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He got into trying to make it work for real for a while. At this point though, I think it is mostly spite. Everything he makes a new video like this, I am positive if you looked through his last one, you'll find a bunch of people saying "you just didn't test it properly, or skill issue" and the like. So he just comes back and shows them, no, it just doesn't work
I am relally impressed that you are that nimble with your gear on. I know it is not super restrictive, I fence as well, but rolling wearing the mask and doing a one hand cartwheel with fencing gloves on 👏👏👏.
"You can fix anything in chore." Agreed. I wanted to add that choreo has shown me what things might be possible in a fight, and have tried them with varying degrees of success in a fight, but never with reverse grip.
@drokangel reverse grip is obviously trash, but I'd say the tactic they glorified in their choreography that has the lowest chance of success is spinning. Not only is it pointless to put extra force into the sword, but as they showed, it creates blindspots and leaves you open to get hit multiple times.
As his guard broke in and own blade struck him, he knew, that anime and Hollywood lied. Physics and logic should have informed his form and technique. Instead, his blade was on and ground and his body bleeding on the floor. Thus ends, the Hollywood swordsman.
Can we make choreo requests for shorts content? Make a choreo with a chair, a disarm, and a fatality or finisher. Use those elements in any order.And it can be super short like 10 or 15 secs.
The little choreography sequence at the start was very cool. Have you thought of adding that to the channel? You've mentioned you have a background in it. I don't know about others, but I'd love to see more coreographies where you make crazy moves seem realistic.
I made reverse grip work, pulls out a gun 🤣, sorry that was my favorite short I think. But yeah I respect you for at least trying everything, even if it doesn't work it's still cool. I know nothing about hema but I know a bit with rapier and saber so watching you really does help me learn
reverse grip is only reserve for knives bolos or any short bladed weapons like kali of ecrima which is more perfered form of reverse grip blade combat.
There are even HEMA techniques that use reverse grip, but once again with short blades such as daggers. I'd make the argument that the whole reason to reverse grip is to hide that smaller blade in both FMA and HEMA. Just look up dirk and shield fighting for example, the Scottish have reverse techniques for the dirk, but its always to hide the dirk.
They've said before the main reason you would ever reverse grip a knife or other extremely short blades weapon is if you are so close you are grappling. It allows you to stab much more effectively in close quarters. I don't know exactly why, but I'd assume it has to do with you being able to make better use of your body weight to better drive the point in (but take that with a grain of salt, I don't know for sure). But if you are ever outside that range, normal grip is infinitely superior, and even in that range normal grip is far from helpless.
IN TRANSITION! The one part you left out. Aint no forms that exclusively use reverse grip, and the reason for that should have been made more than obvious by now.
Reverse grip can be applied in sparring, albeit it is very situational and not the way people imagine it after watching to many movies or playing to many video games. Sometimes in a bind, you can transition from your regular "handshake" grip into a reverse grip to get better leverage. Doesn't mean you're jumping around with your blade held backwards, but that you transition into a reverse grip for a certain action int he bind and out of it again afterwards. This can be used to apply more strength in a bind and overpower your opponent to apply a thrust from above.
I'd still love to see a deep dive into researching the origins of reverse grip and its origins. I'd love to know if there was some style at some point that focused on reverse grip.
I like how in the sparring Clark just keeps bonking you with the same move over and over again like an old rpg character and it works every single time 😂
I think the best way I've seen to show the difference between the generosity of a willing partner vs a real fight is actually slowing it down. Where you focus on the I can take a step you can take a step, I can move my arms, you can move your arms. Like it was fun seeing you two try to do the choreo with the attacker at full speed but it kinda made it hard to tell how much of a difference it actually made, even though I know from experience just how much of a difference it really does make lol.
See, reverse grip works only for quick moments. Like, if you manage to get around your opponent (beside or behind) you can do a quick stab, or using it to swing upwards if executed properly, etc.
Here's something I'm curious. Instead of only using reverse grip, what about switching grips mid fight, even for one move? Is there any situation at all during a swordfight where switching grips would be advantageous?
@@zogar8526 this. If you're at a regular fighting distance, the time it takes to switch is time the opponent can launch a very good attack, and you're unlikely to be in a position to respond with anything but a panic block.
Once, while doing some stick sparring, I lost my grip on my stick but we continued. I picked it up as my opponent was continuing to attack. I happened to pick it up in a reverse grip and threw a couple strikes with it before switching back to a proper grip. As a way to drive my opponent back and give me some space, it worked.
I’m no swordsman, but I feel like reverse grip only works on weapons with the shortest blades, like daggers. You don’t have that encumbrance that you can’t control and I think if you combined it with a shortsword (Dual wielding) while using the reverse grip dagger in your non-dominant hand, it could be a bit more viable. Please tell me if I’m wrong though, I love learning more about weapon fighting styles!
In FMA we ue reverse/earth grip with knives but swords and even our shorter bolos like the barong are too long for for it as your body does not move right for it to work. with a knives they are shorter and can be translated to open hand techniques like hammer fists like a ""puyno" a attack with the pommel of your weapon.
Speaking as a writer, reverse grip and dual wielding like arming swords works for the hero, because they are the hero. They are not a normal person, and they are lucky. They just are. Makes a great story, makes them stand out. But in a real fight, even if it worked, just not worth the effort.
You bash reverse grip alot so I have a a semi challenge, sparring normal grip with a Karambit. Which is designed for reverse grip and I have never seen used in the "Orthodox" grip. i suggest this for two reasons one it could be interesting, and two I think it would make your brain explode :D
@@SellswordArts what I meant by your head exploding was for a weapon designed for reverse and for you having to test if it worked in orthodox. A sort of bizarre weapon test for you. Anyway thanks for the reply you are much appreciated 🎊
Honestly I can see a karambit working in a forward grip quite well. With its blade curve could work like a tiny falx with the brutal draw cuts. It might also work as a hooking join control knife kinda like a kama but with the more aggressive side sword grip style o we the more axe like grip of the kama. Its totally within the realm of interesting experimental content.
Clearly reverse grip is only really viable in things like dagger fighting, and doesn't scale up to swords the same way forward grip does. But at that point it's just an extension of unarmed fighting techniques and not proper swordsmanship. The moment you try to apply it to anything longer than a normal dagger, the techniques become burdened by the mass/length of the blade and you lose what little mechanical advantage and flexibility you would have had with a dagger.
Reverse grip is situational at best in dagger-fighting. Range and distace management is even important in hand-to-hand, a dagger is range and dmg, so that just becomes even more true. Reverse grip is good in a grapple from what I've heard, so I'll half-agree.
I'm reminded of Shoeless' video series about Flick in that Earthbending VR game. He got worse before he got better, and by the end of it, he had a new style that was as good as everyone else's, not necessarily better. But he got worse before he got good. And he was worse for a long time. Naturally, video game to real life is never a 1 to 1, and I imagine that one would need at least 5 decades of practice before one got good enough to compete at a competent level, which no one who lives less than 100 years old has time for, so ultimately you remain correct, entertaining, and worth the Patreon subscription. Looking forward to the next one!
Here's an idea, try using reverse grip according to medieval dueling manuals as a grappling technique, where one hand holds the opponent with the reverse-gripped sword while the off hand attacks with a dagger or other secondary weapon. I'm curious if it'll be effective or not.
