Fun fact: Reverse gripping the sword is BY FAR the absolute most comfortable, versatile, and useful way to hold a sword *except when you're actually fighting someone.* Travelling? Reverse grip. Climbing? Reverse grip. Running? Reverse grip. Sitting down at a table? Reverse grip. At a party and you want to show off your fancy new sword? Reverse grip. Every conceivable situation where you're not expected to use the sword, reverse grip is perfectly applicable and viable.
It seems like the things that make it suck for combat are the things that make it viable for walking, climbing, or doing other idle activities. With a reverse grip, its weight tends to be closer to your own center of gravity, which keeps you balanced, makes it easier to bear its weight, and keeps it from getting in the way. But in combat, that just means it isn't an extension of yourself with range and maneuverability like it is meant to be.
I now want a swordfighter that doesn't uses reverse grip in fights, but everywhere else he does, walking, showing of, running or doing any thing, he never properly wileds it unless he is fighting or he knows he's about to so instead of like, unsheating his sword, or craking his knuckles, he....unreverse grip his sword
@santiagomontiellaverde74 "why are yoi smiling?" "Because I know something you don't." "And what is that." "I'm trained in an actual fughting style." ::flips sword into normal stance::
Now I want an anime where *everyone* uses reverse-grip, and the protagonist "discovers" fighting with reverse-reverse-grip and it's absurdly overpowered compared to everyone else.
@@lobaoguara2332saying that people who like holding a gun sideways despite the impracticality is the same as those who like holding swords in reverse grip despite the impracticality
@@gabrielgauchez9435 To be fair, since he's the son of Shinigami and not a normal human (as far as normal humans in soul eater go), he has increased strength (by a ton). Him using his pinkies is probably a way for him to not actually break the triggers because a pinky would be the weakest finger to use when pulling the trigger.
The rule of cool: If a person uses a weapon differently than the others, this person must have trained different, secret and interesting looking techniques. In Equilibrium Christian Bale looks very flashy with it, because it looks unique. In Zatoichi, Zatoichi even gets away with using the same combo 666x times in the movie. Purely for aesthetics and the incompetence of the opponents make it look successful.
As a short person who boxed, reach is a massive advantage. I had to be faster, have better technique, out maneuver, and even play mind games to make up for my stubby little T. rex arms. which might be why I do archery now… ultimate reach lol
Reverse grip is great for close in knife work. That's why it's common in modern "get off me tools." The second you can get your arms to full extension, it's not anywhere as good.
@liongames_gaming yes. A "get off me tool" is not for knife fighting. It's to gain an advantage over the guy you're in a grapple with who has his hands around your neck or thumbs in your eyes. A short blade, with retention (most likely a ring on the end), that lets you get into soft tissues with minimal extension to get them off of you. It's a grappling tool not something to meet another blade with in knife or sword fighting.
Y’all. Take some wood and foam and try to build a weapon designed for reverse grip. 1) it’s a fun project 2) learn about human anatomy and mobility 3) you’ll have a neat little show piece at the end 4) I like seeing the creativity housed within communities like this
@@YokaiDuck22 Karambits are knives, and knives are one of the few weapons that work exceptionally well with the reverse grip. In a very close fight, aptly described as a "get off me" situation by another comment. The limited movement you can do is negated by how close the opponent is, and that you can stab with much more force than otherwise. However, as soon as you can fully extend your arms between you and your opponent, reverse grip is worse than a standard grip.
My first thoughts, it would be short (50 - 60cm or so) with swordbreaker notches along the parrying edge. The guard comes up around the hand. The main use is to parry a strike and twist, locking the opponent's blade against yours and aligning the weapon for a thrust in one motion. Close in and make the thrust. You can't get range out of reverse-grip, so there's no use in having a long weapon. Instead focus on the mobility and function of a short blade. In an open-field situation, treat longer swords the same way you would a spear, and accept your likely death.
With the biomechanical explanation, in theory a non-human wielder with a radically differently designed hand and wrist might be able to pull it off, not alone can make for an interesting bit of Storytelling. A humanoid wielder runs across an alien one and they both have to adjust to their new styles
The time I could see it being truly effective is for a speedster type super who can run through a mob of enemies and take them out before they can react as it would help them keep a more streamlined profile to help slide through gaps and just a quick slash to take the enemy out but if you can do that you might as well just use a knife in reverse grip since the range doesn't matter anyways.
The simplest thing to note is always the fact, in most of these situations they’re are super human, or have abilities in which normal people simply can’t take advantage of. A character like Starkiller, who has trained in a bunch of forms, but with his default reverse grip, also enhances his swordsmanship with his force abilities, and the fact that he’s stronger and faster than regular people. Same thing with giant swords, most of the time these guys are working on a different scale. Of course you and I can’t swing Zabuza’s or Cloud’s or Guts’, but in their respective universes they of course can do things that don’t make sense
I already knew almost all of this, but I still watched the whole way through because I love people debunking illogical myths. Specifically you guys and reverse grip.
So glad that you guys give respect to the media and explain why it’s wrong. A lot of channels that analyse “how this concept shown in a movie really works” often just say that the movie is wrong and therefore bad. It’s refreshing to see a channel that educates while still respecting the media they cover and why the mistakes might be made. Keep up the great work!
As someone who draws comics, I like to keep things historically and physically practical, especially with my background in martial arts and archery, but I also have to admit I do smudge lines for the rule of cool or just to make character design more clear. I love my historical details and accurate depictions but I also understand sometimes impractical can be fun and in fiction it’s not bad to have fun :) like who am I to judge I’ve got a werewolf and a knife wielding witch fighting the creatures of darkness… I’m not really in a position to judge lol
@ I totally agree, I love historical accuracy in media because it makes it more immersive and it shows the lengths the creators went to get things right. However, fiction is the one place where you can get away with oversized swords, acrobatics and dialogue mid-battle and that can often be fun to see or create. Also like you say, if they need to show is so fantastical that it has a bear with four arms in a sword duel against a snail with legs, a realistic sword fight would probably feel out of place considering nothing else is real.
@UA-camRandoms You could have a realistic sword fight with any of those conditions. Especially if armor is involved. Hell, take that fight scene in the Princess Bride. MOST of that choreography is fairly accurate to fighting with those weapons, and that fight scene is legendary. As for fantasy, Tolkien's works are the basis for most fantasy settings, and thus internal logic is a huge component, thus the more "realistic" fighting in those worlds is, the better and more immersive the experience.
I'm under the impression that starkiller actually moves his lightsaber into a forward position during a melee fight and only goes back to backhand when out of combat.
He does sometimes uses his lightsaber in reverse grip in his combos. You even see his clone use one of his lightsabers in a reverse grip slash against a shadow trooper in a cutscene in the Force Unleashed II which the shadow trooper avoids.
Im a concept artist and this whole discussion gave me a kick ass idea. Imagine a samurai robot, double sword wielding. On one have you regular grip, on the other a reverse grip bu here is the catch: the hinges on the arm doing the reverse grip can go as the opposite direction as well as a regular arm goes up. The robot fight visually with a reverse grip but practically, is just a regular technique upside down.
Fantastic work. Honestly, I think packaging all the info that you have into 1 video is a great idea, and would love to see other topics. Also, I was wondering the other day, have you guys made any content on giant swords? I feel like it's pretty self explanatory, but I think it would be cool if you guys tried to mess around with one just to see
People love reverse grip because it looks cool. People fail to be able to articulate why it looks cool. Intuitively, I think, people know it's harder to pull off.
