how to hold a grip,

[outlawsteveoaos]

there has been some talk in armoury about the perfect grip and such. and for some it was decided that there is no perfect grip, that it's about finding a grip that fits comfortably and learning how to hold/use it with proper technique.

i've grown fond of two grips. a small uhl. ital. visconti on my soft blades, and the lp g-pro on my hard blades.

i realize this may be impossible to explain with text, but can someone explain to me how i am supposed to hold/use these grips correctly? i only ask you guys here b/c i don't have a coach i can go to.

i appreciate any help i can get from you guys.

outlaw steveo aos

[The Terran]

there has been some talk in armoury about the perfect grip and such. and for some it was decided that there is no perfect grip, that it's about finding a grip that fits comfortably and learning how to hold/use it with proper technique.

i've grown fond of two grips. a small uhl. ital. visconti on my soft blades, and the lp g-pro on my hard blades.

i realize this may be impossible to explain with text, but can someone explain to me how i am supposed to hold/use these grips correctly? i only ask you guys here b/c i don't have a coach i can go to.

i appreciate any help i can get from you guys.

outlaw steveo aos

I can't tell you anything about Leon-Paul, but as far as visconti goes I know the biggest problem I had was sizing. MAKE SURE IT FITS YOUR HAND!

I can't tell you how frustrated I was with that style of grip until I figured out which size fits me the best.

As a general rule of thumb, try everything, fondle them all, and find the one that just molds to your hand like putty.

[erooMynohtnA]

Use the tips of your fingers, don't just palm it.

[Allen Evans]

I'm curious how you can have a "favorite" grip, and not know how to hold it?

AE

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

You're supposed to hold it... just barely.

[FoilyDeath]

Many different opinions on this topic...ask your coach.

[LeftHanded]

Well, I use Belgian grips on all of my blades. I hold it fairly tight but not so tight that it cuts off circulatin to my fingers though I got tense at a NAC and actually did that. I would suggest that you hold it in a manner that it feels comfortable but still give you a full range of motion. I knew this one kid that used a Visconti and he would put his index finger over teh top of the grip. Granted, I didn't lik eit he actually fenced better with it that way. He like that it held the blade straighter and more in line with his forearm.

[flyingfencer]

Hold it lightly. Your thumb and forefinger should do most of the blade work.

[qatet]

Bladework should mostly be done with the fingers, not the wrist. This means that you'll end up with lots of friction between your weapon and the first segment of your index finger. On most serious fencers I know, this results in massive callouses there. My mother has repeatedly asked me when I broke my finger because the lump is so large it looks like a badly healed break (slightly better now that I wrap my fingers with athletic tape). If you find that you are forming such a callous on the first joint, or on the second section, you're probably holding your weapon too far in your palm, and not using your fingers enough.

Most people have heard the idea that you want to "hold your weapon like a bird. Hold it too loosely and it flies away. Hold it too tightly and you kill it." My other favorite image is that you want to leave space in the palm of your hand for an invisible mouse between your hand and your weapon. In other words, there should be space between your grip and your palm. Admittedly, with a pistol grip it has to be a pretty small mouse, but most of them are, indeed, pretty small.

[outlawsteveoaos]

I'm curious how you can have a "favorite" grip, and not know how to hold it?

AE

well i have two grips that i like, but how am i to know i'm holding/using them right?

Many different opinions on this topic...ask your coach.

well that's my problem, i don't have one. probably not for at least another couple months.

Well, I use Belgian grips on all of my blades. I hold it fairly tight but not so tight that it cuts off circulatin to my fingers though I got tense at a NAC and actually did that. I would suggest that you hold it in a manner that it feels comfortable but still give you a full range of motion. I knew this one kid that used a Visconti and he would put his index finger over teh top of the grip. Granted, I didn't lik eit he actually fenced better with it that way. He like that it held the blade straighter and more in line with his forearm.

weird, hehe i might try that just for kicks,

Bladework should mostly be done with the fingers, not the wrist. This means that you'll end up with lots of friction between your weapon and the first segment of your index finger. On most serious fencers I know, this results in massive callouses there. My mother has repeatedly asked me when I broke my finger because the lump is so large it looks like a badly healed break (slightly better now that I wrap my fingers with athletic tape). If you find that you are forming such a callous on the first joint, or on the second section, you're probably holding your weapon too far in your palm, and not using your fingers enough.

