Belegarth

So I'm finally moving away from horrible hand-blocking like an idjit. I fight single blue, or occasionally florentine, so I have to rely on my speed and my weapons to protect me most of the time. I find one thing that is very obviously a problem though...

A good amount of the time, when I'm inside blocking a vertical swing, the weapon I block slides down my sword, and crushes the unholy **** out of my thumb. I have received far too many thumb injuries fighting, and I am convinced I am doing something wrong, I just cannot figure out what. Most of my realm seems unsure of what to do. I'm considering just adding a cross guard to all my swords, but I'm sure there's something wrong with my technique that can be corrected to allow me to safely inside block vertical swings. So... What is it?

Theorically, you have two way to grab your weapon.
1) like you punch (then your thumb is on your other fingers)
2) like a fencer (then your thumb is on the opposit with you first finger)

On a blade, you have two part, i try to translate but i don't know if the words are good :
1) the strong,
2) the weak
The more close to your hand is the strong (use to parry) and the weak (use to hit).

Because of your strengh style attack, if you grab your sword like a punch, you have to parry very very close to your hand (in fact i think in the "very strong part" of your blade, too close so)
Maybe you can try to grab your sword with your thumb on the opposite, then you maybe can parry a little bit more far than your hand with more strengh to block and theorically, there's no slide.

Are you fighting with your thumb pointing up?

Or like you hold a hammer?

Or does it go crossed the handle like a slash / . Make that with your thumb and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Adding quillons will help with that; I have the same problem with my left-hand. What seems to have worked for me well is hiding my thumb behind the blade ala Modified Saber Grip. That grip is essential to learn anyway, as it often affords you better angles not to mention stabilizing your guard; I hold my chef knives the same way so it came naturally to me, but some people have a hard time with it.

When I block my off-side, my left, my elbow is tucked into my hip, which helps redirect the blow because I can turn the arm because it's on my hip. I curl my hand back to stop my arm from getting hit, twist back to block wraps which then in turns means I'm * and ready to explode black, which a lot of people aren't ready for; "Oh, I'm gonna wrap this lefty/flo/Single Sword dude hard to his offside, no problem derp derp." Which in turn, is exactly what I'm thinking. Except I usually stay inside their guard and shank 'em as hard as I can in the kidney. Nothing is so satisfying as the sounds people make after that. lolololol

But yeah, about the thumb, I picked up some lacrosse mitts and haven't had a problem since then. I'm also using a club in my left, and I think the haft-padding helps with my blocking on the forte rather than the hands, which can lead to cool disarms if you're able to get inside their guard.
Does any of that make sense?

Rogue grip + gloves = win.

My grip depends if I'm fighting for extra range or more control. I use my thumb diagonally and above my opposite fingers for defense and control, and I pommel fight with my fingers in an 'O' shape if I'm sniping or playing the range game. It's mostly when I'm making a diagonal '/' with my thumb that it's getting smashed. I use MMA gloves currently.

Block, instead of parrying. A parry is a redirection of the opponents weapon. A block is a strike against the opponents weapon. A more forceful block will push their weapon away, and it wont slide down your blade.

Soo Ma Tai wrote:Block, instead of parrying. A parry is a redirection of the opponents weapon. A block is a strike against the opponents weapon. A more forceful block will push their weapon away, and it wont slide down your blade.

Did you mis-type them backwards, or is this terminology from someplace that runs counter to the common "beat-parry, circular parry, block, stop-block" cluster of terms?