@comradestarbucks2726 No, there are legitimate reverse grip moves. Those moves are just less effective than regular grip moves. There are times when those moves will work. I prefer the Ryoku school of thought on it. I usually go for the ways of Miamoto Musashi, which the Ryoku style pairs well with for me.
From training, the only possible application for reverse grip is when you're super close, practically clinch distance, in which you use the reversed position in the same way you would throw an elbow strike in unarmed combat. However, changing grips is trick and requires you to hold your opponent with the other hand, and if the blow doesn't land you'd be in a bad situation.
So, the first time I *ever* saw a blade wielded in "reverse grip", it was during a martial arts demonstration by the person who I would soon take Tang Soo Do lessons from as a kid in the 80s. The demo started with the school's leader dressed like a nerd, reading a Black Belt magazine walking through the park. Of course the school's black belts in civvies "jumped" him, one holding a chef's knife threateningly. After the "nerd" disarmed the one with the knife, he reverse-gripped it, and my little mind was blown, just like peoples' minds today when they see it. But since I couldn't get that reverse grip out of my mind, I asked him about it once I was under his tutelage. He said it was to make it harder to take the knife away from him, but also showed that he wasn't intending to be aggressive with it. OTOH, gripped in such a manner, suddenly your TSD blocks have a blade attached to them. So if they want to continue the assault after that, they'd just fuck themselves up as he defended himself. And I don't think that's a bad way to use a reverse-gripped knife. A sword with some length? Not so much. Now, if you look historically at characters from Anime and Video Games, you'll often find that the character who wields a blade in such a fashion, wield tiny butter knives. Nakoruru from SamSho comes first to mind, and her special moves are her dashing past the opponent at supernatural speed. If such an attack was possible, using a reverse grip would let the sword slice nicely through as you went by, and not have to worry about it going in point first and getting stuck.
I think it would be really cool to have choreo that uses the occasional niche reverse grip techniques. I think the niche scenarios are really cool, and much of film focuses on niche scenarios. Showing a character use niche techniques can be a fun way to communicate that they fight intelligently and creatively. Another niche scenario technique like that is throwing your sword.
Hey David, I need to add context o 0:30 :) regarding Zatoichi, what he is using is a "swordcane" the shikomizue which was most of the times a straight sword to begin with and it is also shorter than regular "katana", also you'd handle it more or less like a jo (short staff), so drawing and putting it back in a "reverse-grip" manner is more confortable way of using this weapon, that is to say, as you've already mentioned using reverse-grip is almost always in totally close proximity and if you're already in a bad position, which is the case in using shikomizue, as Zatoichi is also depicted in really dangerous situations already and with opponents basically breathing on his neck. 1:00 ah yes, you've reminded me of that abomination of adaptation :D normally Geralt would NEVER use sword this way, aside from mounting on a beast and thrusting sword into its corpse :D 2:45 - a bit of info :) yes, that is whole reason why "reverse grip" won't work... however you can actually bypass this by letting go (partially) of the handle with last three fingers... yes, that is not vialble technique for sword... but for short staff it is valid, Seki-sensei explained why instead of holding firmly to a weapon in reverse grip you'd have it "swing around" that way, that is to say, it works mostly with short staff (jo), not with a sword as you've already mentioned 3:06, there is actually a thrusting technique which utilizes holding sword this way in german longsword, I don't remember the name exactly but it exists :D though it is used only as thrust in specific situations and you manouver by the pommel. 5:10 I do agree, (to some degree), to what you've said... daggers, short knifes, short staff, these are weapons you can use with reverse grip and also, as mentioned earlier it is situation-specific application - like in Fiore's manual 5:55 I beg to differ, Geralt didn't go on rampage and slaughter all the folks... he was defending himself, if he wanted he'd just slice through them, yet he mostly used Quen to deflect anything thrown at him... Netflix adaptation didn't do good with that scene. 6:06 truer words have never been spoken :) P.S. views for the view god likes for the like throne let's fuel the algorithm :D
Another reason is that it's clearly the hard way of using a sword, and when you have an overpowered protagonist, seeing them actively choose to fight in a disadvataged way (and easily win anyway) comes across as a flex, enhancing the cool factor of the character.
I already fixed this by designing a sword that works really well in reverse grip. I shortened the blade drastically and blunted it so you don't stab yourself, then I replaced the pommel with a very long elongated, flat, pointy sharp thing that works great for cutting and thrusting.
As a martial artist I like to use reverse welding when I'm in mid flourish or to trick my opponent especially when I'm evading dodging or pairing, I also like to throw the sword into the back welding especially if I'm doing wausaukee and a katana
Can someone help me remember the title of a movie that always comes to my mind when discussing reverse-gripping a katana? The plot points that I remember is, the protagonist, a western (white) man with no fighting training or experience (a diplomat or something?), ends up in a Japanese village (feudal/medieval era?) and is taught how to use a katana. But the person who teaches him (an old blacksmith?) forces him to do it in reverse grip, even though the protagonist wants to use the katana in forward grip since he knows that's how swords are supposed to be held, and all the other Japanese people around him are holding their katanas in forward grip. But the master is adamant, though he can't/won't explain why (because he doesn't speak English?). At the climax of the film, there is a huge fight, and the protagonist is forced to fight a super badass enemy warrior (evil ninja?). The enemy is heavily wounded already and barely able to fight, but is still a threat to the innocents around them and the protagonist is the only one left to fight. The protagonist reluctuantly pulls out the reverse grip and wins. My memory is super hazy about all of the details above, but I distinctly remember seeing that film and thinking "why would anyone hold a sword in reverse? Why did the master make him hold it that way? Is it more advantageous for a beginner or something?" But the film either didn't explain it or I didn't understand/remember it. Does this sound like a movie anyone knows about? I think it's a Hollywood film but there is a slim chance that it could be a Japanese fillm because I'm Japanese and saw this when I was very young. If so, does anyone remember what the movie's rationale was for making the protagonist use the sword in reverse grip, even though the protagonist himself thought that was a silly idea?
It's quite funny. There is one scene that reverse grip was pivotal. It's in the Ben Kenobi series, facing Darth Vader. Towards the end of the fight, he uses reverses grip to use the hilt to bash away at Vaders control panel. More or less ending the fight.
TO BE FAIR Ashoka has a very unique way of only using one blade in reverse, AND due to the way the lightsaber works, it’s viable specifically in her situation.
Nah, it still limits reach. And with a lightsaber specifically, that cuts no matter what as it just has to make contact, reach would realistically be the only important factor. Every jedi should just have a really long staff and play keep away with their opponents.
@ by Jedi logic, it is a symbol of training first. To wield one effectively requires years of discipline that not everyone can do. Blaster fire parrying is just something they do with it. You see with Ki-adi-mundi, the moment they actually need to deflect many bolts, it's completely useless. Don't bring a knife to a gunfight and all that.
