What grip do you prefer?

[Captain Jack Sparrow]

Hello everyone,

before i go on spring break later today, i'd like to poll everyone (is there a poll option in this forum?)

in using the knife, what grip do you prefer and why?

forward saber grip? hammer grip? pakal? edge up, edge down etc....

i personally tend to like to using pakal (ice pick) with the edge in because for me it gives more reach strangely when i play in the largo/medio range... and i like the ice pick power of pakal... very gross motor...

as for the edge in, i like to bite the person's arm/hand as he tries to strike me.. and when we start to clinch, my pakal edge in traps the limbs and when the opponent forcibly retracts, he unknowingly cuts himself further...

hope i was clear...

thanks

Cap

[arnisador]

See also this thread (http://fmatalk.com/showthread.php?t=356). I associate your approach with Pekiti Tirsia! I like saber grip for knife dueling, but for other applications the reverse grips start to look more attractive. I don't think I agree with you about reach...for me, I feel like I lose a little reach, though not necessarily a lot.

Some people call saber grip the "hammer grip" because it's reminescent of how you'd hold a hammer, but I find it confusing to think of my knife as being like a hammer!

[Ron B]

with training with the knife I train with both the forward grip and the reverse grip.forward grip is probably better for longer ranges and the reverse grip is better close in.also depends on what you want to do with the knife whether or not I want to use the knife to slash or to stab.as for the forward grip being called the hammer grip I would agree as you hold a hammer tight with your last 3 fingers and loose with the index finger and thumb.I hold the knife the same way I would hold a stick,hammer ect.
some people like to rest their thumb along the top of the knife.I tried that but in knife sparring my thumb would get jammed up sometimes.

[arnisador]

As an aside, an article in Knives Illustrated Magazine (Dec. 2006 (http://fmatalk.com/showthread.php?p=8096#post8096)) labels the four basic grips as follows:

Fencing (forward, edge down)
Draw cut (forward, edge up)
Reverse (reverse, edge out)
Dagger (reverse, edge in)

[Matt Lamphere]

I have no preference.

It really depends on how the blade or other improvised (ie: pen, light) device ends up in my hand. I figure that it's best to train with as many variations as you can. Keeps your options open.

[Carol]

I'm still deciding on my fave grip. I agree with Matt though, I think in a live situation a lot would be situational.

[kabaroan]

No preference here either, each has a place.

[Matt Lim]

Firm grip. Point or edge towards the opponent.

[PG Michael B]

However it comes out is my favorite, just be prepared to use it no matter the grip.

[tanod]

first post here...yay!
no preference, what ever works

[Riddick29]

I try as much as possible to be familiar with the 12 Sayoc Grips, and the 16 FCS Grips.

[Sheldon Bedell]

I was train first with the ice pick grip so I guess I tend to favoroe it but i know that each situation differes and the best grip will diiffer with the situation

sorry folks typing with out my glasses this morning

[tellner]

Just hold on good and tight.

[Christian]

I try as much as possible to be familiar with the 12 Sayoc Grips, and the 16 FCS Grips.

12 or even 16 different grips? Is it 8 Knifes per hand :) ?

Could you describe them please? Pic´s of course would also be great.

@topic
I think each grip has it´s use and it really depends on the weapon and the circumstances etc.

Regards

Christian

[Buwaya]

Hopefully its the handle I'm gripping:)....

[Riddick29]

Here's a link of the FCS Greece website showing the 16 grips, as FCS and Sayoc are close ; it's globaly the same that we saw in Sayoc :
http://www.fcsgreece.com/grips/small/grip2.html

[Imua Kuntao]

It doesn't matter the grip, however it goes in the body and where in the body, it becomes a body handle in which to manipuulate the body into another position or takedown or for a finnish.

[Christian]

Here's a link of the FCS Greece website showing the 16 grips, as FCS and Sayoc are close ; it's globaly the same that we saw in Sayoc :
http://www.fcsgreece.com/grips/small/grip2.html


Thank you very much.

Do you think that much variety is necessary? I feel this is a little bit "oversophisticated".

Regards
Christian

[Riddick29]

The 12 or 16 are usefull ; but not in all case. The first fives for example are just one or two finger moving from a "standard" hammer grip. Some grips are for "pinning" while fighting, others are for more accuracy ; when you work them a lot, you feel how to switch from one to another without danger.
Some (shown with the "small blades") are to hide the blade partially in your hand and get a more surprising effect ; the two "between the fingers" (like a fist) are not very comfortable, but you can clearly see their use if you get a push-dagger in your hand. Each one has its importance, but only for specific reasons.
In Sayoc, we have what is called the pinch grip (two finger grip), we use it with our blade (and it's not very comfortable) ; but how would you hold a razor blade or something else in that style.

[Christian]

So it is also for different blade types... OK, than I guess I understand. Thank you.

Regards
Christian

[silat1]

12 or 16 grips? In the heat of battle, the grip is what you can grab and use the knife as a defensive means to end the situation as soon as you can..
Personally, I prefer the saber grip if I am using my bowie or my randall 14.. I have a custom miniature Kukri that works better in the reverse grip than it works for the straight or hammer grip.. I use it with the panatukan aspects of what I teach, similar use as a karambit. But it is something that I am playing with now so if feels comfortable..

As far as the other grips, they are personal preference depending on how you are trained in the use of the knife.. Since my blade of preference is a bowie or similar blade design that is what works for me at present.

[arnisador]

I think a lot of us use many of those grips, switching smoothly or grabbing what we can as has been suggested. We just don't separately name them and view them as separate grips---we think of them as variations on a basic grasp of the weapon.

I think it's a matter of how analytical one wants to be, or how much vocabulary one requires to describe techniques. It's like Kenpo--I think their extensive nomenclature is great for communication but somewhat limiting of spontaneity.

[Topeng]

For some reason pakal seems the most natural. I'm still learning though.