How does one perform or visualize seme (攻め) while using nitou (二刀)? Should it be through the shyoutou (小刀), or through the tsuka (柄) of the daitou (大刀)? Or both? Or neither?
Personally, while in chudan (中段) with ittou (一刀), I now visualize seme (攻め) as starting from my feet, especially my left foot, extending through my legs, up to my abdomen or hara (腹), then through my left hand and extending to the tip of the shinai (竹刀). The tip of the shinai (竹刀) makes a convenient point of focus. In joudan (上段), I have heard that one way to visualize seme (攻め) is to use the end of the handle, the tsuka (柄). Again, it's more a convenient point of focus than anything else. But with two points of focus for nitou (二刀), what is a good way to visualize seme (攻め)? Is one better than the other? Is it desirable or possible even to simultaneously seme (攻め) through two points of focus?
In the book on nito u(二刀) from Musashikai, it gives some ideas to this question. The idea is to seme (攻め) strongly with one of the swords to capture your opponent's attention and defeat him with the other. For example, an active shyoutou (小刀) will demand your opponent's attention, and you attack with the daitou (大刀) while he's distracted. Or if he's afraid of your daitou (大刀), you outmaneuver him using the shyoutou (小刀). This idea is attractive because there is no clear analogue if one is using ittou (一刀). The closest that comes to mind would be renzoku waza (連続技), or fooling your opponent into thinking you are going after a certain target. However, this approach implies the ability to seme (攻め) through both points of focus, possibly focusing more on one than the other at a time.
Another theory of seme (攻め) I've read or heard is to seme (攻め) from the hips, or the stomach/hara (腹). I believe that may be a better way to think about seme (攻め) in general, but it doesn't have as convenient an item for a focus. Although a focus may be a crutch that should be left behind eventually, I could use a crutch for now. Especially for nitou (二刀). :-p
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