Japanese weapons master Masayuki Shimabukuro takes you to the next level of samurai sword mastery in this three-disc samurai DVD set! In Advanced Samurai Swordsmanship, Japanese sword master Masayuki Shimabukuro and his senior student, Carl E. Long, delve deeper into the elegance of body-and-weapon movement that defines personal mastery of the legendary Japanese weapon. As Shimabukuro and Long wrote in their recent book, Samurai Swordsmanship: The Batto, Kenjutsu and Tameshigiri of Eishin-Ryu (available now in our online store), "The study of the sword is the study of face-to-face combat--the study of life and death. It therefore stands to reason that in order to truly understand the sword arts, it's necessary to engage in the regular practice of kumitachi (also known as katachi), which are the paired waza of kenjutsu and battojutsu. However, most practitioners of the Japanese sword arts today focus only on batto waza and engage in little if any paired practice. This is a mistake that results in an incomplete understanding of how to truly use the sword--how to really express the true depth and breadth of the battojutsu and kenjutsu." And thus, in their new 3-DVD set, Advanced Samurai Swordsmanship, Shimabukuro and Long spend a significant portion of the instruction time detailing various attacks and defenses in two-man sword-sparring situations. Some involve equal swords, some are long sword vs. short sword, and some are even sword vs. an unarmed man! These methods for practice are explained first by Long and then demonstrated with his sensei, with particular attention paid to footwork, timing, hand positions and rhythm. After all, as these sword masters write in Samurai Swordsmanship: The Batto, Kenjutsu and Tameshigiri of Eishin-Ryu, "A training partner changes the feeling and understanding of everything in a practitioner's swordsmanship--timing, footwork, distancing and the feeling of receiving a real attack, to name just a few." Pre-order Advanced Samurai Swordsmanship from our online store today!

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SAMURAI DVD TRAILER | Advanced Samurai Swordsmanship by Masayuki Shimabukuro and Carl E. Long

This three-disc samurai DVD collection includes:

• mastery drills for timing, blocking and drawing
• agility and body movement
• precision-cutting demonstrations
• two-man sparring
• deep-level practice of kata (forms)
• expert development of footwork
• on-screen glossary of samurai swordsmanship terminology

An eighth-dan in muso jikiden eishin-ryu iaijutsu and a Black Belt Hall of Fame member (2006 Weapons Instructor of the Year), Masayuki Shimabukuro has received official appointment as the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai's international representative for iaido and battodo. Vice chairman and director for the Jikishin-Kai International, Carl E. Long oversees certification of its North American, South American and European instructors. He is a five-time recipient of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai’s yushu-sho, one of the highest awards granted for the performance of iaido.