I hope this dude sees this, cause I often talk about how reverse grip is just bad. But I've seen and experienced one case where it works. Which is larping with the big bouncey ass larp swords. I've met people who dual wield one up one down using the down one exclusively for guarding their legs. One problem with reverse grip for real is that you have no strength, just from the mechanics of your hand/wrist. But when the swords bounce like that it actually does work. wouldn't work with real swords, but it's a viable strat in larping
The reverse grip can be good for surprise attacks at very close range, when traditional Iaido techniques are difficult to perform. One Japanese master on TH-cam (I don't remember the name of his channel) demonstrated successful use of the reverse grip in combat.
The reverse grip is actually in some Chinese manuals, but it is more of a transitional move to protect yourself while drawing out the sword rather than a mainstay moveset
i have fought ppl with reverse grip and made it work !!! (yes in real life) but only by using it the following ! for mix ups by using it as a sort of sheath/faint attack you see by quickly changing hand positions its possible to sort of ''spring'' the blade from back grip to front grip allow for grater distance management and to surprise the opponent much like switching from high guard to low guard only faster. it also helps when duel wielding blades of the same length, allowing one to be at a longer range and the other to be at a sorter range of course a dirk or short sword would be a better complement to a full length sword ! but if you have to fight with 2 swords of the same size its better than nothing. if you can learn to switch gracefully between front and back grips it can bewilder an opponent in to not knowing what distance your going to attack from .. also some big swings and drawing cuts can be giving quicker follow up attacks by hand + grip switching ! however all of these moves have the same disadvantage 1 while switching if the blade is hit it will be knocked right out of the hand and 2 you have to be gifted at all distances if their is a range your uncomfortable with such as aggressive sort range then attacks with the revers grip will never land or even work as faints... btw i have placed 7th at my lowest in a sword contest that had a over 100 participants only losing my last bout due to overheating and have done well in all dag/sword contest i have often placing in second or 3rd though i am not a master swordsman i am well experienced in sword play in my opinion and i think grip/guard shifting never letting my opponents understand what range we are fighting at has been to my advantage..so reverse grip has served me well just not as a main method of attack ! i hope this finds you well
The best practical use of reverse grip was Snake in MGS3 simply because he didn't want to put down his gun so he trimmed the gun grip and knife grip so he could easily hold both and still fire his gun.
Here’s the thing about reverse grip: IT DIDNT EXIST That being said it can be used viably IF you have mastered switching back and forth which I understand isn’t a traditional technique but with a Gladius or a xiphos it works
The first 30 or so seconds had me thinking that it was nice you had such an accommodating sparring partner that didn't just punish using stupid moves. The only case I've ever seen for prolonged use of reverse-grip was guys in full plate armor going full contact where striking with the sword isn't the goal, but rather grappling or striking your opponent down to the ground. In terms of a style closer to fencing where a touch is enough? Put it in fiction where you're using a lightsaber that a tap on the wrist is disabling, at best? Ahsoka's reverse-grip drives me absolutely nuts.
In my training and style, reverse grip is used quite frequently. However, it's more of a knife style with a larger blade (obviously I'm not doing a knife flip with it) where the grip switches a lot. The entire style focuses on catching the opponent off guard and does a great job at that. Of course, I only use it in performances or humbling an arrogant person, and I do have a more traditional style I would use in an actual fight that focuses on speed and angles.
When I was 4 years old I saw American ninja in 1984 Private Joe Armstrong ( played by Michael dudikoff) used reverse grip style with the ninjato which is a shorter more faster version of the katana . The ninjiato is used primary for stabbing and the katana used for cutting . I taught myself all these years how to use reverse grip fighting style . Plus I’ve been doing kenjitsu for several years
I have now found a new way to flavor psychic damage for my dnd character (4th level halfling bard with the background of being a circus musician/acrobat). Unnecessary one handed cartwheels.
That lamdsknecht gambeson is badass. It may not be a gambeson technically, I don't know what the hema gear is properly called, but it looks like a gambeson to me.
I think i would’ve like to see you guys fence with the same weapons but you not in reverse grip but that was cool to see the choreo without being nice !
Dude, I'd love to see if you could use Hema style sword techniques to defend against arrows.. like imagine if a scottish highlander with basket sword against English longbow arrow... super cool concept, but could it have been done?
seems like that broadsword (the one held in normal grip) seemed to have the length advantage. thus making for the reverse grip at something of a disadvantage. but then again that reverse grip is just impractical outside of fiction.
Reverse grips are mostly great if using knife or dagger in my opinion, large swords or katanas is a bit ehhhh, but i would love to see you try reverse grips with small blades though, i want to see if what types of blades matter with the grip.
I have seen reverse grip work, and work well, but not like that. It's not best used anime style. I used to belong to a group called the SCA, if you're familiar with them, you can nitpick some of their rules and techniques, but it can't be denied that they swing to hit, and hit hard, so there is *some* validity to what they do. What I saw done is to not only reverse grip, but dual wield (haha, I know, but stick with me here). In your off hand you hold a longsword or great sword in reverse grip, in your primary hand you hold a one-handed sword normally. Now, you fight with your off hand as a parrying device, a tall skinny shield, and you attack with your primary weapon. Also, every once in a while when there's a good opening, you can stab them in the thigh or stomach with the off hand weapon.
Reverse grip seems like it's good outside of a duel, but once your opponent knows you're there you might as well swap to normal grip. Otherwise you'd need to keep your arms up just to compensate for your enemy using high swings which would just get exhausting, plus you'd need a guard designed for reverse grip just to protect your hand.
Honestly the only viable way ive seen reverse grip is from shirasaya kata's i can recommend "let's ask seki sensei" he makes great videos explaining his school of kenjutsu and iaido, he also made a video about shirasaya which i find great
Reverse grip is only really a dominant grip when in tight spaces like hallways or striking around corners. It is good to practice reverse grip but it is more important to practice to confidence in switching between grips. Where it really shines is displacing or batting away a strike and then stabbing with as a "double strike" I'm a big fan of Zatoichi and the blind fury. I'm not sure how being blind and using reverse grip comes in to play but that they are getting under, touch close, or running through. The classic Zatoichi's sword has more reach than a normal katana, while his opponents use a traditional kata of high to low with a step while striking, Zatoichi uses side steps and then slash. Maybe that's the trick of the blind swordsman, hearing the lifting of the opponents foot as a commitment to their swing would be the signal to side step in and slash as they miss.
As you said, what we see in (most) entertainment is for precisey that - entertainment. It's not suppose to be 'real'. It's suppose to be exciting or visceral or make you feel like the expert fantasy you have in your head. I won't say all entertainment since certainly there's likely to be a few pieces that go all-in on realism. But I would argue that even in those cases, as real as the moves and such are, there's still going to be other dramatic (as in for narrative purposes) changes, flairs, or embellishments. Whether it's a historical figure living long enough to say something grand, whether it's prolonging the fight so that it doesn't feel anti-climatic, whether it's making two opponents have equal skill levels, understanding, and so forth when they didn't in real life in order to draw out the fight.
Reverse Grip in Duel has to much disadvantage. But maybe if your partner use an arming or side sword which has a closer size with the Katana, it will give reverse grip slightly more chance. Also with Katana it seems Reverse Grip techniques exist in IaiJutsu, so in very close range drawing the sword, it could be interesting to test this scenario. (Katana against shorter longsword, or Rondel Dagger...). Historicaly there are pictures of armouring battle with soldiers using reverse grip with arming sword in close range catching each others. Also in Diebold Schilling chronicles you can see 4 guys assinating a 5th one and one of them use a Longsword in reverse grip, one a Swiss Degen/Baselard also in reverse grip, 2 others a falchion and longsword in regular grip. Anyway very good choregraphy video games style skills.
