opponents are even more blatant than her. They basically just stand there until she finishes her clumsy acrobatics so they can attack. Its actually cringe inducing to such an extreme degree.

[@astros8041]

@@thespanishinquisition4078 the show is wack, yes; I have faith that you aren’t so ignorant as to judge a style based off a show in which the lead isn’t even a martial artist.

[@allones3078]

Yeah long weapons do not work well for dual wielding I do kali and use two weapons in sparring a lot. I normally use barongs which are rather short (26") but something like a ginunting is longer about 28". I have tried it with a longsword and katana but can not do the same moves for much of the same reasons you posted here . Also that was a dha a thai weapon often used in the duel wielding style of Krabi-krabong not really a filipino weapon.

[@MarkOfAstria]

The same experiment with 2 one-handed sword would be nice to see. ...even though I can guess the outcome

[@SoftisNelaris]

@@b.h.abbott-motley2427 I assume it's because Anime/VGs often use the term "Longsword" but in my experience it's very rare for them to actually have this kind of length. Oftentimes, the "Longsword" is actually just a large one-handed sword meant to be paired with a shield or able to be dual-wielded more comfortably. They did mention these kinds of swords exist historically too, even if it was just for a moment. And since the topic is specifically about Anime/VGs, it's pretty common for characters to have clearly superhuman physical abilities to varying degrees, not even limited to the characters who dual wield or use other absurd weapons.

[@rayniac211]

I agree that dual long swords is kinda ridiculous, but you did go into this with the mindset that it can't work, which is a self fulfilling prophecy.

[@SellswordArts]

We did not go in with the mindset that it couldn't work in order to disprove it. We went in with years of fencing experience, informing us of why it would not work. To simply ignore your own training and experience for the sake of fooling yourself into thinking you're being impartial is silly. There's a reason why this never was taught back in the day. This video was demonstrating why

[@supimzazz]

​@@SellswordArtsI loved your in depth analysis through it and your skills in fencing really shows. But I think the issues reside in saying it doesn't work (at least on the comments and titles) when it did work plenty of times during the sparring (although 2 one handed would be better like you said) idk if you went to over analyse the sparring matches but there were some examples in which the dual longsword would be able to connect some hits other shorter ones wouldn't have. Also in some your muscle memory got in the way as well. And the reason it hasn't been in history might be cause there were to many ifs, like pacing, coordination, strength, technique and be extremely blessed to be born ambidextrous and be a swordsman (and have all that) on top that swords were quite expensive, now imagine to have to pay double the price for them and training in an art no one teaches, also really time consuming to learn made it more practical to just 2-hand the darn sword and you probably had until your 40s to live back then so time was an issue. I have a passion for swordsmanship and it shows in the video that you guys clearly do as well and probably your perspective of this topic shifted after reading so many comments just throwing hate or saying "you just bad"(coming from the clip), but you got those due to the titles. But what I get from the video is: Eehh it can work but too impractical (which is what most swordsman would say). But in the comments and titles I get the: It just doesn't work. I must thank you guys for get me invested into this long sword dual wielding, I've been trying some on my own and holy I'm awful at it (specially since I'm not ambidextrous so my coordination sucks) but it's far from useless, would invite you to revisit it and try to implement more effective ways to use them through sparring, replay and corrections (who knows, you might become the first long sword dual wielding teachers😂 I'm joking just in case).

[@Akirilus]

What if they were lighter, perhaps rapiers. Or what if they are balanced differently.

[@lordllewellynofdarkdelight2613]

It would be great to see how you would fair against an experienced person that studies Kali.

[@7highstraight]

About 4:30 I realized you guys are by a road. Are you neighbors just used to this by now, or do you still get complaints?

[@Maodifi]

Eskrimador and former practitioner of Japanese sword styles here. I agree 1000% with what you said in this video.

[@mingthan7028]

Miyazaki is not joking when he says Anime was a mistake 💀

[@rustincothern8980]

No comments about he literally holds the sword in reverse grip as a passive defense?

