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Tree and I took advantage of a nice evening last month to work on some "sword and shield" techniques against his bokken. Sword and shield is my favorite weapon configuration for many reasons. I prefer a buckler sized shield and a short-blade (21" or less) "sword" as these play to my strengths,
speed being chief among them.
Here, I am using two limbs of applewood to build wrist and forearm strength as well as train some of the stabilizer muscles needed to support those fast twitch fibers.
Also, I've been playing with the sword and shield techniques realized with two bastons of different length. This is both more realistic (I have access to two blunt weapons more frequently than I do a long blade and rubbish bin lid) and challenging. Normally, I steer clear of any system requiring the mid-weapon grip. It puts your hand on a silver platter for your opponent. However, as I investigate further into subtlety in movement, I find this grip more appealing. I don't think I'd stake my health or life on it in combat, but it is an intriguing configuration.