History Main / SwordAndFist

* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': Wielding a one-handed weapon with a free offhand enables the skill "Sucker-Punch", dealing modest damage and a useful Knockdown [[StatusEffects effect]] for a single Action Point. The AP efficiency also makes it easy to switch to and from this arrangement while DuelWielding or [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe using a shield]].

** PlayedForLaughs with Luffy in the beginning of the [[{{Wutai}} Wano]] Arc. To complete his disguise as a samurai local, Luffy decided to bring a sword with him. however, as a [[BareFistedMonk Bare-Fisted]] RubberMan who's barely used a weapon for most of his life, he mainly just resorted to punching and kicking with his stretchy power while holding the sword. He even threw the scabbard at one point.

** Vergo relies primarily on his skill in unarmed combat enhanced by [[KiManipulation Haki]] in battle but he also uses a bamboo stick as a SimpleStaff.

** Trish in both of her playable appearances has a fighting style that revolves around the combination of Sparda and her bare hands for combos. [[spoiler: A cutscene shows her as Gloria taking down a group of demons with a fighting style that mixes knife fighting with fluid, acrobatic movements]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' has a large amounts of characters that use weapons alongside their fists and feet.
** Goro Majima is well known for using his tanto knife in battle, but is also willing to make use of kicks or punches in his moveset. When he becomes PromotedToPlayable in ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'' he also has the "Slugger" style, which makes heavy use of his wide crowd-clearing and heavy damage-dealing baseball bat but also incorporates a few kicks. [[spoiler:After finishing the Cabaret Club storyline he can acquire his legendary Mad Dog of Shimano style, allowing him to use his feared Tanto (referred to as the Dragonfire Dagger).]]

** The focal antagonist of ''VideoGame/Yakuza2'' Ryuji Goda, makes use of a katana in his second boss fight incorporates a kick in one of his attacks, although it gets dropped in ''Kiwami 2'' to focus solely on his sword, keeping the kick to a QuickTimeEvent only.
** Kamon Kanai and [[spoiler:Kan Ogita]] from ''VideoGame/Yakuza5'', make use of knives in their respective boss fights, with the former using his brute strength to deliver open-handed strikes with his left hand while [[spoiler:the latter has a butterfly knife but only uses it sparingly as his DanceBattler moves is much more]].

Subtrope of ChoiceOfTwoWeapons. It's often a sign that you're fighting a CombatPragmatist. For characters who ''switch'' between armed and unarmed combat (but don't use both in combination), see MultiMeleeMaster. Compare also the JustForFun/GunCounterpart -- GunFu (sort of). Contrast NeverBringAKnifeToAFistFight.

* The Filipino martial art of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnis Eskrima]] is a fighting style that teaches stick, knife and sword fighting along with hand to hand techniques. Notably, it usually teaches weapon techniques ''first'' then extends the same motions to bare-handed strikes, down to its single-weapon techniques often being [[DualWielding dual-wielded]] with a "live hand".

With that in mind, there is a variation of this trope that involves throwing punches and kicks in a fight with weapons in situations where using the weapon is a perfectly viable option, and thus there really is no particular reason to punch or kick (for example, a character throwing a spinning kick to the opponent's head when head when they could simply cut with the sword). Needless to say, doing this would be very counterproductive in RealLife, as the whole point of using weapons is that they have numerous advantages over fighting hand to hand.

* Since every fighter in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' has a grab, pummel, and throw move, any given playable swordfighter in the game that uses nothing but his/her sword (i.e. [[Franchise/FireEmblem Marth, Roy, Lucina]], [[VideoGame/{{Kirby}} Meta Knight]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud]], and the aforementioned Ike and Shulk) could be considered to utilize this. In particular, while Ike in ''Brawl'' is simply a swordsman in his [[Franchise/FireEmblem home series]], and mostly uses [[{{BFS}} Ragnell]] in his attacks, his neutral A combos has him punch and kick before swinging his sword down. He also punches and kicks his opponents in his [[LimitBreak final smash]], Great Aether, in between [[BladeSpam slashing at them]]. In ''Wii U/3DS'', Ike returns and fights very similarly to his ''Brawl'' performance. Also added is [[VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}} Shulk]], who also uses punches and kicks to set up some of his Monado strikes.

* Travis Touchdown from ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' uses a combination of sword strikes, unarmed strikes, and [[WrestlerInAllOfUS wrestling]] moves. In the first game, Travis's non-sword attacks were used to stun or break a guard of an enemy or boss, so you could pull off a grapple that either does large damage or instant kills a mook. The damage output for his punch attacks were minimal, but you could charge it to stun targets faster. The sequel revamped his punch and kick attacks to do decent damage, along with mixing up sword attacks with non-sword attacks, and on top of stunning mooks and bosses.