I think there's a little more here that may have been left out but you'll find most depictions of reverse grip are from the draw of the blade, especially in eastern depictions. There's evidence in Fiore like mentioned in the video as well as depictions in different kenjutsu or Iai styles as well. The common thread is you're striking close and on the draw because martially you can get your weapon out quicker in a reverse grip oftentimes. If you are close to your opponent you can simply grab your sword handle and deliver a quick gut punch with the pommel or tsuka. You can also deliver a quick cut to the torso or wrist as someone goes to draw by drawing your blade up out of the scabbard, this then puts you in a position to follow up with an icepick stab if you did connect or it offers you some distance to change grip. In the modern scope there's very little reason to practice any sort of reverse grip because we always start at the point where both fighters are prepared to fight but it's fun to play a game if you have scabbards, having people do an exercise where you have them walk past each other and then if they come across their "target" they draw and attack. This puts it in the context that you would possibly use these reverse grip techniques.
3:27 While I respect the commitment to proper sword knowledge and usage when demonstrating these cutting angles, the reverse grip is very clearly the idea of those without proper sword knowledge. Anything outside of 15° from a completely horizontal slash is virtually unknown to them. They are just gonna throw a right hook, but with slightly extended range. (And it'll still be less powerful than a trained fighter slashing on the same exact line, but with a proper grip)
It's honestly very funny to see people talking about Reverse Gripping swords, when it was typically meant for shorter blades, more akin to modern day knives. These kinds of blades were meant to be flexible, capable of slashing and slicing, but very deadly if stabbed. In most cases, when ypu reverse grip a smaller blade, most of its practical applications come from the proper wrist rotation rather than a long-bladed defense tool 😅
Zatoichi is a bad example. It actually makes sense for him to use reverse grip because he is blind (nevermind for a second that the life expectancy of a blind person in a swordfight is probably very short). For those who never saw any of the movies, in most of the choreography he pulls out the sword about 3/4 of the length and uses both the sword and the scabbard to cover his entire body (he can't see where the attack is coming), then moves into grappling range, pushes his blade onto the opponent's body and pulls, cutting their neck or across the chest. It makes 100% sense imo.
@@The-Black-Fang It could be a story telling tool sure but it only works until you start telling yourself "if he was a talented swordsman he wouldn't do that, even if they were trying to flex"
Could work well for a skilled, cocky swordfighter. Someone who looks down on his opponents enough that they do not take them seriously. However, likely is, they are not the top of the foodchain, would be interesting to see someone get humbled while thinking they are the best.
The narrative would have to acknowledge that it's bad and impractical for this to work. And there are better ways to show this, like Ruruoni Kenshin whose blade has a reverse edge (for personal belief reasons) so if he wants to kill a guy he has to have perfect edge alignment
@@lukalaa1764 I think that's exactly it. We're not talking about a master flexing his skill by giving himself a disadvantage, a character using reverse grip can only realistically be an amateur thinking he's hot shit. Because not only is it a disadvantage, it's just fucking stupid ahah. A character doing that in a realistic setting can only end in him getting horribly humbled
@@lukalaa1764 Could also be used for tension. Like if they always do the reverse blade because they're so skilled they don't take anyone seriously, imagine they encounter someone and immediately switching to proper stance. It can be a moment of "Wait, does he know that warrior, why is he so serious all of a sudden?"
To be fair, Thorfinn's reverse grip on his dagger makes sense. He does a lot of infighting, and as a smaller fighter, he favours the downward thrust. I always considered reverse grip a defensive manoeuvre. Bracing the (single sided) blade against your forearm is a natural way to shield yourself. And in anime, since protagonists don't wear forearm armour and weapons are indestructible (until they aren't), it's the best defence. Realistically though you could also apply your full weight against a dagger with a reverse grip.
Good video! When my brain though of reverse grib being viable, I immediately thought of knives and not swords. Would have been nice to have a few more words about that.
hammer grip is for either tonfa, or armour fighting daggers daggers are not a primary weapon, they only really make sense as backup weapons in armoured battle, or gunfighting generally tonfa is more of a self defense tool, for fighting unarmed targets, like riot police vs rioters and the only way to justify them as primary weapons is when paired alongside narrative enhancements ie; super powers, magic, tech
I like that energy! One thing an old trainer told me once is that I'd be so much better if I treated a weapon like an extension of my body that I'd occasionally do danger things with. If you're trying to draw or pick up things with a sword (or spear, I'm team pointy stick) you pretty quickly figure out that there's lots of ways to grip things but some are SUPER awkward and fragle. One-handed reverse grip is definitely in that territory, it's really hard to do fine manipulation that way and it's very awkward. Anything that's awkward for movement is also awkward for combat, right?
Last week, I was writing/drawing a (sort of) realistic sword fight that ends with 1/2 slash. One of them is preparing to counter(posing before battle) with a reverse sword grip- and I get a feeling that maybe...this thing is not so useful but I couldn't connect why. Glad to come across this.
Reverse grip only works on daggers or shorter blades because you can stab really hard with the reverse grip, it uses other muscles that are better to sink in the balde once you've pierced and also removes the issue of your wrist feeling the pressure in the stab while you sink it in the flesh, of course on longer blades you have to use them on a normal grip and a stab from a logner blade is easier to do with a regular grip and you can also add your weight to it, daggers aren't exactly safe for a frontal stab, you have to get too close to be able to use your weight on the blade
Reverse grip is fine for self defense with a walking cane (non crook) or hanbo. Maestro Arturo Bonafont developed a self defense system using a walking cane in reverse grip.
We have a few reverse grip cuts in our kata but they're situational. As well as some noto is done reverse grip depending on the kata. I study 2 different koryu sword systems.
Reverse grip in the most practical sense is situational, it is best when used with short blades in which you are up close and personal. Longer blades it is always best to use standard form.
Just have to add that Zatoichi used a variation of cane-sword and unsheathing it that way was faster and less conspicuous. The plot element was that he wasn't even allowed a sword.
I would like to mention one idea for a good in universe idea to use reverse grip if you are writing a story. It’s used by trained fighters as a way of showing off their skills. kinda if you were fighting 3 people and you have a revolver and you get rid of all but three bullets. It’s a way of showing off their skills because fighting against someone with reverse grip is them saying “I’m so much more skilled than you that I’ll use the worst way of using my weapon and I will still win” now this doesn’t mean people should actually use it in real life but in stuff like dnd or fantasy stories that would be a cool explanation for why some characters specifically assassins tend to use reverse grip.
Here's an interesting tidbit; in wushu we do reverse grip, like you said, for acrobatics (nandu). However, the tendency is also to switch hands (not universal, but very common) So you reverse-grip in your left for the flips and spins.
I assume a lot of the popularity is from Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi series. It had 26 films and a 100 episode television show and has had multiple successful spinoffs and modern reinterpretations. Of course, in that series Zatoichi is supposed to be the fastest swordsman alive, is blind with Daredevil tier hearing and reflexes, and uses his blindness to get closer because his opponents often don't realize he's a fighter until its too late. It's like the Witcher with Geralt's spinning attacks. The main character is supernatural his (human for Geralt, everyone for Zatoichi) opponents are not.
If you put the focus on the entire edge and not the tip, reverse grip makes tons of sense. Forward grip is good for long range fighting, but becomes impractical for close range; reverse grip makes the weapon very effective in close range (like daggers held in reverse grip) if you use it as a slicer only and not focusing on piercing your opponent. When fighting with two swords (dual katana, dual broadsword, butterfly/mother-son swords) using one blade forward and one blade reverse is my preferred grip, as the reverse grip blade can block and act as a 'shield that cuts" while the forward grip parries at distance. I prefer to fight close range, so resting the blade on the forearm and attacking like I would use my elbow can do great damage as the blade can move fast without telegraphing the attack, and the power comes from the hips (and a slice from the tip comes as a surprise). But this is all predicated on a razor sharp, light and strong blade; if it is heavy and/or dull, reverse grip is indeed useless.