I think the only time reverse grip would work is if you have a decent shield that can compensate for the lack of versatility. using the shield as a fall guy and getting close with some sort of gladius switching from forward grip to reverse getting some stabbing attacks in depending on how close you get to your opponent. Like if your at grappling distance with something to defend yourself that would be the only time that reverse grip could work in my opinion.
or if you can spin a sword around like a butterfly knife. You have to be faster than your opponent, so ig there is no tactical advantage, only style points.
You are right reverse grip with a full length sword is just impractical, a more practical option is to have a single edge dagger, like a slightly longer Tanto, as a sort of last resort to try and parry the opponent’s attack and almost simultaneously trapping there arm between your body and the dull edge in order to disarm the opponent and make it easier to defeat them. But idk those are my two cents on a slightly more practical use of reverse grip
The only reverse grib that works is with a lightsaber(Star Wars/fiction) Or with a knife because if two people hold a knife they are just going to shank each other anyways, because of the close distance. And with the reverse grib you can at least try protecting your vitals with your arm and shank at the same time. Also if someone makes your elbow bend, it prevents from stabbing yourself in the vitals, verry important.
Ugh. Two comments in a row deleted, with no vulgarity or insults. TH-cam censorship is too much. Meanwhile comments with actual cursing are just fine. O well. Nice video anyway.
The problem with reverse grip is that it's excessively situational. As has been shown on many occasions, if someone is sneaking up on you from behind and you are aware of it, you could strike the person with reverse grip. It would be a quicker motion than turning around, and it would also have less of a tell. This, as far as I am aware, is the only I situation where reverse grip would surpass the standard method. It's possible to do other things, but you do them Less well than the standard grip. This is all stuff that has been covered in this channel, but it got me thinking. In most choreography fights with reverse grip, the sword is used to the side and even a little behind them. It makes Since because that is where they would have the longest reach. So let's assume someone one had inhuman levels of awareness. Essentially, eyes in the back of one's head. Let's also assume they are surrounded. Would dual wielding with one in reverse grip allow them to better defend their back.
I kinda wanna see you go reverse grip spin and dodge roll against a complete HEMA noob. Like literally a person who never held a sword before. (Like me? 🥺) It looks fun, you seem to have a ton of fun with it, so now we just need to find a situation in which it actually works as a power fantasy too and you get to show off all your reverse grip training! 😁
I guess for those to work Irl you eaither have to spend thousands of hours training then hoping you won't die in a fight performing said moves. Or you have to be a literal god with powers to be flashy in a fight.
There's a famous guy in muay thai called San chai or something like that who has a signature kick that is basically a cartwheel. I understand that in unharmed combat it kinda works because you can risk trading some hits, wich doesn't happen in armed combat, but anyway, he and capoeira guys can actually make acrobatics work, the problem now is to make it work with blades haha
Thing is, there's little stopping the opponent from closing and delivering a clean strike to someone who's doing such shenanigans, with longsword or polearms. Once armor along with weapons with credible reach are in play, acrobatics generally isn't.
@@aramislucas3281 Good luck pulling that off in gambeson with bracers, gauntlets, probably some kind of leg protection, and a 2kg reinforced fencing mask. Shenanigans work best in multi-fighter skirmishes, when you have at least one buddy to cover for you and everyone is more distracted. And a lot of HEMA groups think that level of contact is too risky, especially with polearms. The fun ones will just loudly remind you that you'd better have the right gear on for what you want to be doing and pull their hits a little more when necessary.
From a editing standpoint, should've ended with another reverse grip coreo, it would make a nice bookend to the video and ends on a fun note that reinforces the point of the video.
Its a suspension of disbelief. Also a lot of these things could be viable if the average person was like twice as fast and strong, which is what movies often portray people as.
"I've fenced with reverse grip, if anyone knows how to make it work it's me and it doesn't work!" *Then proceeds to do absolutely everything the wrong way (except, obviously, holding the sword upside-down)* First: Two blades. Or at the very least pair the blade with a buckler or even a purpose-made gauntlet suitably armored for grabbing or batting the opponent's blade away. Personally I'd lean towards the two blades as it gives you the option of lethal strikes from either hand but if you are confident in the dexterity of your off-hand you may prefer the "juggernaut's boxing glove" or "hook hand" approach. Having TWO "armaments" (whether bladed or shielded) also strengthens your ability to block the initial blow while also granting a measure of mobility to more creatively "trap" your opponent's blade. Then, having halted your opponent's momentum you can use one implement to occupy their blade (pushing it downward or to the side) therefore creating an opening to strike with the other. Second: not trying to be harsh but frankly I feel it was an embarrassing choice selected solely to appeal to the weebs but don't use a freakin' katana. It has arguably the worst guard ever designed (i.e. too thin, too small, virtually useless in all aspects except to keep your hands from slipping and slicing your fingers off with your own blade). Reverse grip necessitates a hilt/guard that protects the hands. A basket (or dare I say "bucket") hilt, for example. Something that encloses the hand not only to keep your opponent from simply rapping your knuckles like an angry nun with a lethal yardstick but also to permit you to, in essence, "box" your opponent's blade out of the way. Third: I'm just going to call this "unlearn what you have learned." Reverse grip is an unorthodox style in more than just inverting the position of one's blade. It necessitates that you don't fight the way a "master fencer" would fight primarily because a "master fencer" wouldn't fight that way; he'd turn the blade around "the right way." This means you have to throw out all of the "rules." You have to completely (or at least almost completely) forgo your entire philosophical approach to swordsmanship and start from scratch. One example: you often critiques lightsaber choreography for "attacking the weapon rather than the body." With reverse grip you're obviously giving up a lot of reach, so you CAN'T go straight for the body. There's a sword (or spear, or ax, or staff) in your way. So you have to essentially "defeat the weapon" first. You have to attack your opponent's armament and beat it out of the way OR focus on fluidity of movement to dodge and use your weapons to deflect and redirect rather than block, with the goal being to close the gap to where your opponent doesn't have the leverage nor the distance to deliver a full swing. As I said, you are essentially "boxing" with your opponent's blade, aiming to knock it out of your way so you can move in for the strike. Watching your duel here you are still very much trying to fight "longsword style." You are trying to block strikes head on and as you know the reverse grip doesn't have the leverage for that. This is a point you've made often to disparage the style but in fairness neither would you hope to block your opponent's greatsword with a rapier; even in a traditional grip it simply does not have the mass required to be effective and it will either be battered into your face or broken in twain. This is one bit of "master fencing knowledge you could retain; to use a lighter weapon effectively against a heavier weapon requires a more indirect approach because "brute force" is not in your favor. You also seem to be ignoring the utility of a "blind strike;" that is to say delivering a blow somewhere other than directly in front of you. I'll throw something out there and as someone more familiar with armed (and possibly unarmed) martial arts you can tell me if you think it is viable. Your opponent comes at you with an overhead, vertical strike. You raise and cross your arms (and subsequently your blades) to present a lateral blocking structure. The aim is to catch your opponent's blade in the gap between your hands where your two blades cross, then "scissor" your forearms to trap his blade between your guards. This creates a variety of possible follow-ups. If your opponent's grip is shaky you may try to clamp down and pull his blade while delivering a forward thrust-kick to his midsection to break his grip and disarm him. If his blade is poor quality (or you think you have the strength for it) you could attempt to pivot and snap (or at least bend) his blade between your guards (this is why a heftier basket/bucket hilt is infinitely better suited than a cross guard or tsuba). But on the topic of "blind strikes" you could sweep your arms from the "12 o'clock" (directly overhead) position in a circular motion to one side (say, to your right), forcing your opponent's blade down and away. As your rotation approaches "2 o'clock" push out with your left hand to continue the momentum of diverting your opponent's blade while withdrawing your right and pivoting your stance roughly 90 degrees to your right. Rotation of your wrist can then draw your left blade across your opponent's right forearm, wrist, and hand as you follow through with another 90 degree pivot and draw your right hand backwards as though you were sheathing your blade. Except the intended "sheath" is your opponent's kidneys which you have struck at "blindly" behind you. Your left hand is now free to deliver a similar blow to his stomach while simultaneously withdrawing your right blade from his back, all while his blade has been redirected in the opposite direction which should give you time to move away and reset. And if I may throw a little riposte in here it may behoove you to do so with a low, diving roll as your opponent's most likely response, assuming he's still able to fight, would be a horizontal swing with nearly 180 degrees of wind-up behind it, so you'll want to avoid being vertical and therefore out of its path.