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', Yuri Lowell's artes involve a combination of acrobatic martial arts and swordplay, some being derived from the arte lists of previous ''Tales'' protagonists.

** ''Manga/DragonBall'': Initially, Goku fought with a TelescopingStaff called the Power Pole in conjunction with his hand-to-hand combat skills.

Subtrope of ChoiceOfTwoWeapons. It's often a sign that you're fighting a CombatPragmatist. For characters who ''switch'' between armed and unarmed combat (but don't use both in combination), see MultiMeleeMaster. Compare also the JustForFun/GunCounterpart -- GunFu (sort of).

This trope has a firm basis in reality: while fictional warriors tend to perfect the use of [[WeaponOfChoice a single weapon]], RealLife swordsmen and fencers would rarely limit themselves to using the sword when kicks, punches, shoves and grapplings did the job. Getting so distracted with the weapons that you forget about your other options is a grievous mistake. See UsefulNotes/EuropeanSwordsmanship for more info. With that in mind, there is a variation of this trope that involves throwing punches and kicks in a fight with weapons in situations where using the weapon is a perfectly viable option, and thus there really is no particular reason to punch or kick (for example, a character throwing a spinning kick to the opponent's head when head when they could simply cut with the sword). Needless to say, doing this would be very counterproductive in RealLife, as the whole point of using weapons is that they have numerous advantages over fighting hand to hand.

* Future Trunks in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' is the only swordmaster in the setting alongside having trained in the series' own KiManipulation fighting style.

This trope has a firm basis in reality: while fictional warriors tend to perfect the use of [[WeaponOfChoice a single weapon]], RealLife swordsmen and fencers would rarely limit themselves to using the sword when kicks, punches, shoves and grapplings did the job. Getting so distracted with the weapons that you forget about your other options is a grievous mistake. See UsefulNotes/EuropeanSwordsmanship for more info. With that in mind, there is a variation of this trope that involves throwing punches and kicks in a fight with weapons in situations where using the weapon is a perfectly viable option, and thus there really is no particular reason to punch or kick (for example, a character throwing a spinning kick to the opponent's head when head when they could throw a cut with the sword). Needless to say, doing this would be very counterproductive in RealLife, as the whole point of using weapons is that they have numerous advantages over fighting hand to hand.

* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': Braum's main method of attack is a good old fashioned fist to the face but he also makes use of the gigantic magical door-turned shield he carries around with him as a "smashing board".

* ''VideoGame/ForHonor'': The Centurion's moveset consists of mixing slashes and stabs via his gladius with punching the daylights out of the opponent with a pair of metal gauntlets.

* Many fighters in TabletopGame/''Warhammer40000'' use a weapon ([[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/File:Ultramarine_terminator.jpg ranged]] or [[http://www.games-workshop.com/en-AU/Imperial-Guard-Commissar-Yarrick close]]-[[http://i975.photobucket.com/albums/ae231/johanhagglof/Warhammer/Warhammer40KImperialGuardCommissar2.jpg combat]]) in one hand and a PowerFist over the other.

This trope has a firm basis in reality: while fictional warriors tend to perfect the use of [[WeaponOfChoice a single weapon]], RealLife swordsmen and fencers would rarely limit themselves to using the sword when kicks, punches, shoves and grapplings did the job. Getting so distracted with the weapons that you forget about your other options is a grievous mistake. See UsefulNotes/EuropeanSwordsmanship for more info. With that in mind, there is a variation of this trope that involves throwing punches and kicks in a fight with weapons in situations where using the weapon is a perfectly viable option, and thus there really is no particular reason to punch or kick. Needless to say, doing this would be very counterproductive in RealLife, as the whole point of using weapons is that they have numerous advantages over fighting unarmed.

** Videogame/SoulSeries.

* Franchise/WonderWoman while trained in the art of the sword typically fights empty-handed. Given she has strength and speed on par with Superman, her punches and kicks are typically all she needs to get the job done.
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': During the Golden Age Diana never picked up a sword outside of tournaments on Paradise Island, but she very often used her favorite weapon the lasso in alongside her fists.

* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' features numerous characters who implement weaponry into their fighting style such as Kitana with her war fans or Jade with her staff. Some entries even give the characters the option to switch between [[StanceSystem an armed and unarmed fighting style.]]