I did watch their videos. I’m just speaking from practical (non film) experiences. They asked, I answered. They bring up great points for stage fighting and fight choreography. A lot of people who want to do fighting for camera should watch their videos. They do a great job.
two things, 1) I am absolutely here for the complete deadpan expressions on the face of the person not talking. B) while I generally cringe at reverse grips, I do quite love the grip used by Ludger in Tales of Xillia 2. Pretty much entirely because he's one of the most over the top video game protagonists I think I've ever seen. The man dresses like someone from the 1920's-1950's (buttoned up shirt, necktie, sleeves rolled up to just below the elbows, suspenders, pocket watch), and has three different weapons he can switch between at a moments notice: Dual blades used in a reverse grip, a sledgehammer, and a pair of handguns. Is anything the man does anything resembling practical? Not in the slightest, but the game is very aware of this fact. And thinking about it I lied, Ludger actually has 4 weapons he switches between. He has a pocket watch activated demon transformation (it's a hell of a lot more complicated than that, but I'm not going to get into it) where he uses a spear
The sword that the blind swordsman uses is primarily used in reverse grip as the weapon is designed to be able to look like a cane with a hidden blade (not assassins creed one) inside The katana has like a solid 50% of its kata and techniques using reverse grip Not calling you stupid or complaining just letting you know
I always saw the reverse grip as a safety thing they did back in the day if the user say lot their sheath at some point during a fight or it broke in battle. I could be very wrong though.
im playing a character who is in no way trained in any armed martial art. A sort of wildman who fights on instinct and experience. He is the party's barbarian and I made him a lefthand fighter who wields a battleaxe, with an armored right arm that weilds a reverse grip Gladius as an arm he mostly defends with. What are your thoughts on this? And any tips to improve this flavor?
The only time I've seen reverse grip used effectively is in dual wielding to set bear traps or concealing. Basically unless the weapon is small enough to be used effectively with one hand or be hidden it's not going to work.
You are totally right! But I love reserve grip, it's a good feeling to swing the sword this way. It makes you feel like a cool character of a nija game 😂
While it is not practical using swords in reverse grip. It makes sense to use reverse grip in a stabbing motion when using a knife or a dagger when trying to stay out of sight.
Thank you for vindicating the comment I made on the last video about reverse grip. I ended up talking at length to people about knives and had to describe a lot of the problems that you're showing practically here.
Even without the disadvantages of reverse grip, I hate it because it looks goofy as and always breaks my emersion in whatever I am watching at the time.
I think reverse grip is easiest to punch and kick, but better ONLY to be used at elbow length distance, because the hilt can be used as a blunt object and your opponent doesnt have a full range of motion at elbow distance.
Sorry for the slightly off topic comment. I found a fencing club near me HEMA to be precise. I have no experience so I will attend their next lesson for novice medieval longsword. They have beginner British Sabre and highland broadsword. Or beginner level renaissance rapier. Anyways I was wondering if you guys have suggestions on which weapon would be good to start with or if it matters.
Great video!! Im wondering if you guys have ever done a video about duel wielding!! Like is it effective? Are there specific swords for duel wielding? If you have, please let me know!!
i like to think it has to do with people being more familiar with the natural punching motion for offense than the more technically effective slicing or thrusting motion. punching and hitting are probably the most instinctual means of hurting something, and so just adding a blade MUST make it better. slam your fist on a desk + dagger = reverse grip stab. roundhouse haymaker punch + sword = reverse grip slash. x-block in front of your face + two blades = guillotine slash. it doesn't matter that functionally it's full of flaws, or that using a weapon the way it was intended gives you a force multiplier beyond what the body can exert on its own. since it FEELS right, it must be the SECRET best way that THE MAN doesn't use because he's LAME
I always loved reverse grip characters because it looks awesome, but I had no idea some people defended it with their lives lol I thought it was a given that it's impractical in real life
The only problem with reverse grip is that it has few ways to be practical. Where a weapon is meant to be an ‘extension’, the reverse grip removes the extra length and puts your limb to greater risk than the weapon. Not a good idea when you are squishier and less replaceable than metal
Fun fact:
Reverse gripping the sword is BY FAR the absolute most comfortable, versatile, and useful way to hold a sword *except when you're actually fighting someone.* Travelling? Reverse grip. Climbing? Reverse grip. Running? Reverse grip. Sitting down at a table? Reverse grip. At a party and you want to show off your fancy new sword? Reverse grip.
Every conceivable situation where you're not expected to use the sword, reverse grip is perfectly applicable and viable.
I was convinced you were nuts for the first 80% of that first sentence. Then I got to the bold part and it's both hilarious and true.
Who cares about any of that?! I want it to be useful in battle goddammit! GIVE ME MY SICK-ASS FICTIONAL BADASSERY!!! 😫😫😫
It seems like the things that make it suck for combat are the things that make it viable for walking, climbing, or doing other idle activities. With a reverse grip, its weight tends to be closer to your own center of gravity, which keeps you balanced, makes it easier to bear its weight, and keeps it from getting in the way. But in combat, that just means it isn't an extension of yourself with range and maneuverability like it is meant to be.
I now want a swordfighter that doesn't uses reverse grip in fights, but everywhere else he does, walking, showing of, running or doing any thing, he never properly wileds it unless he is fighting or he knows he's about to
so instead of like, unsheating his sword, or craking his knuckles, he....unreverse grip his sword
@santiagomontiellaverde74 "why are yoi smiling?"
"Because I know something you don't."
"And what is that."
"I'm trained in an actual fughting style."
::flips sword into normal stance::
Now I want an anime where *everyone* uses reverse-grip, and the protagonist "discovers" fighting with reverse-reverse-grip and it's absurdly overpowered compared to everyone else.
Do it!
And then theres the final boss of the anime who uses the reverse-reverse-reverse grip.
@@globurimdoes nothing against my new self insert oc, who uses the reverse-reverse-reverse-reverse grip
@@Sncyukithat does nothing against my self insert robot oc, it has the ANTI reverse-reverse-reverse grip
Every attack skill he uses must start with "reversed sword-"
It's the sideway gun of swords.
actual perfect analogy
Exactly!
@@algi1 worse. its upside down
What is that?
@@lobaoguara2332saying that people who like holding a gun sideways despite the impracticality is the same as those who like holding swords in reverse grip despite the impracticality
"You wouldn't hold a gun upside down, would you?"
Death The Kid:
I was about to comment that and didn't because I saw your comment.
@@DaakkuuYRS so ironic that a perfectionist character use guns with his pinkies
@@DaakkuuYRS +1
@@gabrielgauchez9435 To be fair, since he's the son of Shinigami and not a normal human (as far as normal humans in soul eater go), he has increased strength (by a ton). Him using his pinkies is probably a way for him to not actually break the triggers because a pinky would be the weakest finger to use when pulling the trigger.
I literally paused when he said that and scrolled to check if someone had already commented this.
The rule of cool:
If a person uses a weapon differently than the others, this person must have trained different, secret and interesting looking techniques.
