How to use Shoto Sabers

How does one use a shoto lightsaber?

Does anyone here have one to use if so, what do you think is the best way to use them?

To use only one and use it with one hand used for quick strikes at close range?

To dual wield them with a standard lightsaber, using a standard lightsaber plus a shoto to guard with

Or to dual wield shoto lightsabers instead using two shotos for attack

What do you think?

The same you would use any short sword. Properly. ;p

As Musashi put it in "The Book of Five Rings" "You must wield the longsword broadly, and the (short)sword closely." Of course, this comes with remembering to strike within measure, that is, knowing the length of the blade and your arm combined and knowing where the blade will land. Naturally, a shorter blade has shorter measure to keep in mind.

There is, quite literally, only a single Jedi teaching on Shoto sabres... and from one of the least likely sources. Forces of Destiny, a SW show designed for a younger demographic.



I'd skip about to the 45 second mark onwards. Keep in mind, this is for kids. But the lesson, in the end, is to use all your weapons at once, rather than die with a weapon yet undrawn. (unsuprisingly, this exact teaching can also be found in Mushashi's works).

With any martial art, practise practise practise. It may look cool, to have two... but many get their blades tangled, or allow for the weapons to be tangled by the opponent, making them more of a problem than its worth.

I do intend to get a shoto sometime this year, but its really a matter of price at this point. They are, after all, dang expensive.

It seems to me that it would be best to train for all of the possibilities: Having only a short sword, having only a long sword, and having both. I think it's Shinto Muso Ryu that specifically has some forms for when you are carrying two weapons and one of them gets knocked out of your hand, but I would need to search. Similarly, while classical arts always put the short sword in the left hand when using two swords, I'd think it was worthwhile to practice reversing the two.

Keep in mind that the risk of the short sword is that you need to be inside a long sword's range to use it. Saying "quick strikes at short range" misses that need to control the space with the smaller weapon. It's a dangerous spot; you'd want to be pretty skillful to do it under live circumstances. (In friendly sparring and all, whatever. You only get better through practice and all.)

I may be able to hunt up some general principles for fighting with the short sword in Japanese arts when I get home. I don't currently train in either nito or shoto, so it's outside my personal experience.