Well at least SOMEONE here at least knows what they're talking about. On the first point, I never said it was impossible. It IS possible, but it just isn't worth using the style in a close-quarters combat situation unless you have room to move. You must agree that to use two swords that are three feet or longer, you'll need a fair amount of space to work with. That's one of the key downfalls of the style. It relies on mobility almost to exclusion. You'd also be aware that your off-hand weapon isn't going to strike half as hard as your main hand, so having a heavier weapon there won't really help you much. I don't know what your local SCA's regulations are regarding combat, but here in Sydney they don't advocate hitting too hard, so you don't actually get to see in practice the differences between strength in either arm. Katanas are faster. Sure. They are, because they're slightly lighter. They also wouldn't stand up to a strike by a heavier European weapon, because all the strength that comes from the folding is in the edge. Time and effort aren't wasted into folding the steel on the body of the blade which - traditionally - is something you would never have used anyway. If you were going to defend with a katana, you would parry, not block. The steel on the blade that doesn't make up the edge is surprisingly weak in comparison. A good strike from a heavy weapon would damage the thing severely. Also traditionally, katanas were used against lightly-armoured (relative to European armour levels) or unarmoured targets, and hence were optimised for penetration into softer materials. One wouldn't stand up to plate mail half as easily as a heavier European sword would, because the latter was designed with armour in mind. Chainmail could stop a claymore, but you'd still end up with a few broken bones and the huge possibility of internal bleeding. Yes, you CAN dual-wield katanas much like you could other swords. It's just a question of mobility, training and strength. Half the time you'd be attacking with your main hand anyway, so you're better off relegating the off-hand to defensive functions using a wakizashi. On the shield thing, if you're going to use your off-hand for defence anyway, you're better off with a more solid piece of defensive hardware. Points taken, though. Mind, I might have a bias towards using single weapons, but that comes from fencing and sparring with knives. Just thought you might be interested... When I fight, I have a in-and-out, strike hard then retreat, look for openings, weaknesses, and exploit them type of style. If that makes any sense. This is largely because I am roughly 50-100 lbs. lighter than the men I often fight aganst. I'm no weaking, but if I try to go in and pit muscle against muscle, i'm going to lose. I prefer armor that lets me move, because I move around a lot when I fight. I actually try to train both hands equally, so I hit nearly the same from either side. It took more practice on my left, but I got the hang of it. The swords I use are identical. So I guess I do fit what you said about twin sword fighters: I move around a lot, and use a lot of space. How hard you hit, though, is all a matter of training. (I've found) My local SCA lets you hit pretty hard. When I was first in training, my marshall was always telling me to hit harder. It depends a little on who you are fighting. Some people can take a harder strike than others. You are supposed to let the other person know if they hit too hard. Everyone (me included) has taken their share of bruses home! I use both hands for blocking/parrying and attacking. My marshall stressed that highly, told me that if you can make that work, the style will work much more efficently I agree that the katana is slightly lighter... but the fighting style is different too. I's more fluid, more flowing. I've always found it to be more natural, if that makes any sense whatsoever. Of course, I am partial to katanas, because they are the swords used for my martial arts disipline. I may be biased there. If I was to fight a european soldier with a katana...I'd rely on my speed with that weapon and go for the weak spots and gaps in their armor. I think I could take someone, though I doubt that I'll ever have the oppertunity to find out! I wouldn't try to pit strength against strength, but that is how I fight anyway. I have to admit that i've never dual-weilded katanas, but I mean to try at some point. I've never fenced..but mean to take it up. I can't help it, I go for anything where you get a sword:)