In Equilibrium Christian Bale looks very flashy with it, because it looks unique.
In Zatoichi, Zatoichi even gets away with using the same combo 666x times in the movie.
Purely for aesthetics and the incompetence of the opponents make it look successful.
"We trained him wrong as a joke"
@TerranPlanetaryDefenseForce XD
3:10 "Life and death is decided by inches." truer words have never been spoken
couldn't have said it better
non-americans: "i am immortal"
Bed war moment
As a short person who boxed, reach is a massive advantage. I had to be faster, have better technique, out maneuver, and even play mind games to make up for my stubby little T. rex arms. which might be why I do archery now… ultimate reach lol
True in all realms, both in ending life and creating it.
Reverse grip is great for close in knife work. That's why it's common in modern "get off me tools." The second you can get your arms to full extension, it's not anywhere as good.
Yea it’s also better for concealing
Yes, but then i do a magic trick and flip to forgrip
@@Ve-om7lf But he showed that it won't let you parry nor gurd
@liongames_gaming yes. A "get off me tool" is not for knife fighting. It's to gain an advantage over the guy you're in a grapple with who has his hands around your neck or thumbs in your eyes. A short blade, with retention (most likely a ring on the end), that lets you get into soft tissues with minimal extension to get them off of you. It's a grappling tool not something to meet another blade with in knife or sword fighting.
@@Ve-om7lf bucky in Cap 2 is such a good example for your point
"You wouldn't hold a gun upside down, would you?"
*Death the Kid:* "Hold my symmetry."
XD daammmn nice call back
damn beat me to it
Y’all. Take some wood and foam and try to build a weapon designed for reverse grip. 1) it’s a fun project 2) learn about human anatomy and mobility 3) you’ll have a neat little show piece at the end 4) I like seeing the creativity housed within communities like this
400 attempts later... This is just a tonfa with extra steps.
@@darkcrye tonfa is the any grip weapon.
@@whome9842 yeah a tonfa type weapon or a karambit type weapon is i could think of for good reverse grip
@@YokaiDuck22 Karambits are knives, and knives are one of the few weapons that work exceptionally well with the reverse grip.
In a very close fight, aptly described as a "get off me" situation by another comment. The limited movement you can do is negated by how close the opponent is, and that you can stab with much more force than otherwise.
However, as soon as you can fully extend your arms between you and your opponent, reverse grip is worse than a standard grip.
My first thoughts, it would be short (50 - 60cm or so) with swordbreaker notches along the parrying edge. The guard comes up around the hand. The main use is to parry a strike and twist, locking the opponent's blade against yours and aligning the weapon for a thrust in one motion. Close in and make the thrust. You can't get range out of reverse-grip, so there's no use in having a long weapon. Instead focus on the mobility and function of a short blade. In an open-field situation, treat longer swords the same way you would a spear, and accept your likely death.
With the biomechanical explanation, in theory a non-human wielder with a radically differently designed hand and wrist might be able to pull it off, not alone can make for an interesting bit of Storytelling. A humanoid wielder runs across an alien one and they both have to adjust to their new styles
The time I could see it being truly effective is for a speedster type super who can run through a mob of enemies and take them out before they can react as it would help them keep a more streamlined profile to help slide through gaps and just a quick slash to take the enemy out but if you can do that you might as well just use a knife in reverse grip since the range doesn't matter anyways.
4:45 Soul Eater: "Hold my beer"
Literally Death the Kidd doing that, so it's ironic 😂😂😂
@alexandere9368 i was thinking the exact same thing. Lol. Still super stupid tho.
YES!
The simplest thing to note is always the fact, in most of these situations they’re are super human, or have abilities in which normal people simply can’t take advantage of. A character like Starkiller, who has trained in a bunch of forms, but with his default reverse grip, also enhances his swordsmanship with his force abilities, and the fact that he’s stronger and faster than regular people.
Same thing with giant swords, most of the time these guys are working on a different scale. Of course you and I can’t swing Zabuza’s or Cloud’s or Guts’, but in their respective universes they of course can do things that don’t make sense
I already knew almost all of this, but I still watched the whole way through because I love people debunking illogical myths. Specifically you guys and reverse grip.
3:47 Again the laugh response to the reverse grip parry.
“Something in common with all users of reverse grips is…” I genuinely thought they were gonna say dead which would’ve killed me
Samuri self deleting
So glad that you guys give respect to the media and explain why it’s wrong. A lot of channels that analyse “how this concept shown in a movie really works” often just say that the movie is wrong and therefore bad. It’s refreshing to see a channel that educates while still respecting the media they cover and why the mistakes might be made. Keep up the great work!
The movies are also wrong and therefore bad. Real sword fighting looks so cool, but we get this swill b/c they had to be different.
@@ethanwilliams1880 Did you even read the comment you replied to? Did you even watch the same video as everyone else?
As someone who draws comics, I like to keep things historically and physically practical, especially with my background in martial arts and archery, but I also have to admit I do smudge lines for the rule of cool or just to make character design more clear. I love my historical details and accurate depictions but I also understand sometimes impractical can be fun and in fiction it’s not bad to have fun :) like who am I to judge I’ve got a werewolf and a knife wielding witch fighting the creatures of darkness… I’m not really in a position to judge lol
@ I totally agree, I love historical accuracy in media because it makes it more immersive and it shows the lengths the creators went to get things right. However, fiction is the one place where you can get away with oversized swords, acrobatics and dialogue mid-battle and that can often be fun to see or create. Also like you say, if they need to show is so fantastical that it has a bear with four arms in a sword duel against a snail with legs, a realistic sword fight would probably feel out of place considering nothing else is real.
@UA-camRandoms You could have a realistic sword fight with any of those conditions. Especially if armor is involved.
Hell, take that fight scene in the Princess Bride. MOST of that choreography is fairly accurate to fighting with those weapons, and that fight scene is legendary.
As for fantasy, Tolkien's works are the basis for most fantasy settings, and thus internal logic is a huge component, thus the more "realistic" fighting in those worlds is, the better and more immersive the experience.
I'm under the impression that starkiller actually moves his lightsaber into a forward position during a melee fight and only goes back to backhand when out of combat.
He does sometimes uses his lightsaber in reverse grip in his combos. You even see his clone use one of his lightsabers in a reverse grip slash against a shadow trooper in a cutscene in the Force Unleashed II which the shadow trooper avoids.
In clashes - yes. In different attacks he consistently switch grip.
@@anakinskywalkerthechosenone316 that was terror troopers. Shadow EVOs were in first game.
Under one minute .
I think reverse grip is cool but I still agree that it’s impractical and prefer forward grip
Im a concept artist and this whole discussion gave me a kick ass idea. Imagine a samurai robot, double sword wielding. On one have you regular grip, on the other a reverse grip bu here is the catch: the hinges on the arm doing the reverse grip can go as the opposite direction as well as a regular arm goes up. The robot fight visually with a reverse grip but practically, is just a regular technique upside down.
Fantastic work. Honestly, I think packaging all the info that you have into 1 video is a great idea, and would love to see other topics. Also, I was wondering the other day, have you guys made any content on giant swords? I feel like it's pretty self explanatory, but I think it would be cool if you guys tried to mess around with one just to see
People love reverse grip because it looks cool. People fail to be able to articulate why it looks cool. Intuitively, I think, people know it's harder to pull off.
