Jeff Jacobson, with a shout out to Gary Chelak of Tattershall, demonstrates how to hold a rapier with Richard Marsden of the Phoenix Society of Historical Swordsmanship.
This grip feels so right! It is loose & relaxed yet I can exert a tremendous amount of sideways pressure in this position. Also, much less strain in holding the sword & blade movements are easier. Thanks for posting this Jeff & Richard.
Just to re-iterate. This works well. We've been using it and alternate between different grips. As Jeff shows us, it really does help with leverage. I find one is more open to the beat, but that makes sense to, and makes counters to the beat work much better. Here's the real winner- the high school kids I work with find much more success this way.
Does this make Prima incredibly straining on the hand and wrist for anyone else? I don't mean to contradict, especially if it's just me, as I can feel the improvement in stability, but if it makes the first guard so difficult, can we be certain this is how it's done?
In Prima I need to alter my grip for more stability. We know from contemporary and later sources that Prima was straining and tiring. We do not know exactly how it was held. In this video, the grip Tattershall uses, I use now, except when cutting or in Prima or whenever I need extra stability, then I'll grip it tighter, but my tip will mis-align as I do it. You can see this for yourself. Stand still and hold the blade in Terza as shown in the video. Now, wrap your hand further around it more like a saber and watch your tip elevate. To sum up - use this grip when/where appropriate.
