The Beginning
Before one can hope to get good with two swords, one must first train with one sword. If you can't wield one sword safely, then you really can't be expected to wield two safely, though there certainly are exceptions to the rule. This is where training single blue on your own time will come in handy. I have some basic training drills outlined in a previous article, which can be found here. I recommend that you review those drills and work on them before moving on to any of the drills involving two swords.
As stated in the article mentioned above, you want to start your training with your off hand or non-dominant hand. This is because most of us are not ambidextrous and the motor skills in our non-dominant arm are diminished since we don't use it nearly as often as our dominant arm, so the motor skills need to be built up to be on par with your dominant arm. And this goes without saying, but it's important that you are holding a sword ONLY in the hand of the arm you will be training so that the focus is solely on that arm. When not training with your weapons, there are some everyday things that you can do to work on and improve your ambidexterity, which I go over in my article here.
Equipment
Your equipment is just as important as your training, so let's go over some typical gear used by two sword fighters. Remember, what works for one fighter may not work for you. Most of this is up to personal preference and will be trial and error....
Swords
The swords you use will go a long way in determining your level of success with the style. Some things to consider are the varying lengths, starting from the Short Sword(22.5 inches) up to the Long Sword(38 inches+), with each having their own strengths and weaknesses. What type of fighter you are(Range or Melee) will be a deciding factor in what type of sword will be your best option, as will your arm length.
Short Swords
Strength(s): Lighter, Faster
Weaknesses: Shorter Reach, Less Coverage
Short swords are typically best used by fighters who don't mind getting up close and personal or have longer arm spans. Keep in mind that the taller you are, the less coverage you will have in defending your lower body with shorter swords.
Medium Swords
Strength(s): Best of Both Worlds
Weaknesses:
Medium length swords are what I personally use. They can still offer the light weight and quickness of the short sword and you can also still get in melee range and be effective by choking up on the sword, and it also has the added length for better reach to stay at range and still hit your opponent, as well as provide better defensive coverage.
Long Swords
Strength(s): Excellent Range, Excellent Coverage
Weaknesses: Terrible in Close Melee
Long Swords are typically used by fighters who prefer to stay at range, as well as fighters with longer arm spans looking for superior range. The downside is if you get rushed, the longer swords don't do well in close combat.
You can always try a combination of each, but just remember that you're range is defined by the shorter sword. You can also give the original style a try, which was Long Sword and Dagger, although with the amount of armor and shields in Dagorhir, I'm not sure how effective that combo would be as I've never tried it.
Flat Blade vs Omni Blade
I personally recommend starting with flat blades, then making the switch to omni blades if you so desire to make the switch. Flat blades force you to be focused and pay attention to how you're throwing your shots, which if you don't pay attention, you could strike with the flat of the blade, which doesn't count. Omni(or omni-directional) blades are cylindrical in nature and the whole blade is a legal striking surface. For this reason, you don't have to pay as close attention to your shots as there is no worry of connecting with the flat of the blade. This is where starting with omni blades and transitioning to flat blades can cause problems. You will be conditioned to fight with a sword whose blade is all striking surface, then fighting with flat blades, you are then more prone to striking with the flat of the blade, as well as sloppy shots.
Building Your Swords
As a small note, if you build your own weapons, and you want your swords to be identical, you must make sure to complete the current step of the building process on BOTH swords before moving onto the next step. This will ensure that your swords are the same length and weight.
When it comes to what core to use, it all depends on how light or heavy you want your swords to be. Since I only have experience building with fiberglass and PVC, I would recommend fiberglass for the lighter weapons and PVC for the heavier ones.
Gloves
This is entirely personal preference, but protecting your hands is certainly a good idea. You can use either UFC fighting gloves or hockey/lacrosse gloves. The UFC gloves leave the fingers exposed but protect the rest of the hand, while the hockey gloves offer protection for the entire hand but are bulkier than the UFC ones. The UFC gloves are around $30, while the hockey gloves can start at $30 and go up. That may seem like a lot to some people, but when you compare that to doctor/hospital bills for broken fingers or a broken hand, I'd rather spend the $30 to protect my hands to prevent the injury from happening in the first place. You can't go wrong either way.
Back Shield
You will see some two sword fighters using a back shield while fighting. There are a few reasons for this: #1: To prevent being back hacked, #2: To deflect arrows(Two sword fighters can be prime targets for archers since they usually don't have any kind of shield to stop the arrows), and #3: Some two sword fighters like to be flashy and use spins in their fighting, so the shield protects them during a spin.
If you choose to use one, make sure it's not too big and bulky as it will slow you down and take away from the styles strength, which is speed. It can be hard to move at a fast pace with something big and heavy on your back, but again, there are exceptions to the rule.
Armor
If you choose to wear armor, at the very least use bracers and grieves. Two sword fighters hate losing their arms and legs, as then their advantages(two weapons, speed/mobility) are taken away. Leather is your best option, as it's generally lighter and offers better mobility. If you go with leather, be sure to water form it by placing it in boiling water for a few minutes. This will soften the leather so it's more mobile. After you take it out of the water, put it on and allow it to dry. This will allow the leather to form to your body so that the armor moves with your body. If you don't water form the leather, the armor will be rigid and not have very much give and won't allow for much mobility. Also, be sure to train in your armor during personal training sessions. This will help you get used to wearing the armor while fighting and you'll adjust to the added weight.