thanks for that. i never thought about it till now but i do rest the grip on the first join on my index finger. i'll see what i can do about changing it.

i'm really hoping these little changes will help w/ my point control,

outlaw steveo aos

[outlawsteveoaos]

not sure how to ask this, but when you hold a pistol grip do you hold it so that your thumb and index finger are right up against the guard? or do you hold it close to the grip leaving space between the guard and the index finger and thumb?

outlaw steveo aos

[keith]

not sure how to ask this, but when you hold a pistol grip do you hold it so that your thumb and index finger are right up against the guard? or do you hold it close to the grip leaving space between the guard and the index finger and thumb?

outlaw steveo aos

you hold it so as you can manipulate the blade with your thumb and forefinger - where exactly they are in terms of distance from the guard is going to depend on the size of the grip.

[Chafunkta]

The first joint of my index finger is against the guard. My thumb is back slightly (less than 2 cm) from the guard. [Note: It's illegal to have your grip fix your thumb more than 2 cm from the guard for an orthopedic grip]. As others have said, you need to hold the grip loosely. When I hold it, the grip is not against my palm.

Note that this doesn't provide much strength in the grip. I make up for that whenever I beat/parry/make contact with another's blade by pulling the grip in towards my palm with my fingers.

It's probably pointless to post this without a visual example, but take what you can from this post. It's too difficult to explain this verbally.

[seven6ty]

You don't have anyone you fence with who can show you how to hold them either?

My favorite way to explain it, is to first, try making your hand into the Vulcan, "Live long and prosper" sign, ya know, thumb out, then index and middle finger together, and then ring and pinky fingers together. Place your thumb on top of the grip, then take your index and middle finger, and wrap those around the underside of the grip, but infront of the little divider piece, which should be on both visconti's and belgians, as well as several other grips. Then your last two fingers, your ring and pinky, should go on the part of the handle that hangs down and somewhat resembles the butt of a handgun. Make sure to hold it somewhat loosely, like as if you had a bird in your hand.

[keith]

Make sure to hold it somewhat loosely, like as if you had a bird in your hand.

you know I keep hearing this but I have yet to find a fencing club that has a cage of canaries for beginners to practice with

[seven6ty]

...Must be a club full of very heavy handed fencers then.

[tbryan]

not sure how to ask this, but when you hold a pistol grip do you hold it so that your thumb and index finger are right up against the guard? or do you hold it close to the grip leaving space between the guard and the index finger and thumb?

Personally, while wearing my glove and with the grip resting lightly against the pad of my thumb, if I lay my thumb flat along the top of my Uhl. Visconti, my thumb is basically touching the guard pad. I used to use a larger grip, and there was a small gap between my thumb and the bell guard. It really changes the balance, and I find that I like the grip to be as small as possible without forcing me to cramp my hand up.

Note I prefer to buy a smaller grip than to cut down a larger grip to the right length. In addition to the length from the bell guard to the rear of the grip, the rest of the grip is a different size. The grip that is the correct length also fits more comfortably in the rest of my hand.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

you know I keep hearing this but I have yet to find a fencing club that has a cage of canaries for beginners to practice with

I had a friend stop very very quickly before suggesting something ELSE to hold gently.

Of course, he suggested something that the Smith team doesn't really have any of either...............

[Rick Shellhouse]

Im sorry I never got pass the I live in NJ and dont have a coach I can ask...


Is this by choice because most places in jersey you can throw a french grip and hit three coaches in the head....throw a pistol and hit at least half a dozen fencers....



Where in jersey are you?


R

[outlawsteveoaos]

You don't have anyone you fence with who can show you how to hold them either?

Im sorry I never got pass the I live in NJ and dont have a coach I can ask...


Is this by choice because most places in jersey you can throw a french grip and hit three coaches in the head....throw a pistol and hit at least half a dozen fencers....



Where in jersey are you?


R

ok so this is the deal. my friends and i have been running the club at our school for three years now. essentially we are the coaches, i consider ourselves to be trainers though. only three of us have had some fencing experience in the past, but since then we haven't had much formal training.

did i mention our school is in the middle of western pennsylvania? home for me is in nj, but i live at school in pa. there isn't a club in the area that is less than an hours drive. so no, no coaches and no other fencers to ask besides the fencers that we're training.

i didn't realize it was such a big deal to get someone else's opinion the matter.