@@SellswordArts glancing at the first couple videos I see you gave it all of 5 months before deciding there was nothing more you could possibly test. Which begs the question how many weeks, months, or more likely years did it take for you to feel any sense of confidence in proclaiming yourself a "master" of any other sword type, style, and or discipline? I'm sure if you're honest (and I assume you would be) you'd say you still have much to learn and a long way to go before claiming a title as lofty as "master swordsman." A proficient one, certainly, but not yet a master. I'd further wager you might feel even another decade of rigorous and fervent training with and against existing masters might still leaving feeling you have much to learn. Can one in good faith then claim to have debunked the potential of a fighting style in a scant five months? Granted I say all of this not as a practiced swordsman but merely an intellectually gifted and often irritatingly over-analytical observer. In short I can deal only in theory, not experience. But it does still stand to reason that 5 months' solo experimentation or even sparring with an equally "uninitiated" partner is, shall we say, sub-optimal in terms of actually learning let alone mastering a style most commonly portrayed in fictitious, deeply choreographed settings. While your training has undoubtedly sharpened your reflexes, your footwork, and your agility it comes with the price of developing muscle memory and instinctive responses (like trying to block a stroke head-on) that are not entirely conducive (and perhaps outright detrimental) to the style. And, yet again, is something not likely "unlearned" in a mere five months. I do applaud and commend you, however, in seeking to actually test its mettle in your own way rather than merely dismissing it as "only fantasy." I merely encourage you to maintain objectivity in your perspective as even under the tutelage of knowledgeable masters even the brightest of students will not have progressed far in such a short time. And doubly so if said student is not pursuing that knowledge to the exclusion of all else. By which I merely wonder how much of that five months period was dedicated to the same degree of drilling, sparring, and study as you gave to other more traditional styles. Not as an accusational statement but as a matter of objective reasoning. Despite several decades of fascination with the blade and numerous theories of how it might be done I would not proclaim myself capable of "schooling" you in it as I have never once in my life wielded a blade, even a training foil, in a genuine spar. Unless you count flailing about with duct tape-wrapped pool noodles made to look like lightsabers against equally untrained convention attendees at a less-than-serious "lightsaber combat" pamel hosted by a fencer and Star Wars enthusiast by the name of Moses I believe. It was fun, and dual-wielded reverse grip (as well as "half and half" with traditional grip on my dominant hand and reverse in my off hand) proved effective enough even against two opponents, but they were couch potatoes not unlike myself so that's hardly "proof of merit" I'd say.
I'll be honest, I'm not going to read all of that. That seems fair because you admitted that you didn't watch my videos. I have 20 years of swordsmanship and martial arts experience. I can tell when something works and when it doesn't. Like I say in many of my videos, if you need years and years of special training to make a technique work at all, it's a bad technique. I went from having zero training with a longsword to being a highly competitive athlete in 6 months. I worked on the great reverse grip experiment for 6 months in earnest, and then another 6 months off and on. And I got zero success. And it's not just me, it's everyone else who's ever touched this in a serious manner. If you believe that this works, go put on some sparring gear, fight someone with it, make a video, and link it back to me 😁
The man's done more reverse grip training than the people who defend reverse grip.
The people who train reverse grip quickly stop defending reverse grip
So literally any training at all then.
😂😂😂 Yep!
*All of them combined.
Bro's been on the Reverse Grip sidequest for a long time and I respect it
He got into trying to make it work for real for a while. At this point though, I think it is mostly spite.
Everything he makes a new video like this, I am positive if you looked through his last one, you'll find a bunch of people saying "you just didn't test it properly, or skill issue" and the like. So he just comes back and shows them, no, it just doesn't work
bro might be goro majima
hold up he doesnt even use reverse grip nvm
REVERSE GRIP TECHNIQUE REALLY DID SAVE ME HUH?
Forreal I'm always interested in the reverse grip
I am relally impressed that you are that nimble with your gear on. I know it is not super restrictive, I fence as well, but rolling wearing the mask and doing a one hand cartwheel with fencing gloves on 👏👏👏.
"You can fix anything in chore."
Agreed. I wanted to add that choreo has shown me what things might be possible in a fight, and have tried them with varying degrees of success in a fight, but never with reverse grip.
@drokangel reverse grip is obviously trash, but I'd say the tactic they glorified in their choreography that has the lowest chance of success is spinning. Not only is it pointless to put extra force into the sword, but as they showed, it creates blindspots and leaves you open to get hit multiple times.
As his guard broke in and own blade struck him, he knew, that anime and Hollywood lied. Physics and logic should have informed his form and technique. Instead, his blade was on and ground and his body bleeding on the floor. Thus ends, the Hollywood swordsman.
He's doing this as part of a year long test to prove it doesn't work lol been a huge meme on the channel for a while.
Just for lols, can you do a video where one of you is reverse gripping with longsword, and the other is using a smaller weapon normally?
A Swiss army knife
In all honesty I'm pretty sure heavy armor and a stiletto is more effective than reverse grip
Like another Katana? Results would be the same. Smaller? Now you're creating artificial fairness.
God i would think longsword would be even worse for it, with the guard getting in the way.
He should do it itd be funny.
Both doing spin attacks
Can we make choreo requests for shorts content?
Make a choreo with a chair, a disarm, and a fatality or finisher. Use those elements in any order.And it can be super short like 10 or 15 secs.
The little choreography sequence at the start was very cool. Have you thought of adding that to the channel? You've mentioned you have a background in it. I don't know about others, but I'd love to see more coreographies where you make crazy moves seem realistic.
Bro forgot the invincibility frames smh
LOL! man! So... Choreography is the best weapon! LOL
mutually agreeing that you should win in a specific way beforehand DOES prove to be efficient
I made reverse grip work, pulls out a gun 🤣, sorry that was my favorite short I think. But yeah I respect you for at least trying everything, even if it doesn't work it's still cool. I know nothing about hema but I know a bit with rapier and saber so watching you really does help me learn
reverse grip is only reserve for knives bolos or any short bladed weapons like kali of ecrima which is more perfered form of reverse grip blade combat.