It helps when shooting fight choreography with getting both actors faces on screen?
@comradestarbucks2726 No, there are legitimate reverse grip moves. Those moves are just less effective than regular grip moves. There are times when those moves will work. I prefer the Ryoku school of thought on it. I usually go for the ways of Miamoto Musashi, which the Ryoku style pairs well with for me.
Because it looks a harder to use, it's different, so the character looks edgy.
"Oh right, I forgot. You guys are a bunch of weebs."
@vampyreeisqube Mans is literally wearing Trash Taste merch
3:12 yeah she regularly says that
That part at 4:44 is the best thing I heard all week. Thanks for that.
Thanks!
From training, the only possible application for reverse grip is when you're super close, practically clinch distance, in which you use the reversed position in the same way you would throw an elbow strike in unarmed combat. However, changing grips is trick and requires you to hold your opponent with the other hand, and if the blow doesn't land you'd be in a bad situation.
So, the first time I *ever* saw a blade wielded in "reverse grip", it was during a martial arts demonstration by the person who I would soon take Tang Soo Do lessons from as a kid in the 80s. The demo started with the school's leader dressed like a nerd, reading a Black Belt magazine walking through the park. Of course the school's black belts in civvies "jumped" him, one holding a chef's knife threateningly.
After the "nerd" disarmed the one with the knife, he reverse-gripped it, and my little mind was blown, just like peoples' minds today when they see it. But since I couldn't get that reverse grip out of my mind, I asked him about it once I was under his tutelage.
He said it was to make it harder to take the knife away from him, but also showed that he wasn't intending to be aggressive with it. OTOH, gripped in such a manner, suddenly your TSD blocks have a blade attached to them. So if they want to continue the assault after that, they'd just fuck themselves up as he defended himself.
And I don't think that's a bad way to use a reverse-gripped knife. A sword with some length? Not so much.
Now, if you look historically at characters from Anime and Video Games, you'll often find that the character who wields a blade in such a fashion, wield tiny butter knives. Nakoruru from SamSho comes first to mind, and her special moves are her dashing past the opponent at supernatural speed. If such an attack was possible, using a reverse grip would let the sword slice nicely through as you went by, and not have to worry about it going in point first and getting stuck.
I think it would be really cool to have choreo that uses the occasional niche reverse grip techniques. I think the niche scenarios are really cool, and much of film focuses on niche scenarios. Showing a character use niche techniques can be a fun way to communicate that they fight intelligently and creatively. Another niche scenario technique like that is throwing your sword.
Hey David,
I need to add context o 0:30 :)
regarding Zatoichi, what he is using is a "swordcane" the shikomizue which was most of the times a straight sword to begin with and it is also shorter than regular "katana", also you'd handle it more or less like a jo (short staff), so drawing and putting it back in a "reverse-grip" manner is more confortable way of using this weapon, that is to say, as you've already mentioned using reverse-grip is almost always in totally close proximity and if you're already in a bad position, which is the case in using shikomizue, as Zatoichi is also depicted in really dangerous situations already and with opponents basically breathing on his neck.
1:00 ah yes, you've reminded me of that abomination of adaptation :D normally Geralt would NEVER use sword this way, aside from mounting on a beast and thrusting sword into its corpse :D
2:45 - a bit of info :) yes, that is whole reason why "reverse grip" won't work... however you can actually bypass this by letting go (partially) of the handle with last three fingers... yes, that is not vialble technique for sword... but for short staff it is valid, Seki-sensei explained why instead of holding firmly to a weapon in reverse grip you'd have it "swing around" that way, that is to say, it works mostly with short staff (jo), not with a sword as you've already mentioned
3:06, there is actually a thrusting technique which utilizes holding sword this way in german longsword, I don't remember the name exactly but it exists :D though it is used only as thrust in specific situations and you manouver by the pommel.
5:10 I do agree, (to some degree), to what you've said... daggers, short knifes, short staff, these are weapons you can use with reverse grip and also, as mentioned earlier it is situation-specific application - like in Fiore's manual
5:55 I beg to differ, Geralt didn't go on rampage and slaughter all the folks... he was defending himself, if he wanted he'd just slice through them, yet he mostly used Quen to deflect anything thrown at him... Netflix adaptation didn't do good with that scene.
6:06 truer words have never been spoken :)
P.S.
views for the view god
likes for the like throne
let's fuel the algorithm :D
Another reason is that it's clearly the hard way of using a sword, and when you have an overpowered protagonist, seeing them actively choose to fight in a disadvataged way (and easily win anyway) comes across as a flex, enhancing the cool factor of the character.
I already fixed this by designing a sword that works really well in reverse grip. I shortened the blade drastically and blunted it so you don't stab yourself, then I replaced the pommel with a very long elongated, flat, pointy sharp thing that works great for cutting and thrusting.
As a martial artist I like to use reverse welding when I'm in mid flourish or to trick my opponent especially when I'm evading dodging or pairing, I also like to throw the sword into the back welding especially if I'm doing wausaukee and a katana
0:58 Ventus from Kingdom Hearts definitely does NOT fit that description lol
I've said it before and I'll say it again, reverse grip is great when you care more about style points than your life
Can someone help me remember the title of a movie that always comes to my mind when discussing reverse-gripping a katana? The plot points that I remember is, the protagonist, a western (white) man with no fighting training or experience (a diplomat or something?), ends up in a Japanese village (feudal/medieval era?) and is taught how to use a katana. But the person who teaches him (an old blacksmith?) forces him to do it in reverse grip, even though the protagonist wants to use the katana in forward grip since he knows that's how swords are supposed to be held, and all the other Japanese people around him are holding their katanas in forward grip. But the master is adamant, though he can't/won't explain why (because he doesn't speak English?). At the climax of the film, there is a huge fight, and the protagonist is forced to fight a super badass enemy warrior (evil ninja?). The enemy is heavily wounded already and barely able to fight, but is still a threat to the innocents around them and the protagonist is the only one left to fight. The protagonist reluctuantly pulls out the reverse grip and wins.
My memory is super hazy about all of the details above, but I distinctly remember seeing that film and thinking "why would anyone hold a sword in reverse? Why did the master make him hold it that way? Is it more advantageous for a beginner or something?" But the film either didn't explain it or I didn't understand/remember it.
Does this sound like a movie anyone knows about? I think it's a Hollywood film but there is a slim chance that it could be a Japanese fillm because I'm Japanese and saw this when I was very young. If so, does anyone remember what the movie's rationale was for making the protagonist use the sword in reverse grip, even though the protagonist himself thought that was a silly idea?
At this point Sellsword Art's hate of reverse grip become true
As someone who's never held a real sword, just pantomiming reverse grip I can feel how ineffective it is
I love it when it's a meta stance in Warframe and named after the Blind Samurai too
It's quite funny. There is one scene that reverse grip was pivotal. It's in the Ben Kenobi series, facing Darth Vader. Towards the end of the fight, he uses reverses grip to use the hilt to bash away at Vaders control panel. More or less ending the fight.
It's very usefull for dramatic and powerfull finishing hit if you stand above your opponent or on the back of the giant monster
KEEP THE LONG FORM COMING!!!!!!!
TO BE FAIR Ashoka has a very unique way of only using one blade in reverse, AND due to the way the lightsaber works, it’s viable specifically in her situation.