[@adrienschom4678]

1st, with a sword as long as a katana we often use shorter weapon in second hand... 2nd, longsword is heluva lot longer and heavier than a katana...

[@Blinkerd00d]

I would think you'd have much better luck with 2 extremely curved blades, as they are meant to stay closer to the body.

[@skitariimoment9596]

I have never played or seen a video game where you dual wield longswords

[@Kebin13]

i dont reallly care about "realism" specially when talking about video game and anime, seriously, we talking about dragons, magic and shit, i want the rule of cool, and having a baddass turn a complete "unrealistic" way of fighting into the most letal thing that world could see? thats cool as fuck.

[@Varim.Gaunniss]

Need to call out on 1:10, Wakizashi is not a dagger never it should be treated as one, basically wakizashi is a "katana to be wielded in narrow corridors", indoors and narrow paths the samurai used shorter weapon which gave them much more maneuverability, please do not describe wakizashi as dagger, however, YES, Miyamoto Musashi is father to Ni-ten Ichi-ryuu, a style that utilizes short + long weapon pair, called DAISHOU, so yes, dual wielding can be done right and also can be done wrong (as you've already pointed that out)

[@SellswordArts]

Which is why I didn't say it was a dagger. I said it's a sword that's longer than a dagger but shorter than a full sword ...

[@Varim.Gaunniss]

​@@SellswordArts surely I must have misheard, let me express sincere apologies then __ and again thank you for this vid :)

[@kudosbudo]

Quick question. if you are pretty tall and quite huge would it be doable? Also if you forgo defence and attack fuill strength?

[@SellswordArts]

I wouldn't. Just get a shield, it's better

[@janj6089]

what if anime charachters are stronger than the averge soldier? i know i sound stupid but it can be

[@groanhammer282]

You forgot to put at least two points in Two-Weapon Style to get rid of main-hand penaltt

[@westphalianstallion4293]

Fantasie Anime/Videogame/Movie fighting styles should be seen from super human strength and speed perspective. But hey its made up stuff for entertainment. And having two big swords is damn cool!

[@Tateisadrummachine]

What was that Kali style sword called?

[@timevans8377]

Are we Dual Wielding Longswords or Two-Handed Swords, there is a slight difference between the Two

[@Thelordmagedon]

Am I sensing the Great Dual Wielding Experiment next?

[@karlbenito9992]

Have you tried axe and sword combo? Like in the macbeth movie?

[@shelbybayer200]

Yeah, Long Swords are the wrong Ones to use But, I have to correct you on something Kirito's Swords aren't actually Long Swords They're Two handed yes, but not all two handed weapons are Long Swords

[@thatguyoverthere8823]

Leads me to think if a lond cut and thrust weapon would be good

[@WatchMysh]

why "duel"?

[@bestcustomscream]

can you make a video of how katana and wakizashi work together?

[@CustomizedUsername]

Idk. Ser Arthur Dayne in Game of Thrones vs Ned Stark was well choreographed

[@Kingdomkey123678]

From a story telling perspective yes, from actual swordsmanship perspective not by a long shot There was so much suicidal spinning, and armor was useless

[@SellswordArts]

Personally, I did not like that choreo. I thought it was silly and it was full of holes

[@CustomizedUsername]

@@SellswordArts thanks for the reply. Any thoughts on Kenshin: The Beginning choreography? It’s the live action take on the ova Trust and Betrayal

[@dragontearstone346]

could you use one sword even more passively? like deflect with one then engage with the other? not a longsword master but could work no? will definently not be as good as regualr longswording but

[@RedRobin2010]

He went over this around 3:25 and 16:40. You can try to deflect but using the longsword in one hand is just too difficult to block properly. Could it work? Sure, but why use two longswords when you can use two shorter swords (arming/side swords) and have more control and maneuverability?

[@BrutalAthas]

im intresting about dual wielding axes i think its more popular in pop culture.