There are even HEMA techniques that use reverse grip, but once again with short blades such as daggers. I'd make the argument that the whole reason to reverse grip is to hide that smaller blade in both FMA and HEMA. Just look up dirk and shield fighting for example, the Scottish have reverse techniques for the dirk, but its always to hide the dirk.
They've said before the main reason you would ever reverse grip a knife or other extremely short blades weapon is if you are so close you are grappling. It allows you to stab much more effectively in close quarters. I don't know exactly why, but I'd assume it has to do with you being able to make better use of your body weight to better drive the point in (but take that with a grain of salt, I don't know for sure). But if you are ever outside that range, normal grip is infinitely superior, and even in that range normal grip is far from helpless.
Reverse grip can get a much better grouping with rapid stabbing. Which would be important with a rondel against armour.
IN TRANSITION! The one part you left out. Aint no forms that exclusively use reverse grip, and the reason for that should have been made more than obvious by now.
man has said like 50times hes talking about swords and acknowledges daggers can be reversed.
Reverse grip can be applied in sparring, albeit it is very situational and not the way people imagine it after watching to many movies or playing to many video games.
Sometimes in a bind, you can transition from your regular "handshake" grip into a reverse grip to get better leverage.
Doesn't mean you're jumping around with your blade held backwards, but that you transition into a reverse grip for a certain action int he bind and out of it again afterwards.
This can be used to apply more strength in a bind and overpower your opponent to apply a thrust from above.
"Reverse grip technique really did saved me huh"
Very much appreciate that you just seem like you really enjoy what you're doing. You can tell the excitement is pure
I'd still love to see a deep dive into researching the origins of reverse grip and its origins. I'd love to know if there was some style at some point that focused on reverse grip.
Revers grip basically only works in anime, when its special attacks and superpowers
I like how in the sparring Clark just keeps bonking you with the same move over and over again like an old rpg character and it works every single time 😂
That was dope, enjoyed this vid a lot lol
I think the best way I've seen to show the difference between the generosity of a willing partner vs a real fight is actually slowing it down. Where you focus on the I can take a step you can take a step, I can move my arms, you can move your arms. Like it was fun seeing you two try to do the choreo with the attacker at full speed but it kinda made it hard to tell how much of a difference it actually made, even though I know from experience just how much of a difference it really does make lol.
I love that blue and pink equipement. Thank you for your videos, I enjoy a lot your shorts
See, reverse grip works only for quick moments. Like, if you manage to get around your opponent (beside or behind) you can do a quick stab, or using it to swing upwards if executed properly, etc.
I never managed to do that. Every time I use reverse grip I got destroyed
Here's something I'm curious. Instead of only using reverse grip, what about switching grips mid fight, even for one move? Is there any situation at all during a swordfight where switching grips would be advantageous?
Mostly only for extreme close range. Like grapling each other kind of situation.
@@zogar8526 this. If you're at a regular fighting distance, the time it takes to switch is time the opponent can launch a very good attack, and you're unlikely to be in a position to respond with anything but a panic block.
Switching grip is a thing, but it's super situational. You can spam it if you're good like this guy though
th-cam.com/video/6uKQQ-hIPUA/w-d-xo.html
@@jaketheasianguy3307 i guess that one's kinda a reverse grip
Once, while doing some stick sparring, I lost my grip on my stick but we continued. I picked it up as my opponent was continuing to attack. I happened to pick it up in a reverse grip and threw a couple strikes with it before switching back to a proper grip. As a way to drive my opponent back and give me some space, it worked.
Awesome video.
The second choreo semed so funny
You're doing great.
he's dismantling david's reverse grip with one move
Great work looking forward to more goofs and fun content
i find it kinda crazy how little attention these videos get. you deserve more man.
I dont care of that was choreography. That was sick as heck!
I’m no swordsman, but I feel like reverse grip only works on weapons with the shortest blades, like daggers. You don’t have that encumbrance that you can’t control and I think if you combined it with a shortsword (Dual wielding) while using the reverse grip dagger in your non-dominant hand, it could be a bit more viable. Please tell me if I’m wrong though, I love learning more about weapon fighting styles!
In FMA we ue reverse/earth grip with knives but swords and even our shorter bolos like the barong are too long for for it as your body does not move right for it to work. with a knives they are shorter and can be translated to open hand techniques like hammer fists like a ""puyno" a attack with the pommel of your weapon.
Speaking as a writer, reverse grip and dual wielding like arming swords works for the hero, because they are the hero. They are not a normal person, and they are lucky. They just are. Makes a great story, makes them stand out. But in a real fight, even if it worked, just not worth the effort.
You bash reverse grip alot so I have a a semi challenge, sparring normal grip with a Karambit. Which is designed for reverse grip and I have never seen used in the "Orthodox" grip. i suggest this for two reasons one it could be interesting, and two I think it would make your brain explode :D
Knives work perfectly in reverse grip. I've said that multiple times. In fact, it's often preferred
@@SellswordArts what I meant by your head exploding was for a weapon designed for reverse and for you having to test if it worked in orthodox. A sort of bizarre weapon test for you. Anyway thanks for the reply you are much appreciated 🎊
Honestly I can see a karambit working in a forward grip quite well. With its blade curve could work like a tiny falx with the brutal draw cuts. It might also work as a hooking join control knife kinda like a kama but with the more aggressive side sword grip style o we the more axe like grip of the kama.
Its totally within the realm of interesting experimental content.
The brief period you were in a weird reverse grip plow guard looked alright. Not sure how much you can really do from there though.
Clearly reverse grip is only really viable in things like dagger fighting, and doesn't scale up to swords the same way forward grip does. But at that point it's just an extension of unarmed fighting techniques and not proper swordsmanship. The moment you try to apply it to anything longer than a normal dagger, the techniques become burdened by the mass/length of the blade and you lose what little mechanical advantage and flexibility you would have had with a dagger.
Reverse grip is situational at best in dagger-fighting. Range and distace management is even important in hand-to-hand, a dagger is range and dmg, so that just becomes even more true. Reverse grip is good in a grapple from what I've heard, so I'll half-agree.
What’s the benefit in dagger fighting?
@@Deathworm-eg5lt Grappling mainly.
@@Deathworm-eg5lt there’s also techniques in FMA for trapping the opponent’s wrist with it
Reverse grip is like a weapon being attached on the back - it caps out at about your forearm length or so
This man knows the hill he's going to die on. I'm here for it.
DnD character idea: a fighter who exclusively uses reverse grip because he is bored
I'm reminded of Shoeless' video series about Flick in that Earthbending VR game. He got worse before he got better, and by the end of it, he had a new style that was as good as everyone else's, not necessarily better. But he got worse before he got good. And he was worse for a long time.
Naturally, video game to real life is never a 1 to 1, and I imagine that one would need at least 5 decades of practice before one got good enough to compete at a competent level, which no one who lives less than 100 years old has time for, so ultimately you remain correct, entertaining, and worth the Patreon subscription. Looking forward to the next one!
Here's an idea, try using reverse grip according to medieval dueling manuals as a grappling technique, where one hand holds the opponent with the reverse-gripped sword while the off hand attacks with a dagger or other secondary weapon. I'm curious if it'll be effective or not.