Nah, it still limits reach. And with a lightsaber specifically, that cuts no matter what as it just has to make contact, reach would realistically be the only important factor. Every jedi should just have a really long staff and play keep away with their opponents.
@@BBB_bbb_BBB Well, by jedi logic it is blaster parry tool first, poking stik very second.
@ by Jedi logic, it is a symbol of training first. To wield one effectively requires years of discipline that not everyone can do. Blaster fire parrying is just something they do with it. You see with Ki-adi-mundi, the moment they actually need to deflect many bolts, it's completely useless. Don't bring a knife to a gunfight and all that.
I think there's a little more here that may have been left out but you'll find most depictions of reverse grip are from the draw of the blade, especially in eastern depictions. There's evidence in Fiore like mentioned in the video as well as depictions in different kenjutsu or Iai styles as well. The common thread is you're striking close and on the draw because martially you can get your weapon out quicker in a reverse grip oftentimes. If you are close to your opponent you can simply grab your sword handle and deliver a quick gut punch with the pommel or tsuka. You can also deliver a quick cut to the torso or wrist as someone goes to draw by drawing your blade up out of the scabbard, this then puts you in a position to follow up with an icepick stab if you did connect or it offers you some distance to change grip. In the modern scope there's very little reason to practice any sort of reverse grip because we always start at the point where both fighters are prepared to fight but it's fun to play a game if you have scabbards, having people do an exercise where you have them walk past each other and then if they come across their "target" they draw and attack. This puts it in the context that you would possibly use these reverse grip techniques.
3:27 While I respect the commitment to proper sword knowledge and usage when demonstrating these cutting angles, the reverse grip is very clearly the idea of those without proper sword knowledge. Anything outside of 15° from a completely horizontal slash is virtually unknown to them. They are just gonna throw a right hook, but with slightly extended range. (And it'll still be less powerful than a trained fighter slashing on the same exact line, but with a proper grip)
It's honestly very funny to see people talking about Reverse Gripping swords, when it was typically meant for shorter blades, more akin to modern day knives. These kinds of blades were meant to be flexible, capable of slashing and slicing, but very deadly if stabbed. In most cases, when ypu reverse grip a smaller blade, most of its practical applications come from the proper wrist rotation rather than a long-bladed defense tool 😅
Zatoichi is a bad example. It actually makes sense for him to use reverse grip because he is blind (nevermind for a second that the life expectancy of a blind person in a swordfight is probably very short). For those who never saw any of the movies, in most of the choreography he pulls out the sword about 3/4 of the length and uses both the sword and the scabbard to cover his entire body (he can't see where the attack is coming), then moves into grappling range, pushes his blade onto the opponent's body and pulls, cutting their neck or across the chest. It makes 100% sense imo.
Excellently done!
It looks very good, especially in posters, because it shows off the fist.
every thing was so well put, love your content
how dare youtube hide this from me for 11 minutes
I've asked this before but, would reverse grip work as a tool to set up how great a swordsman a character is due to how impractical it is?
@@The-Black-Fang It could be a story telling tool sure but it only works until you start telling yourself "if he was a talented swordsman he wouldn't do that, even if they were trying to flex"
Could work well for a skilled, cocky swordfighter. Someone who looks down on his opponents enough that they do not take them seriously.
However, likely is, they are not the top of the foodchain, would be interesting to see someone get humbled while thinking they are the best.
The narrative would have to acknowledge that it's bad and impractical for this to work. And there are better ways to show this, like Ruruoni Kenshin whose blade has a reverse edge (for personal belief reasons) so if he wants to kill a guy he has to have perfect edge alignment
@@lukalaa1764 I think that's exactly it. We're not talking about a master flexing his skill by giving himself a disadvantage, a character using reverse grip can only realistically be an amateur thinking he's hot shit. Because not only is it a disadvantage, it's just fucking stupid ahah. A character doing that in a realistic setting can only end in him getting horribly humbled
@@lukalaa1764
Could also be used for tension. Like if they always do the reverse blade because they're so skilled they don't take anyone seriously, imagine they encounter someone and immediately switching to proper stance.
It can be a moment of "Wait, does he know that warrior, why is he so serious all of a sudden?"
Simply put: it looks sick
To be fair, Thorfinn's reverse grip on his dagger makes sense. He does a lot of infighting, and as a smaller fighter, he favours the downward thrust. I always considered reverse grip a defensive manoeuvre. Bracing the (single sided) blade against your forearm is a natural way to shield yourself. And in anime, since protagonists don't wear forearm armour and weapons are indestructible (until they aren't), it's the best defence. Realistically though you could also apply your full weight against a dagger with a reverse grip.
i'm glad you mentioned that it is quite useful for knife fighting (though still should never be the default grip)!
Good video! When my brain though of reverse grib being viable, I immediately thought of knives and not swords. Would have been nice to have a few more words about that.
Usually blades that actually utilizes reverse grip are knives and short blades not katanas and 2 handlers to be fair lol
hammer grip is for either tonfa, or armour fighting daggers
daggers are not a primary weapon, they only really make sense as backup weapons in armoured battle, or gunfighting
generally tonfa is more of a self defense tool, for fighting unarmed targets, like riot police vs rioters
and the only way to justify them as primary weapons is when paired alongside narrative enhancements ie; super powers, magic, tech
The surprise rat tail caught me off guard 😂😂 still, good video.
I like that energy!
One thing an old trainer told me once is that I'd be so much better if I treated a weapon like an extension of my body that I'd occasionally do danger things with. If you're trying to draw or pick up things with a sword (or spear, I'm team pointy stick) you pretty quickly figure out that there's lots of ways to grip things but some are SUPER awkward and fragle.
One-handed reverse grip is definitely in that territory, it's really hard to do fine manipulation that way and it's very awkward. Anything that's awkward for movement is also awkward for combat, right?
Last week, I was writing/drawing a (sort of) realistic sword fight that ends with 1/2 slash.
One of them is preparing to counter(posing before battle) with a reverse sword grip- and I get a feeling that maybe...this thing is not so useful but I couldn't connect why. Glad to come across this.
Reverse grip only works on daggers or shorter blades because you can stab really hard with the reverse grip, it uses other muscles that are better to sink in the balde once you've pierced and also removes the issue of your wrist feeling the pressure in the stab while you sink it in the flesh, of course on longer blades you have to use them on a normal grip and a stab from a logner blade is easier to do with a regular grip and you can also add your weight to it, daggers aren't exactly safe for a frontal stab, you have to get too close to be able to use your weight on the blade
I’m not even a swordsman and only play VR, I already noticed how impractical it is. You have to be a superhuman to overcome that
Other than outside influences, hammer action just feels really good in a force flowing sense, it's the maximum output your arm can do after all
I like the reflection from the red carpet on the blades lol
The Beastmaster (1982) The reverse grip was used by Dar (Marc Singer) during the training montage.
1:38 ok idea, parkour with swords where you have to cut stuff while you parkour invent this sport so that reverse grip might be useful for something
Reverse grip is fine for self defense with a walking cane (non crook) or hanbo. Maestro Arturo Bonafont developed a self defense system using a walking cane in reverse grip.
We have a few reverse grip cuts in our kata but they're situational. As well as some noto is done reverse grip depending on the kata. I study 2 different koryu sword systems.
Reverse grip in the most practical sense is situational, it is best when used with short blades in which you are up close and personal. Longer blades it is always best to use standard form.
