A nice article from Nathan Clough of Arms & Armor. From the above link: "In this blog we briefly demonstrate some tatami cutting with the Arms and Armor English Longsword, and discuss how to hold a sword with a shorter, historically accurate, grip while cutting resistant targets. In our experience, many people who mostly handle long-gripped modern feders are often confused about how to use a longsword with a historically accurate grip length. These shorter grips were not made for people with small hands, nor is it necessary to grip the pommel for most cutting actions. Instead, holding the sword with hands touching helps to engage your core while cutting instead of relying on the smaller muscles of the arms."