I hope this dude sees this, cause I often talk about how reverse grip is just bad. But I've seen and experienced one case where it works. Which is larping with the big bouncey ass larp swords. I've met people who dual wield one up one down using the down one exclusively for guarding their legs. One problem with reverse grip for real is that you have no strength, just from the mechanics of your hand/wrist. But when the swords bounce like that it actually does work. wouldn't work with real swords, but it's a viable strat in larping
The reverse grip can be good for surprise attacks at very close range, when traditional Iaido techniques are difficult to perform. One Japanese master on TH-cam (I don't remember the name of his channel) demonstrated successful use of the reverse grip in combat.
The reverse grip is actually in some Chinese manuals, but it is more of a transitional move to protect yourself while drawing out the sword rather than a mainstay moveset
i have fought ppl with reverse grip and made it work !!! (yes in real life) but only by using it the following ! for mix ups by using it as a sort of sheath/faint attack you see by quickly changing hand positions its possible to sort of ''spring'' the blade from back grip to front grip allow for grater distance management and to surprise the opponent much like switching from high guard to low guard only faster.
it also helps when duel wielding blades of the same length, allowing one to be at a longer range and the other to be at a sorter range of course a dirk or short sword would be a better complement to a full length sword ! but if you have to fight with 2 swords of the same size its better than nothing.
if you can learn to switch gracefully between front and back grips it can bewilder an opponent in to not knowing what distance your going to attack from .. also some big swings and drawing cuts can be giving quicker follow up attacks by hand + grip switching ! however all of these moves have the same disadvantage 1 while switching if the blade is hit it will be knocked right out of the hand and 2 you have to be gifted at all distances if their is a range your uncomfortable with such as aggressive sort range then attacks with the revers grip will never land or even work as faints...
btw i have placed 7th at my lowest in a sword contest that had a over 100 participants only losing my last bout due to overheating and have done well in all dag/sword contest i have often placing in second or 3rd though i am not a master swordsman i am well experienced in sword play in my opinion and i think grip/guard shifting never letting my opponents understand what range we are fighting at has been to my advantage..so reverse grip has served me well just not as a main method of attack ! i hope this finds you well
The best practical use of reverse grip was Snake in MGS3 simply because he didn't want to put down his gun so he trimmed the gun grip and knife grip so he could easily hold both and still fire his gun.
jeez that strike to the back of the head, that looked like it actually hurt
Well, one of the major points of swordsmanship is controlling tempo, and reverse grip tends to remove your ability to do that.
the reverse grip is really good for cutting apples
But have you considered that I'm simply built different? Checkmate, sword-nerds!
😅 ... it's even worse than I imagined after seeing the preview. Absolutely bananas! 😭
Here’s the thing about reverse grip: IT DIDNT EXIST
That being said it can be used viably IF you have mastered switching back and forth which I understand isn’t a traditional technique but with a Gladius or a xiphos it works
I'm beginning to think he secretly wants to find some legit application for reverse gripping a sword so that he can go down in history.
I knew you protested too much. My man loves the reverse grip and can't let it go!!!
The katana blade after this:☠️☠️
Bro really learned the reverse grip technique.
Never expected the return of the dreaded reverse grip
The first 30 or so seconds had me thinking that it was nice you had such an accommodating sparring partner that didn't just punish using stupid moves.
The only case I've ever seen for prolonged use of reverse-grip was guys in full plate armor going full contact where striking with the sword isn't the goal, but rather grappling or striking your opponent down to the ground. In terms of a style closer to fencing where a touch is enough? Put it in fiction where you're using a lightsaber that a tap on the wrist is disabling, at best? Ahsoka's reverse-grip drives me absolutely nuts.
It looks like not only you don't have any reach, but there are no viable guards either, so almost all of his hits just land.
In my training and style, reverse grip is used quite frequently. However, it's more of a knife style with a larger blade (obviously I'm not doing a knife flip with it) where the grip switches a lot. The entire style focuses on catching the opponent off guard and does a great job at that. Of course, I only use it in performances or humbling an arrogant person, and I do have a more traditional style I would use in an actual fight that focuses on speed and angles.
I think it's fair to say he's tried to make reverse grip work more than reverse grip defenders.
When I was 4 years old I saw American ninja in 1984
Private Joe Armstrong ( played by Michael dudikoff) used reverse grip style with the ninjato which is a shorter more faster version of the katana . The ninjiato is used primary for stabbing and the katana used for cutting . I taught myself all these years how to use reverse grip fighting style . Plus I’ve been doing kenjitsu for several years
I have now found a new way to flavor psychic damage for my dnd character (4th level halfling bard with the background of being a circus musician/acrobat). Unnecessary one handed cartwheels.
That lamdsknecht gambeson is badass. It may not be a gambeson technically, I don't know what the hema gear is properly called, but it looks like a gambeson to me.
So that's why The Hollow Knight becomes an easy boss after you beat it first time.
I think i would’ve like to see you guys fence with the same weapons but you not in reverse grip but that was cool to see the choreo without being nice !
So swordmanship but on hard mode. Got it.
Dude, I'd love to see if you could use Hema style sword techniques to defend against arrows.. like imagine if a scottish highlander with basket sword against English longbow arrow... super cool concept, but could it have been done?
In choreography, John Wick can kill 3 men with a pencil. This does not make a pencil a viable weapon in melee combat.
seems like that broadsword (the one held in normal grip) seemed to have the length advantage. thus making for the reverse grip at something of a disadvantage. but then again that reverse grip is just impractical outside of fiction.
Reverse grips are mostly great if using knife or dagger in my opinion, large swords or katanas is a bit ehhhh, but i would love to see you try reverse grips with small blades though, i want to see if what types of blades matter with the grip.
i think the only way to make thispossibly work is to get a beginner go against you using your reverse grip.
I have seen reverse grip work, and work well, but not like that. It's not best used anime style. I used to belong to a group called the SCA, if you're familiar with them, you can nitpick some of their rules and techniques, but it can't be denied that they swing to hit, and hit hard, so there is *some* validity to what they do. What I saw done is to not only reverse grip, but dual wield (haha, I know, but stick with me here). In your off hand you hold a longsword or great sword in reverse grip, in your primary hand you hold a one-handed sword normally. Now, you fight with your off hand as a parrying device, a tall skinny shield, and you attack with your primary weapon. Also, every once in a while when there's a good opening, you can stab them in the thigh or stomach with the off hand weapon.
The exchange at 1:30 actually ends up like some plays involving posta di bicorno, which counts as some kind of reversed grip I guess?
Reverse grip seems like it's good outside of a duel, but once your opponent knows you're there you might as well swap to normal grip. Otherwise you'd need to keep your arms up just to compensate for your enemy using high swings which would just get exhausting, plus you'd need a guard designed for reverse grip just to protect your hand.
Honestly the only viable way ive seen reverse grip is from shirasaya kata's i can recommend "let's ask seki sensei" he makes great videos explaining his school of kenjutsu and iaido, he also made a video about shirasaya which i find great
Reverse grip is only really a dominant grip when in tight spaces like hallways or striking around corners. It is good to practice reverse grip but it is more important to practice to confidence in switching between grips. Where it really shines is displacing or batting away a strike and then stabbing with as a "double strike" I'm a big fan of Zatoichi and the blind fury. I'm not sure how being blind and using reverse grip comes in to play but that they are getting under, touch close, or running through. The classic Zatoichi's sword has more reach than a normal katana, while his opponents use a traditional kata of high to low with a step while striking, Zatoichi uses side steps and then slash. Maybe that's the trick of the blind swordsman, hearing the lifting of the opponents foot as a commitment to their swing would be the signal to side step in and slash as they miss.