Yes I know it is not practical. I know this just by thinking about it for 2 seconds. But DANG it looks so cool!
Just have to add that Zatoichi used a variation of cane-sword and unsheathing it that way was faster and less conspicuous. The plot element was that he wasn't even allowed a sword.
The reverse grip technique really did save me there. Hahahaa. I'm just edging to do it already.
I would like to mention one idea for a good in universe idea to use reverse grip if you are writing a story. It’s used by trained fighters as a way of showing off their skills. kinda if you were fighting 3 people and you have a revolver and you get rid of all but three bullets. It’s a way of showing off their skills because fighting against someone with reverse grip is them saying “I’m so much more skilled than you that I’ll use the worst way of using my weapon and I will still win” now this doesn’t mean people should actually use it in real life but in stuff like dnd or fantasy stories that would be a cool explanation for why some characters specifically assassins tend to use reverse grip.
done it a few times having your forearm behind the blade does allow you to push against and push away a opponents blade with a good amount of force
Here's an interesting tidbit; in wushu we do reverse grip, like you said, for acrobatics (nandu). However, the tendency is also to switch hands (not universal, but very common) So you reverse-grip in your left for the flips and spins.
I assume a lot of the popularity is from Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi series. It had 26 films and a 100 episode television show and has had multiple successful spinoffs and modern reinterpretations.
Of course, in that series Zatoichi is supposed to be the fastest swordsman alive, is blind with Daredevil tier hearing and reflexes, and uses his blindness to get closer because his opponents often don't realize he's a fighter until its too late. It's like the Witcher with Geralt's spinning attacks. The main character is supernatural his (human for Geralt, everyone for Zatoichi) opponents are not.
If you put the focus on the entire edge and not the tip, reverse grip makes tons of sense. Forward grip is good for long range fighting, but becomes impractical for close range; reverse grip makes the weapon very effective in close range (like daggers held in reverse grip) if you use it as a slicer only and not focusing on piercing your opponent. When fighting with two swords (dual katana, dual broadsword, butterfly/mother-son swords) using one blade forward and one blade reverse is my preferred grip, as the reverse grip blade can block and act as a 'shield that cuts" while the forward grip parries at distance. I prefer to fight close range, so resting the blade on the forearm and attacking like I would use my elbow can do great damage as the blade can move fast without telegraphing the attack, and the power comes from the hips (and a slice from the tip comes as a surprise). But this is all predicated on a razor sharp, light and strong blade; if it is heavy and/or dull, reverse grip is indeed useless.
They have disproven every individual point you have made, in previous videos
I did watch their videos. I’m just speaking from practical (non film) experiences. They asked, I answered.
They bring up great points for stage fighting and fight choreography. A lot of people who want to do fighting for camera should watch their videos. They do a great job.
two things,
1) I am absolutely here for the complete deadpan expressions on the face of the person not talking.
B) while I generally cringe at reverse grips, I do quite love the grip used by Ludger in Tales of Xillia 2. Pretty much entirely because he's one of the most over the top video game protagonists I think I've ever seen. The man dresses like someone from the 1920's-1950's (buttoned up shirt, necktie, sleeves rolled up to just below the elbows, suspenders, pocket watch), and has three different weapons he can switch between at a moments notice: Dual blades used in a reverse grip, a sledgehammer, and a pair of handguns. Is anything the man does anything resembling practical? Not in the slightest, but the game is very aware of this fact.
And thinking about it I lied, Ludger actually has 4 weapons he switches between. He has a pocket watch activated demon transformation (it's a hell of a lot more complicated than that, but I'm not going to get into it) where he uses a spear
The sword that the blind swordsman uses is primarily used in reverse grip as the weapon is designed to be able to look like a cane with a hidden blade (not assassins creed one) inside
The katana has like a solid 50% of its kata and techniques using reverse grip
Not calling you stupid or complaining just letting you know
I always saw the reverse grip as a safety thing they did back in the day if the user say lot their sheath at some point during a fight or it broke in battle. I could be very wrong though.
im playing a character who is in no way trained in any armed martial art. A sort of wildman who fights on instinct and experience. He is the party's barbarian and I made him a lefthand fighter who wields a battleaxe, with an armored right arm that weilds a reverse grip Gladius as an arm he mostly defends with. What are your thoughts on this? And any tips to improve this flavor?
Yup, I love reverse grip because of Starkiller. It's stuck with me since I first played the game, lmao.
"What is reverse grip?"
Me: Who is reverse grip?
Other guy : Why is reverse grip"
My life felt so complete
The only time I've seen reverse grip used effectively is in dual wielding to set bear traps or concealing. Basically unless the weapon is small enough to be used effectively with one hand or be hidden it's not going to work.
You are totally right! But I love reserve grip, it's a good feeling to swing the sword this way. It makes you feel like a cool character of a nija game 😂
While it is not practical using swords in reverse grip. It makes sense to use reverse grip in a stabbing motion when using a knife or a dagger when trying to stay out of sight.
The GOAT Starkiller able to reverse grip two lightsabers.
I like to see characters with reverse grip as “im using a bad sword weilding technique and ill still be able to beat you with it”
Thank you for vindicating the comment I made on the last video about reverse grip. I ended up talking at length to people about knives and had to describe a lot of the problems that you're showing practically here.
Even without the disadvantages of reverse grip, I hate it because it looks goofy as and always breaks my emersion in whatever I am watching at the time.
I think reverse grip is easiest to punch and kick, but better ONLY to be used at elbow length distance, because the hilt can be used as a blunt object and your opponent doesnt have a full range of motion at elbow distance.
"youve never held a gun upside down would you?" looks over at Death the Kid... 👀
Sorry for the slightly off topic comment. I found a fencing club near me HEMA to be precise. I have no experience so I will attend their next lesson for novice medieval longsword. They have beginner British Sabre and highland broadsword. Or beginner level renaissance rapier.
Anyways I was wondering if you guys have suggestions on which weapon would be good to start with or if it matters.
Great video!! Im wondering if you guys have ever done a video about duel wielding!! Like is it effective? Are there specific swords for duel wielding? If you have, please let me know!!
I like the idea of dual short swords or daggers in reverse grip but in the idea of a brawler that uses them as secondary or
I would say keep as a niche option of "Oh quick! that will work here!" otherwise... just normal ways of sword fighting.
i like to think it has to do with people being more familiar with the natural punching motion for offense than the more technically effective slicing or thrusting motion. punching and hitting are probably the most instinctual means of hurting something, and so just adding a blade MUST make it better. slam your fist on a desk + dagger = reverse grip stab. roundhouse haymaker punch + sword = reverse grip slash. x-block in front of your face + two blades = guillotine slash. it doesn't matter that functionally it's full of flaws, or that using a weapon the way it was intended gives you a force multiplier beyond what the body can exert on its own. since it FEELS right, it must be the SECRET best way that THE MAN doesn't use because he's LAME
I always loved reverse grip characters because it looks awesome, but I had no idea some people defended it with their lives lol I thought it was a given that it's impractical in real life
I like it cause it looks kinda cool maybe and possibly opens a new form of guarding? But it’s better to just use a shield
The only problem with reverse grip is that it has few ways to be practical. Where a weapon is meant to be an ‘extension’, the reverse grip removes the extra length and puts your limb to greater risk than the weapon. Not a good idea when you are squishier and less replaceable than metal