Balance point on single and dual blade sabers

[Obese Wan Kenobese]

I hear people saying the saber should balance near the hilt, and that's where I should place my hand. But, I find that it's easier for me when the balance is further out from my hand. I've got two choke points on my Aeon v4. I'm doing spins faster with my hand placed down on the hilt at the chokepoint further from the blade and further from the balance point.

I just put together a dual blade saber, and my one handed spins are way faster when I place my hand so the weight/balance is definitely more to one side.

Maybe it's my above average strength and below average wrist and shoulder flexibility, but it's just so much less effort when the balance is out there rather than up close.

Am I the only weirdo who likes the heavier balance to throw around? Am I headed for some problem down the road I don't know about?

[Master Medwyn]

Actually there's no such thing as "the grip point for everyone"
What matters is how comfortable it is for you. With the Aeon v4 it's fun because the balance point varies pretty significantly depending on whether the blade is heavy or mid-grade or the length is 32" or 36".
I swapped all variety of blades around in the Aeon and every setup needed a different grip point to get a desirable result. And that's showing how great the Aeon/Dominix hilt is: there's always a choke point to consider
For me the ideal is when the weight of the saber spins itself with the least musclepower added. It does not matter for me how far my hand is from the balance point but what matters is that the whole motion is speedy but light and I have the most power reserve to alter the orbit or the whole move.
So if you are weirdo, I am one too

[Vivectius]

As medwyn said, it's completely subjective.

Personally I do prefer the balance point to be right where the blade meets the hilt, because it gives me better control of the saber (that's also where I prefer it on a katana, which is definitely unusual).  

However, my viewpoint is also skewed towards practicality in combat (really not so much skewed as 100% directed), as opposed to pure spinning of the sabers.  I can see where having it further out the blade can give more momentum going into a spin, generally making it easier to do some of the more complex ones without exerting too much strength or energy.  

And yes, that's also why the balance tends to be further out on swords in general (depending, of course, on the sword design in question).  Going back to the katana, the balance tended to be somewhere along the first third of the blade from the tsuba (hand guard) towards the point, with some even out as far as halfway down the blade.  As you cut, especially downward, usually shoulder to hip, the balance would help pull the blade through the cut.  If you ever get your hands on a "properly" balanced sword, give it a swing down at about a 45 degree angle, and you'll feel what I mean.  Especially on a well made one, it actually feels kind of weird to feel the sword pulling you though the cut.

And completely unrelated, I prefer the Dominx (or Aeon) v3 over the v4.  The v4 is prettier, but the v3 is way more comfortable to use (in my opinion).  The choke points are better placed and more comfortable.

[Samhain138]

What type of blade and length are you using?  When I was beginning I used a lower choke point, heavy blade, and put a lot more force into what I was doing.  I was physically capable of making it go faster until I became more refined.  There's less drag and it takes less effort to manipulate when you use the saber from a point of balance.

Once again I don't know your skill level or blade type so I guess I'm not really saying much at all lol.  Ultimately it's what you find most comfortable.

As for the staff, I don't like to favor one side over the other because it makes your spins look uneven, especially in the dark.

[Darth Cephalus]

My take on this is much the same as the others. It depends on what you are doing. You will notice in my videos that I seldom if ever use strikes. When I do they are soft strikes more like a stop and reverse than an actual strike. For me, wielding close to the point of balance gives me a control I do not have if the balance is out too far from my hand. It is precisely a lack of that inertia force you describe that I am looking for. If you wield as if the saber is an extension of your arm, I would think you would want the POB out a bit so that it actually extends your arm. It would aid your carry through and let you build up speed and power. It does take more work to stop or alter the path of the saber for precisely the same reason. If you wield as I do like the saber is separate creature whose movement is independent of yours but whose path you want to manipulate, you want to grip where you have the most power to do that manipulation and that is right on or near the POB. As a good example of what I am saying, consider the flip. If I flip the saber from below the POB, it flips wide like a hammer would flip, and I need to work to catch it. If I flip at the POB, it will flip in or near the palm of my hand and all I have to do is open and close it. The saber is spinning where I grip it rather than out and the rotation is tighter and easier to control. From the POB, you can actually learn to wield the saber without actually having to grip it at all which is the essence of contact moves.