Ultimate reverse grip test is using duel Ōdachi in reverse grip weeb style.
As you said, what we see in (most) entertainment is for precisey that - entertainment. It's not suppose to be 'real'. It's suppose to be exciting or visceral or make you feel like the expert fantasy you have in your head. I won't say all entertainment since certainly there's likely to be a few pieces that go all-in on realism. But I would argue that even in those cases, as real as the moves and such are, there's still going to be other dramatic (as in for narrative purposes) changes, flairs, or embellishments. Whether it's a historical figure living long enough to say something grand, whether it's prolonging the fight so that it doesn't feel anti-climatic, whether it's making two opponents have equal skill levels, understanding, and so forth when they didn't in real life in order to draw out the fight.
Reverse Grip in Duel has to much disadvantage. But maybe if your partner use an arming or side sword which has a closer size with the Katana, it will give reverse grip slightly more chance.
Also with Katana it seems Reverse Grip techniques exist in IaiJutsu, so in very close range drawing the sword, it could be interesting to test this scenario. (Katana against shorter longsword, or Rondel Dagger...). Historicaly there are pictures of armouring battle with soldiers using reverse grip with arming sword in close range catching each others. Also in Diebold Schilling chronicles you can see 4 guys assinating a 5th one and one of them use a Longsword in reverse grip, one a Swiss Degen/Baselard also in reverse grip, 2 others a falchion and longsword in regular grip.
Anyway very good choregraphy video games style skills.
I think the only time reverse grip would work is if you have a decent shield that can compensate for the lack of versatility. using the shield as a fall guy and getting close with some sort of gladius switching from forward grip to reverse getting some stabbing attacks in depending on how close you get to your opponent. Like if your at grappling distance with something to defend yourself that would be the only time that reverse grip could work in my opinion.
or if you can spin a sword around like a butterfly knife. You have to be faster than your opponent, so ig there is no tactical advantage, only style points.
@@doodlegame8704 facts, reverse grip is a one trick pony. It's not something you can dance with
Don’t try to fail. You have a gauntlet at your aid. We all know what you can do with it
You are right reverse grip with a full length sword is just impractical, a more practical option is to have a single edge dagger, like a slightly longer Tanto, as a sort of last resort to try and parry the opponent’s attack and almost simultaneously trapping there arm between your body and the dull edge in order to disarm the opponent and make it easier to defeat them. But idk those are my two cents on a slightly more practical use of reverse grip
ahahha i love your videos brother. Keep it up!
The only reverse grib that works is with a lightsaber(Star Wars/fiction)
Or with a knife because if two people hold a knife they are just going to shank each other anyways, because of the close distance.
And with the reverse grib you can at least try protecting your vitals with your arm and shank at the same time.
Also if someone makes your elbow bend, it prevents from stabbing yourself in the vitals, verry important.
I kinda want to see what he does with a parry dagger, mostly cause I want to see how they work
A pair of gauntlets with blades along the back (BATMAN!) might be more effective than reverse grip.
Ugh. Two comments in a row deleted, with no vulgarity or insults. TH-cam censorship is too much. Meanwhile comments with actual cursing are just fine. O well. Nice video anyway.
Man, I don't even have comment filtering on and yet TH-cam still filters comments... It's pretty upsetting
@@SellswordArts
I didn't think it was you. I have somehow gotten on TH-cams bad side. Is why some of my comments are so cryptic.
Sorry bro @@TH-camCensorshipStinks
Have you tried two weapon with offhand reverse? Reverse in general seems like a bad idea, but maybe in the off hand?
We should use this thread to see how much vulgarity the program can handle
But the power of friendship
I love the part at 0:04
The problem with reverse grip is that it's excessively situational. As has been shown on many occasions, if someone is sneaking up on you from behind and you are aware of it, you could strike the person with reverse grip. It would be a quicker motion than turning around, and it would also have less of a tell. This, as far as I am aware, is the only I situation where reverse grip would surpass the standard method. It's possible to do other things, but you do them Less well than the standard grip. This is all stuff that has been covered in this channel, but it got me thinking. In most choreography fights with reverse grip, the sword is used to the side and even a little behind them. It makes Since because that is where they would have the longest reach. So let's assume someone one had inhuman levels of awareness. Essentially, eyes in the back of one's head. Let's also assume they are surrounded. Would dual wielding with one in reverse grip allow them to better defend their back.
You would have to be really skilled in using reverse grip to make it work in real life.
5:24 you like reverse grip??
Little does he realize as he does more reverse grip he will unironically get good at it
Bro, I've been doing so much reverse grip. If anybody was going to be good at it, it would be me 😂😭
@@SellswordArts MOAR
I kinda wanna see you go reverse grip spin and dodge roll against a complete HEMA noob. Like literally a person who never held a sword before. (Like me? 🥺)
It looks fun, you seem to have a ton of fun with it, so now we just need to find a situation in which it actually works as a power fantasy too and you get to show off all your reverse grip training! 😁
I guess for those to work Irl you eaither have to spend thousands of hours training then hoping you won't die in a fight performing said moves.
Or you have to be a literal god with powers to be flashy in a fight.
There's a famous guy in muay thai called San chai or something like that who has a signature kick that is basically a cartwheel.
I understand that in unharmed combat it kinda works because you can risk trading some hits, wich doesn't happen in armed combat, but anyway, he and capoeira guys can actually make acrobatics work, the problem now is to make it work with blades haha
Thing is, there's little stopping the opponent from closing and delivering a clean strike to someone who's doing such shenanigans, with longsword or polearms. Once armor along with weapons with credible reach are in play, acrobatics generally isn't.
@@crowe6961 It's called Bayblade attack, my friend
@@aramislucas3281 Good luck pulling that off in gambeson with bracers, gauntlets, probably some kind of leg protection, and a 2kg reinforced fencing mask. Shenanigans work best in multi-fighter skirmishes, when you have at least one buddy to cover for you and everyone is more distracted. And a lot of HEMA groups think that level of contact is too risky, especially with polearms. The fun ones will just loudly remind you that you'd better have the right gear on for what you want to be doing and pull their hits a little more when necessary.
From a editing standpoint, should've ended with another reverse grip coreo, it would make a nice bookend to the video and ends on a fun note that reinforces the point of the video.
Reverse Grip is probable if you are duel welding and one of the blades is short like a dagger of some kind.
Do people just desperately need to believe that the choreographed fights they love in movies are realistic in order to enjoy them?
Yes
Its a suspension of disbelief. Also a lot of these things could be viable if the average person was like twice as fast and strong, which is what movies often portray people as.
Also I love you!! I take that as a “get your drip on pixel we coming to great you”
"I've fenced with reverse grip, if anyone knows how to make it work it's me and it doesn't work!" *Then proceeds to do absolutely everything the wrong way (except, obviously, holding the sword upside-down)*
First: Two blades. Or at the very least pair the blade with a buckler or even a purpose-made gauntlet suitably armored for grabbing or batting the opponent's blade away. Personally I'd lean towards the two blades as it gives you the option of lethal strikes from either hand but if you are confident in the dexterity of your off-hand you may prefer the "juggernaut's boxing glove" or "hook hand" approach. Having TWO "armaments" (whether bladed or shielded) also strengthens your ability to block the initial blow while also granting a measure of mobility to more creatively "trap" your opponent's blade. Then, having halted your opponent's momentum you can use one implement to occupy their blade (pushing it downward or to the side) therefore creating an opening to strike with the other.