Training
As mentioned earlier in this article, you should strive to become at least average with a single blue before picking up a second sword. I provided a link to my first article about basic drills, and if you haven't checked out those drills, please go do so now and practice, practice, practice before reading on.
Sinawali
Sinawali, meaning "two stick", is a Filipino form of martial arts fighting and is a great place to start when learning the two sword style, as the patterns are designed so that you have to do them with both hands before the pattern is complete. This will get you used to attacking from both sides and not limit yourself to attacking with one side and defending with the other, thus becoming predictable to your enemies. The most important patterns to focus on and practice are Heaven Six, Earth Six, Heaven & Earth Six, and Four Count Open:
Heaven Six
Heaven Six focuses on the upper quadrant of your opponent, as demonstrated here:
Earth Six
Earth Six focuses on the lower quadrant of your opponent, as shown here:
Heaven & Earth Six
Heaven & Earth Six combines the Heaven Six and Earth Six patterns, allowing for combos, which are a very important part of the two sword style. This pattern can be seen here:
Four Count Open
This is another basic drill and will get you used to throwing shots with both swords, and is a good place to start when beginning to work with combos. This pattern can be seen here:
There are other more advanced patterns that you can learn later after you've mastered the basic ones above. But for now, focus on the basics. Be sure to start out slow. You can gradually increase your speed once you get used to the patterns.
Doble Baston
Doble Baston, which comes from Lameco Eskrima, is very similar to Sinawali and I encourage you to check it out and see which works best for you. You can even use elements from both styles since they are so similar. Below are two videos highlighting Doble Baston:
Boxing
Boxing and the Two Sword fighting style are very identical in a lot of ways. In Boxing, you use both hands, throwing punch combos at your opponent. In Dagorhir, you use two swords in this style to attack your enemy, also using combos. When throwing shot combos in Dagorhir, like boxing, make sure you're not firing your second shot until you've completed the first one and are pulling the sword back into the starting position to allow for defensive maneuvers. You never see a boxer throwing two punches at once, and you shouldn't be throwing two shots at the same time either. I highly encourage you to watch boxing training videos and even matches as they will help immensely.
Also, like in boxing, you always want to be moving your feet, never standing still, both in training and in battle. It's harder to hit a moving target than it is one that is standing still. If they can't hit you, they can't kill you. You always want to be light on your feet, standing on the balls of your feet so that you can move quickly at a moments notice.
Bodyweight Drills
I also encourage doing bodyweight drills as part of your training. The best ones to do are Lunges, as well as calf exercises, such as Calf Raises, since you'll be spending a lot of time on the balls of your feet, you'll want to have strong calves. The best part about bodyweight drills is that you can do them everyday, unlike with free weights. Doing Lunges and Calf Raises will build the muscles in your legs and prepare you for quick movement, which is essential.
I also recommend that you watch the footwork videos I have in my article about basic drills. The link can be found at the beginning of this article.
Increasing Sword Speed
When first starting out with the drills I listed above, you'll want to start slow to get used to the movements and condition your muscles to make these movements without a second thought. After a good amount of practice, you can begin to increase your speed in these drills. If you want to increase your sword speed, I recommend using wrist weights while doing your sword training. I personally use two 1.5lb weighted gloves from Gold's Gym, which you can get at Walmart for around $10. I prefer the gloves because they always stay in place. Using weight while practicing your sword shots really works your muscles and will make your swords seem heavier than they are. After you take the weights off, you'll notice how much lighter your weapons feel, and how much faster you can swing them. Do this for a few months and eventually your speed will increase by a lot.
Role On The Field
As a two sword fighter, your main purpose on the field will be flanking and anti-flanking. Flanking is a fine art that must be practiced and requires precise timing. You have to commit to it. Either you do it or you don't, there is no time for thinking about it. If you time it wrong, it could mean your death or a missed opportunity. I'm sure you're now asking the question "What side do I flank from, the left or the right?". I recommend flanking the side that doesn't have much going on, as you won't encounter as many obstacles and will have a better chance at succeeding than you would on the end where all the action is. First, make sure the person on the end of the line you're going to flank isn't paying attention to you and doesn't see you as an immediate threat. This can be accomplished by looking and walking in another direction, then, at the last second, change direction quickly and dart down their line. This won't always work, especially against veteran units, because they've seen it so many times before and are prepared for it. Make sure you don't try flanking the same unit multiple times in a row as they'll catch onto you pretty quickly and keep an eye out for you. You'll also want to switch up the sides you flank from to confuse the enemy. The more variables you throw at them, the harder it will be for them to adapt.
In closing, I would like to leave the link to my personal playlist of videos I've come across and used in my training in the two sword style. I hope they help you as much as they've helped me. The link can be found here. Thanks for reading and good luck my fellow two sword enthusiasts.
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