Second: not trying to be harsh but frankly I feel it was an embarrassing choice selected solely to appeal to the weebs but don't use a freakin' katana. It has arguably the worst guard ever designed (i.e. too thin, too small, virtually useless in all aspects except to keep your hands from slipping and slicing your fingers off with your own blade). Reverse grip necessitates a hilt/guard that protects the hands. A basket (or dare I say "bucket") hilt, for example. Something that encloses the hand not only to keep your opponent from simply rapping your knuckles like an angry nun with a lethal yardstick but also to permit you to, in essence, "box" your opponent's blade out of the way.
Third: I'm just going to call this "unlearn what you have learned." Reverse grip is an unorthodox style in more than just inverting the position of one's blade. It necessitates that you don't fight the way a "master fencer" would fight primarily because a "master fencer" wouldn't fight that way; he'd turn the blade around "the right way." This means you have to throw out all of the "rules." You have to completely (or at least almost completely) forgo your entire philosophical approach to swordsmanship and start from scratch.
One example: you often critiques lightsaber choreography for "attacking the weapon rather than the body." With reverse grip you're obviously giving up a lot of reach, so you CAN'T go straight for the body. There's a sword (or spear, or ax, or staff) in your way. So you have to essentially "defeat the weapon" first. You have to attack your opponent's armament and beat it out of the way OR focus on fluidity of movement to dodge and use your weapons to deflect and redirect rather than block, with the goal being to close the gap to where your opponent doesn't have the leverage nor the distance to deliver a full swing. As I said, you are essentially "boxing" with your opponent's blade, aiming to knock it out of your way so you can move in for the strike.
Watching your duel here you are still very much trying to fight "longsword style." You are trying to block strikes head on and as you know the reverse grip doesn't have the leverage for that. This is a point you've made often to disparage the style but in fairness neither would you hope to block your opponent's greatsword with a rapier; even in a traditional grip it simply does not have the mass required to be effective and it will either be battered into your face or broken in twain. This is one bit of "master fencing knowledge you could retain; to use a lighter weapon effectively against a heavier weapon requires a more indirect approach because "brute force" is not in your favor.
You also seem to be ignoring the utility of a "blind strike;" that is to say delivering a blow somewhere other than directly in front of you. I'll throw something out there and as someone more familiar with armed (and possibly unarmed) martial arts you can tell me if you think it is viable. Your opponent comes at you with an overhead, vertical strike. You raise and cross your arms (and subsequently your blades) to present a lateral blocking structure. The aim is to catch your opponent's blade in the gap between your hands where your two blades cross, then "scissor" your forearms to trap his blade between your guards. This creates a variety of possible follow-ups. If your opponent's grip is shaky you may try to clamp down and pull his blade while delivering a forward thrust-kick to his midsection to break his grip and disarm him. If his blade is poor quality (or you think you have the strength for it) you could attempt to pivot and snap (or at least bend) his blade between your guards (this is why a heftier basket/bucket hilt is infinitely better suited than a cross guard or tsuba). But on the topic of "blind strikes" you could sweep your arms from the "12 o'clock" (directly overhead) position in a circular motion to one side (say, to your right), forcing your opponent's blade down and away. As your rotation approaches "2 o'clock" push out with your left hand to continue the momentum of diverting your opponent's blade while withdrawing your right and pivoting your stance roughly 90 degrees to your right. Rotation of your wrist can then draw your left blade across your opponent's right forearm, wrist, and hand as you follow through with another 90 degree pivot and draw your right hand backwards as though you were sheathing your blade. Except the intended "sheath" is your opponent's kidneys which you have struck at "blindly" behind you. Your left hand is now free to deliver a similar blow to his stomach while simultaneously withdrawing your right blade from his back, all while his blade has been redirected in the opposite direction which should give you time to move away and reset. And if I may throw a little riposte in here it may behoove you to do so with a low, diving roll as your opponent's most likely response, assuming he's still able to fight, would be a horizontal swing with nearly 180 degrees of wind-up behind it, so you'll want to avoid being vertical and therefore out of its path.
You should watch my great reverse grip experiment series. We address all of the things that you claim here 😁
@@SellswordArts glancing at the first couple videos I see you gave it all of 5 months before deciding there was nothing more you could possibly test. Which begs the question how many weeks, months, or more likely years did it take for you to feel any sense of confidence in proclaiming yourself a "master" of any other sword type, style, and or discipline? I'm sure if you're honest (and I assume you would be) you'd say you still have much to learn and a long way to go before claiming a title as lofty as "master swordsman." A proficient one, certainly, but not yet a master. I'd further wager you might feel even another decade of rigorous and fervent training with and against existing masters might still leaving feeling you have much to learn. Can one in good faith then claim to have debunked the potential of a fighting style in a scant five months?
Granted I say all of this not as a practiced swordsman but merely an intellectually gifted and often irritatingly over-analytical observer. In short I can deal only in theory, not experience.
But it does still stand to reason that 5 months' solo experimentation or even sparring with an equally "uninitiated" partner is, shall we say, sub-optimal in terms of actually learning let alone mastering a style most commonly portrayed in fictitious, deeply choreographed settings.
While your training has undoubtedly sharpened your reflexes, your footwork, and your agility it comes with the price of developing muscle memory and instinctive responses (like trying to block a stroke head-on) that are not entirely conducive (and perhaps outright detrimental) to the style. And, yet again, is something not likely "unlearned" in a mere five months.
I do applaud and commend you, however, in seeking to actually test its mettle in your own way rather than merely dismissing it as "only fantasy." I merely encourage you to maintain objectivity in your perspective as even under the tutelage of knowledgeable masters even the brightest of students will not have progressed far in such a short time. And doubly so if said student is not pursuing that knowledge to the exclusion of all else.
By which I merely wonder how much of that five months period was dedicated to the same degree of drilling, sparring, and study as you gave to other more traditional styles. Not as an accusational statement but as a matter of objective reasoning. Despite several decades of fascination with the blade and numerous theories of how it might be done I would not proclaim myself capable of "schooling" you in it as I have never once in my life wielded a blade, even a training foil, in a genuine spar. Unless you count flailing about with duct tape-wrapped pool noodles made to look like lightsabers against equally untrained convention attendees at a less-than-serious "lightsaber combat" pamel hosted by a fencer and Star Wars enthusiast by the name of Moses I believe. It was fun, and dual-wielded reverse grip (as well as "half and half" with traditional grip on my dominant hand and reverse in my off hand) proved effective enough even against two opponents, but they were couch potatoes not unlike myself so that's hardly "proof of merit" I'd say.
I'll be honest, I'm not going to read all of that. That seems fair because you admitted that you didn't watch my videos.
I have 20 years of swordsmanship and martial arts experience. I can tell when something works and when it doesn't.
Like I say in many of my videos, if you need years and years of special training to make a technique work at all, it's a bad technique. I went from having zero training with a longsword to being a highly competitive athlete in 6 months.
I worked on the great reverse grip experiment for 6 months in earnest, and then another 6 months off and on. And I got zero success. And it's not just me, it's everyone else who's ever touched this in a serious manner.
If you believe that this works, go put on some sparring gear, fight someone with it, make a video, and link it back to me 😁
My brother in Christ it’s not that deep